Anyone Else Taking the CQE Exam on Saturday 2 December 2006?

[Howard Lee]

Hi, I'm new here. Some of you had read my introduction. This year I returned to quality after I spent most of a decade recovering from an automobile accident (traumatic brain injury). My goal in December 1995, before I crashed my car, was to sit for the CQE. Now that I am once again working in quality it is my goal again and it is on Saturday, I'm scared (they changed a lot of the acronyms since 1995).

I have updated my references and I have been studying (at least two hours a day since the middle of October, up to five hours). I also bought the latest CQE Primer and the disk with sample questions from QCI. My score on the sample tests generated by the disk started at 58% in October and I scored 86% on a test Tuesday. My scores range from the low 70's to the mid-80's and I am afraid that I have not prepared well enough. I've been to the test location and have a plan to get there in time to stop and have breakfast. I'm going to take one more practice test tomorrow morning. What more can I do? I believe that my biggest problem will be taking it slow and taking the time to check all my answers with the references (I make most of my mistakes by trying to "remember" the answers, brain damage is heck). Anybody with me?

 

[BradM]

Re: Anyone Else Taking the CQE Exam on Saturday

Howard,

Welcome to the Cove. First, good luck to you!!:

These are my opinions. They will differ from person to person.

The CQE exam is hard. Please don't get bummed out if you don't pass it the first time. And yes, I failed the first time.

Get your stuff together. I finally started using a little rolling bag for my tests. Sleep good Friday night; don't study. Get to the test sight early. Get your nest made, including a feel of the room and the facilities. Relax.

Some of the questions are going to be "not difficult" and some difficult. Don't get bogged down; pace yourself. Use all the time allotted. Go back and read the question; make sure you understood the question. Many questions may seem like they have two answers, until you carefully read the question. Too, I have found that I don't understand question #41, but after answering question #89, It sheds some light on #41.

Main thing: You don't necessarily have to know everything; just know where to find it fairly quickly in your references. A good CQE doesn't know everything, but knows where to get the answers. That's why I'm on the Cove everyday-to learn.

If you are a member of ASQ, you might want to go to the discussion board, and review all the posts on taking the CQE. There are a ton of helpful posts there, and at the Cove.

Please, do, touch base with us and let us know how things go.

 

[harry]

Re: Anyone Else Taking the CQE Exam on Saturday

Hi Howard,

I read your introduction and am very impressed by your perseverence and attitute. We wish you all the best in the coming exam but I am sure of one thing, your score for ATTITUTE is A*.

Regards.

 

[Tim Folkerts]

Well, I took the CQE exam this morning to recertify. I think it went pretty well, but of course, it is hard to tell until the results come out. I took ~3 hr to go thorugh the first time , then 45 minutes to comment on several questions that I thought had weaknesses , then an hour to double-check ones that I wanted to think about some more. . I must say that hanging out here and listening to all you guys - and gals - is a pretty effective way to learn the material

I wish we could discuss a couple specific questions, but that is against the rules. I think it is allowable to say that I felt obliged to comment on several of the questions. If you know me, you can probably guess that mostly I was commenting on statistical/mathematical aspects. Mostly it was minor (nitpicky?) concerns about wording and/or interpretion, but a couple I thought had significant problems.

Having helped with a CRE exam a couple years ago, I know that usually the process is quite thorough, so I was surprised how many questions I found questionable. Of course, I could always be wrong and the dozen other test-writers could be correct. Nah!

I guess the good news is that some questions might get thrown out, raising everyone's scores.


Anyway, I hope it went well for you, Howard, and for everyone else taking an exam today.


Tim F

 

[Wes Bucey]

To all who braved lousy weather, personal fear, and a million other obstacles on the way to taking this or any other ASQ exam:
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR PERSERVERENCE!

Once you pass, please pay attention to the opportunities to recertify without having to retake the exam in the future. The time to start planning to amass those recertification credits is NOW. Get a notebook and keep track. It is important and the various activities WILL help advance your career.

A little commercial boost to a colleague:
Many folks find the study materials for ASQ certification exams provided by QCI (Quality Council of Indiana) (http://www.qualitycouncil.com/) to be excellent study tools.
Wes Richardson (http://elsmar.com/Forums/member.php?u=8941), one of the many colleagues I respect for their knowledge, is employed by them in creating many of those materials. Wes R. is very gracious in answering a lot of questions posed by anxious test takers in the ASQ Forum on Certification (http://www.asq.org/discussionBoards/forum.jspa?forumID=52)

 

[Howard Lee]

I did it!!!!

I am now: Howard Lee ASQ CQE #: 50017.

I guess you people will not accept BRAIN DAMAGED in an AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT as an excuse either.

 

[BradM]

Re: I did it!!!!

I am now: Howard Lee ASQ CQE #: 50017.

Well, Howard, a hearty Texas congratulations! You go on being proud of that #50017; it was not easy, and not everyone has those!! You have permission to gloat... at least until Sunday or Monday! Longer, if there was ever anyone who said "you can't do it".

We look forward to seeing posts from you!

 

[Tupham - 2008]

Re: I did it!!!!

I am now: Howard Lee ASQ CQE #: 50017.

I guess you people will not accept BRAIN DAMAGED in an AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT as an excuse either.

Fantastic effort, Howard! Congratulations.

 

[TNHunter]

Congratulations Howard, job well done. Just being facetiious with this but, people will tell you that CQE is not relevant anylonger but being a SSBB is the way to go.

I still think that the CQE is the highlight on all the ASQ certifications. JMHO.

Once again congratulations.

 

[Howard Lee]

people will tell you that CQE is not relevant anylonger but being a SSBB is the way to go.

When I began TQM was the "end all, be All" of quality control and the BIG deal was to be a TOPS 8-D team facilitator. When I returned to the world of quality this year, I was desperate to find out what a SSBB was. When I found out, it seemed like the same old thing repackaged and sold to a whole new set of managers. Anyone ever heard of quality circles?:truce: