About
The Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE®) is a distinguished professional credential that signifies expertise in enhancing product, system, and process reliability, maintainability, and safety. CREs apply statistical analysis, risk assessment, and reliability engineering principles to optimize performance, minimize failures, and ensure compliance with industry standards. Achieving CRE certification validates an individual’s capability in implementing best practices for reliability engineering across various industries.
Certification Body
The CRE certification is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) under ISO 17024 standards, ensuring that the program meets internationally recognized benchmarks for professional certification. Administered by the American Society for Quality (ASQ®), this certification is widely respected across industries for its rigorous assessment and validation of reliability engineering competencies.
Learning Objectives
By obtaining the CRE certification, professionals will:
- Develop expertise in failure analysis, reliability modeling, and performance evaluation.
- Learn to design and implement reliability testing methodologies.
- Master the application of probability and statistical techniques to predict system reliability.
- Enhance their ability to optimize maintenance strategies for improved system performance.
- Understand risk management principles to reduce product and system failures.
- Acquire knowledge in life-cycle reliability management to sustain product integrity.
Exam Information
The CRE certification examination assesses a candidate’s knowledge of reliability engineering principles through a structured evaluation process:
- Computer-Based Exam:
- 165 multiple-choice questions (150 scored, 15 unscored)
- Duration: 4 hours 18 minutes
- Offered in English only
- Paper-Based Exam:
- 150 multiple-choice questions (scored)
- Duration: 4 hours
- Available in English, Korean, and Mandarin (in select locations)
- Open Book Exam: Candidates must bring their own reference materials.
Recertification
To maintain the CRE credential, professionals must renew their certification every three years. Recertification can be achieved by either earning recertification credits through continued education and professional development activities or by retaking the examination.
Eligibility
To qualify for the CRE certification, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Experience:
- 8 years of full-time, paid work experience in reliability engineering or related fields.
- 3 years must be in a decision-making role (authority to define, execute, or control processes/projects and be accountable for outcomes).
- Education Waivers: Candidates may reduce the experience requirement as follows:
- Technical or trade school diploma – 1 year waived
- Associate degree – 2 years waived
- Bachelor’s degree – 4 years waived
- Master’s or Doctorate – 5 years waived
- Candidates with previous ASQ certifications in Quality Engineering, Quality Auditing, Software Quality Engineering, or Quality Management may count their experience towards the CRE certification.
Target Audience
The CRE certification is ideal for professionals involved in:
- Reliability Engineering and Risk Management
- Product and System Design Engineering
- Quality Assurance and Quality Control
- Maintenance and Asset Management
- Manufacturing and Process Improvement
- Supply Chain and Risk Analysis
- Aerospace, Automotive, Healthcare, and Defense Industries
Curriculum
The CRE certification covers a comprehensive Body of Knowledge (BoK) that includes:
- Reliability Fundamentals – Principles, definitions, and key concepts
- Risk Management – Failure mode analysis, risk assessment, and mitigation
- Probability and Statistics for Reliability – Statistical modeling, probability distributions, and data analysis
- Reliability Planning, Testing, and Modeling – Reliability growth, life-cycle planning, and maintenance optimization
- Life-Cycle Reliability – Product design, operational reliability, and failure analysis
