Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Exam Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Exam facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which of the following is an example of an 'appraisal cost' within the Cost of Poor Quality framework used to identify Six Sigma projects? → Inspection and testing of incoming materials
2. A Black Belt wants to compare the means of three process configurations simultaneously. Which statistical test is most appropriate? → One-way ANOVA
3. Which phase of DMAIC focuses on identifying all possible causes of a problem using tools like fishbone diagrams and 5 Whys? → Analyze
4. A Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) characteristic is best described as which of the following? → A measurable product or service feature directly linked to a customer requirement
5. Which tool is most commonly used in the Analyze phase to visually organize potential causes of a problem? → Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram
6. Which type of variation in a control chart is caused by identifiable, non-random sources such as equipment failure or operator error? → Special cause variation
7. In the context of VOC, what does 'customer segmentation' allow a Six Sigma team to do? → Tailor CTQs and solutions to the distinct needs of different customer groups
8. In the Kano model, which category describes features that customers expect as baseline requirements and cause dissatisfaction only when absent? → Must-be (Basic)
9. A Black Belt calculates a p-value of 0.02 for a hypothesis test with α = 0.05. What is the correct conclusion? → Reject H₀; the result is statistically significant
10. A poka-yoke device that stops a process when an error is detected is classified as a: → Control (shutdown) poka-yoke
11. During an MSA study, an operator consistently reads a gauge 0.05 mm higher than the true value across all measurements. This is an example of: → Bias
12. What is the primary purpose of calculating statistical power in a hypothesis test? → To determine the sample size needed
13. In Taguchi's parameter design, 'inner array' factors are: → Control factors that the engineer can set and control
14. When conducting a two-proportion test, which assumption must be satisfied? → The expected number of successes and failures in each sample should be at least five
15. In a 2-level full factorial DOE, an interaction effect between factors A and B means: → The effect of A on Y depends on the level of B
16. In Design of Experiments, what does a 2^(k-p) notation represent? → Fractional factorial design with k factors and p generators
17. Which organizational structure element is MOST critical for sustaining a Six Sigma deployment beyond the first two years? → A formal project selection and prioritization process tied to strategic planning
18. In hypothesis testing, the power of a test is defined as: → 1 minus the probability of a Type II error
19. When increasing sample size in a hypothesis test while holding alpha constant, what is the direct effect on the power of the test? → Power increases because the standard error decreases and effect detection improves
20. In DOE, what is a 'center point' used for? → To estimate pure error and check for curvature without additional factor combinations
21. What is the null hypothesis in a one-way ANOVA test? → All group means are equal
22. What is the main advantage of using a fractional factorial design instead of a full factorial design? → It requires fewer experimental runs while still estimating main effects
23. In MSA, 'effective resolution' differs from 'stated resolution' because it accounts for: → The actual measurement variation relative to the readable increment
24. When the sampling technique utilized results in a discrepancy between the sample result and the population value, the discrepancy is known as → Bias
25. Who is credited with developing the concept of 'Design for Six Sigma' (DFSS)? → Mikel Harry
26. A Black Belt increases sample size from 30 to 120 while keeping significance level constant. What is the primary effect on the hypothesis test? → Power of the test increases
27. Which prerequisite must be verified BEFORE conducting a process capability analysis? → The process must be in statistical control
28. Which Design of Experiments (DOE) design allows a Black Belt to study main effects and two-factor interactions with a minimum number of runs? → Fractional factorial design
29. The objective of a measuring system analysis is to evaluate the statistical characteristics of → Process stability
30. In a DMAIC project, DOE is most commonly conducted during which phase? → Improve