WGU D469 Performance Assessment
with complete solution
Domain 1: Quality Management Foundations
1. A manufacturing plant manager wants to implement a quality philosophy focused on
continuous improvement and statistical process control. Which quality guru is most
associated with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle?
A. Philip Crosby
B. Joseph Juran
C. W. Edwards Deming
D. Armand Feigenbaum
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: W. Edwards Deming is best known for the PDCA cycle and his 14 Points for
Management, which emphasize continuous improvement and statistical process control.
Deming's approach focuses on reducing variability and meeting specifications through systemic
change .
2. A company defines quality as "fitness for use." Which quality pioneer is associated with
this definition?
A. W. Edwards Deming
B. Joseph Juran
C. Philip Crosby
D. Kaoru Ishikawa
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Joseph Juran defined quality as "fitness for use," meaning how well a product or
service meets a customer's needs and expectations. Juran's Quality Trilogy consists of quality
planning, quality control, and quality improvement .
3. "Quality is free" and "zero defects" are concepts associated with which quality expert?
A. Joseph Juran
B. W. Edwards Deming
C. Philip Crosby
D. Genichi Taguchi
, Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Philip Crosby is known for the phrase "Quality is Free" and his advocacy for "Zero
Defects." Crosby argued that the cost of preventing defects is far less than the cost of fixing
them after they occur .
4. A hospital wants to reduce patient wait times by analyzing the root causes of delays. Which
quality tool would be most appropriate for brainstorming potential causes?
A. Pareto chart
B. Fishbone diagram
C. Control chart
D. Scatter diagram
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram is a cause-and-effect tool used to brainstorm
and categorize potential causes of a problem. It helps teams identify root causes by organizing
contributing factors into categories such as people, methods, materials, and environment .
5. Which of the following costs is classified as a prevention cost in the Cost of Quality (COQ)
framework?
A. Warranty repairs
B. Product inspection
C. Employee quality training
D. Scrap and rework
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Prevention costs are incurred to prevent defects from occurring in the first place.
Examples include quality planning, training, and process design. Appraisal costs (inspection),
internal failure costs (scrap/rework), and external failure costs (warranty) are separate
categories .
6. Garvin's dimensions of quality include "performance," "features," and "reliability." Which
dimension refers to the probability that a product will operate properly within an expected
time frame?
A. Performance
B. Features
C. Reliability
D. Conformance
, Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Reliability is defined as the probability that a product will perform as intended
without failure over a specified period. It differs from durability, which measures total useful life
.
7. ISO 9001 certification implies that a manufacturing organization:
A. Meets internationally accepted requirements for quality management
B. Has achieved zero defects in production
C. Uses only Lean manufacturing principles
D. Has eliminated all external failure costs
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: ISO 9001 provides requirements for quality management systems (QMS) and
demonstrates that an organization meets internationally recognized standards for quality
management. It does not certify zero defects or specific production methodologies .
8. Which of the following is an example of an attribute that can be evaluated with a discrete
response?
A. Weight
B. Temperature
C. Color
D. Length
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: An attribute is a product characteristic that can be evaluated with a discrete
response, such as good/bad, yes/no, or pass/fail. Color can be evaluated as acceptable or not
acceptable. Weight, temperature, and length are variable measures that require continuous
measurement .
9. A quality manager wants to identify the "vital few" causes that account for most quality
problems. Which tool should be used?
A. Histogram
B. Pareto chart
C. Fishbone diagram
D. Control chart
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: Pareto analysis is based on the 80/20 rule, which states that approximately 80%
of problems come from 20% of causes. A Pareto chart ranks causes by frequency and helps
prioritize improvement efforts on the most significant issues .
10. A production supervisor notices that a process is producing items outside control limits.
What does this indicate?
A. The process is in statistical control
B. The process is operating as expected
C. The process is out of control and requires investigation
D. The process is producing zero defects
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Control charts establish upper and lower control limits (typically ±3 sigma).
Sample points outside these limits indicate that the process is "out of control" and subject to
special cause variation, requiring investigation and corrective action .
11. Which quality tool graphically shows whether a relationship exists between two
variables?
A. Pareto chart
B. Histogram
C. Scatter diagram
D. Control chart
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A scatter diagram plots pairs of numerical data to show the relationship between
two variables. If the points form a pattern, a correlation may exist between the variables .
12. Total Quality Management (TQM) is best described as:
A. A financial audit process
B. Management of quality throughout the organization at all levels and across all areas
C. A certification program for suppliers
D. A statistical sampling technique
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: TQM is a comprehensive management approach that involves all employees at
all levels in the organization in quality improvement. It emphasizes customer satisfaction,
continuous improvement, and employee empowerment .
with complete solution
Domain 1: Quality Management Foundations
1. A manufacturing plant manager wants to implement a quality philosophy focused on
continuous improvement and statistical process control. Which quality guru is most
associated with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle?
