QUESTION: What is the difference between a laboratory being accredited and being certified?

ANSWER: These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, which can result in confusion. Certification (also known as "registration") has a very different meaning than accreditation when referring to a laboratory.

A laboratory can achieve certification/registration by having a documented management system that has been assessed by a third party as in compliance with a certain standard (such as ISO 9001). But a key point to consider is that certification/registration doesn't address a laboratory's output, technical competence or testing processes; it only addresses the laboratory's management system.

On the other hand, accreditation of laboratories is carried out using international standard ISO/IEC 17025, which is specifically designed for assessing the management system and operations of the laboratory and the end product—its technical competence. The ultimate goal of laboratory accreditation is to ensure that different laboratories testing the same item come up with equivalent test results. With this goal in mind, accreditation both raises the bar and levels the playing field.

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