Qualifying for the Exam

What are the eligibility requirements to take the NCIDQ Examination?

In order to be eligible to take the NCIDQ Examination, candidates must meet the NCIDQ education and work experience qualifications. Work experience requirements depend on the type and amount of education candidates receive. NCIDQ has five suggested routes that candidates can use to determine when they are eligible to apply for the exam.

If you began accruing interior design work experience after January 1, 2008, you must earn qualified work experience in order to be eligible to take the NCIDQ Examination. When your work experience counts as qualified depends on which route you take for entry into the exam.

View the current NCIDQ eligibility routes.

When your direct supervisor is an NCIDQ Certificate holder, a licensed/registered interior designer or an architect who offers interior design services, your qualified hours are counted at 100 percent value. When you work in other supervisory relationships, your hours accrue at lower values.

View the qualified work experience chart to see the value at which you can accrue your qualified work experience hours.

Can I take the exam even if I don't have a degree accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation?

Yes. NCIDQ does not require your degree to be accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER) in order to satisfy our education requirements. However, if you plan to work in a regulated jurisdiction, you should check your board's requirements; the board may have an education requirement that differs from NCIDQ's.

Is an architectural education considered equivalent to an interior design education?

No. NCIDQ recognizes the common body of knowledge that is developed from an interior design education and supports the three-step process of interior design education, experience and examination. Individuals with an architectural education must meet NCIDQ's standard eligibility requirements.

Why can't I take the exam as soon as I graduate?

The exam is the final step in a three-step process. The first two steps, interior design education followed by diverse and appropriate professional experience, allow you to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to take the third step, the examination. NCIDQ does not test all of the material you learned in school because we realize that you were tested on that knowledge while you were enrolled as a student. NCIDQ's emphasis is on the knowledge you need to safely practice interior design. We know that a minimum amount of professional experience must be gained for candidates to be successful at the examination, and therefore prove their ability to protect the health, life safety and welfare of the public.

I received my education overseas. Will you accept it?

We review overseas educational transcripts on a case-by-case basis. You must arrange and pay for your transcript to be translated and converted to U.S. standards. Your converted transcript must show course titles, grades earned and credits awarded (in semester or quarter units). Two companies that offer this service are Educational Credential Evaluators and World Education Services.