Free course · Quality management

APQP, Control Plan and PPAP

This free course follows a new part from the customer's request to production approval. You plan the five APQP phases with a timing plan, carry special characteristics into the process flow, PFMEA and Control Plan, run Safe Launch, validate with Ppk and run at rate, and build a PPAP submission with the PSW. It teaches the current AIAG editions in its own words. It suits supplier quality, quality and new product introduction engineers in UK automotive supply chains.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Sample certificate for APQP, Control Plan and PPAP

Sample certificate. Optional, issued when you pass the final exam.

Level: Beginner
Modules: 12
Video: 14 hours
Price: Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain why APQP exists and name its five phases, outputs and gates; build a timing plan from the start of production; turn customer requirements into special characteristics; align the process flow, PFMEA and Control Plan and find orphan rows; write prototype, pre-launch and production control plans with sample sizes, Safe Launch rules and reaction plans; list the 18 PPAP elements and choose a submission level; explain the part submission warrant, appearance approval, significant production run and run at rate; calculate required capacity; and handle interim approval, deviations, change notification and supplier APQP.

Explain why APQP exists and name its five phases, outputs and gate reviews
Build a launch timing plan backwards from the start of production and find its critical path
Turn customer needs into measurable requirements and special characteristics
Align the process flow, PFMEA and control plan and find missing controls and orphan rows
Write prototype, pre-launch and production control plans with sampling, Safe Launch rules and reaction plans
Judge gauge and capability evidence and calculate Ppk with a lower confidence bound
List the 18 PPAP elements, choose a submission level and explain the part submission warrant
Calculate required capacity and judge a run at rate
Handle rejection, interim approval, deviations, change notification and supplier APQP

Software

A spreadsheet (Excel or LibreOffice Calc) for the timing plan, control plan, PPAP checklist and the capacity and Ppk calculations. No paid software is needed.

Hardware

None. A drawing and a real or imagined machined or moulded part make the practice more concrete.

Syllabus

12 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

1Why APQP exists: the cost of late change and the five phases4 lessons
2Planning the programme: team, timing plan, feasibility and gates4 lessons
3Voice of the customer, special characteristics and product design4 lessons
4Process design: the flow diagram, PFMEA and the chain of documents4 lessons
5The Control Plan: purpose, columns and how to fill them3 lessons
6Control Plan types, Safe Launch and reaction plans3 lessons
7Phase 4: validation, MSA and SPC as PPAP evidence3 lessons
8PPAP: the 18 elements and five submission levels5 lessons
9Part submission warrant, appearance approval, significant production run and run at rate2 lessons
10When PPAP fails: rejection, interim approval, deviations and change notification3 lessons
11Phase 5, supplier APQP and early production containment6 lessons
12Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Young Business Professionals International
the APQP phase series, the control plan, design and process verification plans and run at rate
Bhavya Mangla
the APQP third edition by phase, the Control Plan first edition, control plan types, PPAP, change management and corrective action
Excedify
voice of the customer, the five APQP phases, supplier control and gauge R&R as PPAP evidence
Dhawal Thakkar
APQP as an automotive project management method, timing plans and gates
THORS eLearning Solutions
a short introduction to the AIAG and VDA PFMEA
LEARN & APPLY : Lean and Six Sigma
a worked FMEA on a practical example
We Improve Consulting
a full APQP training run-through
Quality Inspection
the APQP process explained end to end
suppliersplatform
the PPAP masterclass for beginners
Digital E-Learning
the 18 PPAP documents explained
ASK Mechnology
a longer walk through the PPAP elements
CAD Tutorials For Beginners To Advanced
PPAP explained as a core tool, including the production run
PMC Videos
why advanced product quality planning is worth the effort
Thota Krishna Hema
a complete guide to APQP
High Skills
a short APQP walk-through in English

Jobs

Jobs this course can lead to

The skills in this course are used in quality and project engineering work, for example as a supplier quality engineer, a quality engineer and a new product introduction engineer. No course can promise a job, and employers also look for experience, so read what live adverts ask for.

Browse Quality, projects and operations jobs
563 jobs live on the UK board

Questions

About this course

Last reviewed 1 November 2026.

Which AIAG editions does it teach?

APQP third edition, the separate Control Plan first edition and PPAP fourth edition, checked on the AIAG site on 1 November 2026. The notes paraphrase them and reproduce no AIAG form, so keep the manuals to hand for real submissions.

Is PPAP the same as APQP?

No. APQP is the planning process that runs from concept to launch, and PPAP is the approval package a supplier submits near its end, using evidence that APQP produced. The course teaches both and shows where each PPAP element comes from.

Is the £19 certificate an AIAG qualification?

No. It is an optional EDWartens certificate of completion, £19 including VAT, with a public verification page. It is not issued or endorsed by AIAG or any customer and is not a regulated qualification. The course is free without it.

What is the APQP, Control Plan and PPAP course?

It is a free-to-learn course on the automotive launch discipline. You learn the five APQP phases and gates, how the process flow, PFMEA and control plan fit together, and what a PPAP submission contains. Every worked number comes from data printed in the notes, so you can repeat it in a spreadsheet.

Which AIAG manuals and editions does the course follow?

It teaches the ideas in the APQP third edition, the stand-alone Control Plan first edition and the PPAP fourth edition, in its own words. The AIAG pages checked on 1 November 2026 name these as the current editions. No form or table from the manuals is copied, and your customer's own requirements take precedence.

Is this course an AIAG, IATF or customer approval?

No. The course gives you the knowledge used in launch and PPAP work, but its certificate is a verifiable certificate of completion from EDWartens. It is not an AIAG, IATF or customer qualification, and third-party IATF auditors are qualified through IATF-approved bodies.

Do I need special software for the APQP and PPAP course?

No. A spreadsheet such as Excel or LibreOffice Calc is enough for the timing plan, checklists, Ppk and capacity calculations. No paid software is needed. Your customer may require its own portal or forms for real submissions.

How does this course relate to the FMEA and SPC courses?

The FMEA course teaches how to rate risks and choose actions, and the SPC and MSA course teaches control charts, capability and gauge studies. This course takes their outputs and shows where they sit in APQP, the control plan and PPAP. Taking them in any order works.

How long is the course and is it free?

It has about 8.8 hours of video and around 14 hours in total with the notes, worked problems and practice. The modules, notes, practice and the optional project are free to learn. You learn at your own pace.

What certificate do I get?

You get a verifiable certificate of completion once you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It carries a unique certificate number, a QR code and a public verification page that shows the course, the modules and the final score.

Automotive quality engineer