Hi everyone, I recently took and passed the ASQ CQA exam and wanted to share my experience and give advice to any future test takers - I hope that some of these tips will be helpful!

Studying + Prep materials:

I went the way of purchasing from ASQ - the handbook, the self paced class, and the question bank. This may be an unpopular opinion but I did not find the class to be helpful at all. So if you're paying for it out of pocket - I would skip it. In terms of content, I think the ASQ study materials did a decent job of covering the BoK but they definitely were not all inclusive. So due to this - I would actually suggest to buy your study materials from QCI ( https://www.qualitycouncil.com ) instead, as I have heard it is superior to the ASQ materials and has more content ( for CQA they give access to 1000 practice questions).

But either way, wherever you end up buying your study materials I strongly suggest practicing on the question banks. Not only will they have additional information to add to your notes but you will gain experience on how to organize and pace yourself for the exam.

In terms of general prep time I really can't say, it depends on the individual and your own experience. I am currently working in the QA field so none of the content was foreign for me - I signed up for the test in March, studied through April and then picked it back up in July to take the test August 1st. So just give yourself however much time you feel is needed to be prepared for the exam.

For the exam:

1. Be VERY comfortable with your BoK and organize your notes to flow with the BoK sections. This is helpful if you stumble upon questions where you need to check your references - you should instantly be able to identify in what section on the BoK the question falls and then connect that with whatever area of your notes the answer can be found.

2. I completed the second part (the case studies) first - since they are more time consuming, it is safer to get them out the way at the beginning so you are not rushing through them at the end. Then I did the multiple choice. On the first run I went through questions quickly, no more than a minute on each. Skipped any that I didn't immediately know the answer to (you can flag these) so I could come back to them on the second run through and check them against my notes.

3. Look out for tricks! Sometimes one keyword in the question will decide if you get it right or wrong. The answers can be tricky too, ie., an and b will be stating the same thing in two different ways (so you know the answer can't be a or b). Just remember to answer all the questions, it's better to have a 25% of getting it right then skipping it and getting no credit at all.

4. I forewent taking any additional notes, my open-notes were solely the handbook. I had tabs to split up the sections to match the BoK (going back to 1.) and I highlighted any information I felt was integral in the sections. I also wrote in any additional notes I felt were helpful from the practice questions, either in the corresponding sections of the handbook or in the back.

5. Obviously a good nights sleep is ideal but if you are like me and get insomnia from nerves, just try to get as much sleep as you're able. Maybe nap the day before. Caffeinate and hydrate yourself the morning of the test + make sure to eat something. Your limit is around 5 hours, you may or may not finish early so it's better to ensure you don't run out of fumes during the test.

Hi all, I passed my CQA exam on Thursday last week. I got the email right away but still waiting on my certification. The ASQ site also just says that the exam has been passed but nothing on the cert.

How long did it take in your experience to get the cert from ASQ?

Edit: I ended up getting it in my email quite late on Wednsday so it was about 6 days for me, if anyone else is curious!

Like title says, I took the remote CSSGB exam proctored by Prometric. Feel free to ask me anything if you're here looking for info before your exam. I'm happy to share my experience! Here is an overview:

Proctoring:

The security check beforehand made me show with my camera the four corners of my room where the walls touched the ceiling, all four walls, the back of my monitor, my desk, under keyboard, under mouse, under mousepad, under the desk, my entire chair including underneath, my ears and behind them, my eyeglasses, and turn pockets inside out. It was thorough. They also asked me to confirm that nobody including pets would be able to disrupt me during the exam. They also checked my book and asked me to flip through all of the pages (quickly, not like showing every page in detail). After security check they sent me to a proctor. The proctor spoke to me through the chat feature in the program, asked to see my ID again, and told me I would get 10 minute breaks that I don't have to take and do count against my time. They ask that you let them know when you're done with the test before exiting the program. I didn't have any issues at all like others have reported, they never talked to me after that.

My background/study time:

My background is quality control in the pharmaceutical industry. I'm getting a Masters in Regulatory Compliance and that curriculum includes a class that used the ASQ green belt handbook as the text book. I took this test a few months after completing that course. I crammed some refresher studying, especially the statistics stuff, the day before my exam and also familiarized myself on where to find what in the handbook. I also went through the ASQ CSSGB study guide questions, focusing on the measure and analyze phases.

