What term describes audits conducted on only one specific area of the QA program and do not track a job from start to finish?

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Multiple Choice

What term describes audits conducted on only one specific area of the QA program and do not track a job from start to finish?

Audits scoped to a single area of the QA program and not following a job from start to finish are described as vertical audits. The idea behind this approach is to verify that a specific function or process step is performed consistently across many jobs or time periods. By concentrating on that one area, you can spot systemic issues—like inconsistent testing methods, missing documentation, or deviations from procedures—without needing to trace an entire job through every stage. In contrast, a horizontal audit would look across multiple steps within a single job or across different processes for the same product, providing end-to-end coverage of how the job flows. A program audit checks the QA program as a whole—its structure and governance—while a compliance audit focuses on adherence to external standards or regulations.

Audits scoped to a single area of the QA program and not following a job from start to finish are described as vertical audits. The idea behind this approach is to verify that a specific function or process step is performed consistently across many jobs or time periods. By concentrating on that one area, you can spot systemic issues—like inconsistent testing methods, missing documentation, or deviations from procedures—without needing to trace an entire job through every stage.

In contrast, a horizontal audit would look across multiple steps within a single job or across different processes for the same product, providing end-to-end coverage of how the job flows. A program audit checks the QA program as a whole—its structure and governance—while a compliance audit focuses on adherence to external standards or regulations.

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