Proficiency Testing

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The importance of proficiency testing

Systematic measurement deviations that develop over time cannot be detected by internal audits alone. Several accreditations, as well as EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017, therefore require laboratories to participate in Proficiency Tests (PT schemes) or interlaboratory comparisons (ILC). This involves an anonymous comparison of measurement results from multiple laboratories (benchmarking) to identify any deviations. VSL is an by RvA accredited PT provider (EN ISO/IEC 17043:2023 registratie nummer R006).

 

Proficiency testing in practice

During a Proficiency Test, all participating laboratories perform the same measurements and data analyses. The results are compared and compiled into a report in which each participant is assigned a unique code. Participants only know their own code, allowing them to anonymously compare their results with those of other laboratories. We treat the data confidentially and only disclose them to the laboratory itself.

Participation in proficiency tests is an investment in reliability, operational security and confidence in one’s own capabilities. It also enables laboratories to meet the requirements for accreditation and EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

Laboratories that are committed to quality also consider it important to participate in PT schemes because:

• they allow them to independently verify and confirm their own performance
• they provide input for strategic marketing decisions because they show how the laboratories perform compared to others
• they either confirm the laboratories’ satisfactory performance or provide a warning of possible problems that require investigation
• the laboratories see PTs as a quality and risk management tool
• they recognise the educational role of PTs
• they meet the requirements set by regulatory and accreditation bodies.