CSQP Open Book Policy: What Materials You Can Bring

What "Open Book" Actually Means on the CSQP Exam

The ASQ Certified Supplier Quality Professional (CSQP) exam is officially open book, which is genuinely unusual among professional certification exams. But before you imagine leisurely flipping to answers while the clock ticks quietly in the background, understand what open book means in practice for a 165-question, 4.5-hour computer-based exam administered through Prometric.

The open book policy exists because the CSQP Body of Knowledge - covering everything from supplier strategy and lifecycle management to FMEA, PPAP, SPC, ISO 9001, AS9100, and IATF 16949 - is genuinely vast. No reasonable testing body expects candidates to memorize every control limit formula or every clause of an automotive quality standard verbatim. What ASQ does expect is that you understand how to apply those concepts in realistic supplier quality scenarios.

Administered by ASQ Excellence (ASQE) through Prometric test centers, the CSQP is available as a computer-based test (CBT) or remote proctored option. The open book policy applies to both delivery modes, though the logistics of managing physical books in a remote proctored environment require extra planning. Exam fees run approximately $444 for ASQ members and $594 for non-members in the United States - an investment that makes thorough preparation, including assembling a smart reference kit, well worth your time.

Exactly What Materials Are Permitted

ASQ's rule is straightforward but specific: candidates may bring any bound reference materials, including personal notes, as long as they are permanently bound. This gives you significant flexibility in curating exactly the resources most relevant to the seven CSQP domains.

Permanently Bound Materials That Qualify

• Hardcover and paperback textbooks (standard publisher binding)
• Perfect-bound softcover books and workbooks
• Saddle-stitched booklets (stapled through the spine)
• Comb-bound or coil-bound books where the binding is the original production format
• Personal notes that have been professionally or permanently bound (e.g., bound at a print shop into a single book)
• ASQ's own Body of Knowledge document if printed and permanently bound
• Quality standards such as ISO 9001, AS9100, and IATF 16949 in bound reference format

The Personal Notes Provision

The personal notes allowance is one of the most powerful features of CSQP's open book policy. You can write condensed summaries of supplier audit checklists, FMEA severity/occurrence/detection tables, SPC control chart decision rules, PPAP submission categories, and domain-specific terminology - and then have that custom reference at your fingertips. The binding requirement means you need to plan ahead: have your notes bound at a copy center before exam day, not assembled in a folder the morning of the test.

What Is Not Allowed

The boundary is the word "permanently." Any material that can be easily modified, added to, or reorganized does not qualify. Prohibited reference formats include:

• Loose-leaf binders (even heavy-duty three-ring binders with locked rings)
• Unbound stacks of printed pages or notes
• Tabbed accordion folders with inserted pages
• Spiral notebooks where pages can be torn out easily - check with your Prometric center if uncertain about a specific format
• Any electronic reference materials on personal devices (phones, tablets, laptops) unless explicitly provided by the testing system itself

Electronic access to reference documents through personal devices is not part of the CSQP open book policy. You are working from physical, permanently bound print materials. The distinction matters especially for remote proctored candidates, who should review ASQ's and Prometric's current remote testing guidelines carefully, as the logistics of showing physical books to a webcam during a room scan have specific protocols.

Calculator and Scratch Paper Policy

For the quantitative elements spread across Domain 4 (Measurement and Metrics) and Domain 5 (Supplier Quality Tools and Techniques), you have two calculator options: the on-screen basic scientific calculator provided within the testing interface, or a hand-held basic non-programmable calculator you bring yourself.

"Basic non-programmable" is the critical phrase. Graphing calculators, calculators with symbolic algebra functions, and any device that stores text or programs are not permitted. A standard scientific calculator capable of square roots, exponents, logarithms, and basic statistical functions covers everything you'll encounter with SPC formulas, process capability indices (Cp, Cpk), and cost-of-quality calculations in Domain 6 (Supply Chain Cost Analysis).

Scratch paper and pencils are provided at Prometric test centers. You do not need to bring your own. For remote proctored sessions, confirm the current scratch paper policy with ASQ/Prometric, as remote proctoring sometimes requires using a specific whiteboard or pre-approved notepad visible on camera.

Building a Strategic Reference Kit for CSQP Domains

Bringing every quality textbook you own is a tempting strategy that usually backfires. More books mean more time searching, more cognitive load managing tabs, and less time actually answering questions. The CSQP's seven domains each have distinct reference needs.