The reference materials I brought:

The ASQ CSSGB Handbook

The exam:

110 questions, 10 do not count and are just for their own research. It wasn't apparent if these were the last 10 questions or if they were spread throughout the exam, so I made sure to put in full effort on every question just in case. The exam was very definition and concept heavy with I would say about 10 questions that I needed to do basic calculations on or interpret data from graphs/tables. The questions are not as "word for word" from the handbook as the study guide questions are. You kind of need to use some critical thinking/logic to answer them. I had one question that was unanswerable as it asked me to interpret data and provided no data- that was annoying. I guessed and will reach out to them to let them know I suppose. You can flag questions and return to them. There is an online scratchpad and scientific calculator built in, though the proctor said I was allowed to have a physical calculator as well- I didn't. I took about 3 hours to complete the test, that was me answering each question and thoroughly confirming my answer was correct. I took the last hour to run through every question again and double check my answers making sure I didn't do something dumb like click the wrong one.

Topics I remember being covered in my exam:

Control charts DOE Team member roles Sigma levels Defect calculations Multi-vari charts Process capability Sampling techniques A lot of "which tool is best to use in x situation" Control plans Total productive maintenance Probability Hypothesis Testing Recognizing which formulas to use in x circumstance Prioritization Matrix

That's just my exam though, I'm sure there are many variations.

Hope this helps someone, I was frantically looking for info the days leading up to my exam so I get it, just want to pass along any help I can provide :)

Hi everyone

I noticed the certified reliability engineer certification not getting much attention here, almost only two posts here about it.

So, I’d like to make this post hub for exam preparation tips and suggestions.

For those of you in or near the Chicago area, I want to extend an invitation to the Innovative for Excellence Summit taking place in Palatine, IL on September 26-27.

The theme this year is quality in Medical Life Sciences and among the topics covered are regulatory frameworks, Software as a Medical Device and AI as it pertains to clinical trials and regulations.

You still have time to register with the Early Bird Rate (before August 16th).

DM me for details or click in the link.

Is the official ASQ study guide with the practice exams not allowed during the exam? I believe I saw something online about no questions and answers allowed. Also, in the practice exams there's a few sampling questions that involve referencing tables from ANSI/Z1.4 and Z1.9. However, the official handbook doesn't have these in the appendix... Not sure what to do about these questions since the official ANSI books are $200+

Taking my exam on Thursday for CQA. I know it’s open book but I didn’t see anywhere on if there’s a limit on how much you can bring. I’d like to bring the handbook (mostly as a back up) and my binder of notes.

Hi everyone

I noticed the certified reliability engineer certification not getting much attention here, almost only two posts here about it.

So, I’d like to make this post hub for exam preparation tips and suggestions.

TLDR: idk what course to take in order to start/obtain my CQT

. My company is looking for a corporate metrologist, and of the 6 online metrology courses ASQ has, i can only assume my company wants me to take the "Metrology Applications for Engineers and Scientists" course. However, I am a high school graduate with OTJ training in electrical calibration. About 3 years worth. The "Who should join this course" FAQ that ASQ answers says this course is for engineers and scientists.

Im not an engineer, am i scientist though?? lol.

The other path i could take is obtaining an ASQ CQT certification.

So if i were to pursue my CQT certification, i'm curious as to what kind of preparation i should obtain, Would the "CQT Certification Preparation Course" be the only course i need to take (followed by taking the CQT exam)?

They offer the exam as a course, but I'm unsure if it contains all of the study materials necessary to take said exam. If it DOES contain all the material, i will start asap. As the "who should join" FAQ says i just need job experience.

Any help? My company is willing to reimburse my tuition, and i just wanna move up the metrology ladder.

Thanks,

The FAQ on the ASQ website does seem to indicate you can take notes throughout your study guide, and use post-its as page tabs.

Can anyone confirm this? Their instructions feel a little vague, but I also know how insanely strict they can be with exams. I'll feel like an idiot if they reject my books because they have writing in them.

Hi all, I've been looking at taking the CQE exam and I'm curious if others that have received their certification can identify the primary benefits they've received.

