Recertification

How to know if you need recertification

ASQ requires that you recertify the following certifications every three years to ensure that you maintain the same level of knowledge demonstrated in your first exam.

To check your current certification information, please login. Your certifications will display there. The information will include expiration dates, status of pending certifications, and exam result information for retakes.

ASQ definition of continuing competence - maintaining certification

Continuing Competency refers to the demonstration of specified levels of knowledge, skills, or ability not only at the time of initial certification but throughout an individual's professional career.

ASQ mandates maintenance of one's credential through activities that reinforce continued competence through supported continued training in the knowledge and methods of the field. Maintaining your ASQ certification is crucial to your professional growth, fluency and currency within the industry and is a mandatory requirement of your certification. In accordance with ISO 17024 Standards for Conformity Assessment, recertification conditions shall ensure that there is impartial evaluation to confirm the continuing competence of the certified person. To maintain the integrity of your certification, ASQ requires that you recertify every three years-either by journal or by exam. If you do not recertify, your certification will lapse and ASQ will no longer recognize you as "certified".

After initial certification, you must carry out specific professional development requirements in order to recertify every three years and provide documentation in support. All activities must fall/tie into at least one area of the Body of Knowledge (BOK) for your certification(s).

The requirements include the following:

1. The completion of a total of 18 Recertification Units of continuing education and professional development or retake the certification exam at the end of the 3-year recertification period.
   1. At least 8 (80 hours) of these RUs must fall into Education and Professional development activities. (see page 6 of the ASQ Recertification Journal)
   2. Up to a max of 10.8 (108 hours) can be claimed for employment within the industry. (see page 6 of the ASQ Recertification Journal)

Certified individuals must comply with all recertification requirements to maintain use of the respective credential and its associated acronym. Certified individuals may not make misleading, deceptive, or confusing statements regarding their certification status. If an individual allows their certification to fall into lapsed/expired status, he or she must immediately discontinue use of the associated acronym and is prohibited from stating or implying certification is current.

Examples of activities that will not be accepted:

• Specific training not directly related to the industry.
• Home schooling, reading, researching online.
• Self-study for professional exams.
• Work on business or personal projects.
• Other non-professional development activities

What you need to recertify

ASQ requires that you recertify certain professional certifications once every three years to ensure that you maintain the same level of knowledge demonstrated in your first exam.
CREDENTIAL HOLDERS MUST:

1. Obtain 18 recertification units (RUs) within a three-year recertification period.

Or

1. Retake the certification exam at the end of the 3-year recertification period.

Note: You have a 6 month “grace period” from your recertification date to recertify by Journal. After the 6-month grace period, you will need to recertify by exam. If you do not recertify by exam within 1 year from your recertification date - your certification will expire/decertify and you will need to reapply for initial certification.

Timeline and Fees

ASQ requires that you recertify the following certifications every three years to ensure that you maintain the same level of knowledge demonstrated in your first exam.

Recertification Time Cycle Example

RECERTIFYING BY JOURNAL FEES

Fees to recertify by journal/application:

RECERTIFYING BY EXAM FEES

Fees to recertify by exam:

All prices listed are subject to change without notice.

Choose your path

1. RECERTIFICATION BY JOURNAL

You may apply for recertification up to six months before or after your recertification date. (The six months after your recertification date is a "grace period," so that you can collect your documentation and submit your journal packet along with payment.) Credits collected after your recertification date will apply toward your next recertification application.

If you are synchronizing two or more certifications, you must submit your recertification packet within the six-month grace period of the certification that's expiring first. Read more on synchronizing your certifications.

2. RECERTIFICATION BY EXAM

You have one year from your recertification date to recertify by exam before your certification(s) will decertify. After the 6-month grace period, you can only recertify by exam.

Synchronizing my Certifications

If you hold multiple ASQ certifications you can "synchronize" them and renew them all at once by submitting a single recertification journal instead of separately renewing different certifications with different recertification dates.

To synchronize two or more certifications, all you need to include is documentation for the 18 recertification units required to recertify the 1 certification that is currently due. You're not required to provide additional evidence for any of the other certifications you are trying to synchronize. If the certification that is currently due is approved, we will adjust all your other certifications to recertify at the same time as the certification currently due. For future recertification, you only need to provide a total of 18 recertification units for all synchronized certifications.

Example of How Synchronization Works

Certification	Date Exam Passed	Current Recertification Dates		Future Recertification Date
Quality Auditor	12/03/07	12/31/13		06/30/16
Reliability Engineer	03/04/10	06/30/13		06/30/16
Software Quality Engineer	10/02/11	12/31/14		06/30/16

Submit Your Recert Application

There are essentially two simple methods for submitting your completed recertification journal / application.

1. Online through your secure ASQ recertification web application. (turnaround time = 5 business days)
2. Via mail. (turnaround time = 3 weeks)

Recertification Resources

Qualifying Recertification Activities

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Top Ways To Earn Recert Units With ASQ

ASQ credential holders qualify for recertification units by participating in Recertification Activities that relate to competency and knowledge requirements of your Certification.

1. ASQ Courses - (up to 10.8 RUs) whether you're teaching or a student attending courses - ASQ allows credit for these activities that enhance your professional development. ASQ also provides Certification preparation and self-paced online instructor modules that can be taken from the comfort of your home in your time - visit ASQ Training Catalog
2. ASQ Conference Meetings - (up to 9.0 RUs) are a great way to connect you to a network of like-minded quality professionals and learn from the best in the business - visit ASQ Conferences & Events
3. ASQ Certifications - (up to 6.0 RUs) - why not continue to enhance your career by taking another Certification and gain a competitive employment edge! - visit ASQ Cert Catalog
4. ASQ Membership (up to 1.5 RUs) - offers you many ways to develop and grow professionally. One of the many benefits of an ASQ membership is access to the most comprehensive library of quality resources, including the Quality Body of Knowledge (QBoK), ASQ’s official publication Quality Progress, a variety of additional magazines and journals, and geographic and industry communities. Please visit ASQ Membership for further information.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I check my certifications and the recertification dates?
• How do I know if a program qualifies for recertification units?
• How do I know if my employment will qualify for recertification units?
• Does part-time employment apply toward recertification units?
• I am unable to obtain past employer’s employment verification documentation. What other means of documentation may I use?
• Do local, state and national quality award activities qualify for recertification units?
• How do I submit multimedia (formerly videotapes) for recertification units?
• How can I get credit for volunteer activities with ASQ and other professional associations and organizations?
• I have authored/co-authored a book. Where should I enter this activity in the recertification journal?
• I delivered a presentation. Where should this activity be entered in the recertification journal?
• I don’t have enough recertification units to recertify by my recertification date. What are my options?
• What happens when recertifying by exam?
• What is "synchronizing my certifications" and how do I do it?