So I passed last Tuesday and I'm still kind of in shock honestly. Background: I'm a 12-year interior design veteran who decided to pursue the CID certification mainly because California requires it for certain commercial projects. Failed my first attempt back in February by 8 points — brutal. The color theory and materials specification sections absolutely wrecked me.
What turned things around was being really systematic about it. I spent about 6 weeks doing a mix of a solid CID study guide (the CIDQ candidate handbook is dense but necessary) and grinding through a CID practice test almost every other day. The practice tests were honestly the biggest game-changer — you start recognizing how they phrase trap answers, especially on the professional practice questions. I was averaging maybe 90 minutes of studying per evening after work.
For anyone just starting out, my biggest CID exam tips: don't underestimate the building codes section and memorize your ADA clearances cold. Happy to answer questions about specific topic areas if anyone's prepping right now.