Nutrition Coach Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

Question 1

In the Transtheoretical Model, a client who says 'I have no intention of changing my eating habits in the next six months' is in which stage?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Precontemplation. Precontemplation is defined by no intention to change within the next six months, often because the person is unaware of the problem or feels unable to change.

Question 2

A client states, 'I'm planning to start meal-prepping next week and have already bought containers.' Which stage of change does this best reflect?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Preparation. Preparation is marked by intent to act in the immediate future (typically within 30 days) plus some initial steps, such as buying supplies.

Question 3

A client has been eating five vegetable servings daily for eight months and feels confident she won't relapse. Which stage best describes her?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Maintenance. Maintenance applies once a behavior change has been sustained for roughly six months or more and the focus shifts to preventing relapse.

Question 4

Which TTM stage is characterized by ambivalence, weighing the pros and cons of change but no commitment to act within 30 days?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Contemplation. Contemplation involves recognizing the problem and seriously considering change within six months, but ambivalence keeps the person from committing to imminent action.

Question 5

Matching interventions to readiness, which strategy is most appropriate for a client in precontemplation?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Consciousness-raising about risks and personal relevance. In precontemplation the priority is raising awareness; action plans presume a readiness the client does not yet have.

Question 6

The TTM 'decisional balance' construct refers to which of the following?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

The relative weight a person gives to the pros versus cons of changing. Decisional balance is the comparative weighing of the perceived advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons) of changing; pros must outweigh cons for progress.

Question 7

According to TTM research, as a person moves from precontemplation to action, how do the pros and cons of change typically shift?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Pros rise and cons fall, with the crossover near contemplation/preparation. The 'strong principle' of progress holds that the pros of change increase while the cons decrease, with the crossover tending to occur around the contemplation-to-preparation transition.

Question 8

What does the acronym OARS stand for in motivational interviewing?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries. OARS names the four core communication skills of MI: Open-ended questions, Affirmations, Reflective listening, and Summaries.

Question 9

In motivational interviewing, 'change talk' refers to:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Client statements that favor movement toward change. Change talk is any client speech that argues for change (desire, ability, reasons, need, commitment); MI aims to evoke and strengthen it.

Question 10

The opposite of change talk, where a client argues for the status quo, is called:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Sustain talk. Sustain talk is client language favoring not changing. In current MI it is distinguished from 'discord,' which is friction in the relationship itself.

Nutrition Coach Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

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