RQAP-GLP Examination

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Overview

The GLP Quality Assurance Professional Registry Examination consists of 150 (written exam) or 165 (CBT) multiple-choice questions. Candidates are allowed three (3) hours for the written exam and three and one-half (3.5) hours for CBT format to complete the examination. Individuals passing the examination will be credentialed as Registered Quality Assurance Professionals in GLPs (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 the professional testing agency (Applied Measurement Professionals, AMP) 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.  See notes in the Application and Candidate Handbook section below for further information. The examination schedule for 2008 follows.

For the paper examination in Edinburgh, examinees must report at 12:30 pm. The examination begins at 1:00 pm.

SQA reserves the right to cancel a paper exam test center due to insufficient registration.  If SQA cancels a test center, the candidates who selected that center will be notified and may choose another test center or submit a written request for a full refund.  The request for a refund must be sent to SQA Headquarters and be postmarked at least seven days prior to the administration of the examination.
 

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 quality assurance professional 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 quality assurance professional 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

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 2008 is $325 (USD) for SQA Members and $435 (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.
 

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.

Alternatively, a Candidate Handbook or an application form may be obtained from Applied Measurement Professionals [telephone, (913) 541-0400; e-mail, info@goAMP.com].  Candidates should receive a response within two business days of sending an inquiry to AMP.
 

CBT Format

Once your application is approved, you will be notified that you can schedule your testing appointment at info@goAMP.com.
Differences from information presented in the current Candidate Handbook for CBT-formatted RQAP exams are as follows:

• P. 2, Examination. The number of questions is 165 instead of 150. Fifteen questions are not scored; these questions are tested for use in future exams. The time allowed for the exam is three and one-half (3.5) hours.
• P. 3, Refunds. Find out about rescheduling within a testing window.
• P. 3, Admission to the Test Center. Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements will be notified by SQA. Testing time, date, and location can then be scheduled through the AMP website at info@goAMP.com. You may select from a list of over 170 sites in the U.S. owned and controlled by AMP. To view possible locations on the website, select “Your Examination Information”, then “Locate Testing Centers”. Allow a minimum of three days from the time you submit your request until your requested date. AMP will confirm your scheduled appointment and the location of the test center
• P. 4, On Examination Day. Applicants will have three and one-half (3.5) hours to complete the exam.
• P. 4, Report of Results. CBT exam results will be displayed upon completion of your exam.
• P. 6, Test-Taking Advice, item 4. You can move forward or backward throughout the electronic exam to review any question.
• P. 7 (GLP) or p. 21 (GCP), Application. For the “examination date for which you are applying”, enter the dates of the three-week window during which you will schedule your exam. For “test center location”, enter “CBT”.

Requests for Special Testing Accommodations

SQA and AMP 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.
 

Report of Results

Candidates will be notified by mail within six weeks of the examination whether they have passed or failed the examination. CBT candidates will receive exam results 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 AMP Candidate Services Department in writing.
 

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 Agency

Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP) is the professional testing agency contracted by SQA to assist in the development, administration, scoring, and analysis of the GLP Quality Assurance Professional Registry Examination.  AMP services also include the processing of examination applications and the reporting of scores to candidates who take an examination.  AMP is a research and development firm that conducts professional competency assessment research and provides examination services for a number of credentialing programs.