100+ Free ASQ CHA / CFSQA Practice Questions

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Question 1

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Which organization issued the seven HACCP principles that ASQ uses as the basis for the Certified HACCP Auditor body of knowledge?

FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

American Society for Quality (ASQ)

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ASQ CHA / CFSQA Exam

145

Total Questions

135 scored + 10 pretest

4h 18m

Exam Time

Computer-based

550/750

Passing Score

Scaled (~73%)

5 years

Experience Required

1 yr decision-making

$550

Exam Fee (non-member)

ASQ; $450 member

Open-book

Format

Bring references

The CHA / CFSQA is a 145-question, 4-hour-18-minute open-book CBT exam (135 scored + 10 pretest) administered by ASQ. The minimum passing score is 550 out of 750 scaled (~73%). The credential requires 5 years of HACCP/auditing experience (1 year in a decision-making role) with degree waivers up to 4 years. Application fee is $550 non-member / $450 member; retakes $350. The body of knowledge covers HACCP system & principles (~41%), implementation & maintenance (~15%), auditing fundamentals & process (~37%), and quality tools (~7%).

Sample ASQ CHA / CFSQA Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ASQ CHA / CFSQA exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which organization issued the seven HACCP principles that ASQ uses as the basis for the Certified HACCP Auditor body of knowledge?

A.FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

B.National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)

C.International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

D.American Society for Quality (ASQ)

Explanation: The seven HACCP principles were codified by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) in 1997 and then mirrored by Codex Alimentarius. The CHA Body of Knowledge specifically calls out NACMCF and Codex as foundational references in BoK area I.A.

2In HACCP terminology, what is a 'deviation'?

A.Any change from the documented HACCP plan, regardless of severity

B.A failure to meet a critical limit at a critical control point

C.A nonconformance identified during a third-party audit

D.A statistical outlier in the monitoring data

Explanation: A deviation is specifically a failure to meet a critical limit at a CCP. Codex defines it as 'failure to meet a critical limit.' When a deviation occurs, the corrective-action procedure (Principle 5) must be triggered.

3Which of the following is best classified as a prerequisite program (PRP) rather than a CCP?

A.Cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)

B.Metal detection at the end of a packaging line for ready-to-eat foods

C.A documented sanitation standard operating procedure (SSOP) for daily equipment cleaning

D.Acidification of canned tomatoes to pH ≤ 4.6 to prevent Clostridium botulinum

Explanation: SSOPs are classic prerequisite programs — they create the hygienic conditions that allow HACCP to function but they do not, by themselves, control a specific identified hazard at a defined point. Cooking, metal detection, and pH control are all CCPs that prevent, eliminate, or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level.

4An auditor reviewing a bakery's HACCP plan finds that the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are documented in 21 CFR Part 117 Subpart B. The plant's PRP for allergen control is a separate procedure. What is the BEST description of the relationship between GMPs and allergen-control PRPs?

A.Allergen control replaces GMPs because allergens are food-safety hazards

B.Allergen control is a specialized PRP that supplements general GMPs and addresses a specific hazard category

C.Allergen control belongs in the HACCP plan as a CCP, not in the PRPs

D.Allergen control is identical to GMPs and the duplicate document should be removed

Explanation: Allergen control is widely treated as a specialized PRP (sometimes called an operational PRP under ISO 22000) that builds on baseline GMPs but targets the specific hazard of cross-contact. FSMA Preventive Controls (21 CFR 117) explicitly recognizes allergen-control programs as a distinct category of preventive control.

5The HACCP team is being assembled for a new ready-to-eat sandwich line. According to the Codex preliminary tasks, which composition is MOST appropriate?

A.Only the plant manager and the QA director

B.A multidisciplinary team including production, sanitation, QA, maintenance, and (where useful) external technical experts

C.Only food-safety consultants from outside the company

D.Only line workers who operate the equipment

Explanation: Codex and NACMCF both call for a multidisciplinary HACCP team because hazard analysis, flow-diagram development, and corrective-action design require knowledge of the product, process, equipment, sanitation, and regulatory environment. External SMEs are added when in-house expertise is insufficient.

