CQA case studies
CQA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) is a professional credential for people who plan, conduct, report on, and follow up on quality audits. It is aimed at internal auditors, supplier and second-party auditors, lead auditors, quality managers, and consultants who need to demonstrate that they can run a disciplined audit against a standard, a regulation, or an organization's own management system. The body of knowledge is broad rather than industry-specific: it covers auditing fundamentals and audit types, the full audit process from planning through closing and corrective-action follow-up, auditor competencies and ethics, audit program management and how auditing connects to business objectives, and the quality tools and sampling techniques auditors use as evidence. Preparation is usually a mix of structured study against the published body of knowledge, working through scenario-style multiple-choice questions that force judgment calls rather than recall, and reflecting on real audit experience. The CQA case studies are 5 cases and about 3,611 words.
1The Out-of-Scope Carrier Evidence
Your internal audit of order fulfilment at a third-party warehouse is scheduled for two days. The approved plan scopes SOP-114 (pick, pack, ship) and the order-entry system.
771 words, about 4 min2Two Overdue Gauges Out of Thirty
During a supplier audit at a machining supplier you sample 30 of 600 gauge calibration records using a random attribute plan. Two gauges are past due - one by 45 days, one by 60.
685 words, about 3 min3Two Assignments, One Auditor Short
You manage the internal audit programme for a 900-person plant with four auditors. Two assignments are on this year's draft schedule.
597 words, about 3 min4Fourteen Sites, One and a Half Auditors
You run the internal audit programme for a 14-site distribution company with three auditors, effectively 1.5 FTE after their other duties. Last year the programme planned 16 audits and completed 11, consuming 38 audit days - about 3.5 days per audit.
751 words, about 4 min5Reading the Findings Distribution
Over 12 months your internal audit programme raised 84 findings across six departments: Production 28, Warehouse 17, Purchasing 12, Maintenance 11, HR 9, Sales 7. Audit days spent per department: Production 22, Warehouse 8, Purchasing 6, Maintenance 7, HR 4, Sales 3.
807 words, about 4 min