HOK’s Karen Kuhn, a Denver-based interior designer and architect, discusses test making as a writer and reviewer for the Council for Interior Design Qualification’s (CIDQ) licensure exam, known as the NCIDQ, and updates to the exam in 2026.
In the following Q+A, Kuhn shares her journey volunteering with the CIDQ committees to write, revise and finalize questions for the NCIDQ exam, and her passion for continuous learning and excellence in the interior design community.
You’ve served as an NCIDQ exam writer since 2018. What drew you to that work, and how has your involvement evolved?
The CIDQ invited me to join the writing committee in 2017, and I thought it was a unique way to serve the interiors community. I enjoy the process of developing questions. It’s been a great experience, from continuing to stay sharp in my career to the network of friends I’ve made across the continent.
Since 2018, I’ve joined other subcommittees to write and review specific parts of the exam. I served on the test-writing committee for the interior design professional exam (IDPX) section for many years, eventually becoming the committee chair for two years.
In 2024, I started reviewing exams for the interior design implementation exam (IDIX) section, which was previously called the Practicum.
Do you prefer creating the exam questions or reviewing and finalizing them?
When you’re writing the questions, you want to use your work experience to keep the questions dynamic and make sure they’re not straight out of textbooks. After writing on the same topic for many years, I expressed to my CIDQ colleagues that I needed a new challenge.
The five-person review committee I’m on now is more interactive. Our goal is to review, revise and finalize exam questions drafted by the writing committees. We talk through every question, all the way down to grammar. We’re also making sure that the exams are varied and unique. I’m liking the change of pace.
What was the process for the Practice Analysis committee to update the exam blueprints and what were the key steps involved in that?
Every five years, the CIDQ conducts a practice analysis, bringing together a group of 12 interior designers to re-evaluate how the interior design profession has evolved and how well the NCIDQ exams have kept up with that evolution. The committee members represent diverse industry sectors, roles and firms to ensure the exams aren’t too focused on one industry or market sector.
When I joined the Practice Analysis committee last year, we started by breaking down the tasks and skills interior designers need to know for each design phase. We decided to organize the exams around those phases: programming, conceptual design, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and construction administration.
What was the reasoning behind these changes, and how do you think they’ll improve the exam experience?
We wanted the NCIDQ to better align with the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE), which follows the design phases.
Interior designers collaborate with architects on the same projects and same design phases. That alignment is natural. It made sense for the NCIDQ and ARE exams to follow a similar pattern.
Moving forward, the IDFX section will cover the programming, conceptual design and schematic design phases, and the IDPX section will focus on construction administration and project management.
The change next year from the Practicum to the IDIX exam seems significant. Why was that transformation necessary, and what does the new format aim to assess more effectively?
Originally, the Practicum was a hand-drafted exam. It was then moved to computers with interactive questions that covered every design phase. The two other exams were multiple choice.
Since we decided to divide the exams by phases, we reshuffled the questions, meaning some Practicum questions will now be included in the other two exams. Moving forward, all the exams will have various question types: multiple choice, drag and place, fill in the blank, hot spots and vignettes.
With these changes, calling the third part of the exam the Practicum didn’t make sense anymore. This final exam highlights how we implement and refine the design created in the previous stages. That’s how the Practice Analysis committee chose IDIX: the interior design implementation exam. It focuses on design development and construction documents.
How does being only licensed architect and interior designer on the committee shape your perspective?
I often ask myself, “Is this something I know because I’m an architect, or did I learn this as an interior designer?” I can’t put on my ‘architect hat’ too much. It wouldn’t be fair to test people on that information.
The exams are also designed for people with at least two years of interior design experience. The committee members creating these exams have much more experience than that, so we must check ourselves when crafting questions.
Looking ahead to when the new exams launch in 2026—what advice would you give to candidates thinking about taking this exam and how to prepare under this new structure?
When I initially took the NCIDQ exams, I did it to prove to myself that I already knew the information. After studying and taking the exam, it made me a better designer. I learned how to address a design challenge from another angle and discover different solutions.
When studying for the new structure, focus on one exam at a time. Separating the exams by phases allows you to dive into one area and learn much more versus trying to complete all the exams at once.
Remember that the exams are not trying to trick you. We want these exams to be an opportunity to learn and pull from real experiences that interior designers may encounter in the field.
I also encourage both interior designers and architects to take the NCIDQ exams. It’s important to continue learning and understanding the profession that much better. When I’m reviewing resumes, I always notice if a candidate has taken the NCIDQ exam—even if they didn’t pass. Just taking the exam shows that the person is motivated to be a better designer.