Hey There,
One of the most unfortunate things about the CQE certification is that it expires and in order to maintain your certification, you have to re-certify.
This is good from one perspective though in that it requires you to stay up to date with the latest information within the quality world and it keeps you sharp on the tools & methods of the body of knowledge.
Below are some questions that are often asked about the re-certification requirements for CQE’s. Don’t forget to check out my page dedicated to Recertification and all its details!
How Do I recertify?
There are 2 ways to re-certify, below. You will likely find more details on my page dedicated to the recertification process.
- You can earn 18 Recertification Units (RUs) over your 3 year certification period and document them in what ASQ calls a recertification journal.
- Retake the exam! If you don’t want to collect the RU’s, you can always re-take the exam. This option is required if your certification has been expired for longer than 6 months.
How long is the Certification good for & what is the Recertification Grace Period?
ASQ states that the CQE Certification is active for 3 years. After your certification expires, you’ve got a 6 month grace period to complete your Recertification Journal, After that 6 months you must re-certify by exam.
If you miss the 6 month Grace Period for submitting your Journal, ASQ will give you another 6 months to recertify by exam. If after 1 year (6 month grace period to resubmit journal + another 6 months to recertify by exam), you have not completed the recertification by exam, your certification will be expired.
What’s the easiest way to get Recertification Units?
Well the easiest RU’s are earned through employment, so definitely make sure your current role falls underneath an area of the CQE Body of Knowledge.
The second best way to earn RU’s in my opinion, is to watch Webinars and Podcasts associated with the CQE BOK. At to bottom of my Recertification Page I’ve included a list of Webinars and Podcasts that fall within the CQE BOK.
The third best way (cheapest, least amount of time, etc) is to attend monthly meetings at your local ASQ Chapter. Here’s a link where you can find your local ASQ Chapter.
Here is a link to ASQ’s list of activities & their related RU credit level.
How Do I know if a Conference, Training, Course, Webinar, or Podcast Qualify for RU Credits?
Simple, if the even was sufficiently rigorous and the Topic associated with the event can be found on the CQE BOK OR it is job-enhancing, then it can be counted for RU’s.
How do I know if my Job Qualifies for RU Credits?
This is similar to above, if your job functions, duties & responsibilities fall into any one of the categories in the CQE BOK, then it will count.
Another key indicator that it will count, is if it counted on your initial application to sit for the exam, it will likely count for recertification. Here’s a post I put together on the application process that may help you determine if your role falls underneath the Body of Knowledge.
Who do I turn my Recertification Journal Into?
Every Local ASQ Division has a Recertification Chair who processes applications from ASQ Members. If you’re an ASQ Member, all you need to do is to send in your journal to your local chapters Recertification Chair. Check this out if you’re unsure how to find your local chapter.
If you’re not an ASQ member, you must submit your recertification journal application directly to ASQ. You can find the address and more details here.
Summary
I also wanted to include a link to the ASQ FAQ page in case you had additional questions. The answers in these FAQ pages are very general and don’t all necessarily related to the CQE exam. I did my best to review all this information and filter it for CQE relevance.
Like I said above, if you have a question that wasn’t covered here, please feel free to contact me!
Also for more information about CQE Academy check out my About page or get started study.
Thanks and good luck!
Andy