The Basics and Benefits of ASQ Certification

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The Basics and Benefits of ASQ Certification
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What is ASQ Certification?

• A formal recognition by ASQ that an individual
  has demonstrated a proficiency within, and
  comprehension of, a specified Body of Knowledge
  at a point in time

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What is ASQ Certification?

• Internationally accepted and recognized
• Recognition of excellence for 40 years
• Endorsed by more than 125 corporations

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What is ASQ Certification?

• Marketplace requirement
• Peer recognition
• Personal validation

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Key Benefits of Certification to Members

• Gain new skills and upgrade proficiency
• Source of professional and personal pride
• Investment in career

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Key Benefits of Certification to Members

• Mark of technical excellence
• Currency with emerging technologies
• Knowledgeable employees that are able to assure
  product/service quality

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Key Benefits of Certification to Organizations

• Investment in the companys future
• Perfect and share new techniques in the workplace
• Discriminator in the marketplace

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Value to Membership

• Certification has been rated as one of the
  top-three valued benefits of ASQ membership since
  1991

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History of Certification

• ? Certified Quality Engineer 1968
• ? Certified Quality Technician 1970
• ? Certified Reliability Engineer 1972
• ? Certified Mechanical Inspector 1984
• ? Certified Quality Auditor 1987
• ? Certified Quality Manager 1995

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History of Certification

• ? Certified Software Quality Engineer
  1996
• ?CQA-Hazard Analysis and Critical
• Control Point (HACCP) 1999
• ? Certified Quality Improvement Associate 2000
• ? Six Sigma Black Belt 2001
• ? CQA-Biomedical 2002

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History of Certification

• ? Certified Calibration Technician
  2003
• ? Certified HACCP Auditor 2004
• Replaces CQA-HACCP
• ? Certified Quality Process Analyst
  2005
• ? Certified Biomedical Auditor 2005
• Replaces CQA-Biomedical
• Certified Manager of Quality/ 2006
• Organizational Management
• ? Certified Six Sigma Green Belt 2006

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History of Certification

• ? Certified Quality Inspector 2007
• Replaces Certified Mechanical Inspector
• ? Certified Pharmaceutical 2009
• GMP Professional

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Certification Programs

• Quality Engineer (CQE)
• Principles of product and service quality
  evaluation and control
• Reliability Engineer (CRE)
• Principles of performance evaluation for
  product/systems safety, reliability and
  maintainability

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Certification Programs

• Quality Auditor (CQA)
• Standards and principles of auditing, questions,
  evaluations, reports for quality system adequacy
• HACCP Auditor (CHA)
• Developed to test applicants knowledge of the
  Hazard and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
  standards.

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Certification Programs

• 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

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Certification Programs

• 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

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Certification Programs

• Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA)
• Basic knowledge of quality tools and their uses
  and involved in quality improvement projects
• Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)
• Designed to demonstrate competency in the use of
  Six Sigma methodologies

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Certification Programs

• 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

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Certification Programs

• Quality Process Analyst (CQPA)
• A paraprofessional who analyzes and solves
  quality problems and is involved in quality
  improvement projects
• Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB)
• A paraprofessional who works with process
  development, and documentation, collect and
  summarize data, creates and interprets multivari
  studies
• Pharmaceutical GMP Professional
• A professional who understands the GMP principles
  as regulated and guided by national and
  international agencies

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Number of Certifications IssuedAs of March 2009

• CQE 56,341
• CQA 40,660
• CQT 22,382
• CQI 12,678
• CMQ/OE 12,710
• CRE 7,763

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Number of Certifications IssuedAs of March 2009

• CSQE 4,826
• CQIA 5,516
• CHA 607
• CSSBB 8,086
• CBA 505
• CCT 1,044
• CQPA 506
• CSSGB 2,620
• CPGP 0

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ASQ CertificationsExam Development Process
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Initial Activities Preliminary Steps

• Division comes forward with an idea for a
  certification program
• Obtains from Certification Board approval of the
  concept
• Conducts marketing study to determine potential
  market.
• Contracts with outside measurement expert to
  conduct job analysis.

