Top 10 Myths of Certification
Myth: If an answer is obvious it must be a trick question.
FACT: Just because an answer is obvious to you doesn’t mean it is obvious to everyone. Don’t let the fact that this is a test question get in the way of your knowledge. Answer it and move on. Don’t read more into the question in an effort to make it harder.
Myth: Guessing wrong can hurt your score more than leaving an answer blank.
FACT: There is no penalty for guessing, and you have a 25% chance of getting it right. Although some tests use “formula scoring” methods, ASQ certifications do not. You get one point for each question you answer correctly and zero points for those you get wrong or leave blank.
Myth: The passing score for all ASQ exams is 70%.
FACT: The passing score for each ASQ exam is established as a minimum performance standard during the cut-score process.
Myth: Taking a section refresher course or buying ASQ exam prep material is a sure way to pass.
FACT: Section refresher courses and the self-directed products are excellent ways to prepare for the examinations, but using them does not guarantee that you will pass. Refresher courses are meant to renew your knowledge, not to instruct you in areas that aren’t familiar to you. Questions from the self-directed products will assist you in becoming familiar with how to answer certain questions, but they are not the same questions that you will see on the exams. Individual study is also a critical element for success.
Myth: If you do poorly on one area of the body of knowledge, you automatically fail the test.
FACT: Your total score on the examination determines whether you pass or fail, not your score on any one portion of the test. Even in the certified quality manager’s exam it is possible to pass if you do poorly on the constructed response portion, as long as your overall score is at or above the passing grade.
Myth: ASQ limits the number of people who pass.
FACT: Anyone who meets or exceeds the passing score (cut point) passes the examination. ASQ does not set a passing rate.
Myth: The grading of the constructed response portion of the certified quality manager exam is very subjective.
FACT: The constructed response portion of the exam is designed to test the candidate’s ability to respond to realworld situations. The responses are scored by certified quality managers who have been trained in the evaluation techniques used for the scoring process. In addition, all the scorers judge the papers against a standard of performance that is specific to each essay question. That standard is neither arbitrary nor subjective, but is developed on the basis of sound quality practices, as described and prescribed in major textbooks in the field of quality. The essay questions are pretested on a group of certified quality managers, so the development of the question includes a reality check to make sure that the committee’s expectation of performance matches actual responses.
Myth: It takes a long time to receive exam results.
FACT: ASQ works very hard to provide exam results as quickly as possible and is very aware that the examinees are anxious to learn whether they have passed or failed. As a direct result of bringing the exam development in house, ASQ has recently reduced the exam turnaround time from eight weeks to two weeks, and to three and one-half weeks for the quality manager results. There are many steps that have to be completed, verified, and checked prior to sending out the results. The answer sheets are sent back to ASQ headquarters and scanned, and statistics must be run and reviewed by the test development staff and appropriate volunteers. The results are then scored, verified, and uploaded to a computer before any result letters can be generated. ASQ is continuously working to reduce this cycle time.
Myth: Test questions are deliberately tricky.
FACT: ASQ goes through an extensive process to ensure that examination questions are as accurate, clear, and concise as possible.
Myth: I can’t learn from my mistakes if I don’t get my scored test back.
FACT: Because of its policy to reuse examination questions, ASQ cannot release copies of the examinations. Releasing tests would give the retake applicants an unfair advantage over candidates taking the examinations for the first time. The integrity of the examination process is of paramount importance to ASQ. Besides, it would not support the underlying premise of the certification program for candidates to just study the questions they got wrong, as it would not ensure that they would understand the material any better. It is more appropriate for the retake candidates to use the diagnostic information to identify the areas where they are weak and improve their knowledge in those areas.