The ASQ Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt Study Guide

THE ASQ CERTIFIED SIX SIGMA YELLOW BELT STUDY GUIDE

Second Edition

Erica L. Farmer

Grace L. Duffy

Published by ASQExcellence, Milwaukee, WI

Produced and distributed by Quality Press, ASQ, Milwaukee, WI

© 2022 by ASQExcellence

All rights reserved. Published 2017, 2022

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Farmer, Erica L., author. | Duffy, Grace L., author.

Title: The ASQ certified six sigma yellow belt study guide, second edition / Erica L. Farmer and Grace L. Duffy.

Description: Includes bibliographical references and index. | Milwaukee, WI: ASQExcellence, 2022.

Identifiers: LCCN: 2022943933 | ISBN: 978-1-63694-032-8 (paperback) | 978-1-63694-033-5 (pdf) | 978-1-63694-034-2 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH Six sigma (Quality control standard)—Examinations—Study guides. | Production management—Examinations—Study guides. | Quality control—Statistical methods—Examinations—Study guides. | BISAC BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Quality Control | STUDY AIDS / Professional

Classification: LCC TS156.17.S59 F37 2022 | DDC 658.5/620218—dc23

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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As always, we thank our significant others, Mike Farmer and John Duffy, for their patience and support while we disappeared into the office to write test items and solutions to assist our peers in successfully preparing for the ASQ Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification examination.

Preface

The ASQ Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt Study Guide is designed to aid those taking the ASQ Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt (CSSYB) examination and is best used in conjunction with The Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt Handbook (Quality Press). Section 1 provides 161 practice questions organized according to the five parts of the Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge (BoK) effective from March 2022 until March 2027. Section 2 gives the reader 139 additional practice questions from each of the five parts, in a randomized order.

For every question in both sections, detailed solutions are provided that explain why each answer is the correct one and which section of the BoK the question corresponds to so that any further study needed can be focused on specific sections. The provided solutions are taken from the same references used by the ASQ Item Writing teams who create the test items used in the formal Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification examination. A list of these references is included prior to the first set of questions and available at http://asq.org/cert.

A secondary audience for this study guide is those taking exams for ASQ certifications whose BoKs have some crossover with the CSSYB. Namely, the Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB), Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB), Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA), Certified Quality Process Analyst (CQPA), and Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE). Using this guide in studying for any of these exams is extremely useful, particularly for the quality tools and team portions of the BoKs.

Unlike other resources on the market, all these questions and solutions were developed specifically to address the 2022 Six Sigma Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge and help those studying for it, including considering the proper depth of knowledge and required levels of cognition. Questions and solutions from the 2015 edition of this study guide have been included where they still address the 2022 Body of Knowledge. New items were created to fill gaps in the new BoK.

As a reminder, practice and sample test questions, such as those in this study guide, cannot be taken into ASQ certification exam rooms. The exams are open book, however, so it is highly recommended that you do take the references listed in this study guide into the examination room with you to look up or verify any answers as you work the exam questions.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for improvement. Please contact us at [email protected] so we may incorporate any suggestion for improvement into future printings or editions of this study guide.

Erica L. Farmer

Grace L. Duffy

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contributions of the authors who prepared the reference texts used to create the ASQ Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification examination and from which content was drawn to provide solutions to the sample test items in this study guide. The reference texts and authors are listed in detail prior to the first set of questions.

Also to be acknowledged are the Quality Press editors and staff, who graciously worked with the authors to make this study guide available to our readers.

American Society for Quality (ASQ) 2022 CERTIFIED SIX SIGMA YELLOW BELT (SSYB) BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

The topics in this Body of Knowledge include additional detail in the form of subtext explanations and the cognitive level at which test questions will be written. This information will provide guidance for the candidate preparing to take the exam. The subtext is not intended to limit the subject matter or be all-inclusive of what might be covered in an exam. It is meant to clarify the type of content to be included in the exam. The descriptor in parentheses at the end of each entry refers to the maximum cognitive level at which the topic will be tested. A complete description of cognitive levels is provided at the end of this document.

I. Six Sigma Fundamentals (42 Questions)

A. Six sigma foundations and principles

Describe the purpose of six sigma (reducing variation), its methodology (DMAIC) and its evolution from quality. Describe the value of six sigma to the organization as a whole. (Understand)

B. Lean foundations and principles

Describe the purpose of lean (waste elimination) and its methodologies (just-in-time, poka-yoke, kanban, value-stream mapping). Describe the value of lean to the organization as a whole. (Understand)

C. Six sigma roles and responsibilities

Define and describe the roles and responsibilities of six sigma team members (i.e., individual team members, yellow belt, green belt, black belt, master black belt, process owner, champion, sponsor). (Understand)

D. Team basics

1. Types of teams

Identify the various types of teams that operate within an organization (i.e., continuous improvement, self-managed, and cross-functional) and their value. (Understand)

