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 hospital’s quality dashboard shows the following surgical-site
infection (SSI) rates for Q1:
● Jan: 3.2 %
● Feb: 2.9 %
● Mar: 4.1 %
The national benchmark is ≤ 2.5 %. Which analytical step should the
quality team perform first?
A. Implement a new antibiotic protocol hospital-wide
B. Compare patient-level data for Mar cases against Jan-Feb cases
C. Announce a zero-tolerance policy for SSIs
D. Increase marketing of the hospital’s surgery center
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Before acting, the team must identify root-cause patterns (case mix,
procedure type, staff) specific to March. Jumping to solutions (A) risks solving the
wrong problem; marketing (D) is irrelevant.
2. A software support desk logs show average ticket resolution times (in hours) for
four analysts:
● Alex: 4.5
● Blair: 6.2
● Casey: 3.8
, ● Drew: 5.1
If the team goal is ≤ 4 h, which analyst’s workflow should be
reverse-engineered for best-practice documentation?
A. Alex
B. Blair
C. Casey
D. Drew
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Casey has the lowest average (3.8 h), indicating effective practices worth
replicating. Benchmarking against the best performer is standard in process
improvement.
3. A logistics firm tracks on-time delivery percentages across three routes for six
months:
● Route A: mean = 92 %, SD = 2 %
● Route B: mean = 89 %, SD = 5 %
● Route C: mean = 89 %, SD = 1 %
Which route shows both acceptable performance and the most consistent
service?
A. Route A
B. Route B
C. Route C
D. Both B and C are equally consistent
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Route A has the highest mean and lowest variability (smallest SD), indicating
both superior and stable performance.
4. A city’s 311 call center receives 30 % more “pothole” reports in Ward 3 than in
other wards, despite equal road miles. Which data source would most effectively
verify whether road quality is actually worse?
A. Social-media sentiment analysis
B. Visual inspection scores from an independent road-audit team
, C. Number of city council complaints
D. Average daily traffic counts
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Objective, standardized physical audits (B) directly measure road condition,
eliminating reporting-bias variables present in 311 data (citizen engagement,
smartphone access).
5. A start-up’s burn rate is $50 k/month with $200 k cash on hand. Revenue is
projected to double monthly beginning next month (Month 1: $20 k). In which
month will cash reach zero if burn rate remains constant?
A. Month 4
B. Month 5
C. Month 6
D. Month 7
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cumulative net cash out: M1 −30 k, M2 −10 k, M3 +10 k, M4 +30 k, M5 +50 k.
Starting balance $200 k → break-even between M4 and M5; cash depletes during M5.
6. A pharmacy sees prescription-fill errors spike on Mondays. A Pareto chart shows
70 % of errors stem from two of ten possible causes. Which problem-solving
principle does this illustrate?
A. Root cause must be human error
B. Focus improvement efforts on the vital few
C. Increase training across all causes equally
D. Errors are random and cannot be predicted
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pareto principle (80/20) directs teams to target the “vital few” causes yielding
greatest impact.
, 7. A manufacturing line’s control chart displays one data point above the upper
control limit while all others remain within limits. Which interpretation is correct?
A. The process is out of control; investigate special-cause variation
B. The process is stable; ignore the single point
C. Recalculate control limits immediately
D. Stop production and redesign the process
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A point beyond control limits signals special-cause variation requiring
investigation—not necessarily a full redesign.
8. A hospital compares two wound-dressing protocols. Protocol A: mean healing
time = 14 days (n = 100, SD = 3); Protocol B: mean = 13 days (n = 100, SD = 2). A
two-sample t-test yields p = 0.04. Which conclusion is valid?
A. Protocol B is clinically superior to A
B. The difference is statistically significant but may not be clinically meaningful
C. Protocol A should be abandoned
D. Sample sizes are too small for any conclusion
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: p < 0.05 indicates statistical significance, but 1-day difference may not justify
protocol change without cost-effectiveness analysis.
9. A customer-service call-center tracks average handle time (AHT). Week 1 AHT =
320 s; Week 2 = 300 s; Week 3 = 295 s; Week 4 = 290 s. Which type of variation is
most likely present?
