RQAP-GLP Examination

Overview

The GLP Quality Assurance Professional Registry Examination consists of 165 multiple-choice questions, 15 of which are unscored but are being tested for validity for use in future exams. Candidates are allowed three and one-half (3.5) hours to complete the examination. Individuals passing the examination will be credentialed as Registered Quality Assurance Professionals in Good Laboratory Practice (RQAP-GLP).

Individuals with expertise in GLP quality assurance write the questions and review them for relevancy, consistency, accuracy, and appropriateness. The SQA then prepares the examinations, with advice and assistance from an independent professional testing services provider that is contracted to assist SQA with development, administration, scoring, and analysis of the examination.

The GLP Quality Assurance Professional Registry Examination is administered twice annually. Only the computer-based testing (CBT) format is planned for 2013 testing. See notes in the Application and Candidate Handbook section below for further information. The examination schedule for 2013 follows.

Examinees must report 30 minutes before their exam is scheduled to begin.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the GLP Quality Assurance Professional Registry Examination, applicants must fulfill one of the two following requirements:

1. Have the equivalent of four (4) years of full-time experience working as a pre-clinical quality assurance professional under the GLP regulations and/or standards listed in the GLP Exam Study References prior to the examination date; OR
2. Have a baccalaureate degree AND the equivalent of two (2) years of full-time experience working as a pre-clinical quality assurance professional under the GLP regulations and/or standards listed in the GLP Exam Study References prior to the examination date. A copy of your diploma or transcripts must be submitted with your application.

A copy of applicant's Curriculum vitae must be submitted with your application. If your CV does not demonstrate your performance of direct quality assurance tasks, your application may be declined. 

Experience: To document experience in quality assurance, applicants are required to provide their supervisor or manager’s signature or the signature of an active SQA member (if the applicant does not have a supervisor or manager) on the application.
 

Examination Fee

The examination fee in 2013 is $350 (USD) for SQA Members and $500 (USD) for non-members.  This includes a $75 processing fee; if candidates do not meet the eligibility requirements, the exam fee will be refunded minus the $75 processing fee. SQA allows examination candidates from Outreach countries to take the exam for a reduced cost. Outreach countries are countries that are identified as low or middle income by the World Bank. You can check to see if your country qualifies as low, lower-middle or upper-middle income on the World Bank’s website at http://go.worldbank.org/47F97HK2P0. Contact SQA Headquarters at sqa@sqa.org to request the Outreach candidate exam application.

In addition, if a candidate applies after the early registration deadline but before the late registration deadline, a $50 late fee will be added to the examination fee.  If a candidate requires special accommodations for a disability or English not being his/her native language, SQA is charged an accommodation fee of $50 by the testing services provider, which will be required to be paid by the candidate.  If the candidate wishes to take the exam at a testing facility outside of the U.S. or Canada, there is an additional $50 international testing fee.
 

Application and Candidate Handbook

To apply for the GLP Quality Assurance Professional Registry Examination, access the Candidate Handbook from the link on this page, and complete the application form included in the Handbook.  The application must be postmarked as indicated above.

The Candidate Handbook describes examination policies and procedures. It provides a content outline, a list of study references, and sample questions.  An application form is included as well as a form to request special accommodations.
 

CBT Format

Once your application is approved, you will be notified that you can schedule your testing appointment with the testing services provider (information on how to do this will be sent to you upon approval of your eligibility).
 

Requests for Special Testing Accommodations

SQA and its contracted testing services provider comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are committed to ensure that individuals with disabilities are not deprived of the opportunity to take the examination solely by reason of that disability.  Special testing arrangements may be made for these individuals, provided that an appropriate request for accommodation is submitted with the examination application.  The request must include documentation from a physician stating the candidate's disability.  A form for requesting special accommodations is provided in the Candidate Handbook.  Because SQA is charged additional fees by the testing services provider for any accommodations made, there is a $50 charge associated with the provision of special accommodations.
 

Report of Results

CBT candidates may receive exam results in the testing facility immediately upon completing the exam. No results will be provided by telephone.  Test scores are reported as raw scores and scaled scores.  A raw score is the number of correctly answered items; a scaled score is statistically derived from the raw score.  Your total score determines whether you pass or fail; it is reported as a scaled score ranging between 0 and 99.

The minimum scaled score needed to pass the examination has been set at 75-scaled score units.  Scaled scores are used because different forms (or versions) of the examination may vary in difficulty.  As new forms of the test are introduced each year, a certain number of questions in each content area are replaced.  These changes may cause one form of the test to be slightly easier or harder than another form.  To adjust for these differences in difficulty, a procedure called, "equating" is used.  The goal of equating is to ensure fairness to all candidates.

In the equating process, the minimum raw score (number of correctly answered questions) required to equal the scaled passing score of 75 is statistically adjusted (or equated).  For example, if the test is more difficult than the previously used test form, then the minimum raw score required to pass will be slightly lower.  If the test is easier, then the minimum raw score will be higher.  Equating helps to assure that the scaled passing score of 75 represents the same level of competence no matter which form of the test a candidate takes.

In addition to the candidate's total scaled score and scaled score required to pass, raw scores (the actual number of questions correctly answered) are reported for the minor categories on the content outline.  The number of items answered correctly in each category is compared to the score report (e.g. 10/15).  Content categorical information is provided to assist candidates in identifying areas of relative strength and weakness; however, passing or failing the examination is based on the candidate’s total score.
 

Confidentiality

Individual test scores are released ONLY to the individual candidate.  Questions concerning test results must be referred to SQA's contracted testing services provider.
 

Re-Examination

There is no limit to the number of times candidates may attempt the examination, provided they pay the fee and meet all eligibility requirements in effect at the time of applying for re-examination.  To apply for re-examination, candidates must request, complete, and submit the current application and pay the current examination fee.
 

Testing Services Provider

SQA contracted with a new testing services provider in July 2010.  The new provider is Professional Testing, Inc.  The role of Professional Testing is to assist in the development, administration, scoring, and analysis of the GLP Quality Assurance Professional Registry Examination.  Their services also include the reporting of scores to candidates who take an examination.