KNDI LICENSING PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS
1.0 BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Licensing professional examinations are examinations offered to graduates of nutrition and dietetics at certificate, diploma and degree levels from KNDI accredited institutions. Under section 13 of the Nutritionists and Dieticians Act No. 18 of 2007: CAP 253B, the Accreditation Committee of KNDI is mandated to;
“……………………………………………
(a) provide proper training of persons to be registered and licensed;
(b) prepare syllabuses of instruction and training courses for persons seeking registration under the Act;
(c) prepare and conduct examinations for persons seeking registration under the Act;
(d) charge the appropriate examination fees in consultation with the Council of the Institute;
(e) prepare regulations to be made by the Institute regarding the standard of proficiency to be gained in each examination for a diploma, degree or other award;
(f) develop regulations for internship programmes for students of nutrition and dietetics
during pre-service training;
……………………………………………”
And so, all graduates of nutrition and dietetics at certificate, diploma or degree levels MUST UNDERTAKE licensing professional examinations before they can be licensed to practice under CAP 253B in Kenya.
Goal of the Licensing Professional Examinations
The goal is to;
- Allow for the classification of nutrition and dietetics graduates as professionals; Certificate level registrants as Technicians, diploma level registrants as Technologists and degree level registrants as Nutritionists as per their specific professional areas of interest.
- Ascertaining that the students have gone through the KNDI core curriculum successfully and thus can be certified as professionals.
- Instill hands on skill in nutrition and dietetics through internship program for the degree graduates in nutrition and dietetics.
2.0 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Each applicant/student/candidate MUST have;
- Met the KNDI Legalized Entry Grades for admission into the nutrition and dietetics program at certificate, diploma and degree levels; https://www.kndi.institute/notices/Legal_Notice_160_267_Entry_Grades.pdf. If you have not met fully the legalized entry grades, you shall be required to apply for aptitude and professional upgrade examinations.
- Successfully applied for KNDI Professional Indexing and be issued with KNDI Index Number. To verify the status of Professional Indexing follow this link https://osp.kndi.institute/#/indexing/verify/status
- Completed the full duration of the programme of study at certificate, diploma and degree levels in foods, nutrition and dietetics in a KNDI accredited institutions.
- (a) The institution should be training their students by following the approved KNDI core curriculum (certificate, diploma and degree core curriculum guidelines).
- (b) The candidate/applicant/student must have passed the final examination in the KNDI accredited institutions and attained a minimum grade of pass as evidenced by presentation of a certificate and transcripts in respective area of training.
- (c) Certificate and Diploma students should have sat for KNEC examinations, certificate up to module II and diploma up to module III, if they trained from Middle Level Colleges other than KMTC and universities.
- Degree students MUST have;
- (a) Applied, sat and passed oral examinations. To find out more visit our oral examinations details page; https://www.kndi.institute/kndi-oral-examinations/
3.0 LICENSING PROFESSIONAL EXAMS FEE/COST
Licensing professional examinations are charged as per legal notice no 216; https://www.kndi.institute/notices/legal_notice_fees.pdf
- Degree level examinations; Kshs. 10,000/=
- Diploma level examinations; Kshs. 10,000/=
- Certificate level examinations; Kshs. 6,000/=
Note 1:
First installments of exams (Kshs. 5,000/=) in either of these categories is paid when applying for KNDI professional indexing and the remaining will be paid when or immediately after sitting for licensing professional examinations.
Unsuccessful students/candidates (those who have failed) can only RESIT ONCE the licensing professional examinations by re-applying in the next period. Such applicants will be required to pay Kshs. 6, 000/= as exam resit fee as per the invoice generated from the KNDI OSP the application.
4.0 SCOPE OF THE LICENSING PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS
The licensing professional examinations shall be offered twice in a year in the months of June and November. The licensing professional examinations are classified as follows;
Table 1: Type of licensing professional examinations options for the 3 levels of training
| Level of Training | Type of Licensing Professional Examinations Options |
| Certificate level | 1. Nutrition and Dietetics Technician Professional Examination |
| Diploma level | 1. Nutrition Technologist Professional Examination
2. Dietetics Technologist Professional Examination |
| Degree level | 1. Clinical Nutrition Professional Examination
2. Clinical Dietetics Professional Examination 3. Community Nutrition Professional Examination 4. Public Health Nutrition Professional Examination 5. Food Science Nutrition Professional Examination 6. Food Service Diet Therapist Professional Examination |
Note 2:
- When making application, please take note of the type of professional examinations option selected.
- Your registration certificate and practice license will bear the name of the professional examination option sat for.
The number of papers to be offered as per the 3 levels of training shall be as follows as determined by the Accreditation Committee: -
Certificate level professional examinations shall be administered as 1 (one) paper
Nutrition and dietetics technician exam which examines general nutrition and dietetics principles and life skills.
Diploma level professional examinations shall be administered as 2 (two) papers
- Paper 1 shall comprise of general nutrition and dietetics principles.
- Paper 2 shall be specialized as per the chosen area of interest for each applicant (Nutrition or Dietetics).
This will apply in the two specialized areas in diploma;
- Nutrition Technologist Professional Examinations
- Dietetics Technologist Professional Examinations
The examinable units that differentiate these two areas of specialization is available at; Downloads | Kenya Nutritionists & Dieticians Institute (KNDI)
Degree level professional examinations shall be administered as 2 (two) papers
- Paper 1 shall comprise of general nutrition and dietetics principles.
