Getting It Right: Preparing for the ASQ Quality Technician (CQT) Exam

Certified Quality Technicians (CQT), also known as Quality Control Technicians, are junior-level employees who conduct quality control checks on company products to ensure they meet needed safety and quality standards. Most quality technicians are provided with on-the-job training but need a keen eye for detail and the ability to concentrate for long periods.

To ensure success as a quality technician, you should have a solid working knowledge of mathematical concepts, outstanding visual awareness, and the ability to work with minimum supervision. Ultimately, a top-class quality technician can efficiently monitor the integrity and quality of products without impeding production rates.

With over a million certification holders worldwide, the CQT is widely recognized and linked to multiple benefits for qualified technicians. Here's what you require to know to get started:

The Scope of Quality Technician Exam Preparation

You should at least use the following sources when studying for the Quality Technician exam.

1. Study Material from Your Quality Technician Training

It would be best if you began your preparation by taking a Quality Technician training course. Contact hour training is compulsory when applying for the Quality Technician exam. The training will give you initial momentum and motivation and help you understand the nitty-gritty of CQT Handbook concepts.

The study material provided by the training must become your first source of study. Many candidates start with the Quality Technician Handbook and become frustrated with the preparation as it is a difficult book to read.

2. The CQT Handbook

Many aspirants think studying the CQT Handbook will be sufficient to pass the CQT exam. Although the guide is one of the essential items to learn, it is vital to go beyond the CQT Handbook.

3. One Reference Book Based on the CQT Handbook

The majority of the Quality Technician exam is based on content written in the CQT Handbook, so it should be your primary source of study for the exam, but as we have said, the guide does not cover everything. You will want to buy at least one other reference book covering things that are part of the Quality Technician exam curriculum but which are not described in the CQT Handbook.

4. A Test Simulator for Practicing Quality Technician Sample Exam Questions

There is an adage that says practice makes perfect. The Quality Technician exam is one of the most challenging exams in the world. As part of your preparation, you should practice doing some sample questions. Relying on your proficiency within the field of quality control and your knowledge of the CQT Handbook concepts, you might require to practice questions.

In addition to the above steps, refer to the Internet for additional reference and practice. You likely know that you will require to study a lot to pass the exam, and we have now described what needs to be checked. The next step is deciding how much time to plan for your studies.

Is the Quality Technician Certification Worth It?

Whether a CQT certification will be worth it to you professionally and financially depends on your unique conditions. Here are a few benefits you might see with a Quality Technician under your belt to help you navigate your decision.

• Industry Recognition: The Quality Technician certification can offer employers or clients that you know the ins and outs of quality control and have the experience and training needed of a professional.
• Learning New Skills: You will also likely know much about quality control as you prepare for the exam. Taking hours out of your life to master quality control fundamentals like dispute resolution and budgeting can maintain the skills to make you a better Quality Technician.
• Higher Salaries: The ASQ found that US respondents to a recent survey reported that the median quality control technician gross salary in the United States is $48,231 or an equivalent hourly rate of $23. Median salaries also managed to increase the longer one was Quality Technician certified. One of the magazines reported that the CQT certification ranked seventh among IT certifications linked to the highest salaries in the IT sector.

Conclusion

CQT certification is an important credential that improves the credibility of the resume, and the biggest draw is the high salary a Quality Technician makes after completing that certification. ASQ provides a networking opportunity to Quality Technician certification holders worldwide, and this community helps build a professional network and keeps updated about new methodologies.

Last but not least, attaining Quality Technician certification will allow the candidate to enhance the knowledge level of managing quality control tools & techniques and enable them to learn new tricks & techniques of quality control activities.