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NCIDQ Practicum Exam
The Practicum Exam is delivered in a digitized format. It is administered via a user-friendly testing platform, not a design platform, so no prior design software experience is required to take the exam. Preview and practice tools available on this page include the Exam Blueprint (content outline) and a video demonstration. Details for tools can be found on this page.
Before Taking the Practicum
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WATCH THE PRAC VIDEOS BELOW
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DOWNLOAD PRACTICUM EXAM CODES
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REVIEW THE PRACTICUM EXAM BLUEPRINT
Outlines exam content and tasks being tested.
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CONSIDER JOINING A STUDY GROUP
Frequently Asked PRACTICUM Questions
How long is the Exam?
Candidates are given 4 hours to complete the Practicum Exam.
What will be tested?
The Practicum Exam Blueprint content will be covered across the various case studies and stand-alone questions that are not associated with any of the case studies.
Where and When will it be offered?
The Practicum Exam will be offered for the entire months of April and October, at the same testing centers as IDFX and IDPX.
Do I have to know AutoCAD or Revit in order to take this exam?
No. The Practicum Exam platform is a testing platform, not a design platform and therefore no prior design software experience is needed to take this exam.
How will space planning be tested?
Knowledge of space planning is still an important aspect of the design process and the NCIDQ Exam. However, on the Practicum Exam, candidates are not creating a new space plan. Instead, they will be evaluating a completed plan or plan a space for a single room based upon specific parameters.
How many questions are on the exam?
There are 114 questions (105 scored and 9 unscored pre-test questions). There are three case studies: large commercial, small commercial, and multi-family residential and a section of stand-alone questions that are not associated with any case study.
*There are eight additional items noted in the total question count that are simply the transition pages when moving from one section of the exam to the next.
PRACTICUM Case Studies
With the Practicum Exam, CIDQ has introduced a digitized means of testing that allows for individual assessment of high-level cognitive functions. Differing from the hand drawn Practicum previously offered, the computerized Practicum Exam utilizes case studies to assess a candidate’s ability to synthesis information related to the design process and make a judgement using the resources provided.
Each Practicum Exam consists of three (3) CIDQ case studies: large commercial, small commercial, and multi-family residential and a section of stand-alone questions that are not associated with any of the case studies.
CIDQ case studies include: a project plan, building codes, and other resources that might be needed to answer a question. For the stand alone questions, no case study reference material will be needed. Where appropriate, a building code document may be included as an exhibit.
The Practicum exam blueprint is created from the latest Practice Analysis, a thorough and vigorous study conducted every five years to ensure the exam accurately reflects the current practice of interior design.
Working through each question will require an exam candidate to synthesis information, analyze various design documents, reference building codes and make specific judgements that demonstrate understanding of the tasks and knowledge areas within the exam blueprint which includes the competencies listed under each content area.
As with the multiple choice exams, all questions in the Practicum Exam are worth one point and the question must be answered in its entirety. No partial credit will be given.
Practicum Video Library
How to Prepare:
Demonstration: