IDC Membership, NCIDQ exam and Provincial Registration – CONFUSED?

There can be confusion about eligibility for IDC (Interior Designers of Canada) membership, for writing the NCIDQ Exam (professional exams for Interior Designers) and the eligibility for registered membership in provincial organizations for graduates from non CIDA accredited bachelor degree programs. First, it is important to realized that each organization is independent, sets its own requirements and should be considered separately. Hopefully, the following will help to clarify the current eligibility requirements of each.

Can I be a member of IDC?

Yes! IDC is the national advocacy association for the Interior Design profession in Canada. They “increase awareness, educate the public, and raise the bar – not only for individual interior designers – but for the entire Canadian interior design industry from coast to coast.” Graduates from the College for Arts and Technology, Interior Design program are immediately eligible for individual membership in IDC in the Practitioner: Associate Category – “Practicing interior designers who are not members of a Canadian interior design association” or the Practitioner: Intern Category – “interns or provisional members of any Canadian interior design association.” Once you have become a registered member of your provincial association, you are eligible for Registered membership.

Can I write the NCIDQ Exam?

Yes! Graduates from the College for Arts and Technology, Interior Design program are eligible to write the NCIDQ Exam under the Associate degree, Certificate or Diploma Path. You may apply to write the exam after 5,280 hours/ 3 years work experience. Up to 1,760 hours of interior design work experience, earned prior to graduation, once you have completed 90 interior design credits, may be include in overall work experience. *  January 1, 2019 CIDQ requirements. www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements

Contact CAT for the date when you achieved 90 ID credits.

What about Provincial Registration?

Graduates from the College for Arts and Technology, Interior Design program who want to become Registered Interior Designers in Canada, are eligible to apply for the ARP (Alternative Review Process) through CIDQ. As of January 1, 2019, the process consists of 3 parts;

1. Work Experience: Apply to write exam after 8,800 hours / 5 years of interior design work experience. Up to 1,760 hours of interior design work experience, earned prior to graduation, once you have completed 90 interior design credits, may be include in overall work experience. * January 1, 2019 CIDQ requirements.
2. Educational Review: to determine which competencies were met with any post-secondary Contact CAT for the educational from for your cohort year.
3. Dossier Review: a minimum of 3 projects, to determine which competencies were met as a result of interior design practice experience.
4. Write and Pass the NCIDQ Exam

In British Columbia, graduates wanting to become a Registered member of IDIBC (Interior Design Institute of British Columbia) are encouraged to contact the association to indicate their intent to pursue the ARP pathway. IDIBC has indicated they would accept anyone undergoing the ARP pathway into the intern membership category and then that candidate would have 5 years of intern membership in IDIBC in which to pass the NCIDQ exam.

We encourage you to contact your provincial association to verify their individual requirements and continue to check with CIDQ regarding the eligibility and ARP requirements as they may change over time.

ARP – Alternative Review Program – CANADA

IDC – Interior Designers of Canada

IDI – Interior Designers Institute of British Columbia

For more information about our full-time Interior Design program, please visit our Interior Design program page, or inquire now for more details!