10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
These 10 free CID questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Interior Decorator blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
On an accurately reproduced furniture plan drawn at 1/4 inch = 1 foot, an unobstructed wall measures 2 3/4 inches. A console will be centered on this wall, and the client requires at least 20 inches of empty wall at each end. All proposed consoles meet the depth and height restrictions. What is the longest console below that satisfies the width requirement?
Correct answer: B - 90 inches
A client wants reproduction dining chairs with solid vase-shaped back splats, S-curved cabriole legs, smooth pad feet, and restrained ornament. Which style designation most closely matches that combination?
Correct answer: B - Queen Anne
A matte paint sample and a flat-woven upholstery sample appear to match under a showroom lamp. In daylight, the paint looks greener than the fabric. Returning both samples to the showroom lamp restores the match. Their background and viewing angle have not changed. What accounts for this reversible mismatch?
Correct answer: A - Metamerism caused by the change in illumination
Blue upholstery will remain the dominant hue in a living room. The client asks for a split-complementary scheme based on blue, using the traditional 12-hue red-yellow-blue color wheel. Which pair supplies the two accent hues?
Correct answer: A - Red-orange and yellow-orange
During a toddler's bedroom consultation, the decorator finds a bed beneath a window fitted with a shade that has an accessible operating cord. The family is replacing the window treatment. Which proposal eliminates the cord hazard rather than relying on continued management of the cord?
Correct answer: D - Install a cordless shade and move the bed away from the window.
The lighting in a fabric consultation area has the brightness and warm-white appearance the client wants, but poor color fidelity. The existing lamp is rated 900 lumens, 2700 K, and CRI 70. All four replacements fit the fixture and have the same beam distribution. Which replacement offers the highest rated color fidelity while preserving the approved light output and color temperature?
Correct answer: D - 900 lumens, 2700 K, CRI 95
A busy reception area needs woven upholstery that meets the Association for Contract Textiles' high-traffic/public-space abrasion guidance and permits water-based spot cleaning. The four fabrics meet all other project requirements. Based on their test results and cleaning codes, which fabric should be specified?
Correct answer: C - 50,000 Martindale cycles; cleaning code W
An original watercolor in good condition is to be displayed in a living room. The owner's preferred wall receives direct afternoon sun; another suitable wall receives much less light and no direct sun. The owner wants to enjoy the original, not a reproduction. Which recommendation best balances that objective with reducing light damage?
Correct answer: A - Use the lower-light wall with protective framing, and limit cumulative light exposure.
A decorator's quotation must achieve a 25% gross margin on a cabinet and its inbound freight. The cabinet costs $1,200 and freight costs $150. Installation costs another $240, which the agreement requires to be billed at cost and excluded from the margin calculation. There are no taxes or other charges. What total should appear on the quotation?
Correct answer: C - $2,040.00
A client engages a decorator to select furnishings and a pendant light. The pendant may require moving its electrical supply, which has not yet been assessed. The approved furniture and fabric selections do not depend on that work. The decorator has no electrical qualification. How should responsibility for the remaining work be divided?
Correct answer: D - Continue the independent decorating work; have a qualified electrician assess and perform the wiring changes.
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