SCNLE Syllabus: Sections and Question Counts
How the 200 SCNLE questions split by section: Nutrition Care for Individuals and Groups 60%, Fundamentals of Clinical Nutrition 20%, with the topics in each section and the source.
- Questions and time
- 200 questions; up to 10% additional pilot questions may be included · Two 120-minute parts with a 30-minute scheduled break
- Pass mark
- 542 on the 200–800 reporting scale
- Exam fee
- Confirm the examination fee during official appointment booking.
Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
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Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
Try 10 free questions and see your levelLast verified: 11 November 2026. This is an independent guide; it is not affiliated with Saudi Commission for Health Specialties or any government body. Exam details can change, so check the exam page at Saudi Commission for Health Specialties before relying on any figure.
How the questions are split
The exam has 200 questions in 240 minutes, split across the sections according to the exam specification from Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
| Section | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals of Clinical Nutrition | 40 | 20% |
| Nutrition Care for Individuals and Groups | 120 | 60% |
| Management of Food, Nutrition Programs and Services | 20 | 10% |
| Food Service Systems | 20 | 10% |
| Total | 200 | 100% |
The two largest sections are Nutrition Care for Individuals and Groups and Fundamentals of Clinical Nutrition: together 160 of the 200 questions (80%). Start with them, then take the rest in order of size.
Notes on this split
- The examination is in English with four-option single-best-answer questions.
- Official domain distribution may vary by ±5% per domain.
Topics in each section
Fundamentals of Clinical Nutrition (40 questions)
- Nutrient metabolism
- Vitamins and minerals
- Nutrition assessment
- Calculations and meal planning
- Research and statistics
- Ethics and communication
- Drug–nutrient interactions
Nutrition Care for Individuals and Groups (120 questions)
- Nutrition care process
- Diabetes
- Obesity and bariatric surgery
- Cardiovascular disease
- Renal disease
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Liver and pancreatic disease
- Nutrition support
- Critical care, surgery and burns
- Oncology and hematology
- Metabolic disorders
- Life-cycle nutrition
- Pediatric nutrition
- Allergy, immunity and inflammation
- Bone, pulmonary, transplant and eating disorders
Management of Food, Nutrition Programs and Services (20 questions)
- Program evaluation
- Quality management
- Operations management
- Resource management
- Community nutrition
Food Service Systems (20 questions)
- Foodborne pathogens
- Food storage
- Hygiene and contamination prevention
- HACCP
- Food safety principles
How to use this split
Start with the 10 free questions, no sign-up: your score comes back split by section, so you see the weakest one. Then spread your study days according to the table above, as laid out in the study plan.
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