CQPA

It depends on delivery. Computer-delivered: 110 questions, with 100 scored and 10 unscored, and 4 hours 18 minutes of exam time within a four-and-a-half-hour appointment. Paper and pencil: 100 questions in four hours. Both are one-part, multiple-choice exams offered in English only.

Yes. ASQ states all examinations are open book, and each participant must bring his or her own reference materials. Materials must be bound: stitched or glued, or secured in covers by ring binders, spiral binders, plastic snap binders, brads, or screw posts. Hand-stapled documents, unbound notes, and blank writing tablets are prohibited.

Candidates must have worked in a full-time, paid role, with two years of on-the-job experience in one or more CQPA areas, or an associate degree or two years of equivalent higher education. ASQ reviews applications in one to two business days online and three to five for hardcopy submissions.

The exam fee is $434, and ASQ members save $100 on the initial examination fee. Retakes cost $234. Within two years of a previous attempt you can apply at the reduced retake rate. CBT candidates see results immediately after submitting, with email confirmation in three to five business days.

ASQ publishes the current CQPA Body of Knowledge and a 2026 version effective August 1, 2026, which will be tested starting with the August 2026 testing window. A map comparing the 2020 and 2026 Bodies of Knowledge is available. Check which version applies to your testing window before you build a study plan.

Start with the Body of Knowledge for your testing window, since it defines the topics and cognitive levels tested. Then work through ASQ's published reference list, which forms the basis for exam questions. Practice with the question bank and the ASQ CQPA Handbook, and rehearse locating content in your bound references, since the exam is open book.

Poor open-book logistics. Time spent flipping through unindexed, loosely organized references is time not spent answering. Tab your books with Post-Its in advance, note that tabs must be attached before you enter the test center, and practice answering timed questions with only your bound materials in front of you.

Yes, if you act at least five days before your appointment, using Prometric's website or automated voice response system. There is a $130 fee for changing an appointment. Failure to appear results in loss of all application fees, and arriving late means you will not be allowed to test.

ASQ lists windows of December 1-31, 2026 with an application deadline of November 9, 2026; February 1-28, 2027 with a deadline of January 11, 2027; and April 1-31, 2027 with a deadline of March 8, 2027. The October 2026 deadline has passed. Confirm dates on ASQ's exam dates page.

One valid, government-issued photo ID with a signature, matching the name on your application. Personal belongings go into a Prometric locker. Prometric supplies scratch paper and pencils, and a basic scientific calculator is on-screen for computer-based exams; a silent, hand-held, battery-operated calculator without programmable memory is permitted.