WGU OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT EXAM 2026/2027 | QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS Competency-Based | Actual Questions &
Verified Answers | Western Governors University Competency
Assessment | Pass Guarantee
DOMAIN 1: Analytical Reasoning & Problem-Solving (Questions 1–15)
1. A regional call-center’s weekly ticket-volume is:
Week 1: 1,200 | Week 2: 1,350 | Week 3: 1,500 | Week 4: 1,650
Which projection method yields Week 5’s forecast?
A. Exponential smoothing
B. Linear trend extrapolation (+150/week)
C. Moving-average (four-week)
D. Seasonal decomposition
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Constant absolute increase (+150) fits linear trend; simply extend
1,650 + 150 = 1,800. Moving-average would smooth downward, exponential
would weight recent data differently, and no seasonal cycle is evident.
2. A quality dashboard shows:
● Process A: mean = 45 min, SD = 3 min
● Process B: mean = 45 min, SD = 12 min
Which statement is accurate?
A. Both processes perform equally.
B. Process A has higher variability.
C. Process B is less predictable.
D. Means differ significantly.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Larger SD (12 vs 3) indicates wider dispersion and less
predictability. Means are equal; performance equivalence is false because
wider SD implies more out-of-spec risk.
3. A scatter-plot of advertising spend vs. sales shows r = 0.85. Which conclusion is
valid?
A. 85 % of sales variation is explained by ad spend.
B. A causal relationship exists.
C. Higher spending generally accompanies higher sales.
, D. The relationship is negative.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: r = 0.85 indicates strong positive linear association; causality cannot
be inferred, and R² = 0.72, not 0.85.
4. A Pareto chart lists error sources:
● System timeout: 55 %
● Data entry: 25 %
● Network: 15 %
● Other: 5 %
Which improvement yields greatest impact?
A. Redesign timeout handling
B. Automate data-entry checks
C. Upgrade network bandwidth
D. Outsource error handling
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Pareto principle: address the vital few (55 %) first. Other choices
tackle smaller slices.
5. A Kanban board shows five tasks in “Doing” and twelve in “Waiting.” Which action
best reduces cycle time?
A. Add more developers
B. Increase work-in-progress (WIP) limit
C. Lower WIP limit and pull tasks earlier
D. Lengthen sprint duration
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: High WIP creates bottlenecks; lowering WIP forces focus, speeds flow,
and reduces waiting time. Adding people is slower and may increase
coordination overhead.
6. A control-chart of call-handle time shows last eight points above the mean but
inside upper control limit. Which interpretation is correct?
A. Process is out of control (rule of eight)
B. Common cause variation only
C. Immediate shutdown required
D. Specification limits exceeded
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Eight consecutive points on one side of centerline signals
special-cause (shift) even within limits. No evidence specs are breached.
7. A/B test: new landing page conversion 4.2 % (n = 1,000) vs. old 3.8 % (n = 1,000).
p-value = 0.08. What is the appropriate decision?
A. Reject old page; new is superior
, B. Fail to reject null; insufficient evidence
C. Increase alpha to 0.10 and adopt new page
D. Stop testing forever
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: p > 0.05 (two-tailed) means we lack statistically significant evidence of
superiority. Arbitrarily raising alpha inflates Type I error.
8. A fishbone diagram lists causes of late project delivery. Which tool best
quantifies the impact of each cause?
A. Five Whys
B. Check sheet with frequency counts
C. Brain-writing
D. SWOT matrix
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Check sheets collect frequency data, enabling Pareto or histogram
quantification. Five Whys digs deeper but doesn’t quantify.
9. A regression equation: Sales = 2,000 + 15 × Temperature (°F). Which sales
forecast is correct for 80 °F?
A. 2,000
B. 3,200
C. 2,015
D. 4,000
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 2,000 + 15×80 = 2,000 + 1,200 = 3,200.
10. A cumulative flow diagram shows the “Done” band plateauing while “In Progress”
widens. What does this indicate?
A. Throughput is increasing
B. Work is completing faster
C. WIP is accumulating
D. Defect rate is zero
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Widening “In Progress” and flat “Done” means items enter but do not
exit — WIP accumulation/bottleneck.
11. A root-cause analysis team asks “Why?” five times and finds that insufficient
training caused the defect. Which countermeasure addresses the root cause?
