ASQ Certification Examination Prerequisites

What is Certification?:  According to ASQ “Certification is formal recognition by ASQ that an individual has demonstrated proficiency within, and a comprehension of, a specified body of knowledge.”

 

Minimum Education and/or Experience Requirements Set by ASQ in Order to Sit for One of Their Examinations

(Check www.asq.org for additional details and to insure no changes have occurred to the requirements outlined below.  These are ASQ requirements that must be met in order to sign up for and sit for each of their examinations.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: These ASQ requirements do not prevent a student from enrolling in and completing one of our training courses since none of the preparatory courses have prerequisites.

 

Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE)

• 10-yrs of full-time, paid, on-the-job experience in one or more of the certification’s Body of Knowledge.  (1 to 5-years of this requirement can be waived if applicant has a degree from a college, university, or technical school having an ASQ accepted accreditation).
• 5-yrs of the job experience must be in a decision-making position.
  
  

Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)

• 8-yrs of full-time, paid, on-the-job experience in one or more of the certification’s Body of Knowledge.  (1 to 5-years of this requirement can be waived if applicant has a degree from a college, university, or technical school having an ASQ accepted accreditation).
• 3-yrs of the job experience must be in a decision-making position.
  
  

Certified Quality Auditor (CQA)

• 8-yrs of full-time, paid, on-the-job experience in one or more of the certification’s Body of Knowledge.  (1 to 5-years of this requirement can be waived if applicant has a degree from a college, university, or technical school having an ASQ accepted accreditation).
• 3-yrs of the job experience must be in a decision-making position.
  
  

Certified Supplier Quality Professional (CSQP)

• 8-yrs of full-time, paid, on-the-job experience in one or more of the certification’s Body of Knowledge.  (1 to 5-years of this requirement can be waived if applicant has a degree from a college, university, or technical school having an ASQ accepted accreditation).
• 3-yrs of the job experience must be in a decision-making position.
  
  

Certified Quality Technician (CQT)

• 4-yrs of higher education and/or full-time, paid, on-the-job experience in one or more of the certification’s Body of Knowledge.  (1 to 3-years of this requirement can be waived if applicant has a certification through a Quality Technology program of a community college or vocational school, or a degree from a college or university having an ASQ accepted accreditation).
  
  

Certified Quality Inspector (CQI)

• 2-yrs of full-time, paid, on-the-job experience in mechanical inspection or a related field.
• High-school diploma or GED, or an additional three years (5-yrs total) of related on-the-job experience.
  
  

Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA)

• 2-yrs of work experience or equivalent higher education, or an Associate’s Degree.
  
  

Certified Quality Process Analyst (CQPA)

• 2-yrs of work experience, or an Associate’s Degree, or two years of equivalent higher education. Work experience must relate to one or more areas of the certification’s Body of Knowledge.
  
  

Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB)

• 3-yrs of full-time, paid, work experience in one or more of the certification’s Body of Knowledge.
  
  

Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)

• Two (2) completed projects with signed affidavits, or one (1) completed project with signed affidavit and 3-yrs of work experience in one or more of the certification’s Body of Knowledge.

 

Recommended Initial Certification Steps

1. Potential students should contact ASQ and insure they meet the minimum education and/or experience eligibility requirements in order to take a particular examination (doing so could prevent a student from paying for and starting training when they might later be deemed “ineligible” by ASQ to take a desired exam).
   
   
2. Should ASQ deem you not eligible to sit for the certification exam you desired, consider opting for one of the other certifications for which you might be eligible.
   
   
3. If deemed eligible by ASQ to take a desired exam, join the American Society for Quality® (asq.org) (Do this before signing up for an exam since it reduces the exam cost by 26%-38%, depending on the particular certification exam).
   
   
4. To prepare for a certification exam there are basically four approaches that can be followed:
        a) Don't study.  Assume your years of experience have already prepared you
            well enough.  Probability of Success: Less than 10%.
        b) Self-Study.  Purchase a textbook and some supplemental materials and
            study on your own.  Probability of Success: Approximately 25%.
        c) Take a course offered by other course providers.  Probability of
            Success: 60% - 65% (based on ASQ Data).
        d) Take one of our comprehensive training courses.  Probability of
            Success: 83% (First-Time pass rate as verified by ASQ).
   
   Even though ASQ does not require certification exam applicants to take any formal training prior to taking one of their certification exams, preparing for an exam by completing an appropriate training course greatly improves a person's chances of success.  Goes without saying we highly recommend you take one of ours because of our unprecedented exam pass rates.
   
   
5. Officially apply for a desired certification exam by completing ASQ’s online exam application on their website.
   IMPORTANT: APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED BY ASQ’s PUBLISHED DEADLINES.