Folks I want to know the steps one should follow to be registered QMS lead auditor after he/she successfully pass the Lead auditor test.
I beleive that the response would help alot of folks here at the elsmar.
:thanks:

Back in the old RAB days, you have 3 years from date of accredited lead auditor class completion (passing) to obtain QMS auditor status from them. They changed to RABQSA now. It was pricey and now it costs more. There are other firms out there. Check their web sites for instructions on what paperwork you need to submit besides the completion certificate from your 5-day lead auditor class.

RABQSA http://www.rabqsa.com/
JAB http://www.jab.or.jp/english/index.html
ICRA http://www.irca.org/home.html
IATCA http://www.iatca.com/



ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 exam (but not for lead QMS/EMS)
ISTO http://www.isto.ch/index_1.htm

Just got this from RABQSA today:

Following comprehensive discussion at the ASQ World Quality Conference, RABQSA International (RABQSA) and the American Society of Quality (ASQ) have today announced that RABQSA will recognize the ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) for immediate certification as an RABQSA certified QMS Provisional Auditor in the Accredited (ISO/IEC17024:2003) QMS Personnel Certification Scheme.

According to their press release, RABQSA will contact all CQAs in weeks to come. They will provide information on how to obtain RABQSA Provisional Auditor status.

Hopefully the cost isn't too high....

This morning I called rabqsa & they said they are designing some kind of test (expansive) that I can take in order to get accreditation directly. I don't need to go through the process of auditing 4 audits/ 20 days. etc. that test would be ready by next month or so.
I want to know whether pros, Folks know this kind of development if anything at all.
thanks.

RABQSA is changing their re-certification process, via some web tools. And yes, unfortunately, the price is going up.

I am glad that I got them to allow me to re-certify this February via the old approach, considering I have completed all audits required 2 years ago and most of the continuing eduction points. It saved me some $ too.

This morning I called rabqsa & they said they are designing some kind of test (expansive) that I can take in order to get accreditation directly. I don't need to go through the process of auditing 4 audits/ 20 days. etc. that test would be ready by next month or so.
I want to know whether pros, Folks know this kind of development if anything at all.
thanks.

This is very good news. As you find more information, I hope you will post it!

--QG

This morning I called rabqsa & they said they are designing some kind of test (expansive) that I can take in order to get accreditation directly. I don't need to go through the process of auditing 4 audits/ 20 days. etc. that test would be ready by next month or so.
I want to know whether pros, Folks know this kind of development if anything at all.
thanks.

Please do! I would be very interested in this, I have a full time job that is not going to allow me time to go an do audits for awhile. I don't want to let my Associate Auditor status lapse. Keep us posted! Thanks :thanx:

yes sure folks I will keep people informed incase if I get anything new.

ASQ & RABQSA international innounce an agreement that will recognize ASQ certified auditors also as RABQSA provisional auditors...........
see ASQ website for details ... Milwakee june 15, 2005.

As I understood it, in order to be an RAB Provisional Auditor for QMS, you had to (among other things), take the 5 day ISO, Lead Auditor course, which was reduced I believe to the short version (3 day) if you had a CQA. So are we now saying that if you have the CQA, you can skip the 3 day course as well?

This is what was released today from RABQSA on CQA:

...steps necessary to attain the RABQSA Provisional QMS Auditor Certification:

1) Payment: The fee for processing and the first year of certification is US $ 75.00 total. You can pay by: a) replying to this email with a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express credit card number including expiration date; b) faxing a copy of this email to +1-414-765-8661 with your credit card information; or c) printing this email and mailing it with a check or credit card information to:

RABQSA International
Attn: CQA Processing
PO Box 602
Milwaukee WI 53201-0602

2) Once we receive your payment, we will provide you with a login ID and password to access the RABQSA-QM gap examination. This examination, based on an equivalency analysis, covers the differences between the knowledge (competency) requirements of the RABQSA certification and the CQA Body of Knowledge. It is a 25-question on-line examination that has a 30 minute time limit. The pass rate is 100%. You can take this examination two times without additional processing fees.

3) That's all you need to do! Once we receive notice that you have successfully completed the RABQSA-QM gap examination, we will issue you an accredited Certificate and ID Card as an RABQSA-certified Provisional QMS Auditor.

