BMAT Quality Control & Assurance 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A manufacturer notices that a critical dimension drifts upward gradually over a shift. On a control chart, this pattern is called a:
- Cluster
- Trend (Correct answer)
- Oscillation
- Stratification
Correct answer: Trend
A trend is a series of consecutive points moving steadily in one direction, indicating a systematic change such as tool wear or temperature drift.
Question 2: Which quality assurance activity focuses on evaluating the processes used to produce a product rather than inspecting the final product itself?
- Final inspection
- Incoming inspection
- Process audit (Correct answer)
- Acceptance sampling
Correct answer: Process audit
A process audit examines whether the defined manufacturing or service processes are being followed and are capable of consistently producing conforming output.
Question 3: In the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, what is the primary purpose of the 'Check' phase?
- Implement the planned improvement on a small scale
- Compare results against the planned objectives to assess effectiveness (Correct answer)
- Standardize the successful improvement across the organization
- Identify the problem and plan the improvement strategy
Correct answer: Compare results against the planned objectives to assess effectiveness
The Check phase involves studying actual results versus expected results to determine whether the change achieved the desired improvement.
Question 4: A critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristic is best defined as:
- Any measurable feature of a product or process
- A product or process attribute that has a direct impact on customer satisfaction (Correct answer)
- A specification limit set by the engineering team
- A quality metric used exclusively in Six Sigma projects
Correct answer: A product or process attribute that has a direct impact on customer satisfaction
CTQs are the key measurable characteristics whose performance standards or specification limits must be met to satisfy the customer.
Question 5: When calibrating a measuring instrument, the reference standard used must be traceable to:
- The manufacturer's original calibration certificate
- National or international measurement standards (Correct answer)
- The most recently calibrated instrument in the lab
- A documented customer requirement
Correct answer: National or international measurement standards
Metrological traceability requires an unbroken chain of comparisons linking the instrument's calibration back to recognized national or international standards (e.g., NIST in the US).
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of an external failure cost?
- Reworking a defective part before shipment
- Scrap generated on the production floor
- Customer warranty claims for a defective product (Correct answer)
- Incoming inspection of raw materials
Correct answer: Customer warranty claims for a defective product
External failure costs occur after the defective product reaches the customer, including warranty repairs, returns, and liability claims.
Question 7: In a quality management context, 'continual improvement' differs from 'continuous improvement' in that continual improvement:
- Applies only to manufacturing processes
- Involves ongoing, but not necessarily uninterrupted, improvement activities (Correct answer)
- Requires a dedicated Six Sigma team
- Is mandated only under ISO 14001
Correct answer: Involves ongoing, but not necessarily uninterrupted, improvement activities
ISO 9001 uses 'continual improvement' to mean recurring improvement efforts that may be periodic rather than a never-stopping, uninterrupted flow of changes.
BMAT Quality Control & Assurance 5
A manufacturer notices that a critical dimension drifts upward gradually over a shift.
On a control chart, this pattern is called a: