Quality questions hinge on terms that are easy to blur: quality planning, quality assurance and quality control. The PFQ repeatedly asks which of them a described activity belongs to.
What quality covers in the PFQ
- Quality planning: defining 'fit for purpose'
- Quality assurance (process, independent) versus quality control (product, inspection)
- Acceptance criteria and sign-off
- Continual improvement
- The difference between quality and grade
Where candidates lose marks
Swapping assurance and control — assurance checks the process, control checks the product.
Confusing quality with grade — a low-grade product can still be high quality.
Treating quality as inspection at the end rather than planned in.
Free, timed, exam-style questions across all ten PFQ topics — with an explanation for every answer and a per-topic breakdown.
Start a free practice testQuality questions, answered
What is the difference between quality assurance and quality control?
Quality assurance is process-focused and independent — it checks that the way work is done is sound. Quality control is product-focused — it inspects deliverables against their acceptance criteria.
What is the difference between quality and grade?
Quality is meeting the agreed requirements; grade is the level of features or specification. A low-grade product can still be high quality if it meets its requirements.
The other nine topics
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