1. The Basics and Benefits
ASQ Certification
The Basics and Benefits

2. Certification and the benefits ASQ’s certification offerings
Agenda
Certification and the benefits
ASQ’s certification offerings
The qualifications required
How the exams are maintained
The testing process

3. What is Certification?
A certification is a formal recognition that an individual has demonstrated proficiency in, and comprehension of, a specified Body of Knowledge at a specific point in time.
ASQ follows ISO 17024, however is not certified.

4. Internationally accepted and recognized
ASQ Certification is:
Internationally accepted and recognized
A symbol of excellence, for more than 40 years
Endorsed by over 125 corporations
ASQ has individuals in over 100 countries certified to one of its exams.

5. ASQ Certification is:
A marketplace requirement
Peer recognition
Personal validation

6. Key Benefits for Individuals
Acquisition new skills and upgrade proficiency
Have an additional source of professional/personal pride
Invest in their careers, increase in compensation
ASQ’s annual salary survey continues to demonstrate that individuals that are certified earn more income than those that are not.

7. Key Benefits for Organizations
Knowledgeable workforce (technical excellence)
Perfecting and sharing new techniques in the workplace
A discriminator in the marketplace
An investment in the company’s future

8. Value of Membership
Certification has been rated one of the top three most valued benefits of ASQ membership since 1991.

9. Certification Offerings
Quality Engineer 1968
Quality Technician 1970
Reliability Engineer 1972
Mechanical Inspector 1984
Quality Auditor 1987

10. Certification Offerings
Manager of Quality 1995
Software Quality Engineer 1996
CQA-HACCP Systems 1999
Quality Impr. Associate 2000
Six Sigma Black Belt 2001

11. Certification Offerings
CQA – Biomedical System 2002
Calibration Technician 2003
Quality Process Analyst 2005
Six Sigma Green Belt 2006
Pharma GMP Professional 2009

12. Certification Offerings
Six Sigma Master Black Belt 2010
Lean Professional (3 levels)* 2010
Six Sigma Yellow Belt 2015
Supplier Quality Professional 2017
* In partnership with SME, AME and Shingo Institute

13. Certification Offerings

14. Certification Offerings

15. Translated Exams Korean – CRE, CQE
Mandarin – CMQ/OE, CRE, SSBB, SSGB, CQT, CQE
Spanish – CQT, SSBB, SSGB, CQE, CQPA, CQA, CQIA
Portuguese – SSBB, CQE, CQA, CMQ/OE
Arabic (in 2016) – SSGB, CQIA

16. Qualifications
Specific requirements for each exam are available on ASQ.org
Education
Experience
Examination

17. Testing Methods
Paper Based (today)
Computer Based (in the future)

18. Recertification
Recertification verifies that you have maintained the same knowledge level you demonstrated when you originally passed the exam.

19. Who Has to Recertify?
CMQ/OE CQE CQA
CRE CSQE SSBB
CHA CBA CPGP
CMBB CCT MBB

20. Recertification
In a recent survey of people who had recertified, 96% said that the recertification program is understandable, and very easy to use.

21. Recertification CALL ASQ AT (800)-248-1946 Or Visit us at www.asq.org47

22. It’s Easier than you think!
RECERTIFICATION
It’s Easier than you think! 39

23. Recertification Requirements
18 credits over three years
Credits are earned through
Employment
Professional Development
Education
Society Involvement 41

24. Only 18 RU credits - over 3 years!!
Employment
Professional Development
Seminars
Workshops
Conferences 42

25. Only 18 RU credits - over 3 years!!
Instructor
company internal instructing
college, university instructing
ASQ exam refresher course instructing
Any instruction credits requested must be above and beyond your regular job duties and requirements in order to qualify. 43

26. Only 18 RU credits - over 3 years!!
Education
Company-sponsored in-house courses (computer skills, team building, etc.)
University/college courses
ASQ-sponsored courses 44

27. Only 18 RU credits - over 3 years!!
Society Involvement
Exam Proctor
Meeting/workshop attendance
Section/Division committee member
Officer: national, division, section 45

28. Just see how simple!! Full-time employment 10.8 RUs
AQC attendance (once) RUs
Company-sponsored training RUs
(e.g., project management,
Diversity in the Workplace)
Section Meetings (2 mtgs/yr.) RUs
20.5 RUs 46

29. Offerings Target Audience
Quality Engineer (CQE)
Principles of product and service quality evaluation and control
Quality Process Analyst (CQPA)
Under supervision, is involved in quality improvement projects
Reliability Engineer (CRE)
Principles of performance evaluation for product/systems safety, reliability and maintainability 12

30. Offerings Target Audience
Quality Auditor (CQA)
Standards and principles of auditing, questions, evaluations, reports for quality system adequacy
HACCP Auditor (CHA)
Tests applicants’ knowledge of the Hazard and Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards 13

31. Offerings Target Audience
Quality Technician (CQT)
Quality problem analysis, inspection sampling plans, SPC applications
Quality Inspector (CQI)
Hardware documentation, lab and calibration procedures, inspection, process performance, data collection and reports 14

32. Offerings Target Audience
Software Quality Engineer (CSQE)
Development of software processes, measurement, verification and validation, analytical methods, and quality management
Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE)
Champions process improvement initiatives, supports strategic planning and deployment initiatives 15

