FCC Laboratory Accreditation & Standards 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What accreditation standard must FCC Telecommunication Certification Bodies (TCBs) and their test laboratories meet?
- ISO/IEC 17025 for testing and calibration laboratories (Correct answer)
- ISO 9001 for quality management systems
- ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection bodies
- ISO/IEC 17065 for certification bodies
Correct answer: ISO/IEC 17025 for testing and calibration laboratories
FCC-recognized TCBs and their associated test laboratories must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, which establishes competence requirements for testing and calibration laboratories.
Question 2: Which US accreditation body is most commonly used for FCC laboratory accreditation?
- NVLAP (National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program) or A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation) (Correct answer)
- FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
- FCC Office of Engineering and Technology directly
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Correct answer: NVLAP (National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program) or A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation)
NVLAP (operated by NIST) and A2LA are the two primary accreditation bodies that assess US test laboratories against ISO/IEC 17025 for FCC-related testing scopes.
Question 3: What does a laboratory's 'scope of accreditation' define?
- The specific tests, measurement ranges, and standards for which the laboratory is accredited to perform (Correct answer)
- The geographic area in which the laboratory can accept devices for testing
- The maximum power level of devices the laboratory can test
- The number of devices the laboratory can test per month
Correct answer: The specific tests, measurement ranges, and standards for which the laboratory is accredited to perform
The scope of accreditation is a formal document issued by the accreditation body that lists the specific test methods, standards, measurement parameters, and ranges for which the laboratory has demonstrated competence.
Question 4: What is the role of a TCB (Telecommunication Certification Body) in the FCC authorization process?
- To review and grant equipment authorizations on behalf of the FCC without submitting each application to the FCC directly (Correct answer)
- To perform all emissions testing for FCC applicants
- To audit test laboratories for compliance with ISO/IEC 17025
- To manage the FCC ID database and public grantee records
Correct answer: To review and grant equipment authorizations on behalf of the FCC without submitting each application to the FCC directly
TCBs are organizations designated by the FCC to review and grant equipment authorizations under Part 2, subpart J, allowing manufacturers to receive certification without FCC direct review of each application.
Question 5: What does an ISO/IEC 17025 internal audit require a laboratory to do?
- Systematically examine its own management system and technical operations to verify conformance with the standard's requirements (Correct answer)
- Submit test results to an external auditor for independent verification
- Calibrate all equipment and document the results
- Conduct a proficiency test and compare results to other laboratories
Correct answer: Systematically examine its own management system and technical operations to verify conformance with the standard's requirements
ISO/IEC 17025 requires laboratories to conduct internal audits at planned intervals to verify that their management system and technical activities conform to the standard and the laboratory's own policies, identifying nonconformities for corrective action.
Question 6: What is a 'proficiency testing' (PT) program and why is it important for FCC accredited laboratories?
- An inter-laboratory comparison program that evaluates a lab's measurement performance against other labs by testing the same artifact (Correct answer)
- A program for training new technicians in FCC test methods
- A government program that ranks laboratories by the number of certifications they issue
- An internal exercise where technicians test the same device multiple times
Correct answer: An inter-laboratory comparison program that evaluates a lab's measurement performance against other labs by testing the same artifact
Proficiency testing (also called inter-laboratory comparison) provides objective evidence of a laboratory's measurement competence by comparing its results on a common artifact to those of other participating laboratories and/or reference values.
FCC Laboratory Accreditation & Standards 1
What accreditation standard must FCC Telecommunication Certification Bodies (TCBs) and their test laboratories meet?