6A HACCP team has drafted a process flow diagram for a cooked-and-chilled chicken product. What is the next preliminary task before hazard analysis begins?

A.Establish critical limits

B.On-site verification of the flow diagram

C.Develop monitoring procedures

D.Begin Principle 7 recordkeeping

Explanation: Codex Preliminary Task 5 is on-site verification of the flow diagram. The team walks the line during operating hours to confirm the diagram matches reality before any hazard analysis (Principle 1) is performed. An incorrect diagram propagates errors through the entire HACCP plan.

7During an audit, the lead auditor finds that the HACCP plan describes the product as 'frozen single-serve entrees' but does not specify the intended end-user. Which preliminary task is deficient?

A.Assemble the HACCP team

B.Describe the product and its distribution

C.Identify the intended use of the product and its consumer

D.Verify the flow diagram on site

Explanation: Preliminary Task 3 requires describing the intended use AND the end-user, especially when vulnerable populations (infants, elderly, immunocompromised, hospital patients) are served. Hazard severity in the analysis depends on this identification.

8An auditor must distinguish between voluntary HACCP programs and regulatory HACCP programs. Which of the following is a REGULATORY HACCP program in the United States?

A.SQF (Safe Quality Food) certification

B.BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard

C.USDA-FSIS Pathogen Reduction / HACCP Rule for meat and poultry (9 CFR 417)

D.FSSC 22000

Explanation: 9 CFR Part 417 is the USDA-FSIS Pathogen Reduction/HACCP Rule and is mandatory for federally inspected meat and poultry establishments. SQF, BRCGS, and FSSC 22000 are voluntary GFSI-recognized certification schemes, although customers may require them contractually.

9How does the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) relate to HACCP?

A.GFSI is a regulatory body that enforces HACCP rules in 152 countries

B.GFSI benchmarks private food-safety certification schemes that incorporate HACCP and PRPs

C.GFSI replaces HACCP for any plant achieving its certification

D.GFSI is the trade name for Codex Alimentarius HACCP guidelines

Explanation: GFSI is a private-sector initiative under The Consumer Goods Forum that benchmarks third-party certification schemes (SQF, BRCGS, FSSC 22000, IFS, etc.) so retailers and manufacturers can accept any benchmarked scheme. All benchmarked schemes incorporate HACCP and PRPs.

10The CHA Body of Knowledge requires auditors to recognize the difference between management commitment and minimal compliance. Which observation BEST indicates genuine management commitment to HACCP?

A.Management has signed the HACCP plan cover page

B.Management allocates resources for training, calibration, and root-cause investigation, and reviews HACCP performance in management review meetings

C.Management reviews the plan once every five years at recertification

D.Management has hired a single HACCP coordinator and delegated all responsibility

Explanation: The BoK calls for evidence of deployment and effectiveness — resource allocation, training investment, formal management review, and active involvement in corrective action. A signature alone, infrequent review, or full delegation are hallmarks of minimal compliance.

About the ASQ CHA / CFSQA Exam

The ASQ Certified HACCP Auditor (rebranded in 2020 as the Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor, or CFSQA) credentials professionals who audit HACCP-based food safety and quality systems against ISO 19011, Codex Alimentarius, FSMA, and customer/regulatory requirements.

