ASQ CHA / CFSQA study guide
ASQ CHA / CFSQA · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CHA) and Certified Food Safety Quality Auditor (CFSQA) are professional credentials offered by the American Society for Quality, an organization that describes its certifications as "designed to help you advance your career, improve your organization, and prepare you to be a more accomplished and effective quality-focused professional." These credentials are aimed at quality professionals who plan, conduct, and report audits - internal audit program owners, supplier and second-party auditors, and food safety practitioners who audit against food safety management requirements. The knowledge base is organized into six domains: auditing fundamentals; audit program management and administration; auditor competence and resource management; audit planning and preparation; audit execution; and audit reporting and follow-up. The ASQ CHA / CFSQA study guide has 6 sections and about 1,657 words.
01Auditing Fundamentals
Auditing fundamentals establish the vocabulary and logic that the rest of the exam assumes. A quality audit is a systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining objective evidence and evaluating it against audit criteria to determine the degree of conformity.
326 words, about 2 min02Audit Program Management and Administration
An audit program is the set of arrangements for a particular audit or group of audits, including planning, resources, procedures, and records. Program management covers establishing objectives, assigning responsibilities, scheduling, resourcing, monitoring performance, and maintaining records.
283 words, about 1 min03Auditor Competence and Resource Management
Competence is the demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills. Auditors need knowledge of the standard/criteria, audit principles and methods, and the audited organization's processes and context.
269 words, about 1 min04Audit Planning and Preparation
Planning begins with defining audit objectives, scope, and criteria , then reviewing documentation, understanding the process and its risks, and preparing the audit plan and working documents (checklists, sampling plans, forms). Know the document review stage: examine procedures, prior audit results, nonconformity history, and performance data to focus the audit.
264 words, about 1 min05Audit Execution
Execution is gathering objective evidence through interviews, observation, document and record review, and sampling, then evaluating it against criteria. Understand the opening meeting (confirm plan, scope, criteria, logistics) and closing meeting (present findings, agree on facts, timelines).
263 words, about 1 min06Audit Reporting and Follow-up
Reporting communicates results clearly and factually: audit objectives, scope, criteria, findings (with evidence), conclusions, and recommendations where appropriate. Reports should be timely, accurate, complete, and distributed to authorized recipients.
252 words, about 1 min