EQA and Proficiency Testing for NABL Accredited Labs — A Practical Guide

External Quality Assessment (EQA), also called Proficiency Testing (PT), is mandatory for NABL accreditation under ISO 15189:2022. This guide covers everything labs need to know about EQA participation.

EQA is the process of comparing your lab’s test results against those of other labs testing the same sample. It’s the gold standard for demonstrating that your results are accurate when compared against your peers.

Which EQA Programmes Are Accepted by NABL?

• EQAS CMC Vellore: One of the most comprehensive EQA programmes in India, covering biochemistry, haematology, microbiology, and more.
• AIIMS EQA: Offered by All India Institute of Medical Sciences for select disciplines.
• BioRad Unity: International EQA programme, widely accepted.
• CAP Proficiency Testing: College of American Pathologists PT programme — internationally recognised.
• RIQAS: Randox International Quality Assessment Scheme.

How to Choose the Right EQA Programme

Select an EQA programme that covers the specific tests in your NABL accreditation scope. If an EQA programme is not available for a specific analyte, you must document this and use an alternative verification method (e.g., split-sample testing with another NABL lab).

What to Do When EQA Results Are Poor

Poor EQA performance is not automatically a major non-conformance in NABL accreditation — what matters is your response. Document:

1. Root cause investigation: Why did the result deviate?
2. Corrective action: What was done to fix the root cause?
3. Verification: Evidence that the corrective action was effective
4. Follow-up EQA cycle: Performance in subsequent cycles