A. Special-cause variation
B. Common-cause variation showing trend
C. Cyclical variation
D. No variation at all
Correct Answer: B
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 hospital’s quality dashboard shows the following surgical-site
infection (SSI) rates for Q1:
● Jan: 3.2 %
● Feb: 2.9 %
● Mar: 4.1 %
The national benchmark is ≤ 2.5 %. Which analytical step should the
quality team perform first?
A. Implement a new antibiotic protocol hospital-wide
B. Compare patient-level data for Mar cases against Jan-Feb cases
C. Announce a zero-tolerance policy for SSIs
D. Increase marketing of the hospital’s surgery center
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Before acting, the team must identify root-cause patterns (case mix,
procedure type, staff) specific to March. Jumping to solutions (A) risks solving the
wrong problem; marketing (D) is irrelevant.
2. A software support desk logs show average ticket resolution times (in hours) for
four analysts:
● Alex: 4.5
● Blair: 6.2
● Casey: 3.8
, ● Drew: 5.1
If the team goal is ≤ 4 h, which analyst’s workflow should be
reverse-engineered for best-practice documentation?
A. Alex
B. Blair
C. Casey
D. Drew
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Casey has the lowest average (3.8 h), indicating effective practices worth
replicating. Benchmarking against the best performer is standard in process
improvement.
3. A logistics firm tracks on-time delivery percentages across three routes for six
months:
● Route A: mean = 92 %, SD = 2 %
● Route B: mean = 89 %, SD = 5 %
● Route C: mean = 89 %, SD = 1 %
Which route shows both acceptable performance and the most consistent
service?
A. Route A
B. Route B
C. Route C
D. Both B and C are equally consistent
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Route A has the highest mean and lowest variability (smallest SD), indicating
both superior and stable performance.
4. A city’s 311 call center receives 30 % more “pothole” reports in Ward 3 than in
other wards, despite equal road miles. Which data source would most effectively
verify whether road quality is actually worse?
A. Social-media sentiment analysis
B. Visual inspection scores from an independent road-audit team
, C. Number of city council complaints
D. Average daily traffic counts
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Objective, standardized physical audits (B) directly measure road condition,
eliminating reporting-bias variables present in 311 data (citizen engagement,
smartphone access).
5. A start-up’s burn rate is $50 k/month with $200 k cash on hand. Revenue is
projected to double monthly beginning next month (Month 1: $20 k). In which
month will cash reach zero if burn rate remains constant?
A. Month 4
B. Month 5
C. Month 6
D. Month 7
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cumulative net cash out: M1 −30 k, M2 −10 k, M3 +10 k, M4 +30 k, M5 +50 k.
Starting balance $200 k → break-even between M4 and M5; cash depletes during M5.
6. A pharmacy sees prescription-fill errors spike on Mondays. A Pareto chart shows
70 % of errors stem from two of ten possible causes. Which problem-solving
principle does this illustrate?
A. Root cause must be human error
B. Focus improvement efforts on the vital few
C. Increase training across all causes equally
D. Errors are random and cannot be predicted
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pareto principle (80/20) directs teams to target the “vital few” causes yielding
greatest impact.
, 7. A manufacturing line’s control chart displays one data point above the upper
control limit while all others remain within limits. Which interpretation is correct?
A. The process is out of control; investigate special-cause variation
B. The process is stable; ignore the single point
C. Recalculate control limits immediately
D. Stop production and redesign the process
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A point beyond control limits signals special-cause variation requiring
investigation—not necessarily a full redesign.
8. A hospital compares two wound-dressing protocols. Protocol A: mean healing
time = 14 days (n = 100, SD = 3); Protocol B: mean = 13 days (n = 100, SD = 2). A
two-sample t-test yields p = 0.04. Which conclusion is valid?
A. Protocol B is clinically superior to A
B. The difference is statistically significant but may not be clinically meaningful
C. Protocol A should be abandoned
D. Sample sizes are too small for any conclusion
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: p < 0.05 indicates statistical significance, but 1-day difference may not justify
protocol change without cost-effectiveness analysis.
9. A customer-service call-center tracks average handle time (AHT). Week 1 AHT =
320 s; Week 2 = 300 s; Week 3 = 295 s; Week 4 = 290 s. Which type of variation is
most likely present?
A. Special-cause variation
B. Common-cause variation showing trend
C. Cyclical variation
D. No variation at all
Correct Answer: B
