The Standard
Summer 2003 Page 1
Vol. 17, Issue 2
The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality
Summer 2003
The Standard
Chair’s ColumnChair’s ColumnChair’s ColumnChair’s ColumnChair’s Column
Message from the Chairman (2003-2004)Dilip Shah
I started writing this column having returned fromthe Annual Quality Congress (AQC) in Kansas City inMay, 2003. It was good to meet many of you whostopped by at the MQD booth and introduced your-selves. The AQC and other conferences and venuesprovide a chance to meet the Division members face toface, and that is always nice.I was very pleasantly surprised while attending theCertification Board reception on Sunday, May 18, atthe AQC. The Measurement Quality Division was rec-ognized for its contribution and support for ASQ’snewest certification exam, the Certified CalibrationTechnician (CCT). As if that was not enough, ChrisGrachanen was recognized for his individual efforts atmaking the CCT exam a reality. The Division is veryproud of both this group and individual awards. We willcontinue to support these efforts in various ways bypublicizing and providing subject matter experts for themaintenance of the CCT exam.MQD hosted a session on the CCT exam with threepresentations at the National Conference of StandardsLaboratories International (NCSL International) con-ference in Tampa on August 18, 2003.Many of you contacted me after the publication ofthe last issue of The Standard with your feedback andbest wishes. Others contacted me to volunteer theirservices. I thank you all. As we close our fiscal andelectoral year, we will miss some of our volunteers--Joe Filipowicz (MQD Secretary) and Frank Voehl (MQDTreasurer and The Standard Executive Editor). I thankthem for their past contributions to the Division. MarkSchoenlein has agreed to be the Treasurer and theEditor of The Standard. Jay Bucher has agreed tovolunteer for the Secretary position. Mark is no strangerto the MQD, having been the Past-Chair. Please joinme in congratulating Mark for being elected ASQFellow recently. Please welcome Jay to the group.Jay’s bio appears separately in the newsletter. Mythanks also go to Duane Allen, our immediate Past-Chair. I have valued Duane’s friendship while workingwith him in the Chair-Elect position.One of my first acts as Chair of the Division was tosign the MQD sponsorship agreement of the MetrologyHandbook that will be published by the ASQ Press. Iam very excited about this project that is being led byJay Bucher. A handbook of this nature has long beendesired by measurement professionals. We hope tohave it published in the second quarter of 2004.Sincerely,Dilip Shah(ASQ, CQE)E = mc3 Solutions197 Great Oaks Trail #130Wadsworth, OH 44281-8215Tel: 330-328-4400Fax: 330-336-3974E-mail: emc3solu@aol.com
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Chair’s Column .................................................. 1Advertising & Article Info.................................. 2CCT Update ........................................................ 3Publication Update ............................................ 4Editor’s Note....................................................... 4The Learning Curve X 2..................................... 5The Contrarian Metrologist ............................... 9Upcoming Events............................................. 10MQD April Meeting Minutes ............................ 11MQD Officers List............................................. 12Regional Councilors List................................. 13
The Standard
Summer 2003 Page 2
PublicationStaff
Managing Editor
Mark Schoenlein
P.O. Box 206Perrysburg, OH 43552Tel:419-247-7285Fax:419-247-8770E-mail:mark.schoenlein@us.o-i.com
Advertising
2003 Rates for a single publication:Business card size.....................$201/4 page.....................................$351/2 page.....................................$70Full page..................................$120A 15% discount will be applied for multi-edition ads.Ads must be formatted in MS Word oras a TIF file.Advertising must be clearly identified asan ad and should relate to the field ofmeasurement quality.Ads must not imply endorsement by theMeasurement Quality Division or ASQ.
Publication Information
The STANDARD is published quarterlyby the Measurement Quality Division ofASQ; deadlines are March 15, June 15,September 15 and January 15.Text information intended forpublication can be sent via electronicmail or through postal mail on 3 1/2"diskette in Microsoft Word saved inRich Text Format (RTF). If it is notfeasible to send text in electronic form,clean printed text can be submitted.Graphics or illustratios must be sent ina TIF file format.Photographs of MQD activities arealways appreciated.Publication of articles, product releases,advertisements or technical informationdoes not imply endorsement by TheMeasurement Quality Division of ASQ.While The STANDARD makes everyeffort to ensure the accuracy of articles,the publication disclaims responsibilityfor statements of fact or opinion madeby the authors or other contributors.Material from The STANDARD may notbe reproduced without permission ofASQ. Copyrights in the United Statesand all other countries are reserved. © 2003 ASQ, MQD. All rights reserved.