Tabbing and Indexing Your Books Effectively

A book without tabs is nearly useless during a timed exam. A book with forty tabs for twenty topics is almost as bad - you spend more time hunting than answering. Aim for surgical precision: one tab per major topic cluster, not one tab per page.

Color-code by domain. For example: blue tabs for Domain 4 and Domain 5 quantitative tools, red for Domain 3 compliance standards, green for Domain 1 and 2 strategy frameworks. When a question hits, you scan for the color first, then the label.

Write a hand-written index inside the front cover of each bound book listing your most critical tabs and their page numbers. Under exam pressure, this saves the ten seconds of visual scanning that adds up across 150 scored questions over 4.5 hours.

If you're preparing for the exam and want to test how effectively you can navigate your references under realistic conditions, practice with full-length CSQP simulated questions while using your reference materials exactly as you would on exam day. This builds both knowledge and lookup speed simultaneously.

The Open Book Trap: Why References Alone Won't Save You

Many candidates preparing for the CSQP assume the open book policy substantially reduces the difficulty of the exam. This assumption leads to under-preparation and, frequently, to a failed attempt. Understanding why requires looking at the nature of CSQP questions.

The CSQP Body of Knowledge (2016 version, current as of this writing) specifies cognitive levels for its subtopics - including analysis, evaluation, and application levels, not just recall. A question might present a supplier audit scenario with multiple nonconformances and ask you to prioritize corrective actions based on risk level, customer requirements, and process criticality. No reference book contains the answer to that specific scenario. Your answer comes from synthesized understanding of Domain 2, Domain 3, and Domain 7 (Leadership and Communication) applied together.

Questions about FMEA, SPC, or PPAP that involve straightforward formulas can benefit from reference lookup. But questions that test judgment in supplier relationship management, strategic sourcing decisions, or risk escalation frameworks require knowledge you've internalized - not something you can locate under time pressure.

This is why, even though the CSQP open book policy is generous, candidates with the required experience background - a minimum of 8 years of full-time paid experience in CSQP Body of Knowledge areas, including 3 years in a decision-making position, as detailed in the CSQP Eligibility Requirements: Experience & Education Guide - still need to study rigorously, not just organize their bookshelves.

Which Domains Actually Benefit From Quick Lookups

Be deliberate about when you reach for a reference during the exam. Not every domain yields to quick lookup equally.

Domains where references add real value:

• Domain 4 (Measurement and Metrics) and Domain 5 (Supplier Quality Tools and Techniques): SPC constants, Cp/Cpk formulas, FMEA RPN calculation, PPAP document requirements, MSA gauge R&R interpretation - these are precise, verifiable facts worth confirming.
• Domain 3 (Risk and Compliance): Specific ISO 9001, AS9100, or IATF 16949 clause requirements when a question is clause-specific rather than conceptual.
• Domain 6 (Supply Chain Cost Analysis): Cost-of-quality category definitions and basic total cost of ownership formula structures.

Domains where you should trust your preparation:

• Domain 1 (Supplier Strategy) and Domain 2 (Supplier Lifecycle Management): These test strategic thinking and supplier relationship concepts that don't lend themselves to lookup.
• Domain 7 (Leadership and Communication): Influencing, negotiating, and communicating with suppliers and internal stakeholders - judgment-based questions that no reference resolves quickly.

To see what CSQP questions actually feel like across all seven domains before exam day, try the free CSQP practice questions available at our main prep hub and pay attention to which questions make you want to reach for a reference versus which ones you answer from understanding.

A Focused Preparation Approach Tied to the Body of Knowledge

Given the open book policy, a smart preparation plan integrates reference organization with content mastery rather than treating them as separate tasks. Here is a domain-sequenced approach that reflects the CSQP's structure:

For additional guidance on confirming you meet the experience and education thresholds before registering - including how education waivers can reduce the 8-year experience requirement by up to 4 years - review the CSQP Eligibility Requirements: Experience & Education Guide before submitting your application.

The CSQP open book policy is a genuine advantage - but only for candidates who have built a well-organized, strategically curated reference kit and developed the underlying domain knowledge to use it efficiently. Both elements together are what separate passing candidates from those who assume the open book policy means the exam is easy.

As you finalize your exam preparation, keep practicing under timed, realistic conditions. Our CSQP practice test platform lets you simulate the exam environment so you can identify which topics you can answer confidently and which ones you're still depending on references to resolve - exactly the diagnostic you need in the final weeks before your exam date.

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