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NIST TEL MRA Program – Supplemental Instructions

Test Lab Scope of Accreditation to Support ISED Recognition

&

ISED Test Lab Technical Assessment Checklist (2021 version)

October 13, 2022 (V1.1)

Key Resources

Application Instructions from NIST 

NIST Designation Requirements for Canada

ISED Requirements

ISED REC-LAB

ISED Standards – Annex I

ISED Radio Standards Specifications

ISED Broadcasting Standards

ISED Terminal Equipment Standards

ISED Recognized CABs

Wireless Device Labs

Terminal Attachment Labs

Certification Bodies

Applying (New, Renewal, Extension, or Scope Expansion) 

Instructions for applying for recognition are posted at the NIST Designation Requirements for Canada

webpage. 

Please refer to the appropriate sections of the website under these section titles: 

Initial Application Documents & Process 

Renewing ISED Lab Recognition (with Accreditation Renewal)

Extending ISED Lab Recognition (with Accreditation Extension)

Expanding ISED Lab Recognition (with Interim On-Site Assessment)

Send application information to NIST (mra@nist.gov) 
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Test Lab Scope of Accreditation to Support ISED Test Lab Recognition

- RSS/BETS: When applying for recognition select one of the following options: 

o Option 1: Include the RSS/BETS number, issue number, issue date, and latest 

update/amendment number and date on the Scope of Accreditation.

o Option 2: Include a list issued by the AB of the specific RSS and BETS that were assessed 

in the most recent assessment. The list shall include the RSS/BETS number, issue 

number, issue date, and latest update/amendment number and date.

- CS-03 Parts (except Parts III and IV which are not available):

o Include the following for all the CS-03 Parts on the Scope of Accreditation: 

Part #, Issue #, Amendment #, year

- RSS-Gen must be included on the Scope of Accreditation (for the main location and any satellite 

labs as applicable) if seeking recognition for any RSS standards at the location. This does not 

apply if the designation request is limited to RSS 102 sub-scopes. 

- RSS-247: If you are applying for this standard in full, the Scope of Accreditation should list the 

standard as: RSS-247 (with DFS). If your laboratory does not have the capability to test for DFS, 

you have the option of getting recognized for RSS-247 (no DFS). The Scope of Accreditation 

must note the exclusion. 

- RSS-102 – Labs seeking recognition for any part of RSS-102 must be accredited for the relevant 

sub-scopes as note below: 

o RSS-102 Measurement (SAR - Specific Absorption Rate)

o RSS-102 Measurement (RF Exp. - RF Exposure Evaluation)

o RSS-102 Measurement (NS - Nerve Stimulation)

o RSS-102 Measurement (LPD - Localized Power Density)

o RSS-102 Computational (LPD)

o RSS-102 Computational (SAR) 

o RSS-102 Computational (NS) 

o RSS-102 Computational (RF Exp.) – Not Available Yet

Notes: 

o If the lab is only doing RF Exp. power density calculations, the lab should be accredited 

for RSS-102 Measurement (RF Exp.). For further information, see NIST guidance for 

Question 30a - page 6 below. 

o For RSS-102, Section 2.5 and Annex C – there is no ISED designation available or 

required. Since there is no evaluation done by the testing laboratory, there is no need 

to have RSS-102 recognized by ISED. The lab can still submit the Annex C to the ISED 
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o Certification Engineering Bureau (CEB). CEB will accept Annex C when no evaluation is 

required for SAR, NS or RF Exposure.

o Accreditation, designation and recognition for RSS-102 Computational (RF Exp.) is not 

available as the requirements for the computational algorithms are not yet fully 

defined. 

o For labs that obtain ISED recognition for computational scopes, please note that ISED is 

displaying the superscript SIM (for simulation) instead of COMP on their website. We 

confirm that SIM = COMP.

- RSS-310 is not available for recognition since this standard is for equipment exempt from ISED 

certification. 

- Partial RSS or BETS standards: Labs seeking recognition for only part of a standard (due to a 

limited accreditation) that is not already subdivided as show above must first obtain approval 

from the limited standard from ISED. Labs should use the ISED General Inquiry Form. ISED’s 

response (stating whether the new subdivided standard can be designated to ISED) must be 

submitted to NIST along with the request for designation.

- Satellite Locations: In additional to recognizing the main lab location, ISED can recognize 

additional testing locations if these have been included in a Scope of Accreditation (as satellite 

facilities). Each location will be recognized for a specific scope of recognition (list of standards 

recognized). 

o The address of each satellite facility that is covered must be identified on the ISED 

Technical Checklist, and the ISO/IEC 17025 Scope of Accreditation must identify the 

specific test methods covered at that location (or the AB must provide this information 

in a letter). 

o If any RSS standards (other than RSS-102 sub-scopes) are included in the scope of 

designation for the satellite location, the satellite location must also be accredited for 

RSS-GEN.
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ISED Technical Checklist (October 2021 version)

During the CAB’s assessment, the accreditation body’s assessor(s) must complete the ISED Testing 

Laboratory Technical Assessment Checklist (Technical Assessment Checklist). 

The Technical Assessment Checklist must be submitted with the application for designation and include 

the following:

- General Information section fully completed.

- For any nonconformities cited, a notation from the AB (on the Checklist) confirming that the 

nonconformity has been closed.

- Before Applying for NIST Designation, please review your ISED Technical Checklist to be sure the 

answers included by the assessor correctly reflect the scope of recognition you are seeking, and 

that the information matches the Scope of Accreditation content. The ISED Technical Checklist 

information (answers and comments) MUST match your request and the Scope of Accreditation 

information. 
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Specific Technical Checklist Questions

- Questions for all RSS-102 sub-scopes currently available: Certain questions on the ISED Technical 

Checklist must be noted as YES by the assessor. See the table below. 

