Qus.	What is ILAC and what is the role of ILAC?
	International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) is the world’s principal international forum for the development of laboratory accreditation practices and procedures, the promotion of laboratory accreditation as a trade facilitation tool, the assistance of developing accreditation systems and the recognition of competent test facilities around the globe. ILAC is an international cooperation between various laboratory accreditation schemes throughout the world.
Qus.	What is APLAC and what is the role of APLAC?
	Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) groups accreditation bodies in the Asia Pacific region responsible for accrediting calibration, testing and inspection facilities. APLAC’s principle objectives are to foster the development of competent laboratories and inspection bodies in member economies, to harmonize accreditation practices in the region and with regions, and to facilitate mutual recognition of accredited test, measurements and inspection results through the APLAC multilateral Mutual Recognition arrangement (MRA). This reduces the need for re-testing of products and therefore saves time and money. APLAC has active programs for the development of technical guidance documents, inter-laboratory comparisons (proficiency testing), and for training of laboratory assessors.
Qus.	What is Laboratory Accreditation
	Laboratory accreditation is a procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition of technical competence for specific tests/measurements, based on third party assessment and following international standard. In India, government has authorized NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) as the sole accreditation body for testing and calibration laboratories.
Qus.	What is NABL
	NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) is the sole laboratory accreditation body in India, engaged in accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories based on third party assessment according to International Standard ISO/IEC: 17025.
Qus.	What is ISO/IEC: 17025
	ISO/IEC: 17025 is an international standard i.e. “General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.” It contains all of the requirements that testing and calibration laboratories have to meet if they wish to demonstrate that they operate a quality system, are technically competent, and are able to generate technically valid results. It specifies the requirements for sound management as well as the requirements for technical competence for the type of tests and/or calibrations the laboratory undertakes. Accreditation bodies that recognize the competence of testing and calibration laboratories use this International Standard as the basis for their accreditation.
Qus.	What is Repeatability
	The closeness of agreement between results of successive measurements of the same value of a quantity carried out under identical conditions at short intervals of time.
Qus.	What is Reproducibility
	The closeness of agreement between corrected results of measurements of the same value of a quantity when the measurements are made under different conditions (such as different methods, different instruments, different observers etc.)
Qus.	What is meant by Traceable to National/International Standard
	The ability to relate the individual measurement results through an unbroken chain of calibrations to National/International Standards.
Qus.	What is Calibration
	A process that establishes, under specified conditions, the relationship between the values indicated by the measuring system, and the corresponding values of a quantity realised by a reference standard or working standard.
Qus.	What is Accuracy
	The closeness of agreement between a calibration result and the reference value.
Qus.	What is Uncertainty of measurement
	The uncertainty of measurement is a parameter, associated with the result of a measurement, that characterizes the dispersion of the true values which could reasonably be attributed to the measurand.
Qus.	What is Coverage factor (K-factor)?
	The coverage factor (K-factor) is the numerical factor used as a multiplier of the combined standard uncertainty in order to obtain an expanded uncertainty of measurement. The expanded uncertainty yields an interval that is likely to cover the true value of the measurand with a stated high level of confidence.