Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Exam Project Identification and Selection 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Black Belt discovers that a process generates 15,000 defects per million opportunities. Without improvement, what is the approximate sigma level of this process?
- 2.5 sigma
- 3.0 sigma
- 3.6 sigma (Correct answer)
- 4.0 sigma
Correct answer: 3.6 sigma
15,000 DPMO corresponds to approximately 3.6 sigma (short-term), which helps quantify the magnitude of the improvement opportunity during project selection.
Question 2: Which of the following is the BEST reason to avoid selecting a Six Sigma project that requires a fundamental redesign of a core business system?
- DMAIC is not suited for such large-scale improvements
- Projects must always be small to qualify for Six Sigma
- The Black Belt lacks the authority to change business systems
- DMAIC works best when a process already exists and needs optimization (Correct answer)
Correct answer: DMAIC works best when a process already exists and needs optimization
DMAIC is designed to improve existing processes; projects requiring complete redesign are better suited for DMADV (Design for Six Sigma).
Question 3: When prioritizing projects using a risk-adjusted NPV, what factor is incorporated that standard NPV does not account for?
- Inflation rate
- Probability of project success (Correct answer)
- Employee headcount impact
- Time to complete the project
Correct answer: Probability of project success
Risk-adjusted NPV multiplies the expected NPV by the probability of success, accounting for project uncertainty during selection.
Question 4: An organization's voice of the customer (VOC) data shows that delivery speed is the top complaint. Which project selection approach would BEST translate this VOC input into a measurable project goal?
- Set a project goal to 'improve delivery'
- Translate VOC into a Critical to Quality (CTQ) characteristic with a specific target (Correct answer)
- Benchmark competitors' delivery times
- Conduct a customer survey to confirm the complaint
Correct answer: Translate VOC into a Critical to Quality (CTQ) characteristic with a specific target
VOC data must be translated into measurable CTQ characteristics with specific targets before it can drive a meaningful Six Sigma project scope.
Question 5: A champion is reviewing potential projects and finds one with a high Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) but low strategic alignment. How should this project be handled?
- Approve it immediately due to the high financial return
- Reject it because COPQ is not a valid project selection criterion
- Deprioritize it and look for projects that combine financial impact with strategic alignment (Correct answer)
- Escalate it to the CEO for a strategic alignment exception
Correct answer: Deprioritize it and look for projects that combine financial impact with strategic alignment
Best-practice project selection balances both financial impact (COPQ) and strategic alignment; a project strong on only one dimension is typically deprioritized.
Question 6: Which of the following scenarios represents a correctly scoped Six Sigma project?
- Improve customer satisfaction across all company divisions within one year
- Reduce the defect rate in the invoice processing step from 8% to less than 1% within six months (Correct answer)
- Eliminate all quality problems in the manufacturing plant
- Increase company revenue by improving every customer-facing process
Correct answer: Reduce the defect rate in the invoice processing step from 8% to less than 1% within six months
A well-scoped Six Sigma project has a specific process, measurable baseline, defined target, and realistic timeline — like reducing invoice defects from 8% to 1% in six months.
Question 7: The concept of 'tollgate reviews' during DMAIC serves which project selection/management purpose?
- Replacing the need for a project charter
- Providing go/no-go decision points to ensure projects remain viable and on track (Correct answer)
- Eliminating the need for a control plan
- Approving additional project budget automatically
Correct answer: Providing go/no-go decision points to ensure projects remain viable and on track
Tollgate reviews are structured checkpoints at each DMAIC phase where leadership decides whether to continue, redirect, or terminate the project.
Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Exam Project Identification and Selection 3
A Black Belt discovers that a process generates 15,000 defects per million opportunities.
Without improvement, what is the approximate sigma level of this process?