About the PRAC 2.0 Section of the NCIDQ Exam
By: PPI
April 20, 2021
Are you ready to take the PRAC 2.0 section of the NCIDQ exam? To help you prepare, here is some important information about the format and question types of the PRAC 2.0 exam.
Q. WHAT FORMAT IS PRAC 2.0?
A. Starting October 2017, the NCIDQ Practicum Exam changed to computer-based testing. The new PRAC 2.0 eliminates paper and pencil testing.
Q. HOW IS NCIDQ PRAC 2.0 ORGANIZED?
A. PRAC 2.0 has 120 questions organized into three case studies that test your abilities as an interior designer. The case studies include information that you’ll use to solve problems and answer questions related to plans, programs, codes, specs,
or schedules.
The three case studies in PRAC 2.0 represent these project types:
- Large-scale commercial
- Small-scale commercial
- Residential
All problems relate to the three case studies, and each case study is worth between 30% and 35% of the exam.
PPI Pro Tip: For all divisions, the questions do not need to be answered consecutively. Sometimes working the exam backwards might help you with another area of the test.
Q. WHAT TYPES OF QUESTIONS ARE ON NCIDQ PRAC 2.0?
A. The new test questions for PRAC 2.0 apply to each case study. The question types are:
Multiple Choice
- Select one correct answer from four given options
- If you are unsure of what the correct answer is you should make an educated assumption. You will not be penalized for a wrong answer
Multiple Choice (Check-All-That-Apply)
- Select all the correct choices from the list by clicking on each one
- All of the correct answers (and only all of the correct answers) must be selected; there is no partial credit
- If you change your mind, click on a choice to de-select it
Point-and-Click (Hot Spot, or Mark Location)
- Click on a single target, or hot spot icon, to place on the base image in the correct location or general area
- If you change your mind, click again on your choice to unselect, or click on the new preferred answer
Drag-and-Place
- These questions may ask you to sort, rank, place, or label items. Confirm whether all items need to be chosen or moved, then be sure to sort, rank, place, or label each one
- After you have decided the proper sorting, ranking, placing, or labeling, click and drag an object to the target spot
- If you change your answer, you can move an object to a different open spot in the target area, or you can move it back to the starting area
Fill-in-the-Blank
- Read the answer specification carefully; it should state the number of decimal places for your numeric answer
- Compute your answer, then round if needed to the required number of decimal places (0-4, round down; 5-9, round up)
- Do not enter the units for your answer
- Do not spell out a number, like “four”
- If you change your mind, blank out the entire field before you enter another answer
Each question will be worth one point, and must be answered completely. No partial credit is given for partially answered questions.
PPI Pro Tip: You should try to answer all questions, even with a guess. All unanswered questions are counted as incorrect answers, so reserve the last five to ten minutes of the test to make your best guess for the remaining questions.
Q. HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE NCIDQ PRAC 2.0?
A. You have four hours to complete the exam, which includes time for an introduction to help you get familiar with the software
PPI Pro Tip: Make sure to monitor your time during the exam so you are not unexpectedly caught off guard and unable to answer remaining questions.
Q. WHEN IS NCIDQ PRAC 2.0 OFFERED?
A. This exam is available to take throughout the entire months of April and October.
Q. HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE THREE EXAMS?
A. To apply, go to MyNCIDQ and under “Applications,” click “Apply/Schedule.” Passing IDFX is not a prerequisite to taking IDPX
and the practicum. However, you must receive passing scores on all three exam sections to earn the NCIDQ certificate.
PRAC 2.0 is available to approved candidates who have completed both their education and the required amount of work experience, which you can find more information about in our "About the NCIDQ Exam" page.
PPI Pro Tip: Submit all materials by the relevant deadline, which you can find on the CIDQ website, because the council will not review a partial application or an application submitted after the deadline has passed.
Q. HOW DO I REGISTER FOR NCIDQ PRAC 2.0?
A. If your application is accepted by the council, you’ll get a notification through MyNCIDQ. Then, within MyNCIDQ, click “Exam Registration.”
PPI Pro Tip:
Make sure to print your letter of admission and have the letter, as well as your government-issued photo ID, with you on the exam day.
Q. WHAT PREP MATERIALS CAN HELP ME STUDY FOR NCIDQ PRAC 2.0?
A. We suggest starting with the Interior Design Reference Manual, and downloading our updated study schedule, which outlines which chapters to tackle for each exam topic.
PPI Pro Tip: The best way to familiarize yourself with the review materials and the exam format is through practice. After reading the concepts, writing the concepts, reading the concepts out loud, and doing more practice problems, the exam will no longer feel like
an exam but more like another exercise.
Ready to ace the NCIDQ exam?
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