ASQ Certified Quality Auditor credential artwork

ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA)

Validates knowledge of quality auditing, including audit fundamentals, planning and performing audits, auditor competencies and quality tools.

Summary

CQA is ASQ's certification for auditing quality management systems, for people who plan, lead or manage quality audits. It tests how to plan, perform, report and follow up an audit, manage an audit program and use the quality tools an auditor needs.

Good fit if

  • You plan, lead or manage quality audits
  • You have eight years of quality work (fewer with a degree)
  • You want to audit quality systems, not engineer them

Look elsewhere if

  • You have under three years of work: CSSYB or CSSGB
  • You lead improvement projects, not audits: CSSBB
  • You audit finance or IT, or investigate fraud: CIA, CISA or CFE

Salary & jobs

Prerequisites

Experience required to sit the exam

8 years of full-time paid work in the CQA Body of Knowledge

Required

Work in one or more of the five Body of Knowledge areas counts. A degree or diploma waives part of the eight years; only one waiver can be claimed.

High school or no degree8 years
Technical or trade school diploma7 years
Associate degree6 years
Bachelor’s degree4 years
Master’s or doctorate3 years

3 years of the experience in a decision-making position

Required

A decision-making position means you had authority to define, execute or control projects or processes and were responsible for the outcome. It does not need a management title, and these years count toward the total.

Internships and co-ops do not count. If you hold ASQ certification as a quality engineer, reliability engineer, supplier quality professional, software quality engineer or quality manager, the experience used for that credential applies. ASQ audits applications at random: you then have 30 days to return a form signed by someone who has seen your work, or an HR letter or W-2, plus a transcript or diploma if you claim a waiver.

Cost

USD · Non-member pricing
$550
ASQ members pay $450. A retake costs $350 for anyone and must be taken within two years of your last attempt. Changing a Prometric appointment costs $130. Renewal is separate and is on the renewal card.

What holders say

Renewal

CQA is valid for 3 years. Renew with a journal of 18 recertification units, or retake the exam.

Validity
3 years
Renewal requirement
18 recertification units, or retake the exam
Renewal fee
$160 by journal, $550 by exam
ASQ members pay $120 and $450.

Renewal dates fall on June 30 or December 31. You can apply up to six months before your date and for 60 days after it; after that only the exam route remains, and the certification lapses if you do not recertify within a year. Employment counts at 0.3 units a month, and professional development has no cap. Holding several ASQ certifications lets you renew them in one journal.

ASQ recertification ↗

Alternatives

Certified Six Sigma Black Belt credential artwork
CSSBB$585 required · Advanced

Leading Six Sigma improvement projects rather than auditing.

Certified Internal Auditor credential artwork
CIA$1,515 required · Intermediate

Internal audit across finance, operations and governance.

Certified Information Systems Auditor credential artwork
CISA$810 required · Advanced

Auditing information systems and IT controls.

Certified Fraud Examiner credential artwork
CFE$699 required · Intermediate

Fraud examination and investigation.

FAQ

How much does the CQA exam cost?

$550, or $450 for ASQ members. A retake costs $350.

How much experience do I need for CQA?

Eight years of full-time paid work in the Body of Knowledge, three in a decision-making role. A bachelor’s degree reduces the total to four years, and a master’s or doctorate to three.

Does CQA expire?

Yes. Renew every three years with 18 recertification units ($160, or $120 for members) or by retaking the exam.

Is the CQA exam open book?

Yes. All references must be bound, and the exam includes an on-screen calculator.

Can I take CQA online?

Yes. Prometric offers live remote proctoring in most countries, alongside test centres.

What changed in the 2026 CQA exam?

The 2026 outline took effect with the April 2026 window. Auditing fundamentals grew from 28 to 37 questions and quality tools shrank from 24 to 15, with more on remote and hybrid audits and data integrity.

Is CQA ISO 17024 accredited?

Yes. ASQ states that the CQA program is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board under ISO/IEC 17024.

Last updated October 2026