Six Sigma Black Belt Practice Exam | 20 Free Questions

1. The primary purpose of the Define phase in DMAIC is to:
A. Identify the root causes of process variation
B. Develop a control plan
C. Define the project scope and customer requirements
D. Validate measurement systems

2. A process with a Cp of 2.0 and a Cpk of 0.5 indicates that:
A. The process is centered and capable
B. The process is capable but not centered
C. The process is neither capable nor centered
D. The process has no variation

3. In Six Sigma, a "defect" is best defined as:
A. A missing product feature
B. Anything that does not meet a customer's specification or expectation
C. Any variation within specification limits
D. A product returned by a customer

4. What is the main goal of the Measure phase?
A. Identify process waste
B. Collect reliable baseline data to understand current performance
C. Generate improvement ideas
D. Implement process controls

5. Which of the following tools is most appropriate for identifying potential causes of a problem?
A. Pareto Chart
B. Control Chart
C. Histogram
D. Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa)

6. The FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) primarily helps teams to:
A. Prioritize potential failure modes based on risk
B. Identify process cycle time
C. Measure customer satisfaction
D. Develop standard operating procedures

7. In hypothesis testing, a Type I error occurs when you:
A. Reject a true null hypothesis
B. Fail to reject a false null hypothesis
C. Accept an alternative hypothesis that is false
D. Make an error in sampling design

8. A p-value less than 0.05 typically means:
A. The null hypothesis is true
B. The result is statistically significant
C. The process is in control
D. The data is non-normal

9. What is the purpose of a control chart?
A. Identify causes of variation
B. Compare process averages
C. Distinguish between common and special cause variation
D. Display customer requirements

10. Which of the following is a Lean concept often integrated into Six Sigma?
A. Hypothesis Testing
B. Regression Analysis
C. 5S (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain)
D. Gage R&R

11. The Voice of the Customer (VOC) is collected to:
A. Identify and translate customer needs into measurable requirements
B. Validate process capability
C. Estimate project savings
D. Create financial reports

12. The "Analyze" phase of DMAIC primarily focuses on:
A. Implementing control plans
B. Identifying root causes of process problems
C. Verifying process improvements
D. Creating flowcharts and SIPOC diagrams

13. What is the role of a Six Sigma Black Belt in a project?
A. Provide executive oversight
B. Lead improvement projects and mentor Green Belts
C. Approve project charters
D. Audit the quality management system

14. In regression analysis, the coefficient of determination (R²) represents:
A. The slope of the regression line
B. The proportion of variation in Y explained by X
C. The correlation coefficient
D. The standard deviation of Y

15. Which of the following statements about process capability is TRUE?
A. Cp and Cpk are always equal
B. Cpk accounts for process centering, while Cp does not
C. Cp is affected by process mean shift
D. Cpk can never be lower than Cp

16. The Control phase of DMAIC focuses on:
A. Identifying customer needs
B. Finding root causes
C. Sustaining improvements through standardization and monitoring
D. Analyzing variation sources

17. Which of the following best describes a SIPOC diagram?
A. A high-level map showing Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers
B. A tool for hypothesis testing
C. A method of calculating defects per million opportunities
D. A type of control chart

18. What is the main advantage of Design of Experiments (DOE)?
A. It identifies measurement error
B. It determines the relationship between multiple input factors and an output
C. It simplifies process mapping
D. It replaces hypothesis testing

19. In Lean Six Sigma, the term "Kaizen" refers to:
A. Continuous, incremental improvement
B. Eliminating all variation
C. Developing a new process from scratch
D. Performing advanced statistical analysis

20. If a process produces 3.4 defects per million opportunities, it is operating at approximately:
A. 3 Sigma
B. 4 Sigma
C. 5 Sigma
D. 6 Sigma