The Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) partners with Exemplar Global to independently deliver Personnel Certification for SQF Certified Professionals. Exemplar Global operates to the principles of ISO17024:2012 and our accreditation scope includes Certified SQF Auditor.
Options for becoming an SQF Certified Professional are:
SQF Auditors and technical reviewers work for a licensed SQF certification body as an employee or a subcontractor. SQF auditors and technical reviewers are part of the SQF certification process essential to maintaining food safety and quality at food businesses throughout the global supply chain.
How many Food Sector Category (FSC) am I permitted to apply for?
Applicants may only apply for a combined total of five (5) FSC within any 12 month period (inclusive of FSC that are part of an Initial Application or Expansion Request).
Any variation to this must be approved by SQFI via the waiver request process and initiated by the Certification Body.
This applies to all applications submitted on or after 1st November 2024.
SQF trainers are registered with SQFI and employed by a licensed SQF training center to teach SQF courses. The role of the SQF trainer is to impart knowledge to food safety professionals.
SQF consultants provide guidance to sites seeking certification without managing the site’s SQF program. Consultants must be registered by SQFI and are hired by sites to help develop, implement, verify, and maintain their SQF programs.
The program describes the qualifications and registration requirements for professionals auditing. On a broad level, it focuses on the benefits to the industry and consumers—whereby improved product quality enhances marketability and profitability.
The Certified SQF Practitioner credential, created by SQFI and Exemplar Global, provides a consistent framework for food safety. Those who earn this voluntary professional certification credential demonstrate their ability to implement, maintain, and continuously improve an SQF food safety system at any site.
Upon completion of your application via Exemplar LINK (see the “How do I apply for certification” tab in the “Frequently Asked Questions” section, below), you will receive an email notification with further information, including a link to your Certified SQF Practitioner exam.
The Certified SQF Practitioner Self-Assessment covers essential topics to prepare practitioners for certification. Preparing for the SQF Practitioner Exam is doable as the exam content is based on a job analysis specific to a practitioner. The first part of the exam covers essential foundational knowledge like HACCP training, sanitation practices, and understanding food safety basics such as microbiological hazards, allergen control, and food safety regulations. You’ll also want to feel confident keeping accurate records, using food safety management software, and brushing up on technical writing skills—all of which are manageable with a bit of focus.
The exam dives into food safety plans, where you’ll show how well you know the Codex HACCP plan process. This includes identifying hazards, conducting risk assessments, and handling corrective actions when needed. Don’t worry—you’ll also get to showcase your ability to analyze food safety data, predict risks, and understand traceability, which are things you’ve likely encountered already.
The exam also examines how you manage the bigger picture of food safety, such as overseeing audits, closing gaps in food safety systems, and staying updated on industry trends. Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential, as is your ability to assess and manage risks. With a solid grasp of leadership, problem-solving, and time management, you’ll be more than ready to tackle this.
Be sure to have a reliable and strong internet connection, as this is essential for a smooth testing experience. The exam platform specifically requires Google Chrome, so make sure it’s installed on the computer you plan to use.
For more information about SQFI, click here.
Exemplar Global recognizes training completed with training providers who have held or currently hold certification with us under our current name or previous trading names (RABQSA, QSA, RAB) for 10 years from the date the training was completed. These are for our management system schemes, such as QMS, EMS, OHS, etc.
Some of our schemes require a training certificate to have been issued within the last three years. Please check the specific certification requirements for the scheme you wish to apply for. If your training was completed outside of the training requirement time, you may need to complete a relevant knowledge examination, if available. If a knowledge examination is not available, this may be substituted with an audit log showing relevant audit experience. If you choose this method, we require that you show evidence of 10 audit days reflecting the specific scheme (e.g, QMS, EMS, OHS, etc.) and grade (i.e., auditor or lead auditor) you wish to apply for. Importantly, the audit dates captured in your log need to have been conducted within the past three years.
There are current agreements with ICRA/CQI, PECB, and the CCAA to recognize certification. Applicants must be able to demonstrate holding a current certification with one of the above mentioned bodies in order to qualify.
You can check on the status of your application for certification via our Exemplar LINK platform at www.exemplarlink.org. At the top-level navigation, select the ‘Manage My Certifications’ button and from the drop- down menu choose the Exemplar Global option. From there, select the ‘Current Certifications’ tab. You will then be taken through to the ‘Applications in Progress’ page where you can check the status of your certification application.
Once you submit your application for certification, you will not be able to see the documents you have uploaded to support your application. Please contact your certification specialist or info@exemplarglobal.org if you need assistance.
It usually takes between seven to 10 business days to complete this process. However, this is provided that all supporting documents have been uploaded by the applicant.
Before you apply for certification, please ensure that you meet all the requirements specific to the scheme you wish to apply for. You can review those requirements on our website. These can be found by clicking on the ‘Individual Auditors’ tab at the top-level navigation of our homepage. From the drop-down menu, select the ‘Browse All Certifications’ option. From there, you will be taken to a page that features the different categories of certifications we offer, including Education Systems, Food Safety Systems etc. Select the scheme you are are interested in and click the ‘Learn More’ button. You will then be taken through to your selected scheme page. From there, click on the ‘Download Certification Requirements’ button on the right hand side of the page. Please review the requirements carefully to ensure that you meet the scheme, grade and scope requirements.
If you are a new customer, you will need to create an account with Exemplar LINK, our customer portal platform. You can access Exemplar LINK via www.exemplarlink.org or via the Exemplar LINK login button on our website. From there, you can enter your contact details and create your account.
Once you have an account, either as a new customer or as an existing customer, you can apply for certification by following these steps:
Once we have received your application, an Exemplar Global certification specialist will contact you if any additional information or steps are required.
Download the “Certification Requirements” document from the certification page you wish to apply for.
Carefully review the requirements to see if you have the qualification (training) needed and have met the scheme, grade, and scope.
Once you have met all the requirements, you’re ready to begin your 5 Steps to Certification!
Go on to Exemplar LINK to sign up and register your details
Login to Exemplar LINK & continue to: Manage My Certification > Exemplar Global > Apply for Certification
Select the Certification you want to apply for
Upload your auditor training certificate requirements & pay your fee
Complete the Work Style Assessment
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