How to take the exam for geriatric nutritionist qualification certificate

At present, there is no "Geriatric Nutritionist" professional qualification certificate that is separately included in the National Vocational Qualification Catalog in my country. The relevant certificates on the market that people often ask about are either public nutritionist skill level certificates focusing on geriatric nutrition (which can be checked by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security), or geriatric nutrition-related training certificates issued by various industry associations and training institutions. Before applying, you must first understand your needs, so as not to waste money.

A while ago, I just helped Aunt Zhang downstairs, who wanted to popularize nutrition science for the elderly in the community, to apply for the exam. She saw a pop-up advertisement at first that said "National Certificate for Elderly Nutritionists, 3,800 guaranteed, earning 20,000 per year for affiliation." She almost paid directly, but fortunately she stopped and checked the policy carefully, and then she understood the difference.

Let’s talk about the most valuable public nutritionist skill level certificate first. Nowadays, exams are organized by third-party evaluation agencies registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The certificate can be found in the National Online Inquiry System for Skilled Talent Evaluation Certificates. In some areas, you can receive a skills improvement subsidy ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 yuan. If you are taking the certificate to work in an elderly care institution, a community nutrition post, an elderly meal catering company, or if you want to provide formal nutrition consulting services for the elderly, this is the right exam. When applying for the exam, you must first find a training institution with formal registration qualifications to register. Individuals are not allowed to apply independently at the moment. The application threshold is not high. Those majoring in medicine, food, nursing and other related majors of technical secondary school or above can apply directly. If they are not related majors, they must have more than one year of work experience in nutrition-related positions, or they can scrape together the required training hours. When preparing for the exam, you can take the initiative to focus on modules related to geriatric nutrition, such as nutritional management of common diseases in the elderly, dietary matching for the elderly, and diet design for the elderly with dysphagia. The exam covers both theoretical and practical subjects. If you pass 60 points in both subjects, you can get the certificate. Aunt Zhang said at that time I studied a lot of real questions on nutrition for the elderly. After finishing the test, I happened to take the practical test of meal preparation for the elderly with high blood pressure. The answers were very smooth. After getting the certificate, I also received a 1,500 skill subsidy. Now I teach nutrition knowledge to old men and women every week in the community activity room, and I am very popular.

As for those training certificates with the name "Geriatric Nutritionist", most of them are issued by industry associations or training institutions themselves. They can only prove that you have participated in relevant training. They cannot be found on the national skilled personnel website, and you cannot receive subsidies. Most formal units do not recognize them when you are looking for a job. The application threshold is very low, and there are no requirements for academic qualifications or work experience. You can get the certificate after paying money and completing online courses. That’s not to say that this kind of certificate is completely useless. If you just want to learn to adjust the diet of the elderly at home, or share some nutritional knowledge with the old friends in the community, it is quite cost-effective to choose a course that costs a few hundred yuan and has solid content. Many people think that since you are learning practical nutrition knowledge for the elderly, the price-performance ratio is higher. It depends on the purpose of your certification.

By the way, if you come across someone who comes up and says "guaranteed", "affiliate to make money" or "get the certificate directly without taking an exam", just take a detour. For formal skill level certificates, you have to take the exam yourself, and there is no such thing as guaranteed. I have a friend who believed the affiliation and spent more than 4,000 to get an organization certificate. In the end, no one wanted it at all, and the money was wasted.