A. Philip Crosby
B. Joseph Juran
C. W. Edwards Deming
D. Armand Feigenbaum
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: W. Edwards Deming is best known for the PDCA cycle and his 14 Points for
Management, which emphasize continuous improvement and statistical process control.
Deming's approach focuses on reducing variability and meeting specifications through systemic
change .
2. A company defines quality as "fitness for use." Which quality pioneer is associated with
this definition?
A. W. Edwards Deming
B. Joseph Juran
C. Philip Crosby
D. Kaoru Ishikawa
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Joseph Juran defined quality as "fitness for use," meaning how well a product or
service meets a customer's needs and expectations. Juran's Quality Trilogy consists of quality
planning, quality control, and quality improvement .
3. "Quality is free" and "zero defects" are concepts associated with which quality expert?
A. Joseph Juran
B. W. Edwards Deming
C. Philip Crosby
D. Genichi Taguchi
, Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Philip Crosby is known for the phrase "Quality is Free" and his advocacy for "Zero
Defects." Crosby argued that the cost of preventing defects is far less than the cost of fixing
them after they occur .
4. A hospital wants to reduce patient wait times by analyzing the root causes of delays. Which
quality tool would be most appropriate for brainstorming potential causes?
A. Pareto chart
B. Fishbone diagram
C. Control chart
D. Scatter diagram
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram is a cause-and-effect tool used to brainstorm
and categorize potential causes of a problem. It helps teams identify root causes by organizing
contributing factors into categories such as people, methods, materials, and environment .
5. Which of the following costs is classified as a prevention cost in the Cost of Quality (COQ)
framework?
A. Warranty repairs
B. Product inspection
C. Employee quality training
D. Scrap and rework
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Prevention costs are incurred to prevent defects from occurring in the first place.
Examples include quality planning, training, and process design. Appraisal costs (inspection),
internal failure costs (scrap/rework), and external failure costs (warranty) are separate
categories .
6. Garvin's dimensions of quality include "performance," "features," and "reliability." Which
dimension refers to the probability that a product will operate properly within an expected
time frame?
A. Performance
B. Features
C. Reliability
D. Conformance
, Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Reliability is defined as the probability that a product will perform as intended
without failure over a specified period. It differs from durability, which measures total useful life
.
7. ISO 9001 certification implies that a manufacturing organization:
A. Meets internationally accepted requirements for quality management
B. Has achieved zero defects in production
C. Uses only Lean manufacturing principles
D. Has eliminated all external failure costs
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: ISO 9001 provides requirements for quality management systems (QMS) and
demonstrates that an organization meets internationally recognized standards for quality
management. It does not certify zero defects or specific production methodologies .
8. Which of the following is an example of an attribute that can be evaluated with a discrete
response?
A. Weight
B. Temperature
C. Color
D. Length
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: An attribute is a product characteristic that can be evaluated with a discrete
response, such as good/bad, yes/no, or pass/fail. Color can be evaluated as acceptable or not
acceptable. Weight, temperature, and length are variable measures that require continuous
measurement .
9. A quality manager wants to identify the "vital few" causes that account for most quality
problems. Which tool should be used?
A. Histogram
B. Pareto chart
C. Fishbone diagram
D. Control chart
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: Pareto analysis is based on the 80/20 rule, which states that approximately 80%
of problems come from 20% of causes. A Pareto chart ranks causes by frequency and helps
prioritize improvement efforts on the most significant issues .
10. A production supervisor notices that a process is producing items outside control limits.
What does this indicate?
A. The process is in statistical control
B. The process is operating as expected
C. The process is out of control and requires investigation
D. The process is producing zero defects
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Control charts establish upper and lower control limits (typically ±3 sigma).
Sample points outside these limits indicate that the process is "out of control" and subject to
special cause variation, requiring investigation and corrective action .
11. Which quality tool graphically shows whether a relationship exists between two
variables?
A. Pareto chart
B. Histogram
C. Scatter diagram
D. Control chart
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A scatter diagram plots pairs of numerical data to show the relationship between
two variables. If the points form a pattern, a correlation may exist between the variables .
12. Total Quality Management (TQM) is best described as:
A. A financial audit process
B. Management of quality throughout the organization at all levels and across all areas
C. A certification program for suppliers
D. A statistical sampling technique
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: TQM is a comprehensive management approach that involves all employees at
all levels in the organization in quality improvement. It emphasizes customer satisfaction,
continuous improvement, and employee empowerment .
