Registration Information

Passing the exam earns you the NCIDQ Certificate, an essential credential for any interior designer. The exam covers all aspects of the practice of interior design that affects the public health, life safety and welfare. The exam is broken into three sections: two comprehensive multiple-choice sections and a practicum section.

For more information regarding the NCIDQ Examination and its content, click here.

Registration Requirements

You must pass all three sections of the NCIDQ Examination in order to earn the NCIDQ Credential. Each section can be taken individually or all during the same exam administration. In order to take any exam section, you must first complete the following:

• Apply for the NCIDQ Examination and be approved
• Read the current Examination Registration Guide^*
• Complete the online NCIDQ Examination Registration Form and payment

How to Register

In order to register for any exam section, you must first submit an NCIDQ Examination Application and be approved. Upon approval, you are eligible to register for the examination sections you wish to take. You have the option to register for any or all exam sections during the upcoming exam administration. Once your application is approved, you do not need to reapply in order to register for future exams. However, in order to stay active, you MUST either register for an exam section during the upcoming administration or defer taking any sections until the following administration. Failure to register or defer once approved can result in the placement of inactive status, requiring an additional fee to reactivate.

The NCIDQ registration process is completely online. Registration begins approximately three months before the upcoming examination date (January for the Spring examination & July for the Fall examination). Once you are approved to register for the exam, you will receive e-mail notifications explaining when and how to register. In order to receive these important notifications, please ensure your e-mail address is current in your MyNCIDQ Account. NCIDQ is not responsible for information not received due to unopened or unreceived notifications.

• Log on to MyNCIDQ.
• Select Exam Application and Registration under the "Certifications" heading on the left-hand side.
• Under "New Forms" tab, click on the Registration Statement of Responsibility Form link to read the online Registration Guide and accept the terms.
• Once you have accepted the terms, the Registration Form will appear under the "New Forms" tab. Click on the form and follow the online registration instructions to proceed with registration and payment.

When your registration form and payment are processed, you will receive an e-mail confirmation. Your registration is not complete until payment has been rendered. Therefore, if you pay by check, please allow enough time for NCIDQ to receive and process your payment. If you miss the initial registration deadline, you may register by the late registration deadline for a fee of $125 (US). The late registration deadline is at least four weeks before the exam date. After the late deadline, registrations cannot be added or changed. View the Exam Dates & Deadlines Schedule for the current registration deadlines.

Once you are registered, you will receive e-mail notifications providing additional exam information and instructions. You will receive a letter of admission no later than two weeks before the examination date. The letter of admission will confirm your registration and provide the exam location and directions. Presented with a government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, etc.), the letter of admission allows entrance to the exam. You must bring this letter of admission with you to the test center.

Deferral

If you choose not to register for any exam sections for the upcoming administration, you must defer taking the exam until the following administration. Failure to either register or defer results in the placement of inactive status. Once you become inactive, you no longer receive frequent NCIDQ notifications informing you of important information or updates. You are also required to pay the $70 (US) Exam Registration Reactivation fee in order to become eligible to register for the exam.

• Log on to MyNCIDQ.
• Select Exam Application and Registration under the "Certifications" heading on the left-hand side.
• Under "New Forms" tab, click on the Registration Statement of Responsibility Form link to read the online Registration Guide and accept the terms.
• Once you have accepted the terms, the Deferral Form will appear under the "New Forms" tab. Click on the form and follow the online deferral instructions to proceed with registration and payment.

Once you have deferred, you will remain an active candidate eligible to register for the following exam administration. Prior to the following administration, you will receive e-mail notifications containing important registration instructions. You may defer as many times as necessary. While NCIDQ does not impose a time limit for completing all sections of the exam, your state or provincial licensing board may do so. Please ensure your MyNCIDQ Account is always updated with your current e-mail address in order to receive NCIDQ notifications during your deferral period(s).