This fall I spent four days in a Dallas hotel with 45 other interior design professionals from around the country. Our mission was to serve as exam graders for the fall 2011 administration of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification’s (NCIDQ) exam. The exam consists of three parts: two are multiple choice, and the third is a drawing practicum requiring hand-drawn designs using established NCIDQ criteria. Exam graders were responsible for grading this portion of the exam.

It was an honor to be selected as an exam grader, a process that required submitting a resume and career credentials that portrayed a well-rounded portfolio and skill set. The exam is administered to design practitioners in the U.S. and Canada. It’s also a prerequisite for registration and the ability to become a professional member of organizations such as the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) or the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

While grading the practicum portion of the exam for four days was tough, intense work, it’s not nearly as difficult as preparing and taking the exam itself. In addition to the educational requirements, preparation typically involves months of rigorous study, aided by special instruction, study groups, and practice drills. The practicum is especially challenging in terms of using time management while generating a variety of design solutions.

My firm belief is that it’s a process and achievement well worth the time. The exam explores vital areas of interior design practice that affect the public’s health, life safety, and welfare. It underscores the broad knowledge and skills necessary to practice as a designer rather than a decorator, and to be able to work closely with architects and engineers to create buildings that are not only beautiful, but functional and safe as well. From ADA requirements to building codes that help ensure safety, the exam covers many “real world” challenges in design. I’m proud to take part in an important program that advances the NCIDQ mission of public protection, and am pleased to see so many designers committed to this endeavor.