One of the most important ways to ensure success on the NCIDQ interior design exam, is to create a study plan and stick with it.
If you are not familiar with it, a study plan is an organized schedule that outlines study times and learning goals. With work, family, friends, and time to yourself, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about the thought of adding several hours a week to study for your exams. However, by creating a study plan, you will be able to create a roadmap of when you’ll have dedicated time to study, and what you need to study during that time.
It’s important to know that there is no “right” way to create a study plan. You’ll need to create a plan that realistically works for your schedule and learning style.
Do you study best in the mornings? Are you unable to study during the week, but can dedicate a majority of the weekend to studying? Think about what works best for you, and follow the guidelines below to create your own study plan.
Schedule your NCIDQ exam
This may seem obvious, but having your exam scheduled will give you a definitive deadline and the motivation you need to start studying. So, commit and schedule it here.
I’d recommend scheduling your exam towards the end of exam dates available and for a Monday morning or Saturday (if Monday is unavailable).
I made the mistake of scheduling my IDFX exam on a Friday morning, and lo and behold, had a 100% CD deadline the night before. It was terrible. Do yourself a favor, and schedule your test on a Monday morning- this will give you all day Saturday and Sunday to finish up your review, and ensure you are well rested and not stressed from work the night before.
You’ll likely need to take PTO for the few hours of your exam, but can head into work after - or even better - take the whole day off. You deserve it!
2. Work Backwards
Now that your exam is scheduled, the next step is to work backwards to determine when you need to start studying, how long you’ll have to work your way through NCIDQ study materials, the NCIDQ Reference Manual, and take practice exams.
The wonderful thing about the NCIDQ Reference Manual is that it gives you a study schedule for each exam and tells you exactly which chapters you will need to study - you can find this on page XXV of the introduction.
When I created study schedules for each of my exams, I wrote down my exam date and worked backwards, giving myself 1 week for buffer time, 1-2 weeks for practice exams, and 1-2 weeks for each topic (there are 5 topics for the IDFX and 6 for the IDPX).
I then looked at each of the chapters within each topic, and assigned them to a night. Knowing that I only needed to read one chapter a night was a lot easier for me than trying to cram 6 chapters in over a weekend.
Take a look at the IDFX study schedule my best friend (and wildly talented Designer & Artist), Savannah, and I made below on simple 5x7 flashcards. It was extremely gratifying to highlight each chapter and topic as I completed it, and helped me see my progress along my journey - especially on those nights when it didn’t feel like it. The wine was also equally helpful ;)
I previously mentioned that I gave myself 1 week of buffer time towards the end of my study schedule. This was a lifesaver for me, because there were a few weeks where I was working 60 hours a week and couldn’t study as much as I wanted to.
Let’s face it - if you’re working until 9pm writing FF&E specs, the last thing you want to do is come home and start studying. By giving myself an ample amount of time to study and extra wiggle room, I was able to pace myself and allow for nights off of studying to maintain my sanity, get enough sleep & have somewhat of a social life. Make sure you do this, too!
3. Assess your weekly calendar
Once I knew what I needed to study on a weekly basis, I then took a look at my weekly calendar, and identified when I could study. Knowing that I usually got home from work around 7, I scheduled study sessions in my google calendar from Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, from 7:30-10pm, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons, usually from 12-4pm.
This gave me set hours that I knew I needed to sit down and get quality studying in, and also allowed for nights off. By not studying on Tuesdays and Fridays, I could maintain a balanced schedule of seeing friends or going to the gym. I also found that having two study breaks during the week made my study sessions even more productive, because my mind was refreshed and much more receptive to what I was learning.
4. Join a study group
When I took the IDFX and IDPX, I was the only one in my office at the time taking my exams, so I studied on my own. Thankfully, when I was studying for Practicum, I found three other people at work taking it as well, and we formed a study group.
This helped immensely! If you can find a group of folks studying for the test, I'd highly recommend forming a study group.
We met once a week at lunch, and this really helped keep us accountable and on track. It was also great because when we went through the practice exams together, we were able to explain the concepts behind why the answer was correct to each other, which really helped reinforce the material.
If you’re the only one at your office taking your exams, and are a member of IIDA or ASID, send an email to your chapter / city center and see if anyone else is taking it. If not, send some emails to neighboring city centers and find others taking the exam.
The CIDQ put together a list of all of the IIDA / ASID chapters who offer NCIDQ study groups on a regular basis. Take a look, and start reaching out.
5. Stick with it!
These tests are marathons, not sprints.
It will take dedication and consistency over the course of several weeks to study everything you will need to in order to pass your exams.
In order for your study schedule to work, you’ll need to follow it consistently. In doing so, you will avoid any last minute cramming, and actually retain information you’re studying yielding a much better score.
Hopefully this helps keep you organized and on track to pass your NCIDQ exams! What’s important is that you find a system and schedule that works for you, and stick with it.
As you may have noticed, I dedicated a lot of time to studying because that’s what worked for me and what I knew I needed to do to pass my tests.
If you need more time to study, great. If you need less time, great. Do what works best for you!
As always, if you have any questions or tips on how you created your own study plan, feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear from you!