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Certified Reliability

Engineer

Quality excellence to enhance your career

and boost your organizations bottom line

asq.org/certification


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2 Certified Reliability Engineer

Certification from ASQ

is considered a mark of

quality excellence in many

industries. It helps you

advance your career, and boosts your organizations

bottom line through your mastery of quality skills.

Becoming certified as a Reliability Engineer confirms

your commitment to quality and the positive impact it

will have on your organization.


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3Certified Reliability Engineer

ExaminationEach certification candidate is requiredto pass a written examination thatconsists of multiple-choice questions thatmeasure comprehension of the Body

of Knowledge. The Reliability Engineerexamination is a one-part, 150-question,four-hour exam and is offered in English.

Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE)

Information

The Certified Reliability Engineer is a professional whounderstands the principles of performance evaluation and

prediction to improve product/systems safety, reliability, and

maintainability. This Body of Knowledge (BOK) and applied

technologies include, but are not limited to, design review

and control; prediction, estimation, and apportionment

methodology; failure mode and effects analysis; the

planning, operation, and

analysis of reliability testing

and field failures, including

mathematical modeling;

understanding human factors

in reliability; and the ability

to develop and administer

reliability information

systems for failure analysis,

design, and performance

improvement and reliability

program management over

the entire product lifecycle.

For comprehensive exam information on CertifiedReliability Engineer certification, visit asq.org/certification.


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Minimum Expectations for aReliability Engineer

Will understand strategic managementaspects of reliability engineering, itsrelationship to safety and quality,its impact on warranty programsand customer satisfaction, theconsequences of failure, and thepotential for liability. Will understandrequirements planning for reliabilityprograms and how variousengineering and operational systemsmust be integrated to achieve overallprogram goals and alignment withorganizational goals. Will use riskanalysis tools and techniques toevaluate product and system safetyissues. Will abide by the ASQ Codeof Ethics.

Will use probability and statisticaltools to analyze product lifecycle,conduct hypothesis testing, understandappropriate statistical models,tolerance and confidence intervals,sample size determination, andregression analysis.

Will develop product and processreliability requirements using reliabilityand design techniques such as FMEA,fault tolerance, optimization, and DOE.Will develop systems for materialselection, derating methods, andmanufacturing control.

Will develop models to analyze andpredict reliability performance usingblock diagrams, physics of failure,apportionment, dynamic reliability,

and simulations. Will develop reliability test plans

that represent the expected useenvironment and operationalconditions. Will select, analyze, andinterpret the results of various testmethods to be used during productdevelopment and end producttesting.

Will apply the principles of

maintainability and availability overthe lifecycle of the product, process, orsystem and will identify and supportappropriate testability methods andmaintenance activities.

Will identify, collect, analyze, andmanage various types of data tominimize failures and improveperformance, and will use failureanalysis, FRACAS, and other typesof root cause analysis in supportof reliability.

Education and/or Experience

You must have eight years of on-the-jobexperience in one or more of the areasof the Certified Reliability Engineer Bodyof Knowledge. A minimum of threeyears of this experience must be in adecision-making position. Decisionmaking is defined as the authority todefine, execute, or control projects/

processes and to be responsible for theoutcome. This may or may not includemanagement or supervisory positions.

If you are now or were previouslycertified by ASQ as a Quality Engineer,Quality Auditor, Software QualityEngineer, or Quality Manager, experienceused to qualify for certification in thesefields often applies to certification as aReliability Engineer.

If you have completed a degree* froma college, university, or technical schoolwith accreditation accepted by ASQ, partof the eight-year experience requirementwill be waived, as follows (only one ofthese waivers may be claimed):

Diploma from a technical or tradeschoolone year will be waived

Associate degreetwo years waived

Bachelors degreefour years waived

Masters or doctoratefive yearswaived

* Degrees or diplomas from educationalinstitutions outside the United Statesmust be equivalent to degrees fromU.S. educational institutions.


