Information Architecture Certification

The Information Architecture Certification is a free, test-based credential from Science of Apps. It certifies that you can structure content people can find — organisation schemes and labelling, navigation systems, card sorting and tree testing, and search. Pass the 20-question, 30-minute test with 75% or more to become a Certified Information Architect (SOA-IA). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Information Architecture for the Web and Beyond (Rosenfeld, Morville & Arango (O'Reilly)), Search: Visible and Simple (Nielsen Norman Group), Menu Design: Checklist of 15 UX Guidelines (Nielsen Norman Group) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Read the four skill domains on this page, study the free guides and sources linked to each, then take the 30-minute test online. There is no fee, course or sign-up. Score 75% or more and you get a Certified Information Architect 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: Information Architecture for the Web and Beyond (Rosenfeld, Morville & Arango (O'Reilly)); Search: Visible and Simple (Nielsen Norman Group); Menu Design: Checklist of 15 UX Guidelines (Nielsen Norman Group); Taxonomy 101 (Nielsen Norman Group); Tree Testing (Nielsen Norman Group); Card Sorting: Uncover Users' Mental Models (Nielsen Norman Group). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

An information architect organises and labels content so people can find and understand it — designing navigation, taxonomies and search, and validating structures with methods such as card sorting and tree testing.

Yes. The certification 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/.

It helps you stand out: it shows employers, in a form they can check, that you can apply organisation & labelling and navigation systems to real product scenarios. Add it to LinkedIn and your CV, and back it with portfolio work that shows the same skills — certifications open conversations, portfolios close them.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 domains — and a 30-minute limit. You need 75% (15 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Employers in 2027 want UX designers, content strategists and information architects who can organise complex content so people find what they need: content inventories, user-centred grouping, clear labels, navigation and taxonomies, search, and validation with card sorting and tree testing. Good IA also helps search engines and AI tools understand a site. Restructure one real site's navigation with tests and verify your skills with a free test. Our full career guide covers the hiring process, interview loop, pay and a prep plan: scienceofapps.com/blog/information-architecture-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.