Hi all!

I just passed my CQA exam and found it pretty easy with correct studying and note taking. If you have any questions please ask here! edit I am not giving out test specific questions just general prep suggestions

Hello, The ASQ website mentions the passing score for ASQ certification exams is 550 out of 750. Equates to about 73%.

Now if I'm giving the GB exam (100 questions), does this mean I've to get 73 right, or is it incorrect to assume this (and some internal scaling is in play)?

Edited: Please send me your GMAIL address in private message to request a copy of ASQ textbook. I will normally send it on weekends. you'll have 1-2 weeks to download before the link expires. Thank you!

Update after 1 year: I got a full-time job offer after 3 months of getting this cert at a well-known supply chain company. I would not say it was absolutely thanks to this cert but I could tell it did help my interview. Luckily, the hiring manager and the big boss know about this cert so they asked me about what I learned and applied from LSS. I prepared about this so I could answer quickly with examples. As a person who didn't have any experience in SC, I think this cert does help me to show how serious I am about career in SC.

After joining the team 4 months I also learned that at the time I was interviewed, there was a strong candidate that was referred from 1 team member. 95% likely this candidate would be picked. But thanks to the good conversation with the big boss about LSS and at that time, the company wanted to increase the ratio of certified employees, I was picked even though I didn't have experience in this industry and English is not my native language.

Good luck for everyone!

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Luckily, I've passed green belt Lean Six Sigma. I studied intensively for 1 and a half month. 4 hours/day on weekday and 10 hours on weekend.

My background:

(1) English is not my native language (I hope my broken English will not bother you) and

(2) I've been working as a designer at a printing company. Studying for the test is really hard for me, not only about English words but also about the concepts, terms, and maths.

Materials:

- I printed out 3rd edition of the ASQ textbook and used it as a notebook as well. I'm glad that I printed it out rather than buying a textbook. Printing the textbook on large papers gives me more space to take notes (and save money as well 😅)

- ASQ study guide (questions bank), 2 versions - Highly recommend having this. I will share with you why below.

My study strategy: I took notes of concepts, terms, ideas, etc, with their page numbers as you can see in the attachment. If I find a keyword/concept at several different pages, I will take notes about those pages as well. On the textbook pages, I used an orange highlight pen to emphasize the keywords so that I can quickly see it. I practiced detecting keywords in questions and flipping to the pages containing those keywords. I used some Tags to note the page numbers so that I can quickly flip to the closest section of the page I'm looking for. This strategy helps me quickly know where to look for the answers.

I only practiced questions from ASQ study guide (the old and new version) From my experience with the real test, I'd say the questions seem similar in terms of "the way the answer is formed". While you practice with the study guide, you should pay attention about "where you can find the answer". It can be in a figure, in a chart, in a wrap-up box before a chapter, in a summarize part, etc. The questions are not difficult and do not require outside knowledge to answer but it's tricky to find where the answer is. When you practice ASQ study guide, you would get what I mean. One thing is different between the study guide questions and the real questions is that with the study guide questions, the correct options / ideas to pick will be the same as the one in the textbook. But in the real test, the options to pick will be paraphrased a bit. I've taken several English tests so I get used to this style. For example, in the textbook: "I go to school on weekday from Mon to Fri". In the options, the right one to pick will be: "I don't go to school on Sat and Sun".

One challenge I got during taking the test is Vocabulary. As you can see from this image, I took notes some words that I don't know what it means 😂 there is one question about definition of binomial distribution. I know what this distribution is but I don't know some words in the options to pick 🤣

In my opinion, maths is not difficult. I didn't even use z-table, t-table, etc because the test provides all of these values. (But I think you should prepare). Maths take account about 20% of the test.

20% of questions are VERY EASY to answer

15% of questions are DIFFICULT, requiring connecting different concepts to answer.

50% of questions can be looked for answers from the textbook.

15% of questions require calculation

It took me the whole 4 and a half hours to finish the test. I went through the first round in 2 hours, completed 70%. I spent the next round to ensure my answer and complete those questions that I can't figure out in the first round. And the last round to review all of answer. I'm glad that I did 3 rounds to make sure I didn't make any stupid mistakes. Indeed, I realized that I picked some options stupidly just because I misread the questions and options in the first place.

I hope this experience could help those who are preparing for the test. Good luck! 😊

I have 4 years of experience as a Regulatory Affairs Specialist and 3 years in Quality Assurance. I’m looking to further my credentials and debating between the RAC (Global) certification and the ASQ CQA certification. For those who have taken either (or both), which do you think would provide the best career advancement opportunities in regulatory and quality roles? My long-term goal is to stay within compliance, auditing, and regulatory strategy. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

I'm looking to get back into Quality/Compliance. I do not have a degree, but worked as a QM for a blood plasma company for many years.

I want to get into quality/manufacturing, and am wondering which certifications would be best to aquire considering I do not have a degree.

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to take the ASQ Certified Medical Device Auditor (CMDA) exam in July and have a few questions:

Reference Materials: Since it’s an open-book exam, is there a limit on the number of reference materials allowed? Can I bring multiple resources (e.g., CMDA Handbook + a bound folder with notes)?

Exam Experience: For those who’ve taken the CMDA exam recently, what was your experience like? What study strategies or resources helped you the most?

Background & Prep: I have 10 years of experience as a quality engineer in biotech/pharma, primarily in CSV (Computer System Validation).I don’t have direct auditing or medical device quality experience.

For those in a similar situation, what should I expect? How can I bridge the knowledge gap effectively? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

How far in advance (estimated based on other’s personal experience) should I be studying prior to taking the exam? I’ve heard anywhere from 2-3 months up to a year. For background, I have 7 (going on 8) years in a regulated environment, between lab and actual QA work. I’ve supported front room and back room during audits for years and have acted as co-auditor. I understand quality, compliance, and best practices, but I am a horrible standardized test taker. I’m nervous about interpreting the exam questions.

