SBID Entry Exam: FAQ

The SBID entry exam will be launched at the end of 2020 and become operative with the first exam sitting in Autumn/Winter 2021.

How do I become an Accredited Member?

To meet SBID’s criteria for Accredited Member status requires a BA or MA in Interior Design, plus 3.5 years work experience. Applicants who do not hold the entry level requirement for education can still achieve the equal status by sitting the SBID entry exam. This will be operative for all applications received after December 2020* with the first exam sitting in Autumn/Winter 2021.

*All membership applications that do not have a BA or MA degree can continue to achieve Accredited Membership status until December 2020 using the experience/education exchange set out by the ECIA.

 

Can I join SBID without an interior design degree?

Yes. If you have the required level of experience for Accreditation but do not hold a formal Interior Design degree then Associate Membership is for you. It provides the intermediate step for designers en route to full Accredited Member status. For each missing year of education, you must have gained an additional 1.5 years of work experience. This criteria however will be replaced by the entry exam in December 2020. Therefore if you have no training at all but have been in substantiated practice for a minimum of 6.5 years you can still apply for Associate Membership.

 

Do I need to sit the Entry Exam?

If you meet the below criteria you will NOT be required to sit the exam:

• You are an existing member of SBID or submitted your application for Accredited Membership before December 2020.
• You have a degree in Architecture or Interior Design to BA or MA standard from a British directly empowered university.

If you meet the current requirement for designers with 3.5 trading experience but do not hold a formal qualification in interior design, you will be required to sit the exam for Accredited Membership from January 2021. The rules for entry to Associate Member and all other categories will remain unchanged.

 

What knowledge is tested in the SBID Entry Exam?

The independently operated three-hour multiple choice exam is divided into 10 categories of professional knowledge, each of which a practising Interior Designer should be cognisant of in order to be deemed professional, safe and compliant. In 2022, SBID will launch exam training to assist applicants on the journey to achieving full SBID Accreditation with an online course preparation for the exam.