If you've ever had a test report land in your inbox and felt a little lost paging through it, you're not alone. Most people outside the compliance world only interact with these reports a handful of times, and the format doesn't exactly do you any favors: dense tables, standard citations, and pass/fail columns that don't mean much if you don't know what you're looking at. But the report matters.
An ANAB/ILAC-accredited test report is the document that unlocks certification in most of your target markets, and it's also your best tool for catching a problem before a certification body does. Here's a plain-language walkthrough of what's actually in it and what each part tells you.
The Accreditation Statement:
Near the top or in a header/footer, you'll typically see a reference to the lab's accreditation, often including an accreditation number or logo from the accreditation body (ANAB, in our case). This confirms the lab is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, the standard that governs testing lab competence, and is what signals to a certification body or NRTL reviewing the report that it was issued under a recognized accreditation, which is what makes mutual recognition possible in the first place. If this reference is missing or unclear, that's worth asking the lab about directly.
Product Identification:
This section identifies exactly what was tested: model number, description, and often a reference to the specific configuration or revision. This matters because certification applies to the product as tested. If your production unit differs meaningfully from what's described here, that's a gap worth resolving before relying on the report.
Standard and Test Method:
References The report will cite the specific standard the product was tested against (UL/IEC 62368, 61010, or 60335, for example) along with the relevant clauses or sections. This tells you exactly what was evaluated, which is useful if you ever need to compare it against a different country's specific requirements.
Test Results:
This is usually the bulk of the report: a section-by-section or clause-by-clause breakdown of each requirement tested, with the corresponding result. Results are typically marked as pass, fail, or not applicable for requirements that don't apply to your specific product. This section is where you can verify exactly what was checked, not just take the overall conclusion at face value.
Photographs and Supporting Documentation:
Most reports include photographs of the actual unit tested, sometimes with internal views showing key components. This supports the product identification section by providing visual confirmation of exactly what was evaluated.
Conclusion and Certification Statement:
The report closes with a summary statement confirming whether the product meets the standard overall. This is the section most people jump straight to, but it's worth reading in the context of everything above it, since the detail in the earlier sections is what a certification body will actually be checking if they review the report closely.
What to Do If Something Looks Off:
If a certification body or customer flags something in your report, or if you notice a discrepancy between what's documented and your actual product, go back to the lab that issued it. A legitimate accredited lab should be able to explain or clarify any part of the report, and if a correction is genuinely needed, issue an amended report through their standard process. Don't try to interpret or explain away a discrepancy on your own, even if you're confident it's minor. Certification bodies generally want to see that any issue was resolved through the lab, not around it, and a paper trail showing you flagged it and got a documented answer will serve you a lot better down the road than a verbal explanation you gave once and never wrote down.
Frequently Asked Questions about reading an ANAB/ILAC Accredited Test Report
Do I need to submit the entire report, or just a summary?
Most certification bodies expect the full report, since the detail supports the conclusion. A summary or cover letter alone usually isn't enough, because the reviewer needs to see the actual clause-by-clause results, not just someone's interpretation of them. Some certification bodies will accept a report from a different accredited lab than the one they'd normally use, as long as the accreditation itself is valid and covers the standard in question. Check with the specific authority in your target market if you're unsure, since requirements can vary more than people expect.
How do I verify a report is genuinely accredited and not fabricated?
Accreditation bodies typically maintain public directories where you can confirm a lab's accreditation status directly, which is a useful check if you're reviewing a report from an unfamiliar source. It's also worth confirming that the specific standard and scope you need is actually listed under that lab's accreditation, since labs are often accredited for some standards and not others. A lab can be legitimately accredited in general and still not be accredited for the exact test you're relying on, so don't stop at "yes, they're accredited" without checking the scope.
What if my product changes after the report is issued?
Meaningful changes to the tested configuration may require the report to be updated or the affected areas re-evaluated, since the report is only valid for the product as originally tested. The tricky part is that "meaningful" isn't always obvious. A change to an internal component, a supplier switch, or even a firmware update can matter if it affects something the standard is actually testing for, while a cosmetic change to the housing usually won't. When in doubt, it's worth a quick conversation with the lab rather than guessing, since relying on an outdated report is a much bigger risk than the cost of asking.
Can I use one test report for multiple product variants?
It depends on how similar the variants are and whether the differences affect anything the standard evaluates. Some labs and certification bodies allow this under a documented "family" or "series" approach, where one report can cover several closely related models as long as the differences are clearly identified and don't touch anything safety-relevant. Other times, even a minor variation is enough to require separate testing. This is worth discussing directly with your testing lab rather than assuming either way, ideally before you commit to a product line, not after the reports are already in hand.
Have a report you'd like help reviewing? Contact John Allen and the Product Safety Consulting team. Visit productsafetyinc.com or call 877-804-3066.