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I Reliability Management(18 Questions)

A. Strategic Management

1. Benefits of reliability engineeringDescribe how reliability

engineering techniques andmethods improve programs,processes, products, systems,and services. (Understand)

2. Interrelationship of safety,quality, and reliabilityDefine and describe therelationships among safety,reliability, and quality.(Understand)

3. Role of the reliability function inthe organizationDescribe how reliability techniquescan be applied in other functionalareas of the organization, such asmarketing, engineering, customer/product support, safety andproduct liability, etc. (Apply)

4. Reliability in product andprocess developmentIntegrate reliability engineeringtechniques with other developmentactivities, concurrent engineering,corporate improvement initiativessuch as lean and Six Sigma

methodologies, and emergingtechnologies. (Apply)

5. Failure consequence andliability managementDescribe the importance of theseconcepts in determining reliabilityacceptance criteria. (Understand)

6. Warranty managementDefine and describe warrantyterms and conditions, including

warranty period, conditions ofuse, failure criteria, etc., andidentify the uses and limitationsof warranty data. (Understand)

Topicsin this Body of Knowledge include additional detail in

the form of subtext explanations and the cognitive level at whichthe questions will be written. This information will provide usefulguidance for both the ExaminationDevelopment Committee and thecandidates preparing to take the exam.The subtext is not intended to limit thesubject matter or be all-inclusive of

what might be covered in an exam. It isintended to clarify the type of content tobe included in the exam. The descriptor inparentheses at the end of each entry refersto the highest cognitive level at which thetopic will be tested. A more comprehensivedescription of cognitive levels is providedat the end of this document.

Body of KnowledgeCertified Reliability Engineer



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7. Customer needs assessmentUse various feedback methods(e.g., quality function deployment(QFD), prototyping, beta testing)to determine customer needs inrelation to reliability requirementsfor products and services. (Apply)

8. Supplier reliabilityDefine and describe supplierreliability assessments that can bemonitored in support of the overallreliability program. (Understand)

B. Reliability Program Management

1. TerminologyExplain basic reliability terms(e.g., MTTF, MTBF, MTTR,

availability, failure rate, reliability,maintainability). (Understand)

2. Elements of a reliability programExplain how planning, testing,tracking, and using customer needsand requirements are used todevelop a reliability program, andidentify various drivers of reliabilityrequirements, including marketexpectations and standards, as wellas safety, liability, and regulatoryconcerns. (Understand)

3. Types of riskDescribe the relationship betweenreliability and various types of risk,including technical, scheduling,safety, financial, etc. (Understand)

4. Product lifecycle engineeringDescribe the impact variouslifecycle stages (concept/design,introduction, growth, maturity,decline) have on reliability, and thecost issues (product maintenance,life expectation, software defectphase containment, etc.) associatedwith those stages. (Understand)

5. Design evaluationUse validation, verification, andother review techniques to assessthe reliability of a productsdesign at various lifecycle stages.

(Analyze)6. Systems engineering

and integrationDescribe how these processes areused to create requirements andprioritize design and developmentactivities. (Understand)

C. Ethics, Safety, and Liability

1. Ethical issuesIdentify appropriate ethicalbehaviors for a reliability engineerin various situations. (Evaluate)

2. Roles and responsibilitiesDescribe the roles andresponsibilities of a reliabilityengineer in relation to productsafety and liability. (Understand)

3. System safetyIdentify safety-related issues byanalyzing customer feedback,design data, field data, and otherinformation. Use risk managementtools (e.g., hazard analysis, FMEA,

FTA, risk matrix) to identify andprioritize safety concerns, andidentify steps that will minimize themisuse of products and processes.(Analyze)

II Probability and Statistics forReliability (27 Questions)

A. Basic Concepts

1. Statistical termsDefine and use terms such aspopulation, parameter, statistic,sample, the central limit theorem,etc., and compute their values.(Apply)

2. Basic probability conceptsUse basic probability concepts(e.g., independence, mutuallyexclusive, conditional probability)and compute expected values.

