Six Sigma | Malgudi Hospital Case, CTQ, VOC, COPQ, FMEA, Control Charts | 100+ MCQ with Answers
Q1. Which of the following best defines Six Sigma in a business context?
A. A customer service tool to handle complaints
B. A data-driven methodology for eliminating variation and defects
C. A financial auditing framework
D. A time management approach
✅ Answer: B. A data-driven methodology for eliminating variation and defects
Q2. What is the core objective of Six Sigma initiatives?
A. Increase employee satisfaction
B. Decrease variation and improve process performance
C. Expand market share
D. Reduce product prices
✅ Answer: B. Decrease variation and improve process performance
Q3. In Six Sigma, "fitness for purpose" defines:
A. Marketing effectiveness
B. Product or service quality
C. Cost efficiency
D. Supplier relationships
✅ Answer: B. Product or service quality
Q4. “Critical to Quality” (CTQ) characteristics originate from which source?
A. Competitor analysis
B. Voice of Customer (VOC)
C. Company financials
D. Supplier audits
✅ Answer: B. Voice of Customer (VOC)
Q5. The primary purpose of a CTQ Tree is to:
A. Map process flows
B. Translate vague customer needs into measurable specifications
C. Track financial savings
D. Identify bottlenecks
✅ Answer: B. Translate vague customer needs into measurable specifications
Q6. In the Define phase, what is the key output document that outlines business justification, problem, and goals?
A. CTQ Tree
B. Project Charter
C. SIPOC Diagram
D. Control Chart
✅ Answer: B. Project Charter
Q7. What does the acronym DMAIC stand for?
A. Define, Measure, Assess, Improve, Control
B. Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
C. Design, Monitor, Analyze, Implement, Check
D. Develop, Manage, Adjust, Implement, Control
✅ Answer: B. Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
Q8. In the Define phase, which tool quantifies the financial impact of poor performance?
A. SIPOC
B. COPQ
C. Histogram
D. Control Plan
✅ Answer: B. COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality)
Q9. The “Business Case” section in a Project Charter is meant to:
A. Define the target audience
B. Justify why the project is important to the organization
C. Assign roles and responsibilities
D. Provide data collection templates
✅ Answer: B. Justify why the project is important to the organization
Q10. Which statement correctly defines a SMART Goal in Six Sigma?
A. Simple, Manageable, Achievable, Reliable, Testable
B. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
C. Strategic, Marketable, Actionable, Robust, Timed
D. Sustainable, Meaningful, Accurate, Realistic, Timeless
✅ Answer: B. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
Q11. The SIPOC diagram in Six Sigma represents:
A. Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer
B. Standard, Input, Process, Output, Control
C. System, Implementation, Plan, Output, Control
D. Service, Input, Plan, Operation, Customer
✅ Answer: A. Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer
Q12. Which of the following is not part of the Project Charter?
A. Problem statement
B. Scope
C. Baseline data
D. Supplier list
✅ Answer: D. Supplier list
Q13. In the Define phase, which measure helps quantify the effect of a problem in financial terms?
A. CTQ
B. COPQ
C. DPMO
D. Yield
✅ Answer: B. COPQ
Q14. A CTQ derived from “short waiting time” could be:
A. Patient satisfaction score
B. Waiting time less than 30 seconds
C. Number of attendants on duty
D. Queue length per hour
✅ Answer: B. Waiting time less than 30 seconds
Q15. In Six Sigma, a problem statement should:
A. Be vague and conceptual
B. Include data quantifying the issue
C. Exclude numerical evidence
D. Focus on root causes
✅ Answer: B. Include data quantifying the issue
Q16. The purpose of the Measure phase is to:
A. Identify customer needs
B. Determine current process performance
C. Assign team members
D. Implement process control
✅ Answer: B. Determine current process performance
Q17. The first step in the Measure phase is to:
A. Validate data collection
B. Finalize CTQ and data plan
C. Conduct hypothesis testing
D. Create control charts
✅ Answer: B. Finalize CTQ and data plan
Q18. Measurement System Analysis (MSA) is performed to:
A. Improve cycle time
B. Ensure the measurement system is reliable and accurate
C. Identify root causes
D. Control process variation
✅ Answer: B. Ensure the measurement system is reliable and accurate
Q19. In Measurement System Analysis, if the measurement error is within 10%, it is:
A. Unacceptable
B. Accepted with caution
C. Generally acceptable
D. Requires recalibration
✅ Answer: C. Generally acceptable
Q20. Which data type represents continuous data?
