Interior Design Certification: NCIDQ-What?

FS Design Group Professionals Work to Earn NCIDQ Certification

NCIDQ is an interior design certification that designers can earn after working in the industry for a number of years and then studying for and passing the associated examinations. This certification is our industry’s recognized indicator of proficiency in interior design principles and a designer’s commitment to the profession.

Currently, two of our designers are studying for their NCIDQ certification.

About the Exam

According to the Council for Interior Design Qualification, “the exam covers seven areas that capture the core competencies of interior design: building systems, codes, construction standards, contract administration, design application, professional practice, and project coordination.”

The exam includes three parts, which are taken separately but must be completed within a specific time frame. The tests are not easy. Pass rates in 2022 averaged 50.5% for the Fundamentals Exam, 58.5% for the Professional Exam and 59.5% for the Practicum Exam.

Our NCIDQ Hopefuls

Here at FS Design Group, Alyssa Irwin hopes to start her exams next year, while our newest team member, Jacquie Heidner, has only her Practicum Exam to complete. Jacquie intends to be fully certified by the end of next year.

Studying for this exam can be a heavy lift. “I plan to study eight to 10 hours a week,” said Alyssa, while Jacquie’s study plans include “about two nights a week for as much time as I can find!”

The best place to find Alyssa studying is during her lunch breaks at work. She finds the right kind of calm and inspiration for her studies on a bench outside our office under some large shade trees.

Jacquie sticks mostly to home study, but both professionals expect the office to play a much larger role in their preparation next year. They hope their co-workers will help quiz them and give them tips as their exam dates get closer. (Spoiler alert: There’s a really good chance of this happening!)

NCIDQ…for Our Clients

“Our clients will benefit from the creativity and new ideas that I can come up with based on my NCIDQ studies, as well as being able to depend on me for all code and building knowledge as we create their spaces,” said Jacquie.

In addition to the myriad technical competencies the NCIDQ exam evaluates and promotes, Alyssa is eager to be able to share more with clients about how the built environment affects wellness. She looks forward to learning about health considerations regarding air flow and how materials affect people’s senses.

Personal Accomplishment

Alyssa and Jacquie are so enthusiastic and descriptive about what certification would mean to them personally that we immediately thought, Word Cloud!

These ambitious women are committed to the idea that all boats rise with the tide. Their commitment to earning NCIDQ certification will benefit our clients, our firm and their own careers.

And speaking of ambition, Jacquie hopes to also earn her CCIDC by the end of next year, but that’s a story for another time.