Each of the ASQ Sections to which I belong have a number of individuals who have attained ALL the ASQ certifications. Each year they operate a "master class" for Section members and others to prepare them for the skill of taking an ASQ certification exam (not the knowledge, experience, or skill of the actual content - just the strategy of assessing one's own skills and experience and then applying them to a strategy of time management, reference juggling, which type of questions to work at, which to guess at, which to pass by until the end so time is not wasted struggling over one problem which the test taker may get wrong anyway, while leaving others which could have been answered correctly blank because of the time crunch.)
Among the points which have arisen in such master classes is each individual may need a slightly different strategy in tackling the exam simply because of personal skills and experience. For example, some folks have an exaggerated fear of solving math problems while others LOVE them and spend much of their spare time working them in games and puzzle books. Obviously, those with the phobia will be better served with a different strategy in tackling math than the math lover.
Another helpful tip is "timed practice" - actually working the problems in practice tests under test conditions of time, seating, references, bathroom breaks, etc. It's surprising how much stress can build up to mimic the real thing when an alarm clock is ticking off the minutes. For some who have been away from school tests a LONG time, that alarm can be as scary as a heart attack! More and more practice and familiarity will ease some of that stress when the real thing is at hand.
One thing ALWAYS stressed is managing the references one brings with to the test site. Too many references may cause "analysis paralysis" and eat up precious time checking multiple sources. The test taker should be intimately familiar with his references, sometimes adding post-it tabs for rapid access to certain sections sure to be included in the test.
If you bring a calculator, be certain you are familiar with its use and that it will work (maybe bring a backup battery in case of failure?) throughout the test time. This is NOT the time to be leafing through an instruction book to figure out how to set up a multi-part equation!
Get plenty of rest before the exam. Consider spending the extra money for a nearby motel/hotel so you are not making a long, stressful drive to get to the test site.
The combined experience of my fellow Section members emphasizes that most folks who fail the exam realized part way through the exam they were not knowledgeable enough about the subject matter to answer the questions in the time alloted. A typical comment was
"I thought knew that and so didn't study or practice it and found myself wasting time looking through my references for an answer."
These test pros usually close the master class session with the three most important things to do in preparing for an ASQ certification exam:
- PRACTICE!
- PRACTICE!
- PRACTICE!