IECEx QAR vs CoC: the evidence chain
The official IECEx Certified Equipment Scheme overview describes two assessment elements behind a certificate. A sample product is tested and recorded through an Ex Test Report, while the manufacturer's quality system is assessed and kept under surveillance through a Quality Assessment Report. Satisfactory evidence from both paths allows an approved IECEx Certification Body to issue and maintain a Certificate of Conformity.
These records answer different questions. The ExTR concerns evaluated product design evidence. The QAR concerns the quality system at a manufacturing location. The CoC is the public product-level certificate record that brings the relevant summaries together. Treating any one document as a substitute for the others can hide a mismatch in model, site, issue, protection technique or standard edition.
| Record | Main question it supports | What it does not prove by itself |
|---|---|---|
| ExTR summary | Which product assessment and standards support the certificate? | Current certificate status, every production location or the exact offered configuration |
| QAR summary | Which manufacturer and audited location are covered for relevant Ex production controls? | Certification of a specific product, model, option or shipment |
| Online CoC | Which equipment is certified under the displayed number, issue, scope and conditions? | That a quotation or delivered item matches the certificate without an identity check |
| Product records | Does the ordered and delivered configuration match the controlled certificate evidence? | A broader certification claim beyond the listed model, options and conditions |
Why the online CoC is the buyer's controlled starting point
The official IECEx equipment-scheme FAQ states that the version shown in the IECEx Online Certificate System is the controlled public master. A PDF supplied by email can help a review, but it should be compared with the online record for status, issue number and certificate changes.
The same FAQ identifies three essential elements for an equipment CoC: an ExTR, a QAR for the relevant facility and the CoC itself. It also explains that reports can be produced through different approved bodies, while the ExCB issuing the CoC remains responsible for confirming that the evidence is complete, relates to the same product and links the applicable manufacturing site.
For a practical certificate lookup workflow, use the existing MMAIATEX guide on how to verify IECEx certificates and ATEX documents. That guide covers online status and scope. This article focuses more narrowly on why QAR and CoC records cannot be interchanged.
What changed in the IECEx quality-document set in 2026
Current document dates matter because screenshots and old audit files can outlive the process that created them. The official IECEx forms register lists F-001 QAR Audit Form Edition 7.0 with a publication date of 3 February 2026. The same register lists F-013, the checklist for reviewing CoCs, ExTRs and QARs, with a publication date of 16 June 2026.
IECEx OD 009:2026 describes the procedures for issuing CoCs, ExTRs and QARs. It explains that a public QAR summary can identify the manufacturer and audited sites, the auditing ExCB, relevant protection techniques and standards, product type and related CoCs. The summary is a useful cross-check, but it is still not a product certificate.
IECEx OD 025 states that a QAR is valid for a period not exceeding three years. That upper limit should not be converted into an assumed expiry date. Buyers need the current online record, its status and the relationship between the QAR summary, manufacturing location and product certificate.
Buyer checks for a coherent QAR and CoC record
- Search the official IECEx Online Certificate System using the complete certificate number.
- Confirm that the status is current and record the displayed issue number and change history.
- Read the equipment description, exact model range, protection marking, standards and any X or U suffix.
- Open the linked ExTR and QAR summaries where available and compare their references with the CoC.
- Confirm that the manufacturing location relevant to the offered product appears in the controlled evidence.
- Compare the quotation, nameplate, option codes and instructions with the certificate schedule.
- Record the review date and source URLs in the procurement file rather than keeping an isolated screenshot.
- Escalate discrepancies to the manufacturer and the ExCB shown on the certificate.
The guide to IECEx certificate X and U suffixes explains why specific conditions and component limitations still matter after a record is found. The Ex marking guide can help compare the delivered nameplate with controlled documents.
Red flags that require clarification
- a QAR is presented as proof that a named product is certified;
- the offered manufacturing site does not match the site linked to the CoC;
- an emailed certificate issue differs from the online master;
- the model, option code, protection marking or standard edition is missing from the quotation;
- a QAR summary is current but the related product CoC is suspended, cancelled or absent;
- a component certificate is presented as permission to use the component alone; or
- a logo, website badge or product photograph is offered instead of controlled evidence.
These red flags do not automatically prove nonconformity. They show that the evidence chain is incomplete and that the purchase should pause until the responsible parties resolve it.
Current MMAIATEX certification status
The public MMAIATEX About page states that ATEX, IECEx and CCC certification work is in progress. MMAIATEX Explosion-proof Technology (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. does not present this guide, a QAR explanation, a product category or a representative photograph as evidence that a particular model has completed IECEx certification.
Buyers should obtain current exact-model records and verify the certificate holder, issue, online status, product identity, manufacturing locations, QAR relationship, standards, conditions and instructions through the applicable official source.
Safety and legal disclaimer
This article is general educational information reviewed on the date shown. It is not a conformity assessment, certificate decision, factory audit, legal opinion, hazardous-area classification or authorization to install or energize equipment. The manufacturer, ExCB, project engineer, owner, employer and relevant authority must determine the evidence required for the actual product, site and destination market.
Request an IECEx evidence review
Send the destination market, complete certificate number, online issue, exact model and options, manufacturer location, quotation, nameplate and required standard editions. MMAIATEX can identify available product records for review by the responsible buyer and compliance team.