CQA PRACTICE EXAM 2026
COMPLETE
Question 1: A manufacturer evaluates its own calibration process to determine
whether internal procedures are being followed. What type of audit is this based on the auditor-auditee relationship?
Choices:
1) First-party audit 2) Second-party audit 3) Third-party audit 4) Accreditation audit
Correct Answer: First-party audit
Explanation: A �rst-party audit is performed by or on behalf of an organization on its own activities. A supplier audit is typically second-party, while an independent certi�cation audit is third-party.Page 1
Question 2: A customer sends auditors to a contract manufacturer to verify
conformance with purchase-order quality requirements. Which relationship best describes the audit?
Choices:
1) First-party 2) Second-party 3) Third-party 4) Joint third-party
Correct Answer: Second-party
Explanation: A customer auditing its supplier is a second-party audit because the auditor represents an interested external party with a contractual relationship to the auditee.Question 3: An independent certi�cation body evaluates a company's quality management system against a recognized standard. This is best classi�ed as which type of audit?
Choices:
1) Internal system audit 2) Second-party compliance audit 3) Third-party system audit 4) Product audit
Correct Answer: Third-party system audit
Explanation: An independent certi�cation body is external to both the organization and its customers, so the activity is a third-party audit. Because the QMS is evaluated as a whole, it is also a system audit.Page 2
Question 4: Which audit is MOST appropriate when management wants to assess
whether an entire quality management system is adequately designed and e�ectively implemented?
Choices:
1) Product audit 2) Element audit 3) Process audit 4) System audit
Correct Answer: System audit
Explanation: A system audit evaluates the overall management system and the interactions among its processes, controls, and requirements rather than a single product, process, or element.Question 5: An auditor evaluates whether a machining process consistently converts approved inputs into outputs meeting speci�ed requirements. Which audit type is the BEST �t?
Choices:
1) Process audit 2) Management audit 3) Desk audit 4) Product audit
Correct Answer: Process audit
Explanation: A process audit examines how a process is controlled and performed, including inputs, activities, resources, controls, and outputs.Page 3