A. Defect type
B. Customer rank
C. Waiting time
D. Complaint category
✅ Answer: C. Waiting time
Q21. Which of the following is not a valid sampling method?
A. Random
B. Cluster
C. Convenience
D. Regression
✅ Answer: D. Regression
Q22. In Six Sigma, operational definition ensures:
A. Measurement is consistent and unambiguous
B. Goals are ambitious
C. Data collection is random
D. Analysis is skipped
✅ Answer: A. Measurement is consistent and unambiguous
Q23. A defect in Six Sigma terms means:
A. Anything outside tolerance limits
B. A product feature
C. Customer satisfaction
D. Employee error
✅ Answer: A. Anything outside tolerance limits
Q24. Which performance metric is defined as defects per million opportunities?
A. DPO
B. DPMO
C. Sigma Level
D. Yield
✅ Answer: B. DPMO
Q25. The Six Sigma level corresponds to approximately how many defects per million opportunities?
A. 34
B. 340
C. 3.4
D. 0.34
✅ Answer: C. 3.4
Q26. In the Malgudi Hospital case, what was the primary CTQ identified?
A. Number of doctors
B. Waiting time at registration
C. Billing accuracy
D. Room cleanliness
✅ Answer: B. Waiting time at registration
Q27. In the Malgudi case, the average waiting time was found to be:
A. 5 minutes
B. 17 minutes
C. 27 minutes
D. 2 minutes
✅ Answer: C. 27 minutes
Q28. The service rate (μ) in the hospital case was:
A. 10 patients/hour
B. 20 patients/hour
C. 30 patients/hour
D. 40 patients/hour
✅ Answer: B. 20 patients/hour
Q29. The arrival rate (λ) of patients in the case study was:
A. 10/hour
B. 38/hour
C. 50/hour
D. 25/hour
✅ Answer: B. 38/hour
Q30. The system at Malgudi Hospital used which queueing model?
A. M/M/1
B. M/M/S
C. M/G/1
D. D/D/1
✅ Answer: B. M/M/S
Q31. Who was the Champion in the Malgudi Hospital Six Sigma project?
A. Health Information Officer
B. Medical Director
C. Black Belt
D. Consultant
✅ Answer: B. Medical Director
Q32. The Black Belt’s role in the Six Sigma team is to:
A. Approve budgets
B. Coach and mentor the project team
C. Manage hospital operations
D. Conduct billing audits
✅ Answer: B. Coach and mentor the project team
Q33. In the project hierarchy, who directly manages the process under improvement?
A. Black Belt
B. Champion
C. Process Owner
D. Executive Sponsor
✅ Answer: C. Process Owner
Q34. The team members in Six Sigma are typically:
A. Auditors
B. Frontline staff familiar with the process
C. External consultants
D. Marketing personnel
✅ Answer: B. Frontline staff familiar with the process
Q35. Which phase comes after Measure in DMAIC?
A. Analyze
B. Define
C. Improve
D. Control
✅ Answer: A. Analyze
Q36. In the Analyze phase, the main goal is to:
A. Collect baseline data
B. Identify root causes of variation
C. Develop CTQs
D. Create control charts
✅ Answer: B. Identify root causes of variation
Q37. Which tool is commonly used in the Analyze phase to find cause-effect relationships?
A. Pareto chart
B. Fishbone diagram
C. Control chart
D. Gantt chart
✅ Answer: B. Fishbone diagram
Q38. The Pareto principle states that:
A. 50% of causes lead to 50% of problems
B. 20% of causes lead to 80% of problems
C. 10% of problems cause 90% of losses
D. All causes are equally significant
✅ Answer: B. 20% of causes lead to 80% of problems
Q39. The Improve phase focuses primarily on:
A. Implementing solutions
B. Measuring variation
C. Setting project scope
D. Collecting data
✅ Answer: A. Implementing solutions
Q40. Control phase ensures:
A. The problem is restated
B. Improvements are sustained
C. The project is restarted
D. Only financial metrics are tracked
✅ Answer: B. Improvements are sustained
Q41. A Control Plan is used to:
A. Train employees
B. Document monitoring methods for critical variables
C. Evaluate training performance
D. Plan project schedules
✅ Answer: B. Document monitoring methods for critical variables
Q42. A process map helps:
A. Define boundaries and key steps in the process
B. Record financial results
C. Set marketing targets
D. Schedule team meetings
✅ Answer: A. Define boundaries and key steps in the process
Q43. Variation in Six Sigma means:
A. Random marketing performance
B. Deviation from the target
C. Increased profits
D. Changes in supplier list
✅ Answer: B. Deviation from the target
Q44. The key statistical goal of Six Sigma is:
A. Process standardization
B. Zero variation
C. Controlled and minimized variation
D. Maximum variation
✅ Answer: C. Controlled and minimized variation
Q45. Yield in Six Sigma represents:
A. Proportion of defective units
B. Proportion of defect-free units
C. Number of reworks
D. Cost per unit
✅ Answer: B. Proportion of defect-free units
Q46. Which of the following is not part of DMAIC?
