8 May 2026

RIDA: Strengthening Our Profession Through ARIDO’s Canadian‑Designed Assessment (RIDA)

Maia Stamatov

We know how deeply ARIDO members care about the integrity of our profession, the protection of the public, and the value of the Registered Interior Designer designation. That shared commitment is exactly what guided the development of the Registered Interior Designer Assessment (RIDA).

RIDA was not created to change who we are as a profession, but to strengthen how we grow, how we assess professional competence, and how we ensure fair access to registration while maintaining the high standards our title represents.

RIDA in Context

RIDA is an alternative — not a replacement — to the NCIDQ examinations. ARIDO now recognizes two equally valid and rigorous ways for qualified candidates to meet the examination requirements. Both pathways exist for the same purpose: to ensure that only competent, ethical, and practice‑ready Interior Designers are registered to practice independently.

Why RIDA Is a Positive Step

RIDA was developed through ARIDO’s multi‑year Examination Alternative Project by Canadian Interior Designers, for Canadian practice. It reflects our regulatory environment, our codes, and the realities of professional practice in Ontario and across Canada.

Just as importantly, RIDA is human‑centered and competency‑based. It allows candidates to demonstrate how they think, reason, and apply standards in real‑world situations—key aspects of professional practice that experienced designers know cannot always be captured through standardized testing alone.

This does not lower standards. In fact, it reinforces them—by assessing professional judgment directly, through structured evaluation by experienced peers.

How the RIDA Assessment Works

RIDA is carefully structured and occurs only after candidates have completed ARIDO’s education and experience requirements.

Before being approved for RIDA, candidates must have:

Met ARIDO’s education requirement (CIDA‑accredited degree or ICRS)
Met ARIDO’s supervised work experience requirement (IDER or approved grandfathered hours)
Submitted the RIDA Application Form

RIDA is completed in two parts:

Part 1: Practice Readiness Program

Completion of the Practice Readiness Program
Submission of a Practice Plan
Payment of the Part 1 assessment fee
Enrollment fee for non‑ARIDO members

Part 2: Entrance Interview

Completion of Part 1
A structured verbal interview
Evaluation by a panel of three ARIDO Registered Interior Designers
Payment of the Part 2 assessment fee

Throughout the process, candidates are assessed on applied knowledge, ethics, life safety, professional judgment, and readiness for unsupervised practice.

Why Your Support Matters

RIDA strengthens ARIDO’s role as a self‑regulating profession—one that takes responsibility for how competence is evaluated, how fairness is ensured, and how public trust is protected.

As Registered members, your voice carries weight:

With emerging professionals deciding on their pathway
With allied professionals and regulators
With the public, who look to us as leaders

Advocating for RIDA is not about choosing “one path over another.” It is about supporting a profession that is inclusive, rigorous, Canadian‑led, and future‑focused.

We invite you to see RIDA as an example of our profession evolving thoughtfully—while staying grounded in the values that define us. You can visit the RIDA page on our website for more information.

Thank you for your continued professionalism, engagement, and leadership. Together, we ensure that Interior Design in Ontario remains strong, respected, and worthy of public trust.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact RIDA program coordinator Jose Tanabe at [email protected] or ARIDO Registrar Obiageli Uzoka at [email protected].

Warm regards,

Obiageli Uzoka, LL.B, B.l
Registrar, ARIDO