Abstract

The evaluation of use a specific fixed standard deviation for the proficiency assessment (?pt) in three Chilean microbiological proficiency testing scheme was discussed in this study. The ?pt proposed in the standards (0.25 and 0.35) was not appropriate for these microbiological schemes. Nevertheless, a better fixed ?pt value was established for that purpose, considering the characteristic of the round in terms of the matrix, included microorganisms (concentration and strain), and target group of participation. © 2025