Scope of Accreditation Question #s on the ISED Technical Checklist that must be 

noted as YES

General Questions 

Applies to all ISED scopes below

1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 42, 43

RSS-102 Measurement (SAR) General Questions (above) & 2f, 25a, 26, 27, 28, 46, 47, 

48

RSS-102 Measurement (RF 

Exposure)

General Questions (above) & 30a, 31

If lab is performing power density calculations only –

the assessor should note “calculations only” in the Q30a

comment field.

If lab has limited frequency range for power density 

measurements, the assessor should note the range in 

the Q30a comment field. 

See further guidance for Q30a on page 6 of this 

document. 

RSS-102 Measurement (NS) General Questions (above) & 32, 33

RSS-102 Measurement (LPD) General Questions (above) & 2f, 8, 13, 25a, 26, 27, 28, 

29, 46, 47, 48

RSS-102 Computational (LPD) General Questions (above) & 25b, 27, 28, 29 

RSS-102 Computational (SAR) General Questions (above) & 25b, 28 

RSS-102 Computational (NS) General Questions (above) & 30b, 33

RSS-102 Computational (RF Exp)

NOT AVAILABLE

General Questions (above) & 30b, 31

Note: For RSS-102, Section 2.5 and Annex C – there is no ISED designation available or required. 

Since there is no evaluation done by the testing laboratory, there is no need to have RSS-102 

recognized by ISED. The lab can still submit the Annex C to the ISED Certification Engineering 

Bureau (CEB). CEB will accept Annex C when no evaluation is required for SAR, NS or RF Exposure.
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- Question 2c (re: ANSI C63.10-2013, American National Standard for Testing Unlicensed Wireless

Devices) must be "Y" for seeking recognition for any of the RSS standards in the RSS-2XX series.

- Question 2d (re: ANSI C63.26-2015, Standard for Compliance Testing of Transmitters Used in

Licensed Radio Services) must be a “Y” if seeking recognition for any of the RSS standards in the

RSS-1XX series (except RSS-102).

- Question 2e (re: ANSI C63.17-2013, American National Standard Methods of Measurement of 

the Electromagnetic and Operational Compatibility of Unlicensed Personal Communications 

Services (UPCS) Devices) must be a “Y” if seeking recognition for RSS-213.

- Question 7 (re: Are all measurement software packages use by the testing laboratory....

documented in the test report?) applies to the ISED requirement for listing the software in the 

test report. Guidance from Canada’ Engineering Bureau (CEB) has indicated that labs must use 

something in terms of performing calculations, at the very least Excel software. Unless there is a 

deficiency, the answer should always be “Y”. Please see RSS-Gen, Annex A – Test Report 

Contents (#12 and #14 b/c). 

- Question 30a – In the case where the lab is doing the power density calculations for Annex A 

but not doing any power density measurements, Q30a must be answered “Y” and the assessor 

must add the comment “Calculations only”. It is not necessary to list “calculations only “on the 

Scope of Accreditation (unless it is the AB’s policy). The ISED recognition will be for RSS 102

Measurement (RF Exp.).
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ISED Recognized CBs - Test Lab Requirements

ISED’s REC-CB contains the requirements and procedures for ISED recognition of Certification 

Bodies. 

- ISED requires that the Scope of Accreditation of the CB's in-house testing laboratory and that of 

any other contracted testing labs (located in Canada, or an economy with which Canada has an 

MRA) must cover all RSSs and/or all BETSs in the entire CB scope recognized by ISED (except as 

noted below for some RSS-102 sub-scopes). Copies of the contractual arrangements with other 

testing labs along with their ISO/IEC 17025 Scope/Certificate must be provided to NIST (for 

ISED). (Reference: REC-CB, Section 4.3.a.ii)

- For RSS-102, between the Scope of Accreditation of the in-house testing laboratory and the 

Scope of Accreditation of any contracted testing labs, all three sections of RSS-102 

Measurement (RF Exp., SAR, NS) must be present if the CB intends to maintain ISED CB 

recognition for any ISED CB Scope that includes RSS-102 (Scopes 1 – 5). 

Note: This does not apply for RSS-102 Measurement (LPD) and RSS-102 Computational (LPD). 

CBs only need to ensure covered for this scope if they are reviewing products for these

requirements. Additional guidance on RSS-102 Computational (SAR, NS, RF Exp) will be provided 

when available.

CB Acceptance of Test Reports – Timing

- An ISED recognized CB can accept a test report that was generated by a lab before it had

obtained ISED recognition only if (1) the lab obtained ISED recognition by the time the test 

report was submitted to the CB, and (2) the test report was issued less than 12 months 

before. See RSS-GEN (6.3). 

Prepared by R. Saar (10/13/2022)

For further information, please contact mra@nist.gov. 
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Document Control

V1.1 – 10/13/2022 – The second version of this document contains updated information about the 

availability of the RSS-102 computational scopes for NS and SAR based on the publication of SPR-002 (2nd

edition, October 2022). These two additional computational sub- scopes are now available without the 

need to check in with ISED first.

V1 – 4/1/2022 - The first version of the NIST Supplemental Instructions for the 2021 ISED Technical 

Assessment Checklist replaced the NIST Supplemental Instructions (V3 – 12/2019) that addressed the 

previous 2019 ISED Technical Assessment Checklist.