RCA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield RCA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is the role of an RCA 'facilitator' on an investigation team? → To guide the team through the RCA process, manage discussions, and ensure objectivity
2. What is the purpose of an 'RCA metric' such as 'percentage of corrective actions completed on time'? → To measure the effectiveness and accountability of the overall RCA program
3. To maximize the effectiveness of a Root Cause Analysis you should only involve experts in the field. → False
4. In RCA, what does 'correlation vs. causation' mean when analyzing data? → Correlation means two variables move together, but does not prove one causes the other
5. What is the primary goal of implementing preventive actions after completing a Root Cause Analysis? → To eliminate or reduce the likelihood of recurrence
6. What is the most important first step in any Root Cause Analysis? → Clearly defining and scoping the problem
7. In the Failure mode and effects analysis method (FMEA), how Risk Priority Number (RPN) is calculated? → By multiplication of Severity, Occurrence and Detection
8. What does 'common cause variation' mean in the context of RCA? → Natural, inherent variation built into a process that occurs routinely
9. In RCA, what does a 'problem statement' that is too broad typically cause? → Wasted resources investigating unrelated causes
10. What is the role of 'baseline data' when defining an RCA problem? → To establish what normal performance looks like so deviations can be measured
11. What does the 'Is Not' column in an Is/Is Not problem definition help investigators understand? → What conditions, locations, or timeframes were NOT affected, to narrow the cause
12. How many types of root causes are there? → 3 Types
13. In RCA, what is the importance of 'psychological safety' within the investigation team? → It allows team members to share honest observations and admit errors without fear of blame
14. What is the other name of fishbone diagram? → Ishikawa Diagram
15. Which tool in RCA is best suited for identifying correlations between two variables? → Scatter Diagram
16. In RCA, what is a 'triggering event'? → The immediate event that directly caused the problem to occur
17. When was Failure mode and effect analysis invented? → In 1940's
18. What is the 'hierarchy of corrective actions' in RCA, ranked from most to least effective? → Elimination → Engineering controls → Administrative controls → Training
19. What is a Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) primarily used for in RCA? → Mapping logical relationships between failures and their causes
20. What is Root Cause Analysis? → A technique used to determine why a problem occurred in the first place
21. Which framework is commonly used to write an effective RCA problem statement? → Is/Is Not
22. What does 'Occurrence' measure in the FMEA RPN formula? → How often a failure mode is likely to occur
23. In FMEA, what does 'RPN' stand for? → Risk Priority Number
24. Ishikawa is a useful tool in determining the ______ of a problem → most likely causes
25. Which type of data is most valuable to collect immediately after a failure event in RCA? → Perishable evidence such as physical conditions, witness accounts, and system logs
26. What is the purpose of a 'run chart' in RCA data analysis? → To display data over time to reveal trends, shifts, or cycles in a process
27. FMEA discovers___________ failures within a design of a product or process → potential
28. Which element is essential for a preventive action plan to be actionable and accountable? → Assigned ownership and a target completion date
29. Why is it important to distinguish between 'observation' and 'interpretation' when collecting RCA data? → Observations are objective facts; interpretations are inferences that may introduce bias
30. Why is it important to write RCA reports using 'plain language' rather than technical jargon when sharing with non-technical stakeholders? → It ensures all readers can understand the findings and support corrective actions