Laboratory Excellence and AccreditationIntroduction to Measurement Uncertainty
Every measurement carries a doubt, and a result reported without it cannot support a decision about conformity. This course introduces the concept and the arithmetic. Delegates work through the difference between error and uncertainty, identifying the sources that contribute to a result, evaluating them by statistical means and by other means, and combining them into a standard and then an expanded uncertainty. The budget is built by hand on real measurements so delegates can see which contributions matter and which are noise. The course closes on reporting uncertainty in a way a customer and an assessor will both accept, and is the foundation for the applied course that follows it.
Course objectives
- Distinguish measurement error from measurement uncertainty
- Identify the sources contributing to the uncertainty of a result
- Evaluate contributions by statistical means and by other means
- Combine contributions into a standard and an expanded uncertainty
- Apply coverage factors and state a level of confidence
- Build a simple uncertainty budget for a real measurement
- Report uncertainty so a customer and an assessor both accept it
Who should attend
- Laboratory analysts and technicians
- Calibration technicians
- Quality managers in testing and calibration laboratories
- Metrologists new to uncertainty evaluation
- Anyone preparing for an ISO/IEC 17025 assessment
Course outline
- 01Why a result without an uncertainty cannot support a decision
- 02Error against uncertainty
- 03Identifying sources of uncertainty in a measurement
- 04Evaluation by statistical means
- 05Evaluation by other means, including certificates and specifications
- 06Combining contributions and expanded uncertainty
- 07Building a budget on a real measurement
- 08Reporting uncertainty on a certificate or report
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 to 16 October 2026 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Classroom | R11,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 22 to 23 October 2026 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Classroom | USD 795 per delegate | Register Now |
| 10 to 11 December 2026 | Cape Town, South Africa | Classroom | R11,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 11 to 12 January 2027 | Pretoria, South Africa | Classroom | R11,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 14 to 15 January 2027 | Accra, Ghana | Classroom | USD 795 per delegate | Register Now |
| 9 to 10 February 2027 | Online | Online | R6,500 per delegate | Register Now |