Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) Practice Exam 2025 - Free Quality Engineer Practice Questions and Study Guide

Preventive actions are defined as proactive measures aimed at eliminating the potential causes of defects or issues before they occur. The focus of these actions is on prevention rather than reaction, ensuring that problems do not arise in the first place. This involves strategies that assess potential risks and implement changes or controls to reduce the likelihood of defects occurring in the production or service process.

In contrast, actions taken in response to customer complaints are reactive actions that address problems after they have been identified, thus falling under corrective actions rather than preventive actions. Similarly, measures to correct defects after they occur are inherently reactive since they address an issue that has already manifested. Audits performed to confirm product quality, while important for maintaining standards, are assessments that typically identify existing conditions rather than preventing future defects.

Therefore, strategies to eliminate the causes of potential defects encapsulate the essence of preventive actions by focusing on the identification and mitigation of risks before they have a chance to impact quality.