A. Define
B. Measure
C. Implement
D. Control
✅ Answer: C. Implement
Q47. Six Sigma can be applied to:
A. Only manufacturing
B. Only services
C. Both manufacturing and services
D. Only finance functions
✅ Answer: C. Both manufacturing and services
Q48. A process that consistently produces outputs within tolerance limits is said to be:
A. Defective
B. Capable
C. Inefficient
D. Unstable
✅ Answer: B. Capable
Q49. In a hospital context, “cycle time” represents:
A. Total patient waiting time
B. Speed at which patients exit the process
C. Service time per patient
D. Total staff shift duration
✅ Answer: B. Speed at which patients exit the process
Q50. “Run time” refers to:
A. Total project duration
B. Time taken to serve one unit or customer
C. Time spent in queue
D. Measurement error duration
✅ Answer: B. Time taken to serve one unit or customer
Q51. When multiple service counters are opened, which metric improves?
A. Run time
B. Cycle time
C. Waiting time tolerance
D. Sigma level decreases
✅ Answer: B. Cycle time
Q52. Internal Failure Costs refer to:
A. Costs incurred after delivery to the customer
B. Costs of detecting and correcting defects before shipment
C. Preventive maintenance costs
D. Training expenditure
✅ Answer: B. Costs of detecting and correcting defects before shipment
Q53. External Failure Costs arise from:
A. Rework before dispatch
B. Warranty claims and customer dissatisfaction
C. Training sessions
D. Preventive inspections
✅ Answer: B. Warranty claims and customer dissatisfaction
Q54. Prevention costs aim to:
A. Identify customer complaints
B. Reduce future defects
C. Measure baseline data
D. Track project costs
✅ Answer: B. Reduce future defects
Q55. The best indicator of a process under control is:
A. Stable mean and consistent variation
B. Frequent outliers
C. Increasing DPMO
D. Changing standard deviation
✅ Answer: A. Stable mean and consistent variation
Q56. In a queueing model, when arrival rate exceeds service rate:
A. Queue length decreases
B. System stabilizes
C. Queue length increases indefinitely
D. Variation reduces
✅ Answer: C. Queue length increases indefinitely
Q57. The tollgate review in DMAIC ensures:
A. Marketing approval
B. Each phase’s deliverables are verified before moving on
C. Project cost approval
D. Employee appraisal
✅ Answer: B. Each phase’s deliverables are verified before moving on
Q58. Voice of Business (VOB) focuses on:
A. Customer preferences
B. Efficiency, cost, and internal goals
C. Product defects
D. Employee morale
✅ Answer: B. Efficiency, cost, and internal goals
Q59. If a stopwatch is used in data collection, MSA may be:
A. Skipped due to high reliability
B. Mandatory
C. Conducted daily
D. Done after control phase
✅ Answer: A. Skipped due to high reliability
Q60. Which of the following indicates a successful Six Sigma project?
A. Reduced variation, improved performance, and sustained gains
B. High project cost and short duration
C. Increased tolerance limits
D. Reduced sampling effort
✅ Answer: A. Reduced variation, improved performance, and sustained gains
Q61. In hypothesis testing within the Analyze phase, what does a p-value less than 0.05 typically indicate?
A. Fail to reject null hypothesis
B. Reject the null hypothesis
C. Accept null hypothesis
D. No conclusion possible
✅ Answer: B
Q62. Which statistical test is used to compare means between two independent groups?
A. Chi-square test
B. ANOVA
C. Independent t-test
D. Regression
✅ Answer: C
Q63. What type of chart would you use to identify the most frequent causes of defects?