(Apply)

3. Discrete and continuousprobability distributionsCompare and contrast variousdistributions (binomial, Poisson,exponential, Weibull, normal, log-normal, etc.) and their functions(e.g., cumulative distributionfunctions (CDFs), probabilitydensity functions (PDFs), hazard

functions), and relate them to thebathtub curve. (Analyze)

4. Poisson process modelsDefine and describe homogeneousand non-homogeneous Poissonprocess models (HPP and NHPP).(Understand)



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5. Non-parametric statistical methodsApply non-parametric statisticalmethods, including median,Kaplan-Meier, Mann-Whitney, etc.,in various situations. (Apply)

6. Sample size determination

Use various theories, tables, andformulas to determine appropriatesample sizes for statistical andreliability testing. (Apply)

7. Statistical process control (SPC)and process capabilityDefine and describe SPC andprocess capability studies (Cp, Cpk,etc.), their control charts, and howthey are all related to reliability.(Understand)

B. Statistical Inference

1. Point estimates of parametersObtain point estimates of modelparameters using probability plots,maximum likelihood methods, etc.Analyze the efficiency and bias ofthe estimators. (Evaluate)

2. Statistical interval estimatesCompute confidence intervals,tolerance intervals, etc., and draw

conclusions from the results.(Evaluate)

3. Hypothesis testing (parametricand non-parametric)Apply hypothesis testing forparameters such as means,variance, proportions, anddistribution parameters. Interpretsignificance levels and Type Iand Type II errors for accepting/rejecting the null hypothesis.(Evaluate)

III Reliability in Design andDevelopment (26 Questions)

A. Reliability Design Techniques

1. Environmental and use factorsIdentify environmental and usefactors (e.g., temperature, humidity,vibration) and stresses (e.g.,severity of service, electrostaticdischarge (ESD), throughput) towhich a product may be subjected.(Apply)

2. Stress-strength analysisApply stress-strength analysismethod of computing probabilityof failure, and interpret the results.

(Evaluate) 3. FMEA and FMECA

Define and distinguish betweenfailure mode and effects analysisand failure mode, effects, andcriticality analysis and apply thesetechniques in products, processes,and designs. (Analyze)

4. Common mode failure analysisDescribe this type of failure (alsoknown as common cause modefailure) and how it affects designfor reliability. (Understand)

5. Fault tree analysis (FTA) andsuccess tree analysis (STA)Apply these techniques to developmodels that can be used toevaluate undesirable (FTA) anddesirable (STA) events. (Analyze)

6. Tolerance and worst-case analysesDescribe how tolerance and worst-

case analyses (e.g., root of sumof squares, extreme value) can beused to characterize variation thataffects reliability. (Understand)

7. Design of experimentsPlan and conduct standard designof experiments (DOE) (e.g., full-factorial, fractional factorial,Latin square design). Implementrobust-design approaches (e.g.,Taguchi design, parametric design,DOE incorporating noise factors)to improve or optimize design.(Analyze)

8. Fault toleranceDefine and describe fault toleranceand the reliability methods usedto maintain system functionality.(Understand)



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9. Reliability optimizationUse various approaches,including redundancy, derating,trade studies, etc., to optimizereliability within the constraintsof cost, schedule, weight, designrequirements, etc. (Apply)

10. Human factorsDescribe the relationship betweenhuman factors and reliabilityengineering. (Understand)

11. Design for X (DFX)Apply DFX techniques such asdesign for assembly, testability,maintainability environment(recycling and disposal), etc., toenhance a products producibility

and serviceability. (Apply) 12. Reliability apportionment

(allocation) techniquesUse these techniques to specifysubsystem and componentreliability requirements. (Analyze)

B. Parts and Systems Management

1. Selection, standardization,and reuseApply techniques for materials

selection, parts standardizationand reduction, parallel modeling,software reuse, includingcommercial off-the-shelf (COTS)software, etc. (Apply)

2. Derating methods and principlesUse methods such as S-N diagram,stress-life relationship, etc., todetermine the relationship betweenapplied stress and rated value, andto improve design. (Analyze)

3. Parts obsolescence managementExplain the implications of partsobsolescence and requirementsfor parts or system requalification.Develop risk mitigation planssuch as lifetime buy, backwardscompatibility, etc. (Apply)