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Job Analysis Prep

• Survey Developed with help from an Outside
  Measurement Expert
• Literature Search
• Subject Matter Experts
• Advisory Committee
• Survey Review Panel

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Job Analysis Steps

• Advisory Committee identifies
• Typical job responsibilities (what people do on
  their job)
• Knowledge base required (what people need to know
  in order to perform their job)

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• Advisory committee work results in a survey that
  asks respondents to rate each item in the survey
  in terms of criticality (how important is this
  task and knowledge) and frequency (how often is
  this task performed or knowledge used).

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Job Analysis Conducted

• Job Analysis Survey
• Mailed to 2000 individuals
• Results summarized
• Results approved by sponsoring division
• Certification Board Approval

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A Job Analysis Study is conducted every five
years to ensure the validity of the exam programs.
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Results of the Job Analysis are used to develop
the Body of Knowledge
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BOK Development

• Body of Knowledge Committee
• Consists of about 12-15 subject matter experts
• Two day workshop
• Primary task is to translate the job analysis
  results into meaningful categories that can be
  tested.

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BOK Committee determines number of questions in
each area, based on the importance of the topic
as well as the depth of testable material
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Item Writing

• 20-25 subject matter experts are trained in item
  writing
• Items written in each area of the Body of
  Knowledge
• 450 items developed during 2-3 day session

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Item Review

• One 2-day workshop per year
• 12 subject matter experts review each question
  for
• Accuracy
• Clarity
• Appropriateness
• Diversity

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Exam Review

• 12 subject matter experts take each exam before
  formal administration
• Every item on exam is reviewed once more
• Flow of the entire exam is reviewed

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Over 50 volunteers participate in the development
of each exam
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ASQ Certification Volunteering

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Workshop To Participate In

• Item Writing (write exam questions)
• Item Review (review the questions)
• Exam Review (take the actual exam score it
  before official administration)

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Selection Criteria for Volunteers

• Good team and communication skills
• Exam teams chosen with mix of new and experienced
  volunteers
• Not teaching/authoring exam review materials

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Benefits of Volunteering

• 1 recertification unit per day of workshop
• Expenses Reimbursed
• Visit ASQ HQ. Meet Certification staff

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Benefits of Volunteering

• Peer Networking
• Reinforce and expand subject knowledge
• Learn New Techniques from other Professionals

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How to Volunteer

• Contact Certification Office at ASQ HQ at
  1-800-248-1946
• Contact Division Liaison responsible for specific
  exam

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ASQ Recertification
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• Recertification verifies that you have maintained
  the same knowledge level you demonstrated when
  you originally passed the exam

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Who Has to Recertify?

• CMQ/OE
• CQE CQA CRE
• CSQE CSSBB CCT
• CHA CBA

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• Its Easier than you think!

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

• 18 credits over three years
• Credits earned through
• Employment
• Professional Development
• Education
• Society Involvement

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You only need 18 RU credits -over 3 years!!

• Employment
• Professional Development
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Conferences

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Only 18 RU credits needed over 3 year period

• Instructor
• company internal instructing
• college, university instructing
• ASQ exam refresher course instructing
• any instructing must be above and beyond your
  regular job duties and requirements to qualify

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You only need 18 RU credits -over 3 years!!

• Education
• Company-sponsored in-house courses (computer
  skills, team building, etc.)
• University/college courses
• ASQ-sponsored courses

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You only need 18 RU credits-over 3 years!!

• Society Involvement
• Exam Proctor
• Meeting/workshop attendance
• Committee member
• Officer (national, division, section)

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Just see how simple!!

• Full-time employment 10.8RU
• WCQI attendance (once) 3.0RU
• Company-sponsored training
• (e.g., project management,
• Diversity in the Workplace) 4.0RU
• Section Meetings (2 mtgs./yr.) 2.7RU
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  20.5

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GIVE US A CALL (800)-248-1946 or
Visit us at
www.asq.org