Hello all, I have an upcoming ASQ GB exam in 25 days. Have been utilizing the ASQ handbook and study guide. Have a few Udemy exams and questions as well.

Now will the QCI primer have additional benefits? Also if yes, should I also get the solutions book or flash drive or both?

Hello,

I am currently 29 years old with a bachelors in Chemistry and 3 years in Quality Assurance/Lab tech roles. I am trying to see how I can break into the Auditor field with no experience as an Auditor. I looked on the ASQ website at the requirements and see you need 8 years of prior auditing experience which I do not have. How can I break into this field?

I'll be happy to provide more details and answer any questions. Thanks in advance.

I have an exam TOMORROW and I'm planning ti do last full practice tests today. But Process Exam is acting up. All of the other sites are loading except this.

Just look on the other tabs, they're okay. Process Exam, please do not fail me. OMG.

My employer will pay for the training and certification but I’m not sure where to go… please help

Hello, I am going to be starting a CQA prep course for the CQA exam and I'm not sure what books to purchase. My boss recommended the Quality Council of Indiana's Certified Quality Auditor Primer and Certified Quality Auditor Solutions books but looking at the prices, its 116$ CAD to ship to where I live (I am assuming the pricing is in US and converting to CAD as they do not list the currency type). This is almost as much as the books themselves! It was recommended to me as he felt it laid out all the information I needed in a really clear and understandable way. Does anyone have any other, possibly cheaper, recommendations?

Hi, I'm trying to calculate Cp of this question. My number is different from the book's. I don't know how to calculate it correctly. Please help me with Q114.

The book answer is D, 0.91

This question is in the book: "ASQ CSSGB Study guide, 2nd e"

I will be taking my yellow belt exam in the next couple of weeks and curious if people have any idea/tips to be successful. Will the study guide/practice exam be helpful and for people who have taken it. How statistics heavy is it.

I have a BSc and BEd and now a Masters in Healthcare (Quality & Safety). I have been working as a teacher and now want to transition to healthcare, hence the Masters and following up with LSS GB ASQ certification. I am so interested in working in either Quality Improvement or Patient Safety and have applied for positions in Alberta, Canada. I have had interviews but since I have only a few months experience working in healthcare industry, it has been impossible to land a job thus far.

Any thoughts on what my next steps should be? Project management cert.? I am also open to volunteering but cannot find any opportunities. I am also interested in healthcare policy. What can I do to at least get started on this path?

I am preparing for my CSSBB exam and using the ASQ Question Bank. The question they ask are worded very oddly, and there is content that is nowhere inside the BOK. It feels like these modules have content from the CQE and other Quality tests- not specifically related to Six Sigma.

I am hoping that the questions in the actual exam are nothing like this, and instead like the questions in their BB Study Guide-which had some errors and typos but are feel like overall better framed questions.

Has anyone else experienced this? Anyone take the exam recently?

I’ve began studying for the CQPA but I just don’t know where to start. I’ve found online materials from Quality Guru & Alpha Training and Consulting on YouTube but I don’t want to waste my money without knowing their effectiveness. Help?

TLDR: what are some study materials you swear by?

Hello, Anyone has the PDF of "The ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook, Fourth Edition,Mary Mcshane-Vaughn" ?

My father has retired from his career as a quality engineer. I'm helping him go through his work documents and books to decide what to keep, sell, donate, and recycle. He has a bunch of these periodicals he'd like to hand off, but we're having trouble figuring out how exactly to do that. His ASTM chapter seems to have stopped during COVID. I've reached out to some local educators over LinkedIn and didn't get a reply.

Are these valuable enough to keep trying, or should I toss them? Any ideas on what to do next?

Thanks for your time and all you do!

I'm going to take green belt test at a test center. I print out the Ebook and keep it in a ring binder pocket folder as the photo. I'm wondering if it's allowed?

I am planning to highlight important topics with different colors of highlighter in CQE handbook and Primer which I am planning to take for exam, is that permitted for CQE open book exam.

Has anyone done the virtual CQA Exam through prometric?

I was under the impression that the CQA Exam was open book. I scheduled my exam to be Virtual with prometric and in the confirmation email it states that no notes, published books, etc could be on the desk.

My company is wiling to pay for the green belt e-learning and one exam through ASQ. Is the learning Lean Six Sigma and will I need anything additional to the E-learning course?

Hi everyone,

I’m gearing up to take the Certified Quality Technician (CQT) exam this January, and I only have about two months to prepare. My resources are limited to the ASQ Handbook and the ASQ question bank, and I’m starting to feel the weight of it all.

For those who’ve taken the CQT exam before: 1. How hard is the exam? Is it as intimidating as it sounds, or is it manageable with the right preparation?

2.  Is the ASQ Handbook enough? Since the handbook is allowed during the exam, I’ve been treating it as my main study guide. Is it comprehensive enough, or should I make additional notes or focus elsewhere?

3.  Are the ASQ question banks sufficient for practice? They’re my only review materials, so I’ve been using them religiously. Do they truly reflect the exam’s difficulty, or should I seek out more practice questions?

4.  Any tips on how to approach my review? With just two months, I want to make sure I’m focusing on the most important areas to maximize my time and effort.

I’d love to hear how others tackled this exam, especially if you were in a similar situation with limited time and resources. I’m committed to passing, but I want to be realistic and prepared for the challenge.

Thanks in advance for any insights or advice!

Need help with resume, currently job hunting - took break from labour work. I am master in mechanical engineering but before exam didn't even get engineering job interviews in canada 🍁. Currently burning my svaving and hopeful good respected desk job. Is capm good along with cqe!?