Reliability Engineer Certification

Step 1. Is this the right certification for you?

Here are the requirements and exam specifics for a Reliability Engineer. If you already know that this is the certification you want to pursue, move on to exam preparation.

Education and/or Experience

You must have eight years of on-the-job experience in one or more of the areas of the Certified Reliability Engineer Body of Knowledge. A minimum of three years of this experience must be in a decision-making position. “Decision-making” is defined as the authority to define, execute, or control projects/processes and to be responsible for the outcome. This may or may not include management or supervisory positions.

If you are now or were previously certified by ASQ as a Quality Engineer, Quality Auditor, Software Quality Engineer, or Quality Manager, experience used to qualify for certification in these fields often applies to certification as a Reliability Engineer.

If you have completed a degree* from a college, university, or technical school with accreditation accepted by ASQ, part of the eight-year experience requirement will be waived, as follows (only one of these waivers may be claimed):

Diploma from a technical or trade school—one year will be waived
Associate degree—two years waived
Bachelor’s degree—four years waived
Master’s or doctorate—five years waived

*Degrees or diplomas from educational institutions outside the United States must be equivalent to degrees from U.S. educational institutions.

Minimum Expectations for a Certified Reliability Engineer

Reliability Management—Have basic knowledge and skills to understand reliability program requirements, planning, definitions, training, and organizational resources to achieve those requirements within the constraints of life-cycle issues and costs.
Probability and Statistical Tools—Have an understanding of basic probability and statistical tools to analyze product life cycle. This includes the proper application of probability distributions, Pareto concepts, tolerance and confidence intervals, sample-size determination, and regression analysis.
Modeling and Prediction—Be able to develop models and predict, analyze, and interpret the reliability system using block diagrams, apportionment, and simulations to compare results with available field data.
Data Collection, Analysis, and Corrective Action—Collect appropriate data to define, identify, analyze, correct, and prevent potential system failures. Be able to implement FRACAS (failure reporting, analysis, and corrective-action system), root cause, and trend analysis.
Reliability Tools in Design and Development—Be able to establish product reliability requirements; be able to understand and use the reliability tools listed in the BOK. Be able to identify and control critical parts, services, and products.
Maintainability and Availability—Understand the principles of maintainability and availability over the life cycle of the product or system. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of testability, human factor, and maintenance activities.
Reliability Testing—Develop reliability test plans that cover the expected customer use environment and operational conditions. Identify appropriate acceleration stresses and methods, analyze and interpret the results of these development tests. Understand the cost-effective use of production screening methods.
Product Safety and Liability—Uphold ASQ code of ethics. Use reliability analysis tools and customer feedback to identify and analyze potential safety issues for a product. Recommend the appropriate action necessary to resolve safety issues. Have a knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements and the implementation of closed-loop corrective/preventive-action systems.

Examination
Each certification candidate is required to pass a written examination that consists of multiple choice questions that measure comprehension of the Body of Knowledge. The Reliability Engineer examination is a one-part, 150-question, four-hour exam and is offered in English.

Examinations are conducted twice a year, in March and October, by local ASQ sections and international organizations. All examinations are open-book. Each participant must bring his or her own reference materials. Use of reference materials and calculators is explained in the seating letter provided to applicants.

Please Note: The Body of Knowledge for certification is affected by new technologies, policies, and the changing dynamics of manufacturing and service industries. Changed versions of the examination based on the current Body of Knowledge are used at each offering.

Are you ready to get started? Prepare for the exam. >>>