A. Run chart
B. Pareto chart
C. Scatter plot
D. Histogram
✅ Answer: B
Q64. Which phase involves validating root causes before implementing improvements?
A. Define
B. Measure
C. Analyze
D. Control
✅ Answer: C
Q65. The Improve phase primarily focuses on:
A. Identifying process owners
B. Implementing and testing solutions
C. Collecting baseline data
D. Estimating process sigma
✅ Answer: B
Q66. What tool is used in the Improve phase to test and validate process changes before full implementation?
A. FMEA
B. Pilot testing
C. Regression analysis
D. SIPOC
✅ Answer: B
Q67. The Control phase ensures:
A. Short-term process gains
B. Sustained process improvement over time
C. Training completion
D. Financial validation
✅ Answer: B
Q68. Which document is created to monitor the process after improvements are implemented?
A. SIPOC diagram
B. Control plan
C. Process map
D. Project charter
✅ Answer: B
Q69. What is the purpose of a Control Chart in Six Sigma?
A. To identify process stakeholders
B. To monitor process stability over time
C. To map supplier inputs
D. To document CTQs
✅ Answer: B
Q70. In a Control Chart, points outside the control limits indicate:
A. Common cause variation
B. Special cause variation
C. Random noise
D. Normal variation
✅ Answer: B
Q71. DPMO stands for:
A. Defects per Mean Output
B. Defects per Million Opportunities
C. Data per Mean Operation
D. Defects Process Monitoring Output
✅ Answer: B
Q72. What is the approximate defect rate at Six Sigma quality level?
A. 34,000 per million
B. 6,210 per million
C. 3.4 per million
D. 0.34 per million
✅ Answer: C
Q73. The Malgudi Hospital case focuses primarily on improving:
A. Financial reporting speed
B. Patient discharge process time
C. Bed utilization ratio
D. Diagnostic accuracy
✅ Answer: B
Q74. In the Malgudi Hospital case, the Voice of Customer (VOC) revealed dissatisfaction with:
A. Nursing staff behavior
B. Billing and discharge delays
C. Cleanliness of wards
D. Quality of medicines
✅ Answer: B
Q75. In the Malgudi Hospital project, the CTQ identified was:
A. Number of beds per floor
B. Average discharge time
C. Equipment downtime
D. Length of stay variation
✅ Answer: B
Q76. During Measure phase of the hospital case, which metric was most relevant?
A. Average discharge cycle time
B. Staff attendance rate
C. Patient inflow count
D. Billing error rate
✅ Answer: A
Q77. Which statistical tool helped validate discharge time improvements in the hospital project?
A. ANOVA
B. t-test
C. Chi-square
D. Control chart
✅ Answer: B
Q78. In Six Sigma teams, the role responsible for mentoring and guiding projects across departments is the:
A. Green Belt
B. Black Belt
C. Master Black Belt
D. Project Sponsor
✅ Answer: C
Q79. Which Six Sigma role typically manages the day-to-day execution of a specific improvement project?
A. Master Black Belt
B. Black Belt
C. Champion
D. Yellow Belt
✅ Answer: B
Q80. Champions in Six Sigma are responsible for:
A. Data collection
B. Statistical analysis
C. Executive sponsorship and removing roadblocks
D. Control chart design
✅ Answer: C
Q81. What is the first step in defining a process using SIPOC?
A. Identify Outputs
B. Identify Suppliers
C. Identify Inputs
D. Identify Customers
✅ Answer: B
Q82. SIPOC helps a Six Sigma team to:
A. Map financial losses
B. Understand process boundaries and stakeholders
C. Create regression models
D. Test hypotheses
✅ Answer: B
Q83. A high value of R² in regression analysis indicates:
A. Weak relationship
B. Strong relationship between variables
C. Unrelated variables
D. Incomplete model
✅ Answer: B
Q84. Which of the following tools identifies potential process failure points?
A. FMEA
B. Pareto chart
C. Histogram
D. Box plot
✅ Answer: A
Q85. The Risk Priority Number (RPN) in FMEA is calculated as:
A. Severity × Occurrence × Detection
B. Sigma × Yield × Cost
C. Input × Output × Control
D. VOC × CTQ × COPQ
✅ Answer: A
Q86. Measurement System Analysis (MSA) is used to evaluate:
A. Supplier quality
B. Measurement accuracy and repeatability
C. Process sigma
D. Equipment downtime
✅ Answer: B
Q87. Gage R&R in Six Sigma stands for:
A. Regression and Rejection
B. Repeatability and Reproducibility
C. Reduction and Reuse
D. Recording and Reporting
✅ Answer: B
Q88. A Control Plan typically includes:
A. Team training records
B. Monitoring methods, responsible owners, and reaction plans
C. Customer feedback forms
D. Cost analysis data
✅ Answer: B
Q89. Which chart shows relationships between two continuous variables?
