IDA detailing certification exam - what does the written portion actually cover?
I've been in auto detailing for about 5 years and I'm finally going for my IDA certification. I've done the skills portion before at a regional show and felt decent about it, but the written exam is where I'm less confident. I can detail a car but I'm not always sure I know the correct terminology or the technical reasoning behind why certain products react the way they do.
I've been going through the IDA study materials and the sections on paint correction, chemical pH and its effect on surfaces, and surface contamination identification seem like the densest areas. About 2 weeks of studying at maybe an hour a day. I scored 74% on the self-assessment questions in the study guide, and I'd like to be at 85% before I sit for the real thing.
Does anyone who's recently passed have a sense of how much paint chemistry versus application technique gets tested? I'm also not sure how deep the business and customer service section goes - the study guide covers it briefly but I don't know if it's a small part of the exam or weighted more heavily than it looks.
Business section on mine was about 10-12% of the exam, not huge but not ignorable. Mostly customer communication, managing expectations on paint correction outcomes, and basic safety concepts. A focused hour on that section the day before should cover it.
74% is a solid starting point with 2 weeks left. Focus on contamination types, correction compound versus polish distinctions, and machine pad pairing logic. Those are the areas that trip up experienced detailers who learned by doing rather than by studying the theory.
Surface contamination identification was tested with scenario questions - like whether a symptom is bonded contamination or etching, and what the correct removal approach is. You need to know the distinction between claying, polishing, and chemical removal and when each applies.
The paint chemistry section is real. pH of common chemicals, how alkaline versus acidic cleaners interact with clear coat, oxidation versus water spot identification - those came up multiple times for me. If you know the hands-on work but not the chemistry, that's where you'll lose points.