4. Establishing specificationsDevelop metrics for reliability,maintainability, and serviceability

(e.g., MTBF, MTBR, MTBUMA,service interval) for productspecifications. (Create)

IV Reliability Modeling andPredictions (22 Questions)

A. Reliability Modeling

1. Sources and uses of reliability dataDescribe sources of reliability data(prototype, development, test,field, warranty, published, etc.),their advantages and limitations,and how the data can be used tomeasure and enhance productreliability. (Apply)

2. Reliability block diagramsand modelsGenerate and analyze various typesof block diagrams and models,

including series, parallel, partialredundancy, time-dependent, etc.(Create)

3. Physics of failure modelsIdentify various failure mechanisms(e.g., fracture, corrosion, memorycorruption) and select appropriatetheoretical models (e.g., Arrhenius,S-N curve) to assess their impact.(Apply)

4. Simulation techniquesDescribe the advantages andlimitations of the Monte Carloand Markov models. (Apply)

5. Dynamic reliabilityDescribe dynamic reliability asit relates to failure criteria thatchange over time or under differentconditions. (Understand)

B. Reliability Predictions

1. Part count predictions and partstress analysisUse parts failure rate data toestimate system- and subsystem-level reliability. (Apply)

2. Reliability prediction methodsUse various reliability predictionmethods for both repairable andnon-repairable components andsystems, incorporating test andfield reliability data when available

(Apply)



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V Reliability Testing (24 Questions)

A. Reliability Test Planning

1. Reliability test strategiesCreate and apply the appropriatetest strategies (e.g., truncation,

testto-failure, degradation) forvarious product developmentphases. (Create)

2. Test environmentEvaluate the environment in termsof system location and operationalconditions to determine themost appropriate reliability test.(Evaluate)

B. Testing During Development

Describe the purpose, advantages,and limitations of each of thefollowing types of tests, and usecommon models to develop testplans, evaluate risks, and interprettest results. (Evaluate)

1. Accelerated life tests (e.g., single-stress, multiple-stress, sequentialstress, step-stress)

2. Discovery testing (e.g., HALT,

margin tests, sample size of 1)3. Reliability growth testing

(e.g., test, analyze, and fix(TAAF), Duane)

4. Software testing (e.g., white-box,black-box, operational profile, andfault-injection)

C. Product TestingDescribe the purpose, advantages,and limitations of each of the

following types of tests, and usecommon models to develop producttest plans, evaluate risks, andinterpret test results. (Evaluate)

1. Qualification/demonstrationtesting(e.g., sequential tests,fixed-length tests)

2. Product reliability acceptancetesting (PRAT)

3. Ongoing reliability testing

(e.g., sequential probabilityratio test [SPRT])

4. Stress screening (e.g., ESS, HASS,burn-in tests)

5. Attribute testing (e.g., binomial,hypergeometric)

6. Degradation (wearto-failure)testing

VI Maintainability andAvailability (15 Questions)

A. Management Strategies

1. PlanningDevelop plans for maintainabilityand availability that supportreliability goals and objectives.(Create)

2. Maintenance strategiesIdentify the advantages andlimitations of various maintenancestrategies (e.g., reliability-centeredmaintenance (RCM), predictivemaintenance, repair or replacedecision making), and determine

which strategy to use in specificsituations. (Apply).

3. Availability tradeoffsDescribe various types ofavailability (e.g., inherent,operational), and the tradeoffsin reliability and maintainabilitythat might be required to achieveavailability goals. (Apply)

B. Maintenance and Testing Analysis

1. Preventive maintenance(PM) analysisDefine and use PM tasks,optimum PM intervals, andother elements of this analysis,and identify situations in whichPM analysis is not appropriate.(Apply)

2. Corrective maintenance analysisDescribe the elements ofcorrective maintenance analysis

(e.g., fault-isolation time, repair/replace time, skill level, crewhours) and apply them in specificsituations. (Apply)

3. Non-destructive evaluationDescribe the types and usesof these tools (e.g., fatigue,delamination, vibration signatureanalysis) to look for potentialdefects. (Understand)