A. Histogram
B. Scatter plot
C. Box plot
D. Pareto chart
✅ Answer: B
Q90. Process capability (Cpk) measures:
A. Customer satisfaction
B. Process alignment with specifications
C. Team performance
D. Input variability
✅ Answer: B
Q91. A Cpk value less than 1.0 indicates:
A. Process meets customer requirements
B. Process is not capable
C. Process is overperforming
D. Control limits are too wide
✅ Answer: B
Q92. The Lean concept of Muda refers to:
A. Continuous improvement
B. Waste or non–value-added activities
C. Root cause
D. Control chart error
✅ Answer: B
Q93. Poka-Yoke refers to:
A. Error proofing
B. Defect sampling
C. Process mapping
D. Data transformation
✅ Answer: A
Q94. Kaizen emphasizes:
A. Radical change
B. Continuous, incremental improvement
C. Cost reduction only
D. Long-term strategic planning
✅ Answer: B
Q95. Which Lean tool visualizes workflow and identifies bottlenecks?
A. Kanban board
B. Pareto chart
C. SIPOC
D. Histogram
✅ Answer: A
Q96. COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality) includes:
A. Only external failure costs
B. Internal, external, appraisal, and prevention costs
C. Labor costs only
D. Supplier quality costs
✅ Answer: B
Q97. Which phase involves documenting lessons learned and best practices?
A. Analyze
B. Control
C. Measure
D. Define
✅ Answer: B
Q98. In Control phase, the success metric is often validated through:
A. Financial audits
B. Process sigma tracking
C. Team feedback
D. Hypothesis testing
✅ Answer: B
Q99. The primary goal of a Six Sigma culture is to:
A. Improve profitability through process excellence
B. Replace management hierarchy
C. Eliminate employees
D. Focus only on cost-cutting
✅ Answer: A
Q100. Six Sigma aligns most closely with which management principle?
A. Total Quality Management (TQM)
B. Benchmarking
C. Balanced Scorecard
D. Risk Analysis
✅ Answer: A
Q101. Which statistical concept ensures that variation within a process is within acceptable limits?
A. Stability
B. Normality
C. Capability
D. Predictability
✅ Answer: A
Q102. The Malgudi Hospital project demonstrated that effective use of Control Charts resulted in:
A. Increased billing revenue
B. Sustained reduction in discharge cycle time
C. More staff transfers
D. Improved cafeteria services
✅ Answer: B
Q103. The project achieved measurable results primarily because of:
A. Clear CTQ alignment and consistent stakeholder engagement
B. Overstaffing
C. Departmental silos
D. Random data collection
✅ Answer: A
Q104. In post-project phase, dashboards help:
A. Replace reports
B. Visualize ongoing process performance trends
C. Automate all tasks
D. Eliminate data analysis
✅ Answer: B
Q105. The Define phase ensures that projects are aligned to:
A. Daily operations only
B. Strategic business objectives
C. Employee opinions
D. Vendor performance
✅ Answer: B
Q106. Measurement System Analysis (MSA) is critical because:
A. It ensures process capability values are reliable
B. It trains employees
C. It reduces cost directly
D. It builds control charts
✅ Answer: A
Q107. Sigma level improves as:
A. DPMO increases
B. Variation decreases
C. Process time increases
D. Yield decreases
✅ Answer: B
Q108. Control charts should be used when:
A. Data are discrete and time-ordered
B. Data are random
C. Process is new
D. Team is unavailable
✅ Answer: A
Q109. Which DMAIC phase requires verifying root causes using statistical tools?
A. Analyze
B. Define
C. Control
D. Measure
✅ Answer: A
Q110. The financial success of a Six Sigma project is validated through:
A. ROI and COPQ reduction
B. Customer feedback alone
C. Benchmark reports
D. Employee surveys
✅ Answer: A
Six Sigma MCQs, DMAIC MCQs, Six Sigma questions, Lean Six Sigma quiz, Six Sigma roles, , Six Sigma metrics, CTQ, VOC, COPQ, process improvement, control charts, FMEA
