The ASQ CSSGB Study Guide

The ASQ CSSGB Study Guide

Roderick A. Munro, Daniel J. Zrymiak, and Elizabeth J. Rice

ASQ Quality Press

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

American Society for Quality, Quality Press, Milwaukee 53203

© 2017 by ASQ

All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Munro, Roderick A., author. | Zrymiak, Daniel J., author. | Rice,

Elizabeth J., author.

Title: The ASQ CSSGB study guide / Roderick A. Munro, Daniel J. Zrymiak, and

Elizabeth J. Rice.

Description: Milwaukee, Wisconsin : ASQ Quality Press, [2017]

Identifiers: LCCN 2017002981 | ISBN 9780873899529 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Six sigma (Quality control standard)—Examinations—Study

guides.

Classification: LCC TS156.17.S59 M86 2017 | DDC 658.4/013—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017002981

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Govind Ramu for his support and encouragement in getting this work created.

—Roderick A. Munro

I would like to thank Rod, Elizabeth, Govind, Paul, and Matt for their collaboration and synergies. I also extend my gratitude to ASQ Quality Press, ASQ’s management and staff, and the greater ASQ and quality communities for their indulgence and pursuit of professional growth and excellence.

This book is dedicated to Susan, Brooke, Ryan, my family, friends, and the community of like-minded fellows, lifelong learners, and practitioners. As we continue our journey from rough origins toward wisdom, virtue, and perfection, may we always proceed with curiosity, enthusiasm, perseverance, and hope in our hearts so that we’ll never walk alone.

—Daniel J. Zrymiak

In loving memory of my mother, Helen Frances Rice, whose passion for lifelong learning and multitude of awe-inspiring accomplishments were always a source of amazement and inspiration.

—Elizabeth J. Rice

Introduction

Welcome to the new ASQ CSSGB Study Guide! A team of ASQ fellows has created this material from scratch with over 300 new questions primarily based on the second edition of The Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Handbook (exceptions noted with specific questions).

Purpose

The primary purpose of this study guide is to help you determine your readiness for the ASQ Certification exam, using the questions as a ­self-­assessment tool.

Primary Audience

The primary audience for this work is the individual who plans to sit for the ASQ Certified Six Sigma Green Belt examination.

Study Guide Layout

There is one right answer per question. The answers to each chapter’s questions appear at the end of the chapter. The correct answer is given by letter along with the location of the topic (page number and paragraph or other locator) in the second edition of The Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Handbook. If you do not answer all questions correctly and are looking for additional preparation, it is recommended that you consult the Handbook for a refresher and deeper dive into the material, along with additional ­topic-­specific reference books offered by ASQ Quality Press.

Guide Use Restriction

Please know that this study guide cannot be taken into ASQ exam rooms during the actual exam process. The ASQ Certification Committee uses a ­well-­honed process for writing exam questions that is designed to produce a thorough competency examination of the exam taker.

Feedback to Authors

Your feedback and suggestions for improvement to the CSSGB Study Guide are most welcome. Please contact us at authors@asq.org so that we may have the opportunity to continually improve our resources and incorporate suggestions for improvement into future printings or editions of the study guide.

Roderick A. Munro

Daniel J. Zrymiak

Elizabeth J. Rice

Section 1

Sample Questions by BoK

Part I

Overview: Six Sigma and the Organization

(Exam Targets 13 Questions)

Questions

1. Why is Six Sigma important in a business application?

a. Customers are demanding the use of Six Sigma in many industries.

b. Organizations must stay profitable to remain in business, and Six Sigma is a powerful tool to that end.

c. The automotive industry demands that all suppliers use Six Sigma to continually improve products.

d. Managers demand that Green Belts be trained to support organizations in today’s businesses.

2. Which of the following was the first documented organization to utilize Six Sigma as we know it today?

a. Motorola Inc.

b. Ford Motor Company

c. General Electric

d. General Motors

3. What is the most common cause of a failed Six Sigma program in an organization?

a. Failure to properly define the processes to be utilized in the organization

b. Lack of proper training for the various team members

c. Too many organizational definitions of what Six Sigma should be

d. Management’s lack of commitment to real process improvement

4. Who developed the concept of what we call statistical process control (SPC)?

a. W. Edwards Deming

b. Joseph M. Juran

c. Kaoru Ishikawa

d. Walter A. Shewhart

5. The quality guru who created the 14 Points and the 7 Deadly Diseases was

a. W. Edwards Deming.

b. Joseph M. Juran.

c. Kaoru Ishikawa.

d. Walter A. Shewhart.

6. The cause and effect diagram, or fishbone diagram, was created by

a. W. Edwards Deming.

b. Joseph M. Juran.

c. Kaoru Ishikawa.

d. Walter A. Shewhart.

7. Which of the following quality gurus wrote extensively about the three key managerial processes (quality planning, quality control, and quality improvement)?

a. W. Edwards Deming

b. Joseph M. Juran

c. Kaoru Ishikawa

d. Walter A. Shewhart

8. The key tool of a process approach when looking at issues is

a. the Red X.

b. the Pareto principle.

c. plan–do–check–act (PDCA).

d. input process output (IPO).

9. Which of the following three concepts are fundamental to the understanding of lean thinking?

a. Purpose, waste, and waste elimination

b. Prevention, value, and continual improvement

c. Value, waste, and the process of creating value without waste

d. Purpose, pull, and partnering without interference

10. One of the more successful examples of using the Toyota Production System (TPS) was

a. the merger and acquisition between Honda and American Motors in Southfield, Michigan.

b. the joint venture between Toyota and General Motors in a plant in Fremont, California.

c. the partnership between the Boeing Company and the Ford Design Institute in Dearborn, Michigan.

d. the joint venture between Toyota and BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany.

11. The