4. TestabilityUse various testabilityrequirements and methods(e.g., built in tests (BITs), false-alarm rates, diagnostics, errorcodes, fault tolerance) to achievereliability goals (Apply)



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5. Spare parts analysisDescribe the relationship betweenspare parts requirements andreliability, maintainability, andavailability requirements. Forecastspare parts requirements usingfield data, production leadtime data, inventory and otherprediction tools, etc. (Analyze)

VIIData Collection and Use(18 Questions)

A. Data Collection

1. Types of dataIdentify and distinguish betweenvarious types of data (e.g.,

attributes vs. variable, discretevs. continuous, censoredvs. complete, univariate vs.multivariate). Select appropriatedata types to meet variousanalysis objectives. (Evaluate)

2. Collection methodsIdentify appropriate methods andevaluate the results from surveys,automated tests, automatedmonitoring and reporting tools,

etc., that are used to meetvarious data analysis objectives.(Evaluate)

3. Data managementDescribe key characteristicsof a database (e.g., accuracy,completeness, update frequency).Specify the requirements forreliability-driven measurementsystems and database plans,including consideration of thedata collectors and users, andtheir functional responsibilities.(Evaluate)

B. Data Use

1. Data summary and reportingExamine collected data foraccuracy and usefulness. Analyze,interpret, and summarize data forpresentation using techniquessuch as trend analysis, Weibull,

graphic representation, etc.,based on data types, sources,and required output. (Create)

2. Preventive and corrective actionSelect and use various rootcause and failure analysistools to determine the causesof degradation or failure, and

identify appropriate preventiveor corrective actions to take inspecific situations. (Evaluate)

3. Measures of effectivenessUse various data analysis toolsto evaluate the effectiveness ofpreventive and corrective actionsin improving reliability. (Evaluate)

C. Failure Analysis and Correction

1. Failure analysis methods

Describe methods such asmechanical, materials, andphysical analysis, scanningelectron microscopy (SEM), etc.,that are used to identify failuremechanisms. (Understand)

2. Failure reporting, analysis,and corrective action system(FRACAS)Identify the elements necessaryfor a FRACAS to be effective, anddemonstrate the importance of aclosed-loop process that includesroot cause investigation andfollow up. (Apply)



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11Certified Reliability Engineer11 Certified Reliability Engineer

Visit asq.org/certification for comprehensive examinformation.

RememberRecall or recognize terms, definitions, facts,ideas, materials, patterns, sequences,methods, principles, etc.

UnderstandRead and understand descriptions,communications, reports, tables, diagrams,directions, regulations, etc.

ApplyKnow when and how to use ideas,procedures, methods, formulas, principles,theories, etc.

AnalyzeBreak down information into its constituentparts and recognize their relationship toone another and how they are organized;identify sublevel factors or salient data froma complex scenario.

EvaluateMake judgments about the value ofproposed ideas, solutions, etc., bycomparing the proposal to specificcriteria or standards.

CreatePut parts or elements together in sucha way as to reveal a pattern or structurenot clearly there before; identify whichdata or information from a complex set isappropriate to examine further or from whichsupported conclusions can be drawn.

Levels of CognitionBased on Blooms TaxonomyRevised (2001)In addition to contentspecifics, the subtext for each topic in this BOK also indicates theintended complexity levelof the test questions for that topic. These levels are basedon Levels of Cognition (from Blooms TaxonomyRevised, 2001) and are presentedbelow in rank order, from least complex to most complex.


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Enhance your career with ASQ certification today! Visit www.asq.org/certification for complete certification information including:

Applications

Available certifications and language options

Reference materials

Study guides and test-taking tips

Comprehensive exam information

ASQ Sections

International contacts

Endorsements

Enhance your careerwith ASQ certification today!

Visit asq.org/certificationfor additional certificationinformation, including:

Applications

Available certifications and

international language options

Reference materials

Study guides and test-taking tips

Comprehensive examinformation

ASQ sections

International contacts

Endorsements

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