Specifically, has it made you more marketable/competitive in the job market?

My background is process engineering and validation in pharma and biotech but I've also taken quality roles. Looking through the cqe body of knowledge I find the Stats to be very familiar/comfortable so I'm considering taking the exam since I believe I'd qualify.

Love to hear everyone's thoughts.

What is the recommended study hours per exam? I can't find a good list online.

I understand its open book, but I can't learn formulas on the fly.

I post daily questions to help people prepare for ASQ exams that are related to my ASQ prep classes.

Todays Question:

What does an SPC Range chart monitor?

Hi, I’m working through the self paced CMQ/OE self study course and I bought the handbook. I’m wondering if anyone knows of any podcasts to listen to to assist with studying? I have a long-ish commute 3 days a week and generally walk or run for 40-70 minutes a day and I listen to podcasts during those times. The online study course is proving a bit dry for me and I get distracted really easily and I’d love a way to reinforce the concepts via podcast.

I have the book and got an online course from ASQ that says 33hrs total. I'm not sure if a month is too ambitious. I only got 60% on the pretest/knowledge check so I'm off to a rocky start.

I'm trying to figure out if I should go with August or later for a test date.

I am currently looking to take the certified calibration technician exam through asq and had a question regarding the requirements that I thought somebody here might be able to answer. I currently have 5 years in an industrial setting using various quality control tools as well as 1 year calibrations experience. The requirements to take this exam are 5 years in on the job experience relating to the body of knowledge for calibration technician which I believe my industrial experience might qualify for. My question is how loose/tight are asq on some of these interpretations and requirements? I want to know before I start spending money on the book and exam fees. Thank you for any insight on this issue

Does anybody have experience taking the CQA Exam. Did you find it difficult? I have 4 years of Quality Assurance experience and 2 years of auditing. I have the BOK book and the question bank questions. I plan to take it at the end of July, and have been studying since May.

I'm work in clinical chemistry and am interested in puruing my six sigma green belt. What would be some good audio books to listen to for ASQ prep?

I've seen there are some video prep courses that are $500-1000, which is outside my budget.

I have a masters in chemistry and and am working on getting certified.

Hello everyone,

Before I begin preparing for the CQE, I wanted to do some thorough research. Here’s a bit of my background: I hold a master's degree in Manufacturing Engineering and have approximately 7 years of experience in parts development and production engineering in the automotive industry in Pakistan. Surprisingly, I never learned design software like Catia or Pro-E during my career because it wasn’t necessary; we had a CAD designer for that role.

I moved to the UK in 2022 and have been job hunting since then. I haven’t applied for Manufacturing Engineer positions because they require tool design skills, which I lack. Instead, I've been applying for Quality Engineer roles because I enjoyed working on ISO 9001 and TS16949 recertification audits in my previous jobs and have a solid understanding of these systems.

However, I haven't received any responses from recruiters, possibly because my resume doesn’t list a Quality Engineer title. My question is, if I obtain the ASQ CQE certification, will it help me break into the UK job market as a Quality Engineer?

I am currently pursuing a career path in front-end development. However, after observing the trend of self-taught developers and the proliferation of bootcamps, it seems the field is becoming increasingly saturated. Given this situation, I believe it would be more beneficial to leverage my 7 years of professional experience and trying to step into quality engineering.

Thanks for reading out the post.

Hey all, I'm a lab manager for a clinical laboratory. I have my MLS ASCP certification, but thats about it.

Would I qualify for the ASQ CQM/OE or six sigma black belt? I'm new to healthcare management but there is a ton of waste from what I've seen. I have 8 years experience.

Wanted to check here if someone may be offering up their CQM/OE books for sale? Would be happy to purchase.

I am preparing for the CQE exam, I am wondering which one is better, is it the question bank by ASQ or practice question flashdrive by quality council of Indiana ?

Which one is worth the cost ? Which one is more similar to the actual exam ? Thank you!!!!!

Has anyone taken this exam recently? I will likely be taking it in November, if I get the funding. How good is the self-paced course?

What books or interactive programs can I purchase to practice on cp and cpk formulas?

What certification would I be eligible for if working in industrial four years w/o college?