Chapter 1
Education and the NCIDQ
CIDA-accredited degrees, NCIDQ exam sections, fees, eligibility hours and certificate renewal.
The Education and the NCIDQ section covers the two credentials that most US regulatory boards ask for: a degree from a program accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the NCIDQ Certificate issued by the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ). The articles in this section quote the CIDA Professional Standards 2024, the CIDA 2026 fee schedule, the NCIDQ Candidate Handbook (edition 1225) and the CIDQ Annual Report 2025. Readers will find the 60 semester credit-hour rule, the 3,520 to 7,040 work-hour requirements, the $235 application fee, the $305, $470 and $365 section fees, the 200 to 800 scaled score with 500 as the passing point, and the 17,429 active certificate holders counted on November 3, 2025. Every figure carries its source and its year so that a student or career changer can check it before paying an application fee.
- 1.1 CIDA-accredited interior design programs: standards, fees and checks
What CIDA accreditation certifies, the 16 Professional Standards 2024, the 2026 fee schedule, the six-year term, and how a CIDA degree affects NCIDQ eligibility
- 1.2 NCIDQ exam 2026: sections, fees, eligibility hours and renewal
NCIDQ exam facts from the CIDQ Candidate Handbook 1225: IDFX, IDIX and IDPX question counts, $235 application, $305 to $470 section fees and 3,520 work hours