Food Safety and Quality Auditor Certification CFSQA
Who Should Certify?
The Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor (CFSQA) is a professional who understands the standards and principles of auditing a Food Safety and HACCP-based (or process-safety) system. A CFSQA uses various tools and techniques to examine, question, evaluate and report on that system's adequacy and deficiencies. The CFSQA analyzes all elements of the system and reports on how well it adheres to the criteria for management and control of process safety.
Please Note: The Certified HACCP Auditor (CHA) program was renamed to the Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor (CFSQA) on January 1st, 2020.
Download the Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor Body of Knowledge.
Download the Food Safety and Quality Auditor Certification Fact Sheet.
Cost
Exam Fee $533
Retakes $333
*ASQ Members Save $100 on Initial Examination Fee
NEXT CBT TESTING WINDOW
January 1 - 31, 2025
Application Deadline: December 8, 2024
5
Years of on-the-job experience in one or more of the areas of the Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor Body of Knowledge.
1
*Year of on-the-job experience must be in a "Decision-making" position.
Candidates must have worked in a full-time, paid role.
*A "Decision-making" position is defined as the authority to define, execute, or control projects/processes and to be responsible for the outcome. This may or may not include management or supervisory positions.
Education
Candidates who have completed a degree from a college, university or technical school will have part of the five-year experience requirement waived, as follows (only one of these waivers may be claimed):
- Diploma from a technical or trade school — one year waived
- Associate degree — one year waived
- Bachelor's degree — three years waived
- Master's or doctorate — four years waived
Prepare for the exam
Review a list of references that provide the basis for the exam questions. These items give you a better idea of the material covered in the exam. ASQ offers many books and training opportunities to help you prepare.
CFSQA Question Bank
The CFSQA Question Bank provides sample exam questions based on the CFSQA Body of Knowledge. Includes simulated timed exam and review modes.
CFSQA Handbook
The ASQ CFSQA Handbook is a companion guide to your exam's Body of Knowledge. The handbook can be used during your open-book exam!
Examination
Each certification candidate is required to pass an examination that consists of multiple-choice questions that measure comprehension of the Body of Knowledge.
Computer Delivered - The CFSQA examination is a one-part, 145- multiple choice question exam, and is offered in English only. 135 multiple choice questions are scored and 10 are unscored. Total appointment time is four-and-a-half-hours, exam time is 4 hours and 18 minutes.
Paper and Pencil - The CFSQA examination is a one-part, 135- multiple choice question, four-hour exam and is offered in English only.
All examinations are open book. Each participant must bring his or her own reference materials. Use of reference materials and calculators is explained in the FAQs.
For more information about examination delivery options, including online, remote proctored examination, please visit the computer-based testing page.
What Happens if I pass/fail?
PASS
If taking the exam CBT you will get your result immediately after submitting the exam. Within 3-5 business days you will receive an email confirming the result. ASQ will also send you a separate email with details on how-to claim your digital certificate and badge through the Accredible platform. Learn more about ASQ digital credentials.
ASQ communicates exam results for exams with updated or new Bodies of Knowledge (pilot exams) within five weeks.
FAIL
If you do not pass your CBT exam you will receive a summary of your performance via email within 3-5 business days from your initial exam. For 2 years from your previous attempt you can apply at a significantly reduced "retake rate". (Please see Exam Results FAQs for additional details.)
Results for Paper-based tests will be slightly delayed.
Body of Knowledge
The topics in this Body of Knowledge include subtext explanations and the cognitive level at which the questions will be written. This information will provide useful guidance for both the Exam Development Committee and the candidate preparing to take the exam.
The subtext is not intended to limit the subject matter or be all-inclusive of that material that will be covered in the exam. It is meant to clarify the type of content that will be included on the exam. The descriptor in parentheses at the end of each entry refers to the maximum cognitive level at which the topic will be tested. A complete description of cognitive levels is provided at the end of this document.
Download the Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor Body of Knowledge
Policies and Procedures
Identification Policy
You will be required to present one valid, government-issued photo ID with a signature (e.g., driver's license or passport).
The ID you bring must match your name as stated on your application.
All of your personal belongings will be placed in your temporary Prometric locker during your time in the test center. You will be permitted to keep your ID and your locker key with you at all times.
Calculator Policy
All computer-based exams feature a basic scientific calculator on-screen in the exam. Prometric Test Center Administrators can provide you with a hand-held basic calculator upon request.
Any silent, hand-held, battery-operated calculator with no programmable memory will be permitted. Programmable calculators tend to have graphing capabilities, the ability to store text/alphanumeric data by the input of the user, and a function (fn, F1, F2, etc.) button.
Calculators such as the Texas Instruments TI-89 or similar are absolutely not allowed because they are programmable.
References/Open Book Policy
Prometric will provide you scratch paper and pencils.
All ASQ exams are open book and all reference materials (including all forms of notes) must be bound and remain bound during the exam.
Bound refers to material permanently bound by stitching or glue and materials fastened securely in its cover by fasteners, which penetrate all papers (i.e., ring binders, spiral binders, plastic snap binders, brads, or screw posts).
Manually or hand-stapled documents that are not securely fastened in their covers are not allowed.
Before you enter the exam room, the Test Center Administrator (TCA) will inspect all references. "Post-Its" will be permitted as book tabs only (must be attached prior to entering the test center).
Arrival Time
Plan to arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment to allow time for check-in procedures. If you are late in arriving, you will not be allowed to test and will forfeit your exam fee.
Absences, Cancellations, Reschedules
If you wish to change your exam appointment date or time, you must do so at least five days prior to your appointment using the Reschedule/Cancel option on Prometric's website, or by contacting Prometric's automated voice response system. There is a $130 fee for changing an appointment. Failure to appear for your exam appointment will result in a loss of all applications fees.
Prohibited Items
Items strictly prohibited in the exam area: hand-stapled materials, blank writing tablets or tablets containing blank pages, unbound tablets, unbound notes, slide charts and/or wheel charts (hand-held cardboard or plastic calculating devices with rotating or sliding pieces).
Application Process & Timeline
1. Submit your application:
Application review takes 1-2 business days for online applications and 3-5 for hardcopy applications.
2. ASQ Review:
After ASQ completes the review process you will receive an approval notification via email or a "hold" message explaining that more information is needed for your application to be approved. If it is determined that you do not meet exam requirements, you will receive a refund minus a $130 processing fee.
3. Testing Options
a. Computer-Based Testing, CBT:
1-2 business days after you receive your approval notification, you will receive an eligibility email containing instructions on how to schedule your exam with our testing provider Prometric.
b. Paper-Based Testing, PBT:
If you have registered for a Paper-based or translated exam you will not receive an eligibility email. Instead you will receive a seating letter with your exam date, time, and location approximately 2 weeks before your exam date.
4. Schedule your exam with Prometric:
Schedule your exam appointment in the testing window you chose at the time of application.
ASQ certification examinations are delivered by ASQ's testing partner, Prometric.
The examination scheduling instructions in your eligibility letter will direct you to a section of Prometric's website, where you can select and schedule your examination date and location.