Design Critique and Visual Judgment Certification

The Design Critique and Visual Judgment Certification is a free 15-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests how to give and receive design critique and judge visual quality — goals-based feedback, hierarchy, alignment, consistency, spacing and spotting what's off. Score 70% or more on its 15 questions to earn a verifiable Design Critique and Visual Judgment certificate (SOA-DCVJ). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Design Critiques: Encourage a Positive Culture (Nielsen Norman Group), 5 Principles of Visual Design in UX (Nielsen Norman Group), Visual Hierarchy in UX: Definition (Nielsen Norman Group) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Read the three skill areas on this page, then take the 15-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Design Critique and Visual Judgment certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: Design Critiques: Encourage a Positive Culture (Nielsen Norman Group); 5 Principles of Visual Design in UX (Nielsen Norman Group); Visual Hierarchy in UX: Definition (Nielsen Norman Group); Maintain Consistency and Adhere to Standards (Nielsen Norman Group); 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design (Nielsen Norman Group); Understanding team effectiveness (Project Aristotle) (Google re:Work). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Three skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Critique (Goals-based feedback, Running critiques and Receiving feedback); Visual judgment (Hierarchy and alignment, Spacing and consistency and Spotting issues); Usability and accessibility judgement (Heuristic issues, Accessibility issues and Interaction patterns). Every question is an original scenario based on a published standard, official documentation or research, named under the question.

Product designer, UI designer, Design lead, Art director and Design student. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show Design Critique and Visual Judgment skills, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

15 questions — 5 from each of 3 skill areas — with a 15-minute limit. You need 70% (11 of 15) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 15 scenario questions — 5 from each of 3 skill areas — and a 15-minute limit. You need 70% (11 of 15) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Employers in 2027 want designers who can judge work clearly and give feedback that improves it. That means starting from the design's goal, spotting problems in hierarchy, alignment, spacing, consistency and contrast, explaining why they matter, and suggesting options — while receiving critique without defensiveness. It's tested in app critiques, portfolio reviews and team crits. Practise on real screens and verify with a free test. Our full career guide covers the hiring process, interview loop, pay and a prep plan: scienceofapps.com/blog/design-critique-career-guide/

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.