Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Exam Trivia 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which phase of DMAIC focuses on identifying all possible causes of a problem using tools like fishbone diagrams and 5 Whys?
- Define
- Measure
- Analyze (Correct answer)
- Improve
Correct answer: Analyze
The Analyze phase is dedicated to identifying and verifying root causes of the problem through tools like cause-and-effect diagrams, regression analysis, and hypothesis testing.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a 'Gage R&R' study in Six Sigma?
- Assess measurement system variation relative to process variation (Correct answer)
- Calculate process capability indices
- Determine optimal sample size
- Validate regression models
Correct answer: Assess measurement system variation relative to process variation
Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (Gage R&R) evaluates how much variation in measurements comes from the measurement system itself versus the actual process variation.
Question 3: In Design of Experiments (DOE), a 'full factorial' design tests:
- Only the main effects of each factor
- A subset of all possible factor combinations
- All possible combinations of all factor levels (Correct answer)
- Only two factors at a time
Correct answer: All possible combinations of all factor levels
A full factorial design tests every possible combination of factor levels, providing complete information on main effects and all interactions.
Question 4: The 'kano model' classifies customer needs into categories. Which category describes features that customers don't ask for but delight them when present?
- Must-be requirements
- One-dimensional requirements
- Attractive requirements (Correct answer)
- Indifferent requirements
Correct answer: Attractive requirements
Attractive requirements (also called 'delighters' or 'exciters') are unexpected features that generate high satisfaction when present but cause no dissatisfaction when absent.
Question 5: Which of the following is a non-parametric alternative to the one-sample t-test?
- F-test
- Wilcoxon signed-rank test (Correct answer)
- Levene's test
- Chi-square goodness-of-fit test
Correct answer: Wilcoxon signed-rank test
The Wilcoxon signed-rank test is the non-parametric equivalent of the one-sample t-test, used when normality assumptions cannot be met.
Question 6: In Six Sigma, 'entitlement' refers to:
- The current sigma level of a process
- The best performance a process has historically achieved (Correct answer)
- The theoretical maximum performance of a process
- The baseline defect rate before improvement
Correct answer: The best performance a process has historically achieved
Entitlement is the best performance a process has actually achieved historically, representing what the process is capable of delivering under ideal conditions.
Question 7: What is the purpose of the 'Control' phase in DMAIC?
- Identify the root cause of defects
- Sustain the gains achieved and prevent regression (Correct answer)
- Map the current state process
- Develop potential solutions
Correct answer: Sustain the gains achieved and prevent regression
The Control phase implements control plans, monitoring systems, and standardized procedures to sustain improvements and prevent the process from reverting to its old behavior.
Which phase of DMAIC focuses on identifying all possible causes of a problem using tools like fishbone diagrams and 5 Whys?