How to read a report with subcontracted tests
Map each result to the laboratory and site that performed it. Ask whose accreditation scope supports each test, then obtain direct written confirmation from the performing laboratory and the report issuer about their respective responsibilities. Cambridge China Bridge can help buyers gather these confirmations.
Identify the laboratory behind each result
Ask the report issuer to identify every subcontracted result, the performing laboratory’s legal name and testing site, and the underlying report reference. Match these details to the method, sample identity and reported finding. Treat an unexplained footnote or a group company name as a question to resolve before accepting the result.
For wider authenticity checks, use How to verify a product test report. Here, concentrate on the link between the consolidated report and the work performed elsewhere.
Ask whose accreditation scope supports the test
Request the scope schedule supporting each accreditation claim. Ask whether the claim concerns the performing laboratory’s own accreditation or an arrangement under the issuing body’s accreditation. Compare the named organisation, site, method, product or material, and any limitations with the work reported. Ask for an explanation of any mismatch.
Do not use a logo on the cover as your sole acceptance check. Ask the issuer to distinguish results presented as accredited from results presented without that claim, including subcontracted findings. Use Is a UK laboratory accredited for my tests? for the separate scope-checking task.
Obtain confirmation directly
Contact the performing laboratory using independently obtained contact details. Send the relevant report pages and ask it to confirm the sample identity, method, findings and underlying report reference. Ask whether the consolidated report reproduces its findings accurately. If client confidentiality prevents a reply, ask the commissioning party to authorise confirmation.
Separately ask the issuer: “Which findings did you produce, which did you obtain externally, and what responsibility do you accept for the reported findings, their transcription and the overall conclusion?” Request a reply from someone authorised to speak for the organisation. Keep it with the report rather than relying on a supplier’s assurance.
Separate findings from conformity decisions
For subcontracted conformity assessment, government guidance states that the UK conformity assessment body remains ultimately responsible for all conformity assessment decisions. Keep that responsibility distinct from your questions about who performed a test and who accepts responsibility for its findings.
For an ordinary commercial test report, request a written allocation of responsibility from the parties involved. Ask who reviewed the external findings, who approved the combined conclusion, and who will investigate or correct an error. Avoid treating responsibility for a conformity decision as an answer to every question about laboratory work.
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Resolve gaps before relying on the report
Create a result register showing the performing laboratory, source report, claimed accreditation basis, direct confirmation and unresolved questions. Hold acceptance of an affected finding if these details conflict or remain unclear. Request a corrected report, supporting records or further testing according to the gap.
Check sample transfers separately using Chain of custody for laboratory test samples. Cambridge China Bridge’s staff in China can help gather laboratory records and factory sample details; seek responsibility confirmations from the organisations that performed and reported the work.
Frequently asked questions
Does the report issuer perform every test?
Ask for a result-by-result list naming the performing laboratory and site. A cover bearing the issuer’s name is not enough for your acceptance check.
Whose accreditation should I check?
Ask whose accreditation is claimed for each result. Check that organisation’s scope and request an explanation of any arrangement involving the issuer’s accreditation.
What if the subcontracted lab will not reply?
Ask the commissioning party to authorise direct confirmation. Keep the finding unresolved until you receive a usable reply or other evidence that addresses the gap.
Who is responsible for subcontracted test results?
Obtain written answers from the performing laboratory and issuer about their respective findings and reporting roles. For subcontracted conformity assessment, the UK body retains responsibility for conformity decisions.