diff --git a/cotede/qctests/constant_cluster_size.py b/cotede/qctests/constant_cluster_size.py
index db8b62e..9abcc27 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/constant_cluster_size.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/constant_cluster_size.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 
 def constant_cluster_size(x, tol=0):
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def constant_cluster_size(x, tol=0):
     return cluster_size
 
 
-class ConstantClusterSize(QCCheck):
+class ConstantClusterSize(QCCheckVar):
     def set_features(self):
         cluster_size = constant_cluster_size(self.data[self.varname])
         N = ma.compressed(self.data[self.varname]).size
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/cum_rate_of_change.py b/cotede/qctests/cum_rate_of_change.py
index df4544e..0eb368e 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/cum_rate_of_change.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/cum_rate_of_change.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 
 def cum_rate_of_change(x, memory):
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def cum_rate_of_change(x, memory):
     return y
 
 
-class CumRateOfChange(QCCheck):
+class CumRateOfChange(QCCheckVar):
     def set_features(self):
         self.features = {
                 'cum_rate_of_change': cum_rate_of_change(
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/digit_roll_over.py b/cotede/qctests/digit_roll_over.py
index 60f72c4..c0eb285 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/digit_roll_over.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/digit_roll_over.py
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 from .rate_of_change import rate_of_change
 
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-class DigitRollOver(QCCheck):
+class DigitRollOver(QCCheckVar):
     def set_features(self):
         self.features = {
                 'rate_of_change': rate_of_change(self.data[self.varname])}
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/global_range.py b/cotede/qctests/global_range.py
index 7c2ec82..cb4ed79 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/global_range.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/global_range.py
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-class GlobalRange(QCCheck):
+class GlobalRange(QCCheckVar):
     def test(self):
         self.flags = {}
         assert ('minval' in self.cfg) and ('maxval' in self.cfg), \
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/gradient.py b/cotede/qctests/gradient.py
index 8585bb9..b8744b9 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/gradient.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/gradient.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def gradient(x):
     return y
 
 
-class Gradient(QCCheck):
+class Gradient(QCCheckVar):
     def set_features(self):
         self.features = {'gradient': gradient(self.data[self.varname])}
 
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/gradient_depthconditional.py b/cotede/qctests/gradient_depthconditional.py
index fd194d4..a07dfef 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/gradient_depthconditional.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/gradient_depthconditional.py
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 from .gradient import gradient
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-class GradientDepthConditional(QCCheck):
+class GradientDepthConditional(QCCheckVar):
     def set_features(self):
         self.features = {"gradient": gradient(self.data[self.varname])}
 
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/profile_envelop.py b/cotede/qctests/profile_envelop.py
index 0e18ce1..313e5d6 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/profile_envelop.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/profile_envelop.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def profile_envelop(data, cfg, varname):
     return flag
 
 
-class ProfileEnvelop(QCCheck):
+class ProfileEnvelop(QCCheckVar):
     def test(self):
         self.flags = {}
 
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/qctests.py b/cotede/qctests/qctests.py
index 719cce3..2fd6b57 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/qctests.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/qctests.py
@@ -73,9 +73,8 @@ def constant_value():
 class QCCheck(object):
     """Basic template for a QC check
     """
-    def __init__(self, data, varname, cfg, autoflag=True):
+    def __init__(self, data, cfg=None, autoflag=True):
         self.data = data
-        self.varname = varname
         self.cfg = cfg
 
         self.set_flags()
@@ -83,6 +82,16 @@ def __init__(self, data, varname, cfg, autoflag=True):
         if autoflag:
             self.test()
 
+    def __getitem__(self, key):
+        return self.data[key]
+
+    @property
+    def attrs(self):
+        return self.data.attrs
+
+    def set_features(self):
+        self.features = {}
+
     def set_flags(self):
         try:
             self.flag_good = self.cfg['flag_good']
@@ -99,3 +108,11 @@ def set_flags(self):
     def keys(self):
         return self.features.keys() + \
             ["flag_%s" % f for f in self.flags.keys()]
+
+
+class QCCheckVar(QCCheck):
+    """Template for a QC check of a specific variable
+    """
+    def __init__(self, data, varname, cfg=None, autoflag=True):
+        self.varname = varname
+        super().__init__(data, cfg, autoflag)
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/rate_of_change.py b/cotede/qctests/rate_of_change.py
index 290b1ce..a0e9ed9 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/rate_of_change.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/rate_of_change.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def rate_of_change(x):
     return y
 
 
-class RateOfChange(QCCheck):
+class RateOfChange(QCCheckVar):
     def set_features(self):
         self.features = {
                 'rate_of_change': rate_of_change(self.data[self.varname])}
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/spike.py b/cotede/qctests/spike.py
index f7ddb77..0a0d232 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/spike.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/spike.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def spike(x):
     return y
 
 
-class Spike(QCCheck):
+class Spike(QCCheckVar):
     def set_features(self):
         self.features = {'spike': spike(self.data[self.varname])}
 
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/spike_depthconditional.py b/cotede/qctests/spike_depthconditional.py
index c779ee9..6bff665 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/spike_depthconditional.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/spike_depthconditional.py
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 from .spike import spike
 
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-class SpikeDepthConditional(QCCheck):
+class SpikeDepthConditional(QCCheckVar):
     def set_features(self):
         self.features = {"spike": spike(self.data[self.varname])}
 
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/stuck_value.py b/cotede/qctests/stuck_value.py
index d4b08e6..89a4d9c 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/stuck_value.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/stuck_value.py
@@ -7,15 +7,12 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-class StuckValue(QCCheck):
-    def set_features(self):
-        self.features = {}
-
+class StuckValue(QCCheckVar):
     def test(self):
         self.flags = {}
 
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/tukey53H.py b/cotede/qctests/tukey53H.py
index 88e0550..bd5a8cf 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/tukey53H.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/tukey53H.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def tukey53H_norm(x, l=12):
     return Delta/sigma
 
 
-class Tukey53H(QCCheck):
+class Tukey53H(QCCheckVar):
     def set_features(self):
         self.features = {
                 'tukey53H': tukey53H(self.data[self.varname]),
diff --git a/cotede/qctests/valid_geolocation.py b/cotede/qctests/valid_geolocation.py
index 3f75a3b..6f704a7 100644
--- a/cotede/qctests/valid_geolocation.py
+++ b/cotede/qctests/valid_geolocation.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy import ma
 
-from .qctests import QCCheck
+from .qctests import QCCheckVar
 
 module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def valid_geolocation(lat, lon):
     return idx
 
 
-class ValidGeolocation(QCCheck):
+class ValidGeolocation(QCCheckVar):
     def test(self):
         self.flags = {}