Home / CPC vs test report: what is the difference?

Last reviewed: September 2026 · Copy link

CPC vs test report: what is the difference?

The test report is the laboratory’s document: it proves what was tested, by whom, against which rules, and with what results. The CPC is your document: the importer or domestic manufacturer’s certification that the product meets the cited rules, based on that report. Marketplaces ask for both together, because the certificate without the report is an unsupported claim and the report without the certificate is an unfinished certification.

Who issues what

  • Test report: issued by the CPSC-accepted laboratory after testing.
  • CPC: issued by the importer or domestic manufacturer (you), citing the rules the report covers.
  • Both: kept on file for at least five years and provided on request to regulators and marketplaces.

Why the pairing matters

A CPC without its report is an unsupported claim; a report without a CPC is an unfinished certification. When Amazon or a retailer reviews documents, the consistency between the two (same product, same rules, same dates, same lab) is exactly what they check. Keeping them paired in the vault is the workflow this site exists for.

Questions people ask

Can one test report support several CPCs?

Yes, for products that are identical in materials and design and covered by the report’s scope. Keep the mapping clear so each certificate points to its own report.

The report exists but the product changed. Still valid?

No: changes to design, materials, sourcing, or process trigger re-testing. A report for the old version does not certify the new one.

Does the CPC replace the test report on marketplaces?

No: marketplaces commonly ask for both. Upload the certificate and the report together.

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