A. Re-train staff and update SOP
B. Discipline the operator
C. Add final inspection step
D. Purchase faster machines
Correct Answer: A
CORRECT ANSWERS Competency-Based | Actual Questions &
Verified Answers | Western Governors University Competency
Assessment | Pass Guarantee
DOMAIN 1: Analytical Reasoning & Problem-Solving (Questions 1–15)
1. A regional call-center’s weekly ticket-volume is:
Week 1: 1,200 | Week 2: 1,350 | Week 3: 1,500 | Week 4: 1,650
Which projection method yields Week 5’s forecast?
A. Exponential smoothing
B. Linear trend extrapolation (+150/week)
C. Moving-average (four-week)
D. Seasonal decomposition
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Constant absolute increase (+150) fits linear trend; simply extend
1,650 + 150 = 1,800. Moving-average would smooth downward, exponential
would weight recent data differently, and no seasonal cycle is evident.
2. A quality dashboard shows:
● Process A: mean = 45 min, SD = 3 min
● Process B: mean = 45 min, SD = 12 min
Which statement is accurate?
A. Both processes perform equally.
B. Process A has higher variability.
C. Process B is less predictable.
D. Means differ significantly.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Larger SD (12 vs 3) indicates wider dispersion and less
predictability. Means are equal; performance equivalence is false because
wider SD implies more out-of-spec risk.
3. A scatter-plot of advertising spend vs. sales shows r = 0.85. Which conclusion is
valid?
A. 85 % of sales variation is explained by ad spend.
B. A causal relationship exists.
C. Higher spending generally accompanies higher sales.
, D. The relationship is negative.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: r = 0.85 indicates strong positive linear association; causality cannot
be inferred, and R² = 0.72, not 0.85.
4. A Pareto chart lists error sources:
● System timeout: 55 %
● Data entry: 25 %
● Network: 15 %
● Other: 5 %
Which improvement yields greatest impact?
A. Redesign timeout handling
B. Automate data-entry checks
C. Upgrade network bandwidth
D. Outsource error handling
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Pareto principle: address the vital few (55 %) first. Other choices
tackle smaller slices.
5. A Kanban board shows five tasks in “Doing” and twelve in “Waiting.” Which action
best reduces cycle time?
A. Add more developers
B. Increase work-in-progress (WIP) limit
C. Lower WIP limit and pull tasks earlier
D. Lengthen sprint duration
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: High WIP creates bottlenecks; lowering WIP forces focus, speeds flow,
and reduces waiting time. Adding people is slower and may increase
coordination overhead.
6. A control-chart of call-handle time shows last eight points above the mean but
inside upper control limit. Which interpretation is correct?
A. Process is out of control (rule of eight)
B. Common cause variation only
C. Immediate shutdown required
D. Specification limits exceeded
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Eight consecutive points on one side of centerline signals
special-cause (shift) even within limits. No evidence specs are breached.
7. A/B test: new landing page conversion 4.2 % (n = 1,000) vs. old 3.8 % (n = 1,000).
p-value = 0.08. What is the appropriate decision?
A. Reject old page; new is superior
, B. Fail to reject null; insufficient evidence
C. Increase alpha to 0.10 and adopt new page
D. Stop testing forever
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: p > 0.05 (two-tailed) means we lack statistically significant evidence of
superiority. Arbitrarily raising alpha inflates Type I error.
8. A fishbone diagram lists causes of late project delivery. Which tool best
quantifies the impact of each cause?
A. Five Whys
B. Check sheet with frequency counts
C. Brain-writing
D. SWOT matrix
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Check sheets collect frequency data, enabling Pareto or histogram
quantification. Five Whys digs deeper but doesn’t quantify.
9. A regression equation: Sales = 2,000 + 15 × Temperature (°F). Which sales
forecast is correct for 80 °F?
A. 2,000
B. 3,200
C. 2,015
D. 4,000
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 2,000 + 15×80 = 2,000 + 1,200 = 3,200.
10. A cumulative flow diagram shows the “Done” band plateauing while “In Progress”
widens. What does this indicate?
A. Throughput is increasing
B. Work is completing faster
C. WIP is accumulating
D. Defect rate is zero
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Widening “In Progress” and flat “Done” means items enter but do not
exit — WIP accumulation/bottleneck.
11. A root-cause analysis team asks “Why?” five times and finds that insufficient
training caused the defect. Which countermeasure addresses the root cause?
A. Re-train staff and update SOP
B. Discipline the operator
C. Add final inspection step
D. Purchase faster machines
Correct Answer: A
