The Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) is a National Kitchen & Bath Association credential for kitchen design professionals. It is now a legacy designation and is no longer awarded to new candidates. This page gives current holders and people preparing for the successor exam free practice sets, worked explanations, a study plan and answers to common questions, with the official rules summarised and linked.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Exam fee (CKBD reactivation) | $450 reactivation fee, 6 months of access[1] | National Kitchen & Bath Association · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Exam fee (CKBD (successor)) | $950[1] | National Kitchen & Bath Association · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Retake fee (CKBD (successor)) | $195 per extra Fundamentals attempt; $295–$395 per extra Portfolio attempt[1] | National Kitchen & Bath Association · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Renewal | 2.0 CEUs (20 hours) per CEU cycle[1] | National Kitchen & Bath Association · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Eligibility | No longer awarded to new candidates (legacy designation)[1] | National Kitchen & Bath Association · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Eligibility (CKBD (successor)) | Professional, education, or industry-experience pathway[1] | National Kitchen & Bath Association · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Eligibility (CKD to CKBD upgrade) | Pass bath exam and bath portfolio review[1] | National Kitchen & Bath Association · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Testing window (CKBD (successor)) | Pass both exams within 1 year of purchase[1] | National Kitchen & Bath Association · Oct 27, 2026 |
According to National Kitchen & Bath Association, “The following NKBA professional designations are no longer awarded to new candidates. However, many industry professionals continue to actively hold and use these credentials, reflecting their experience, knowledge, and prior achievement through NKBA’s credentialing programs.”[1]
The CKD is a National Kitchen & Bath Association designation. According to the association's certification page, it is no longer awarded to new candidates, although many industry professionals still hold and use it. If you are reading this to earn the credential from scratch, the current route is the Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer (CKBD).
For the CKBD, the association lists professional qualification, education with required work experience, or kitchen and bath design industry experience alone as eligibility pathways. The listed fee is $950. Candidates must pass both exams within 1 year of the purchase date. Each additional Fundamentals attempt costs $195, and each additional Portfolio attempt costs $295–$395, with a 30 day wait listed for both.
Current CKD holders who want to expand their credentials can pass the dedicated bath exam and the bath portfolio review to reach the CKBD. A CKBD reactivation is listed at $450 with 6 months of access. Certified members must complete 2.0 CEUs (20 hours) of approved education in each CEU cycle.
Delivery format, question counts, time limits and passing scores are not in the facts we have verified, so we do not state them. Check the official certification page before you register, because rules and fees can change.
Prepare for the CKD - Certified Kitchen Designer exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: What cleaning and sanitizing procedure is essential for allergen management?
Answer: B. Clean and sanitize food contact surfaces before use, between tasks, and at regular intervals
Explanation:
The correct answer is that food contact surfaces are cleaned and sanitized before use, between tasks, and at regular intervals. Allergen residue and other contaminants can transfer whenever the task changes, so the timing is tied to the work being done and not to the clock alone.
Daily cleaning is too infrequent, because a surface used for different foods in the morning can carry residue into the afternoon. Sanitizing only at closing leaves every earlier task exposed. Hot water alone may remove some soil, but it is not a substitute for a proper clean-then-sanitize routine.
Rule to remember: clean and sanitize at each change of task, not only at the end of the day.
Question: What is the minimum clearance required between a gas cooktop and combustible overhead cabinets per most manufacturer specifications?
Answer: C. 30 inches
Explanation:
The correct answer is 30 inches. Most gas cooktop manufacturers specify at least that much clearance between the cooking surface and combustible material above, which reduces the risk of fire and heat damage to overhead cabinets.
18 inches and 24 inches are too small. Heat and flame from a pan can reach cabinet bottoms at those heights, so they do not meet the usual specification. 48 inches is more than the usual minimum, so it is not the stated requirement, although a range hood may call for its own distance.
Rule to remember: the manufacturer's installation sheet sets the clearance for the actual appliance, and it overrides a general rule of thumb when the two differ.
Question: When spacing recessed downlights for even ambient illumination, what is the standard rule of thumb for determining the distance between fixtures?
Answer: B. Use ceiling height divided by 2 as the spacing distance
Explanation:
The correct answer is to divide the ceiling height by 2 and use the result as the center-to-center spacing. This ties the fixture spacing to how far each beam of light spreads, so the pools of light overlap and leave no dark spots.
Spacing them 6 feet apart regardless of ceiling height ignores that taller ceilings need different spacing. One fixture per 30 square feet of floor area counts fixtures but says nothing about where to put them, so the layout can still be uneven. Placing fixtures 12 inches from every wall only describes an edge setback and does not space the rest of the room.
Rule to remember: spacing follows ceiling height, and wall setbacks are a separate decision.
Start with the official certification page and write down which credential you are actually pursuing: the legacy CKD you already hold, or the CKBD. That decides which rules and fees apply to you.
Then take the design-focused sets as a diagnostic before you study: Kitchen Design Planning & Layout, Cabinetry & Storage Design, Appliance Selection & Placement, Appliances & Kitchen Ventilation, Kitchen Lighting Design, Codes, Standards & Safety, Construction Methods & Materials, and Project Coordination & Client Communication. Note which ones you miss most often.
Spend your study time on the weakest sets. For every miss, write down the rule behind the right answer in your own words, such as clearances following the manufacturer's specification. Retake the set after a gap and see whether the same rule trips you up again.
Some of our sets cover food-safety topics such as HACCP, temperature control and pest control. They are useful if your work touches commercial kitchens, but they are not the core of kitchen design, so treat them as optional.
In the days before your test, review your written rules, reread the official candidate information, and confirm the registration terms, including the retake waiting period.
No. The National Kitchen & Bath Association lists the CKD as a designation that is no longer awarded to new candidates. Many professionals still hold and use it. New candidates can look at the Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer (CKBD) instead. Check the official certification page for the current requirements.
The listed fee is $950. Each additional Fundamentals attempt is $195, and each additional Portfolio attempt is $295–$395. A CKBD reactivation is listed at $450 with 6 months of access. Fees can change, so confirm them on the official certification page before paying.
Candidates must pass both exams within 1 year of the purchase date. If you need another attempt, the association lists a 30 day period for additional attempts on both the Fundamentals and Portfolio exams. Confirm the details on the official page before you buy.
The association says current Certified Kitchen Designers who want to expand their credentials can do so by passing the dedicated bath exam and the bath portfolio review. That is the final step toward the Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer. Check the official page for the current process and fees.
NKBA-certified members must complete 2.0 CEUs, equivalent to 20 hours of approved education, during each CEU cycle. Which courses count is decided by the association, so check its approved education list before you enroll in anything.
No. The questions on this site are written by us with AI tools and are not real exam questions. Use them to find weak areas and practise the reasoning behind design rules, then confirm anything important against the official National Kitchen & Bath Association material.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.