ID POST study guide
ID POST · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
ID POST is a professional credential for interior designers who work on residential projects. It signals that the holder can take a home interior from initial client brief through programming, space planning, detailing, specification, and project administration. The ID POST study guide has 8 sections and about 2,856 words.
01Residential Interior Design Programming and Space Planning
Programming and space planning asks you to convert a client's routines, possessions, and budget into a written program, then into a plan that fits bodies, furniture, and structure. The exam tests the sequence from goals to concept, adjacency and zoning logic, anthropometrics, and circulation clearances - not decoration.
378 words, about 2 min02Building Systems, Construction, and Interior Detailing
This domain tests whether your drawings can actually be built: how structure, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical services intersect with ceiling heights, cabinetry, and finishes, and whether your sections and enlarged details communicate the assembly. Know the drawing set: floor plans, reflected ceiling plan, interior elevations, sections, enlarged details, finish plans, and schedules for doors, windows, finishes, and fixtures.
365 words, about 2 min03Codes, Regulations, and Life Safety for Residential Interiors
This domain tests whether you can keep a residence legal and survivable: egress, stairs, guards, emergency escape openings, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, electrical protection, and the accessibility rules that apply to multifamily work. Stairs (IRC): riser max 7-3/4 in, tread min 10 in, nosing 3/4-1-1/4 in, width 36 in, headroom 6 ft 8 in, handrail 34-38 in above tread nosings, guard 36 in min with balusters that stop a 4 in sphere.
383 words, about 2 min04Materials, Finishes, Furnishings, and Specification
This domain tests whether you can select products that perform in the real conditions and document them precisely enough that the contractor installs the right thing. Write specifications in three parts: Part 1 General (submittals, quality assurance, delivery), Part 2 Products (manufacturer, model, color, performance), Part 3 Execution (substrate, installation, cleaning).
317 words, about 2 min05Lighting, Acoustics, and Environmental Comfort
This domain tests the invisible systems that make a room usable: layered illumination, color quality, sound isolation and absorption, and thermal comfort. Layer ambient, task, and accent light on separate controls.
360 words, about 2 min06Kitchen and Bath Design
This domain tests command of the NKBA planning guidelines plus the code items that concentrate in wet rooms: clearances, landing areas, ventilation, and waterproofing. Work triangle: each leg 4-9 ft, sum 26 ft maximum, and no leg may pass through an island or tall obstacle.
406 words, about 2 min07Business Practices, Project Management, and Contract Administration
This domain tests the paperwork that protects both designer and client: scope, fee, schedule, procurement, changes, and closeout. Contract in writing: parties, scope, deliverables, number of schemes and revisions, fee and reimbursables, schedule, client responsibilities, termination, and dispute resolution.
321 words, about 2 min08Professional Ethics, Communication, and Client Relations
This domain tests judgment: how you handle conflicts of interest, confidential information, competence limits, and the everyday communication that prevents disputes. Competence: accept work only where you are qualified; bring in a structural engineer, code consultant, or lighting designer when scope exceeds your training, and say so in writing.
326 words, about 2 min