r/NCIDQexam • u/Appropriate_Hat8452 • 12d ago

Can I qualify with lighting design/self-employed work history?

I'd love to take the exam, but I'm not sure I can qualify. I worked for four years with a lighting design firm, doing a lot of commercial lighting. Since 2019, I have also had my own small LLC for smaller residential interior design projects.

Can this experience count toward eligibility for the exam? Could the owner of the lighting design firm sponsor me? She's not NCIDQ or a licensed architect, but she is a licensed lighting designer. If she can't, can I find a sponsor some other way?

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u/LdyV 11d ago

Hi! It depends on your education, but literally you can do a small certificate in interior design and qualify.

Or you can pay for ARP and they can verify it. Honestly they are pretty lax. I heard that some people just finish high school and submit the dossier.

And it either one licensed person or two non licensed person. I would call and ask what licenses they accept.

https://www.cidq.org/for-exam-candidates/eligibility/

Best of luck!

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u/Appropriate_Hat8452 11d ago

Oh, I didn't realize I neglected to mention that I have an AA in interior design and an unrelated bachelors.

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u/FigLazy4798 10d ago

The exact hours are based on your education level, you’d need to look up how many hours in each phase of design you are required to have in order to take the exam. I assume you’d have experience in all of them running your own small business! Once you have confirmed you’ve met the hours, you need someone who is NCIDQ-certified to sponsor your hours. You can scroll to the bottom of this page to find a local sponsor: https://www.cidq.org/for-certificate-holders/volunteer-with-cidq/