Please feel free to contact our office if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,


RABQSA Personnel Certification Department





:mg: Please do surf RABQSA web site and take a note of hidden costs before making your decision. :truce: It aint cheap!


My recommendation is to just take a 5-day lead auditor class and pass it. It's cheaper. No after costs there. :yes:

So - what are you going to do with your new RAB/QSA Provisonal Auditor Certificate? That, and $2.50 can buy you a gallon of gas, but not much else.

In order to obtain the Lead Auditor Certification - that I know you really want, you will still have to muddle through the currently changing RAB/QSA process - take your $400 one on one with the desingated Lead Auditor/Examiner/God - hopefully pass. But, why would he pass you unless you knew what you were doing? What would you have to do to prove that you knew what your were doing? Well maybe some experince might help - how do you get experiance? By conducting audits - and so on.

Under the old RAB method - there was a method to their madness. Not sure what the method is now.

Bob Mitchell
RAB-LA

But there does seem to be a large quantity or high quality madness! :lol:

Whenever I call and ask for information or help I'm told to call the Australia office :mad:

The DUH factor has hit an all time high...........

R Daily
RABQSA EMS-LA

Whenever I call and ask for information or help I'm told to call the Australia office http://elsmar.com/Forums/images/smilies/ranting.gif
R Daily
RABQSA EMS-LARandy, they have both a feedback and complaint links.
http://www.rabqsa.com/pub/updateddocs/PCF-10%20-%20Customer%20Comments%20Form.pdf
http://www.rabqsa.com/rab/NewComplaint.do;jsessionid=86B58B88661ABE94D3DF5C59BDF9284F?command=begin
Maybe we should try to use the system and see what happens? I don't have any inside scoop, but my guess is that RABQSA must be experiencing "difficulties" selling the competence-based path to auditor certification.
PS I tried doing a search for RABQSA EMS Lead Auditors in the USA using http://www.rabqsa.com/internalqsa/?module=audSearch&func=search&schemeID=23 and no names came out. What is going on?

I did the "official' complaint thing and had to file a complaint about no response.

Auditors can be located under the "Directory and Registers" tab "Certified Personnel Register" file and then the "RABQSA Certified Personnel Register" hyperlink at the bottom of the gibberish. You can probably get there with this link http://www.rabqsa.com/internalqsa/?module=audSearch&func=search

All the schemes arfe identified, many are empty.

We recently had our annual ISO audit. I spoke to our auditor (who works for a larger Registrar with German sounding name) about this new RAB/QSA mess and he actually did not know anything about it - so he called his boss. I actully spoke to his boss who was well informed about the new changes - he told me that they were not keen on the idea - and further, he told me that the IAAR was also troubled by these new chages too - IRCA is starting to sound good right now.

International Association of Accredited Registrars (IAAR)

Bob

I'd suggest IRCA right now (I'm contemplating it myself for my QMS and OHS certification). Keep things as simple as possible.

All the schemes are identified, many are empty.This is really bad. Imagine if I were trying to hire (which I am not) an EMS Lead Auditor here in the USA. The RABQSA directory would be one of the first places I would go to find potential candidates. The database returns zero entries. That is really aggravating. Randy, you are right in being (more) upset (than usual). :mad: This is a disservice to the hundreds of professionals that pay their fees.

Yu still have to meet the knowledge competency requirement to become certified as a RABQSA QMS Auditor, even if you have your CQA. That means taking the new 3-day course. If you took the "old" 5-day Lead Auditor class, you need to pass a "Gap Exam". The exam is not hard and it is open book. The problem is that you have to get all 25 questions correct in 30 minutes. Some of the questions are very tricky.

Yu still have to meet the knowledge competency requirement to become certified as a RABQSA QMS Auditor, even if you have your CQA. That means taking the new 3-day course. If you took the "old" 5-day Lead Auditor class, you need to pass a "Gap Exam". The exam is not hard and it is open book. The problem is that you have to get all 25 questions correct in 30 minutes. Some of the questions are very tricky.

With all that confusion and more - it is no wonder that they finally decided to throw in the towel.

RABQSA Suspends 17024 Transition Deadline
Today, RABQSA announced the suspension of the Certification Transition Plan requiring auditors to transition to the competency-based certification schemes for QMS, EMS, Food Safety and OH&S.
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