Application Information

The NCIDQ Examination Application consists of an online application and the submission of all required supporting documents. Your application must be approved in order to be eligible to register for the Examination. Review the exam eligibility requirements before you apply. You must have completed one of the five eligibility routes at the time you submit your exam application.

Application Requirements:

• Online Application Form and Payment
• Supporting documents to be mailed to NCIDQ^*:
• Work Experience Verification Form
• Three (3) Letters of Reference
• Official Transcripts

To learn more about the review process and what to expect, click here.

How to Apply

To apply for eligibility to take the NCIDQ Examination, you must complete the online application and mail your supporting documents to NCIDQ by the application deadline. View the Dates & Deadlines Schedule for the current application deadline.

• Online Application
  To apply online, complete the online application form and payment by logging in to MyNCIDQ and clicking on the Exam Application and Registration link under "Certifications". If you do not have a MyNCIDQ username and password, click on "First Time User" to sign up. The online application review fee is $150 (US). You can pay the application fee by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) or check. All forms and payment must be submitted by the application deadline (this includes any mailed checks). Do not wait until the application deadline to fill out your online application!
  

  For step-by-step online application instructions, click here.

• Supporting Documents
  Collect your transcripts, experience verification forms and reference letters. When all of these items have been gathered, forward the completed forms and sealed envelopes in one package to NCIDQ. View the application review process to learn more about submitting supporting documents and verifying the status of your submission.
  
  Mail application materials to:
  NCIDQ
  Applications
  1200 18th Street, NW Suite 1001
  Washington, DC 20036-2506

  Contact Us: For all questions regarding your NCIDQ application, e-mail us at applications@ncidq.org.

  NCIDQ does not accept collect on delivery (COD) packages.

If you miss the application deadline: If we received your supporting documents package after the current application deadline, we will consider your application for the subsequent exam administration. Example: If your Spring 2008 Exam Application supporting documents were received after December 10, 2007, we will consider your eligibility for the Fall 2008 exam.

After the Application

If your application is submitted successfully, NCIDQ will send you an e-mail within six weeks notifying you of your application status. If approved, you are then eligible to register for the NCIDQ Exam. NCIDQ will notify you if you are missing information or are not yet meeting the requirements.

Supporting Documents

Official transcripts are required from all colleges and universities at which you have taken coursework that is being used to satisfy the eligibility requirements.

• Forward the Transcript Request Form and a self-addressed envelope to each institution's registrar.
• The registrar must enclose the transcript and the request form in your self-addressed envelope and sign or stamp across the seal.
• The registrar should return the sealed envelope to you.
• Include the unopened and signed/stamped envelope with your supporting documents package.

We review overseas educational transcripts but you must arrange and pay for your transcript to be translated and converted to U.S. standards. Your converted transcript must show course titles, grades earned and credits awarded (in semester or quarter units). Two companies that offer this service are Educational Credential Evaluators and World Education Services.

Note: Candidates applying to take the NCIDQ Examination may be required to furnish copies of course descriptions from the catalog in force at the beginning of coursework. It may be necessary for candidates to request catalog descriptions from the school/program registrar for all courses related to the major field of study.

Three letters of reference are required. Letters of reference will become part of your permanent NCIDQ record. NCIDQ cannot forward them to a third party.

• Letters must be from employers, clients or professional peers.
• You may not use family members or your spouse as references.
• Send one form and a self-addressed envelope to each reference.
• Your reference must seal the form in the envelope, sign across the seal, and return the sealed envelope to you.
• Include the unopened and signed/stamped envelope with your supporting documents package.

The Work Experience Verification Form outlines your work experience for each individual job that meets NCIDQ's work experience requirements. NCIDQ does not accept teaching experience as work experience. Please make sure that you have completely filled out the top portion of your work experience form before submitting it for a supervisor to sign and put in a sealed envelope.

If you are using self-employment as your work experience, you must provide the work experience form and proof of your ownership over your company.

What NOT to send with your application
If you send any additional non-required documents, they will be discarded upon receipt. Examples of non-required documents that will be discarded upon receipt are:

• Resumes
• Portfolios
• Press clippings
• Advertising/marketing materials
• Drawings of completed or planned projects
• Photographs of projects, plans, school work, etc.
• Fabric/material samples