33. Offerings Target Audience
Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA)
Basic knowledge of quality tools and their uses and is involved in quality improvement projects
Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)
Designed to demonstrate competency in the use of Six Sigma methodologies 16

34. Offerings Target Audience
Biomedical Auditor (CBA)
Understands the principles of standards, regulations, directives and guidance for auditing a biomedical system
Calibration Technician (CCT)
Tests, calibrates, maintains, and repairs electrical, mechanical, electromechanical, analytical, and electronic measuring, recording, and indicating instruments and equipment for conformance to established standards 17

35. Offerings Target Audience
Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB)
A paraprofessional, working with process development and documentation, collects and summarizes data, creates and interprets multi-vari studies
Pharmaceutical GMP Professional (CPGP)
 A professional who understands the GMP
principles as regulated and guided by
national and international agencies for the
pharmaceutical industry 18

36. Offerings Target Audience
Six Sigma Master Black Belt (CSSMB)
A professional, working with process development and documentation, collects and summarizes data, creates and interprets multi-vari studies
Six Sigma Yellow Belt (CSSYB)
A paraprofessional, working with process development and documentation, collects and summarizes data, creates and interprets multi-vari studies
Supplier Quality Professional (CSQP)
Principles of supplier quality evaluation and control 18

37. Initial Activities & Preliminary Steps
A Division comes forward with an idea for a certification program.
Obtains approval of the concept from the Certification Board
Conducts a marketing study to determine potential market
Conduct a job analysis 19

38. Exam Development Process
ASQ CERTIFICATIONS
Exam Development Process 20

39. Test Development Job Analysis Workshop Survey Test Specifications
New Cert.
approved by
ASQ BOD
5-year Review
of Existing
Program
Job Analysis
Workshop
Survey
Test Specifications
Item-Writing No
Item-Review
Exam-Review
Administer Exam
Item Analysis
& Scoring Changes
Score Exams and
Notify Candidates
Cut-Score Study
New
BOK?
Yes
Review
Camera-Ready
Version
Enough
Items in
Pool?
This process is what gives validity to our exams, so that we are able to show that the process is very thorough and that many people are involved to do our best to create items go into an exam that tests knowledge and will offer the lowest chance for candidates’ misunderstanding of an item.
Item writing results in RAW items that are then reviewed at Item Review

40. Job Analysis Prep
Once a new exam has been approved by the ASQ Board of Directors and Certification Board, a draft survey is developed on the basis of input from:
Literature Search
Subject Matter Experts
Advisory (Job Analysis) Committee
Survey Review Panel 21

41. Job Analysis Steps The Advisory Committee identifies the
Typical job responsibilities (what people do on their job)
Knowledge base required (what people need to know in order to perform their job) 22

42. Job Analysis Steps cont’d.
Based on the work of the advisory committee, a survey is created to ask respondents to rate each entry in terms of
Criticality: how important is this task or knowledge?
and
Frequency: How often is this task performed or knowledge used? 23

43. Job Analysis Conducted
The Job Analysis Survey is then ed to 2,000 qualified individuals for their input.
The results of the survey are then
Summarized
Approved by the sponsoring division
Approved by the Certification Board 24

44. Job Analysis Study
A Job Analysis study is conducted every 5 years to ensure the validity of each exam program.
The results of the Job Analysis are used to develop the Body of Knowledge. 25

45. BOK Development Test Specifications Workshop Committee
12-15 subject matter experts
Two-day workshop
Primary task: translating job analysis survey results into meaningful categories to produce a Body of Knowledge (BOK) 26

46. Test Specification Committee
The Test Spec Committee determines the number of questions in each area of the BOK, based on the importance of the topic, as well as the depth of testable material. 27

47. Item Writing
12-16 subject matter experts are trained in item-writing techniques (“item” = test question)
Items are written for each area of the BOK
items are developed during the 2-day workshop 28

48. Item Review One 2-day workshop
12 subject matter experts review each question for
Accuracy
Clarity
Appropriateness
Diversity 29

49. Exam Review
12 subject matter experts “take” a draft version of the exam in advance of the Exam review meeting.
Each item on the exam is reviewed once more.
The flow of the entire exam is reviewed. 30

50. Additional Reviews & Workshops
Once the changes from the exam review meeting are made, another ASQ Test Developer reviews the exam.
A final version of the test is then reviewed by the exam program’s subcommittee.
If the exam is for a new or updated program, an additional workshop is required to set the “Cut Score” for the new exam.

51. Volunteering
More than 50 volunteers participate in the development of each exam.

52. Participation Opportunities
Item Writing – Write exam questions
Item Review – Review the questions
Exam Review – Take an actual exam and revise questions, as needed, before the test is formally administered

53. Selection Criteria for SMEs
Each member must have good communication skills and be able to work well on a team.
Exam teams are chosen with a mix of new and experienced volunteers.
Participants cannot be teaching or authoring exam review materials.

54. Benefits of Volunteering
Recertification units (1 per day)
Peer networking
Learn subject knowledge
Learn new technologies
Visit ASQ and the staff

55. Contact the Certification Office at ASQ HQ 1-800-248-1946 or
How to Volunteer
Contact the Certification Office at ASQ HQ or
Contact the Division Liaison responsible for a specific certification

56. QUESTIONS ? ? ?