Vol. 17, Issue 2
The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality
Summer 2003
The Standard
Letters to the Editor
The STANDARD welcomes lettersfrom members and subscribers. Lettersshould clearly state whether the authoris expressing opinion or presentingfacts with supporting information.Commendation, encouragement,constructive critique, suggestions, andalternative approaches are accepted.If the content is more than 200 words,we may delete portions to hold thatlimit. We reserve the right to edit lettersand papers.
Website Information
The Measurement Quality Divisionhomepage can be found on the internetat www.measurementquality.org. Pasteditions of the STANDARD in PDFformat are available there.
The Standard
Summer 2003 Page 3
CCT Program UpdateCCT Program UpdateCCT Program UpdateCCT Program UpdateCCT Program Update
By Chris Gachanen
FINAL EXAM COMPLETED!
More than four years’ work involving hundreds ofcalibration practitioners from government agencies,academia, and small and large commercial interestshas culminated in the American Society for Quality(ASQ) Measurement Quality Division (MQD) CertifiedCalibration Technician (CCT) exam. These volunteersalong with dedicated ASQ staff and contracted industryprofessionals engaged in a variety of research, analy-sis, data acquisition and dissemination of informationactivities to define the CCT body of knowledge (BOK).The CCT exam reflects the CCT BOK, deemed appro-priate by the above-mentioned volunteers, for the mid-level calibration practitioner and formally recognizesthe scope and depth of the specialized comprehensionrequired by these professionals. The CCT exam marksthe first time that certification criterion for a peer recog-nition program has been established in the U.S. forcalibration practitioners.The CCT exam went from working draft to finalrevision at the CCT Exam Review Workshop con-ducted on the 4th and 5th of April, 2003, at ASQheadquarters in Milwaukee, Wis. Nine calibration prac-titioners from commercial, government, and privatecalibration interests attended this ASQ-sponsoredworkshop. As the name implies, the final exam work-shop focused on final approval of candidate examquestions for use on the CCT exam. Each candidateexam question had to be evaluated and approved interms of its applicability, clarity and appropriate cogni-zant level. In addition, each candidate exam questionhad to be both accurate and exclusively correct, whileeach of its distracter choices had to be plausible. Eachexam question must reference a hard copy and/orelectronic publication available in the public domain.The CCT exam encompasses 125 questions spanningthe following six major topic areas:1.General Metrology (30 Questions)2.Measurement Systems (25 Questions)3.Calibration Systems (25 Questions)4.Applied Math and Statistics (20 Questions)5.Quality Systems and Standards (15 Questions)6.Uncertainty (10 Questions)References used for CCT exam question develop-ment may be found on the ASQ CCT web page. It isacknowledged that the CCT BOK spans many differentpublications as is typical of a new ASQ certification. Asof this writing (3rd week in April, 2003), I am aware ofseveral CCT exam study guides / preparation publica-tions and workshops that currently are, or will shortlybe, available as well as a metrology handbook in theworks.The CCT exam’s first public offering was held June7, 2003. ASQ headquarters has informed me that therewere over 100 CCT exam candidates for the June 7offering, a healthy showing for the first offering of a newASQ certification. This response reflects the enthusi-asm calibration practitioners have for the CCT pro-gram.After the June 7 CCT exam offering, a Cut-ScoreStudy Workshop was conducted on June 20-21, 2003,at ASQ headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis. The Cut-Score Study Workshop focused on determining theraw score for a passing CCT exam score. The work-shop, comprised of 10-12 ASQ calibration practitionersthat did not take the CCT exam in June and would notbe eligible to take the CCT exam until June of 2004,employed various time-proven techniques and meth-odologies in developing the cut-score threshold. Cut-score development activities focus on the borderlinecase, assuming that those exam candidates that be-long to the upper grouping (passing the exam) will tendto earn higher scores than those who belong in thelower grouping (not passing the exam). The cut-scorethreshold can be viewed as the score one wouldreasonably expect from a person whose skills areconsidered borderline between the two groupings. Toderive this threshold, Cut-Score Workshop partici-pants must make a judgment for each exam questionas to the probability that a borderline test-taker wouldanswer it correctly. The result of each participant’sevaluation is then assessed in the context of the group.Analysis and other activities are employed to deriveconsensus and ultimately the cut-score threshold.These aforementioned activities help ensure that theCCT exam cut-score truly reflects the borderline case.I wish to express my sincere appreciation to themany volunteers who have contributed to the CCTexam development and to the many individuals devel-oping materials for aiding technicians in studying forthe exam. Without their passion the CCT programwould not have gotten beyond the “wishful” stage.
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