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- Artificial intelligence
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian Space Agency
- Boosting innovation and science
- Co-hosting the Square Kilometre Array
- Increasing international collaboration
- Industry growth centres
- Industry Innovation and Science Australia
- National Measurement Institute
- Optical astronomy in Australia
- Participating in the digital economy
- Promoting innovation precincts
- Science in our department
- Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
Energy
Resources
Northern Australia
Trade
Business support
Measurement services
Government to government services
- Regulations and standards
Emissions reduction
Energy
Resources
- Applying to export rough diamonds
- Applying to export uranium and controlled ores
- Offshore mineral exploration and mining
- Offshore oil and gas exploration and development
- Offshore petroleum exploration acreage release process
- Regulating offshore oil and gas in Australian Commonwealth waters
- Regulating the Ranger Uranium Mine
- Taxes and royalties on minerals and petroleum
Measurement
Trade
Space industry
Building industry
Business support
- Funding and incentives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Australian Square Kilometre Array Fellowships Programme
- Business Research and Innovation Initiative
- Business-research collaboration
- Collaborating with Asia-Pacific on science, research and innovation
- Collaborating with China on science and research
- Collaborating with India on science and research
- Cooperative research centres
- Enabling international space investment
- Industry 4.0
- Inspiring Australia: Science engagement in Australia
- International research collaboration
- Moon to Mars: opportunities for Australian businesses
- Prime Minister's Prizes for Science
- Research and Development Tax Incentive
- Supporting advanced manufacturing
- Supporting business and innovation
- Supporting space infrastructure growth
- Transitioning Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry
- Venture capital
Resources
- About us
COVID-19
Jobs
Who we are
- Our Ministers
- Our Executive team
- Organisation chart
- Our portfolio agencies
- Overseas engagement
- Anti-Dumping Commission
- Anti-Dumping Review Panel
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian SKA Office
- Australian Space Agency
- Critical Minerals Facilitation Office
- National Measurement Institute
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- Office of Northern Australia
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Proficiency testing services

The National Measurement Institute is an internationally recognised proficiency testing (PT) provider for chemical and gas measurements. PT is a valuable external quality control tool for laboratories.
We evaluate your laboratory’s performance against pre-established criteria, using inter-laboratory comparisons.
We provide independent evidence to determine the validity of your measurements, and to help improve your overall performance. This includes:
- offering studies for a wide range of tests and matrices combinations
- performing rigorous statistical analysis on submitted results
- providing detailed reports and tailored feedback to participating laboratories
What you can expect from participating in our PT studies
By participating in our studies, you can:
- fulfil the ISO/IEC 17025 requirements for your laboratory
- improve your laboratory’s performance in terms of the accuracy of chemical and gas measurements
- evaluate and compare methods and procedures used in chemical and gas measurements
- identify problems with equipment, sample preparation or data processing procedures
- identify training needs
- instil confidence in staff, management and external users of your laboratory service
- assess the practical application of measurement uncertainty
- use PT samples for method validation or as control samples in your daily routine analyses
2021 proficiency testing schedule
We have scheduled the following tests for chemical and gas proficiency testing.
February
March
- AQA 21-02 Illicit Drugs - Amphetamine-type Stimulants
- AQA 21-03 Pesticides in Soil
- AQA 21-04 Hydrocarbons/PAHs in Soil
April
May
- AQA 21-06 Pesticides in Fruit and Vegetables
May/June
- AQA 21-07 PFAS in Soil and Water
- AQA 21-08 PFAS in Biota/Food
June
- AQA 21-09a/ AQA 21-10b Water Characteristics (Trade Waste and River Water)
July
- AQA 21-11 Illicit Drugs – Heroin
August
September
- AQA 21-14 Metals, Nutrients and Anions in Soil
September/October
- AQA 21-15 Clandestine Laboratory
October
- AQA 21-16 Pesticides in Water
- AQA 21-17 Hydrocarbons/PAHs in Water
November
- AQA 21-18a/ AQA 21-19b Sea Water and Low Salinity Sea Water Characteristics
- AQA 21-20 Illicit Drugs - Cocaine
TBA
- AQA 21-21 NMI Special Study - TBA
*The matrix to be advised later
Gas proficiency testing
We provide gas PT services in areas of strategic importance to Australia. Our PT samples are based on unique gas compositions with studies examining:
- pipeline natural gas from South-Eastern Australia
- LNG (from the North West Shelf and from processed coal seam gas)
- coal mine safety
Participating isn’t just important for laboratories. It also provides confidence during custody transfers for refineries and pipeline operators.
We also offer preparative PT studies for the specialty gas industry.
We aim to coordinate a new area of study each year based on participants’ requests. Email gas@measurement.gov.au to suggest a new gas mixture to add to our testing schedule.
Chemical proficiency testing
We provide PT for a range of sectors including environment, agriculture, food and law enforcement.
We select the analytes and matrices for our PT studies based on participants’ needs and requests. A study can include up to 60 analytes at both high and low levels.
Our programs are accredited to ISO 17043 cover a wide range of tests:
- illicit drugs
- organic contaminants including pesticides and hydrocarbons
- dissolved, total and acid extractable metals
- physical properties
- inorganic non-metallic constituents
- photosynthetic pigments
- agricultural soil properties like colwell-p
We aim to coordinate a new area of study each year based on participants’ requests. Email proficiency@measurement.gov.au to suggest a new matrix or analyte to add to our testing schedule.
How it works
- We prepare, homogenise and characterise the test samples.
- We use reference methods to provide assigned reference values traceable to the International System of Units for selected challenging analytes.
- We collate, statistically analyse and interpret the results returned by participants.
- We prepare a comprehensive report and distribute it to participants.
- We provide advice and educational feedback.
- We send performance summary reports and longer-term historical reports to each participant.
Before applying, read the:
- Study protocol [239KB PDF] to find out how the program operates.
- Statistical manual [261KB PDF] to find out how we interpret the results and score participants.
- Term and conditions for participating in one of our studies.
Contact us
For gas PT studies:
- Email gas@measurement.gov.au
- Phone +61 2 8467 3534
For chemical PT studies:
- Email proficiency@measurement.gov.au
- Phone +61 2 9449 0111
Read more
- View the proficiency testing participation price list
- Read the proficiency test reports from 2020
- Read the proficiency test reports from 2019
- Read the proficiency test reports from 2018
- Find out about our certified chemical reference materials
Related news

- National Measurement Institute
Last updated: 22 January 2021
Content ID: 64528