ISO 2859-3:2005 specifies generic skip-lot sampling procedures for acceptance inspection by attributes. The purpose of these procedures is to provide a way of reducing the inspection effort on products of high quality submitted by a supplier who has a satisfactory quality assurance system and effective quality controls. The reduction in inspection effort is achieved by determining at random, with a specified probability, whether a lot presented for inspection will be accepted without inspection. This procedure extends the principle of the random selection of sample items already applied in ISO 2859-1 to the random selection of lots.

The skip-lot sampling procedures specified in ISO 2859-3:2005 are applicable to, but not limited to, inspection of end items, such as complete products or sub-assemblies, components and raw materials, and materials in process.