Assessment

145 multiple-choice questions (135 scored + 10 unscored pretest); open-book CBT

Time Limit

4 hours 18 minutes

Passing Score

550 / 750 (~73%)

Exam Fee

$550 non-member / $450 ASQ member ($350 retake) (American Society for Quality (ASQ))

ASQ CHA / CFSQA Exam Content Outline

18%

HACCP System

HACCP terminology, prerequisite programs (GMPs/SSOPs/GAPs/GLPs), preliminary tasks, system scope, NACMCF & Codex, management responsibility

22%

HACCP Principles

The 7 principles: hazard analysis, CCP determination via decision tree, critical limits, monitoring, corrective action, verification, and recordkeeping

15%

Implementation & Maintenance of the HACCP System

Pilot/system initiation, validation vs. reassessment, verification & maintenance of monitoring, corrective action, calibration, and training records

16%

Auditing Fundamentals

QA vs QC, audit purposes, audit types (1st/2nd/3rd party, product/process/system), audit criteria, participants, ethics, legal & professional issues

21%

Auditing Process & Auditor Competencies

Audit preparation/planning, opening/exit meetings, data collection, working papers, objective evidence, nonconformance classification, reporting, CAPA follow-up, interpersonal skills

Quality Tools & Techniques

Seven basic quality tools, descriptive statistics, sampling (acceptance/random/stratified, AQL, producer/consumer risk), Cp/Cpk, attributes vs variables data

How to Pass the ASQ CHA / CFSQA Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 550 / 750 (~73%)
Assessment: 145 multiple-choice questions (135 scored + 10 unscored pretest); open-book CBT
Time limit: 4 hours 18 minutes
Exam fee: $550 non-member / $450 ASQ member ($350 retake)

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ASQ CHA / CFSQA Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize the 7 HACCP principles in order (hazard analysis, CCP determination, critical limits, monitoring, corrective action, verification, recordkeeping) and the 5 preliminary tasks that precede them

2Practice the Codex CCP decision tree — most candidates miss CCP-vs-control-point distinctions

3Know the difference between validation (proving the plan will work before implementation) and verification (confirming the plan is working as designed)

4Study ISO 19011 audit principles, audit types (1st/2nd/3rd party, product/process/system), and how to classify nonconformances by severity, frequency, and risk

5Review ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 attribute sampling — AQL, producer's risk (alpha), consumer's risk (beta), and OC curves

6Understand Cp vs Cpk at a definition level (no calculations) and the seven basic quality tools

7Build a tabbed reference binder for the open-book exam: HACCP plan, FDA Food Code, ISO 19011, Codex HACCP, FSMA preventive controls

8Take timed full-length practice exams — 4h 18m of multiple-choice fatigue is itself a skill to train

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the CHA the same as the CFSQA?

Yes. ASQ rebranded the Certified HACCP Auditor (CHA) as the Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor (CFSQA) effective January 1, 2020. The body of knowledge, eligibility, and exam structure are unchanged — both names refer to the same credential, and ASQ still uses the application code CHA.

How many questions are on the ASQ CHA / CFSQA exam?

The computer-delivered exam contains 145 multiple-choice questions (135 scored + 10 unscored pretest items) and runs 4 hours 18 minutes. The paper-and-pencil version has 135 questions and runs 4 hours. Both are open-book.

What is the passing score for the ASQ CHA?

ASQ uses a scaled score with 550 out of 750 as the minimum passing standard, which corresponds to roughly 73% of the scored questions answered correctly. The exact raw cut score is set by Angoff-method job analysis and is not publicly disclosed.

What experience do I need to sit for the CHA / CFSQA exam?

Five years of on-the-job experience in one or more areas of the CHA Body of Knowledge, with at least one year in a decision-making role. ASQ waives one year for an associate's degree, three years for a bachelor's, and four years for a master's or doctorate.

How much does the ASQ CHA / CFSQA exam cost?

The application fee is $550 for non-members and $450 for ASQ members. Retake exams cost $350. Members save $100 on the initial exam, which often offsets the cost of an ASQ membership.

Is the CHA / CFSQA exam open-book?

Yes. The CHA / CFSQA is an open-book exam — candidates may bring printed reference materials, including HACCP plans, the FDA Food Code, ISO 19011, Codex Alimentarius, and personal study notes. Electronic devices are prohibited.