2. Stages of development

Describe the various stages of team evolution: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. (Understand)

3. Decision-making tools

Define and apply decision-making tools such as brainstorming, multivoting, and nominal group technique (NGT). (Apply)

4. Communication methods

Explain how teams use agendas, meeting minutes, and project status reports, and how they support project success. (Apply)

E. Quality tools and six sigma metrics

1. Quality tools

Select and use these tools throughout the DMAIC process: Pareto charts, cause and effect diagrams, flowcharts, run charts, check sheets, scatter diagram, and histograms. (Apply)

2. Six sigma metrics

Select and use these metrics throughout the DMAIC process: defects per unit (DPU), defects per million opportunities (DPMO), rolled throughput yield (RTY), cycle time, and cost of poor quality (COPQ). (Apply)

II. Define Phase (26 Questions)

A. Project identification

1. Voice of the customer

Define the voice of the customer and describe how customer needs are translated into quantifiable, critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristics. (Understand)

2. Project selection

Describe how projects are identified and selected as suitable for a six sigma project using the DMAIC methodology. (Understand)

3. Stakeholder analysis

Identify end users, subject matter experts, process owners, and other people or factors that will be affected by a project and describe how each of them can influence the project. (Understand)

4. Process inputs and outputs

Use SIPOC (suppliers, inputs, process, outputs, customers) to identify and define important elements of a process. (Apply)

5. Supply chain management

Understand supply chain management and how it relates to project management. (Understand)

B. Project management (PM) basics

1. Project charter

Describe the purpose of a charter and its components: problem statement, project scope, baseline data, and project goal. (Understand)

2. Communication plan

Explain the purpose and benefits of a communication plan and how it can impact the success of the project. (Understand)

3. Project planning

Define work breakdown structure (WBS) and Gantt charts and describe how they are used to plan and monitor projects. (Understand)

4. Project management tools

Select and use various PM tools: activity network diagrams, affinity diagrams, matrix charts, relations charts, and tree diagrams. (Understand)

5. Phase reviews

Explain how tollgate or phase reviews are used throughout the DMAIC lifecycle. (Understand)

III. Measure Phase (30 Questions)

A. Basic statistics

Define, calculate, and interpret measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and understand measures of dispersion (standard deviation, range, variance). (Apply)

B. Data collection

1. Data collection plans

Describe the critical elements of a data collection plan, including an operational definition, data sources, the method to be used for gathering data, and how frequently it will be gathered. Describe why data collection plans are important. (Understand)

2. Qualitative and quantitative data

Define and distinguish between these types of data. (Understand)

3. Data collection techniques

Use various data collection techniques, including surveys, interviews, check sheets, and checklists to gather data that contribute to the process being improved. (Apply)

C. Measurement system analysis (MSA)

1. MSA terms

Define precision, accuracy, bias, linearity, and stability and describe how these terms are applied in the measurement phase. (Understand)

2. Gage repeatability & reproducibility (GR&R)

Describe and distinguish between repeatability and reproducibility and describe how and why GR&R is used in the measurement phase. (Understand)

IV. Analyze Phase (37 Questions)

A. Process analysis tools

1. Lean tools

Define how 5S and value analysis can be used to identify and eliminate waste. (Understand)

2. Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA)

Relate the elements of severity, occurrence, and detection and determine how they are used to calculate the risk priority number. Demonstrate how FMEA can be used to identify potential failures in a process. (Apply)

B. Root cause analysis

Describe how the 5 Whys, process mapping, 8D, force-field analysis and matrix charts can be used to identify the root causes of a problem. (Understand)

C. Corrective action

Explain and apply elements of the corrective action process: identify the problem, contain the problem (interim action), determine the causes of the problem, propose solutions to eliminate it or prevent its recurrence (permanent action), verify that the solutions are implemented, and confirm their effectiveness (validation). (Apply)

D. Preventive action

Explain and apply elements of a preventive action process: understand various process analysis techniques to identify potential failures, defects, or process deficiencies; improve the process (e.g., understand error- or mistake-proofing devices or methods, initiate procedural changes), and verify the effectiveness of the preventive action. (Apply)

E. Data analysis

1. Basic distribution types

Define and distinguish between normal and binomial distributions and describe how their shapes (skewed and bimodal) can affect data interpretation. (Understand)

2. Common and special cause variation

Describe and distinguish between these types of variation. (Understand)

F. Correlation and regression

1. Correlation

Describe how correlation is used to identify relationships between variables. (Understand)

2. Regression

Describe how regression analysis is used to predict outcomes. (Understand)

G. Hypothesis testing

Define and distinguish between hypothesis terms (i.e., null and alternative, type I and type II error, p-value and power). (Understand)

V. Improve and Control Phases (26 Questions)

A. Improvement techniques

1. Kaizen and kaizen blitz

Define and distinguish between these two methods and describe how they can be used to make improvements to any process in an organization. (Understand)

2. Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle

Define and distinguish between