NCIDQ – The Mark of Professionalism

Shelley Siegel, FASID

We have heard the phrase over and over again - protect the health, life, safety and welfare of the public. It is an integral part of our design education as well as the foundation for our Florida Practice Act. It is this same principle that is the core purpose of NCIDQ establishing standards of competence in the practice of interior design.

The National Council for Interior Design Qualification serves to identify to the public those interior designers who have met the minimum standards for professional practice by passing the NCIDQ Examination.

So why won’t you want to be part of that group of Design Professionals who have successfully passed the exam? Is it that you are too busy? Perhaps you think you are too old to start a new chapter in your life. You might think that the exam is too expensive or that it really doesn’t mean anything. No matter what your excuse is, there are many more reasons to take the exam.

The first on the list should be personal achievement! Imagine the satisfaction of passing the NCIDQ exam and becoming part of an international group of people awarded this honor. Other reasons include keeping up with the body of knowledge of the interior design profession, advancing at your job, and maybe the most important reason is to meet the criteria for licensing.

You have probably heard stories about the exam and the low percentage rate of passage. Well, let me reassure you that those days are gone. NCIDQ continually updates the examination to reflect expanding professional knowledge and design development techniques.

The revised NCIDQ program consists of two comprehensive multiple-choice sections and a practicum section. The first of the multiple-choice sections addresses the domains of programming, schematic design and design development. The second multiple-choice section is titled Contract Documents and Administration. It addresses the domains of contract documents, contract administration and professional practice. Many questions on both of these examinations incorporate drawings, pictures, symbols and textual formats typical in the interior design profession, requiring candidates to recall, apply and analyze information. The NCIDQ examination also features a practicum section named Schematics and Design Development that requires candidates to produce a design solution. The problem requires candidates to (a) interpret the program into schematics; (b) produce plan drawings; and (c) develop appropriate specifications. Work products must address the principles of universal design. The examination is scored according to standardized guidelines by Qualified Council Jurors who have completed a comprehensive training program. (NCIDQ 2007)

In 2006 more than 1,000 interior designers joined the ranks of NCIDQ Certificate holders, proving that they have completed the education, experience and examination needed to be a professional interior designer. Nearly 1,400 exam candidates registered for the Fall 2006 NCIDQ Examination--the greatest number of registrants in NCIDQ history! Don’t be left out – join your colleagues and commitment to take the NCIDQ Exam.

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