New ASQ handbooks help prep for certification exams

The mark of technical excellence provided by certifications can be a valuable career investment, particularly in today’s economic environment. To help quality professionals obtain certifications in a variety of fields, ASQ now offers a series of exam preparation handbooks. Handbooks for 14 of ASQ’s existing certifications, including Quality Auditor, Quality Engineer and Six Sigma Black Belt are now available. A handbook for Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE) will be released this summer. ASQ members can receive discounts on handbooks, which retail from $69 to $139, depending on the certification topic. Handbook pricing and order information can be found by contacting ASQ Customer Care at 1-800-248-1946. For a complete list of ASQ certifications, visit www.asq.org/certification/.

Tailored to help those taking ASQ certification exams, each handbook is organized to reflect the body of knowledge for that certification. Handbooks use sample questions – and sometimes sample exams – for readers to utilize in exam preparation. Moreover, since ASQ certification exams are open-book, handbooks are ideal for preparation since they can be used as a reference during the exam.

"Certification handbooks are a great resource for quality professionals looking to advance their careers," said Roberto Saco, president of ASQ. "Obtaining certifications not only provides participants with new skills and an investment in their future, it also offers a sense of pride and accomplishment."

Beyond certification preparation, handbooks are written to be comprehensive resources for those charged with performing these jobs. For example, the Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) handbook not only contains information within the ASQ Body of Knowledge for the certification, but it also is a comprehensive handbook for the quality engineer.

About ASQ Certifications

Certification has been one of the top-rated ASQ benefits since 1991, and is endorsed by more than 125 corporations worldwide. Since 1968, ASQ has certified more than 160,000 professionals in a diverse range of industries. Certification, as defined by ASQ, recognizes that an individual has demonstrated proficiency within, and a comprehension of, a specific body of knowledge at a point in time.Applicants for certification must meet specific criteria specific to the exam they’re taking. The work experience requirements vary depending on the type of certification.

The most popular certification is still the CQE (Certified Quality Engineer), which ASQ began offering in 1968, closely followed by Certified Quality Auditor and Certified Six Sigma Black Belt. While most certifications still take place in the manufacturing industry, certifications within the service sector and certifications of quality professionals located outside of the United States are growing. Healthcare professionals as well as educators at the K-12 and university levels are also becoming more interested in certifications as individuals working within those professions begin to realize the value of continuous improvement initiatives.

ASQ, www.asq.org, has been the world’s leading authority on quality for more than 60 years. With more than 90,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As a champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners and everyday consumers, encouraging all to Make Good Great. ASQ has been the sole administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991. Headquartered in Milwaukee, ASQ is a founding partner of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a prominent quarterly economic indicator, and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.