The cyclotomic q-Schur algebra was introduced by Dipper, James and Mathas,
in order to provide a new tool for studying the Ariki-Koike algebra. We her
e prove an analogue of Jantzen's sum formula for the cyclotomic q-Schur alg
ebra. Among the applications is a criterion for certain Specht modules of t
he Ariki-Koike algebras to be irreducible.