- Paper 2 shall be specialized as per the competency acquired from the 1-year KNDI internship program
This will apply for each of the 6 specialties at degree level as follows:
- Clinical Nutrition Professional examination (CLN)
- Clinical Dietetics Professional examination (CLD)
- Community Nutrition Professional examination (CMN)
- Public Health Nutrition Professional examination (PHN)
- Food Service Diet Therapy Professional examination (FSDT)
- Food Science Nutrition Professional examination (FSN)
The KNDI internship policy guideline that categorizes these 6 levels of professionalism at degree level is available at; https://www.kndi.institute/internship/guidelines_2020.pdf
The examinable units that differentiate these 6 areas of specialization is available at; Downloads | Kenya Nutritionists & Dieticians Institute (KNDI)
5.0 DOCUMENTS REQUIRED WHEN APPLYING FOR LICENSING PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS
Each individual student/applicant/candidate will be required to provide the following attachments in the online application;
Table 2: Documents to be uploaded when applying for licensing professional examinations
| Level of Training | Type of Licensing Professional
Examinations Options |
Documents to be Uploaded/Attached |
| Certificate level | 1. Nutrition and Dietetics Technician | Scanned copy in PDF format only of;
i) KCSE certificate ii) The 2 KNEC modules (upon meeting eligibility criteria 3(a), (b) and (c) in section 2.0 above) iii) Transcripts iv) Certificate |
| Diploma level | 1. Nutrition Technologist
2. Dietetics Technologist |
Scanned copy in PDF format only of;
i) KCSE certificate ii) The 3 KNEC modules (upon meeting eligibility criteria 3(a), (b) and (c) in section 2.0 above) iii) Transcripts iv) Certificate |
| Degree level | 1. Clinical Nutrition
2. Clinical Dietetics 3. Community Nutrition 4. Public Health Nutrition 5. Food Science Nutrition 6. Food Service Diet Therapy |
Scanned copy in PDF format only of;
i) KCSE certificate ii) Transcripts iii) Certificate |
Note: 3
- All transcripts/results slips/KNEC Modules must be scanned in one continuous PDF file and uploaded in the “transcripts attachment section” when making online application.
- Students are advised to visit nearby cyber cafes for scanning of the documents required.
SECTION 6.0 CALENDAR FOR 2025 AND HOW TO APPLY FOR THE LICENSING PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS
6.1 Calendar for Licensing Professional Examinations 2025
| PROFESSIONAL LICENSING EXAMINATIONS CALENDAR 2025 | |||
| Degree Level Examinations | |||
| ITEM | PHASE 1 (Open) | PHASE 2 (Open) | FEE CHARGED (Kes) |
| Professional written licensing examinations application (Degree) | 1st Dec 2024 – 13th June 2025 | 1st July -31st Oct 2025
|
Kes 5,000.00
2nd installment |
| Professional written licensing examinations application deadline (Degree) | 13th June 2025 | 31st Oct 2025 | |
| Professional written licensing examinations administration (Degree) | 26th - 27th June 2025 | 13th - 14th Nov 2025 | NA |
| Certificate and Diploma Level Examinations | |||
| ITEM | PHASE 1 (Open) | PHASE 2 (Open) | FEE CHARGED (Kes) |
| Professional written licensing examinations application (Diploma & Certificate) | 1st Dec 2024 – 13th June 2025 | 1st June - 31st Oct 2025 | 2nd installment
Certificate 1,000 Diploma 5,000 |
| Professional written licensing examinations application deadline (Diploma & Certificate) | 13th June 2025 | 31st Oct 2025 | |
| Professional written licensing examinations administration (Diploma & Certificate) | 23rd - 25th June 2025 | 10th -12th Nov 2025 | NA |
The Application Window for June 2025 is Closed
6.2 How to apply for the Licensing Professional Examinations
The KNDI licensing professional examinations application processes are done online through the KNDI OSP available at; https://osp.kndi.institute/#/register
Once your application is received, assessed and approved, visit this webpage for updates, notices and proceedings on the forthcoming examinations; https://www.kndi.institute/professional-licensing-examination-preparation-instructions/
7.0 OUTCOME OF THE LICENSING PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS
Successful applicants (students who pass) licensing professional examinations shall be approved by the Accreditation Committee and the KNDI Council to apply for certification and registration as follows;
Table 3: Title on the registration certificate or practice license as per the exam sat for
| Level of Training | Type of Licensing Professional Examination Sat for | Registration and Certification Title/Name/Classification |
| Certificate | Nutrition and dietetics technician | Nutrition and Dietetics Technician |
| Diploma | Nutrition | Nutrition Technologist |
| Dietetics | Dietetics Technologist | |
| Degree | Clinical Nutrition | Clinical Nutritionist |
| Clinical Dietetics | Clinical Dietician | |
| Food Service Diet Therapy | Food Service Diet Therapist | |
| Public Health Nutrition | Public Health Nutritionist | |
| Community Nutrition | Community Nutritionist | |
| Food Science Nutrition | Food Science Nutritionist |
Contacts
If you have questions about aptitude and professional upgrade course and examinations, please contact;
Call Hotline 1: +254 0112 514 865
Call Hotline 2: +254 0738 608 882
Email; info@kndi.institute or exam@kndi.institute
Website: www.kndi.institute