ASQ Quality Improvement Associate certification questions and exam summary helps you to get focused on the exam. This guide also helps you to be on CQIA exam track to get certified with a good score in the final exam.
The ASQ Certified Quality Improvement Associate has a basic understanding of quality tools and their uses and is included in quality improvement projects, but doesn't necessarily come from a traditional quality area.
ASQ Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) Certification Summary
Exam Name: ASQ Certified Quality Improvement Associate
Exam Code: CQIA
ASQ MEMBERS Exam Fee: USD $244
ASQ NON-MEMBERS Exam Fee: USD $394
RETAKES Exam Fee: USD $184
Exam Duration: 210 Minutes
Number of Questions: 110
Passing Score: 550/750
Format: Multiple Choice Questions
Books / Trainings: Q101: Certified Quality Improvement Associate Certification Preparation
Schedule Exam: Pearson VUE
Sample Questions: ASQ CQIA Exam Sample Questions and Answers
Practice Exam: ASQ Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) Practice Test
ASQ Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) Certification Exam Syllabus
I. Quality Concepts (30 questions)
A. Terms, Concepts, and Principles
1. Quality
Define quality and use this term correctly in various circumstances. (Apply)
2. Quality plan
Define a quality plan, describe its purpose for the organization as a whole, and identify the various functional areas and people that have responsibility for contributing to its development. (Understand)
3. Employee involvement and empowerment
Define and distinguish between employee involvement and employee empowerment, and describe the benefits of both concepts. (Understand)
4. Systems and processes
Define and distinguish between a system and a process and describe the interrelationships between them. Describe the components of a system—supplier, input, process, output, customer (SIPOC)—and how these components impact the system as a whole. (Analyze)
5. Variation
Define and distinguish between common and special cause variation in relation to quality measures. (Understand)
B. Benefits of Quality
Describe how using quality techniques to improve processes, products, and services can benefit all parts of an organization. Describe what quality means to various stakeholders (e.g., employees, organization, customers, suppliers, community) and how each can benefit from quality. (Understand)
C. Quality Philosophies
Describe and distinguish between the following theories and philosophies. (Remember)
The Shewhart cycle: plan-do-check-act (PDCA)
Deming’s 14 points
The Juran trilogy
The Ishikawa diagram
Crosby’s zero defects
II. Team Basics (20 questions)
A. Team Organization
1. Team purpose
Describe why teams are an effective way to identify and solve problems, and describe when, where, why, and how teams can be used more effectively than other groups of workers. (Apply)
2. Types of teams
Define and distinguish between various types of teams: process or continuous improvement teams, workgroups or workcells, self-managed teams, temporary or ad-hoc project teams, and cross-functional teams. (Apply)
3. Value of teams
Identify how a team’s efforts can support an organization’s key strategies and effect positive change throughout the organization. (Understand)
B. Roles and Responsibilities
Describe the roles and responsibilities of various team stakeholders. (Understand)
Sponsor
Champion
Facilitator
Leader
Member
C. Team Formation and Group Dynamics
1. Initiating teams
Apply the elements of launching and sustaining a successful team, including establishing a clear purpose and goals, developing ground rules and schedules, gaining support from management and commitment from the team members. (Apply)
2. Selecting team members
Describe how to select team members based on their knowledge and skill sets and team logistics, such as a sufficient number of members in relation to the size or scope of the project, appropriate representation from affected departments or areas, and diversity. (Apply)
3. Team stages
Describe the classic stages of team evolution: forming, storming, norming, and performing. (Understand)
4. Team conflict
Describe the value of team conflict and recognize how to resolve it. Define and describe group think and how to overcome it, understand how poor logistics, agendas, and lack of training become barriers to team success. (Analyze)
5. Team decision making
Describe and use different decision-making models such as voting (majority rule, multivoting) and consensus, and use follow-up techniques to clarify the issue to be decided, to confirm agreement on the decision, and to come to closure on the decision made. (Apply)
III. Continuous Improvement Techniques (30 questions)
A. Continuous Improvement
Define and use continuous improvement tools and techniques. (Understand)
Brainstorming
Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle
Affinity diagrams
Cost of quality
Internal audits to identify improvement opportunities
B. Process Improvement
1. Six Sigma
Identify key Six Sigma concepts and tools, including the different roles and responsibilities of Green Belts and Black Belts, typical project types that are appropriate for Six Sigma techniques, and the DMAIC phases: design, measure, analyze, improve, and control. (Understand)
2. Lean
Identify lean tools that are used to reduce waste, including set-up and cycle-time reduction, pull systems (kanban), kaizen, just-in-time (JIT), 5S, and value stream mapping. (Understand)
3. Benchmarking
Define benchmarking and describe how it can be used to develop and support best practices. (Understand)
4. Incremental and breakthrough improvement
Describe and distinguish between these two types of improvements, the steps required for each, and the type of situation in which either type would be expected. (Understand)
C. Quality Improvement Tools
Select, interpret, and apply the seven basic quality tools. (Apply)
Flowcharts
Histograms
Pareto charts
Scatter diagrams
Cause and effect diagrams
Check sheets
Control charts
Describe and interpret basic control chart concepts, including centerlines, control limits, out-of-control conditions.
IV. Customer-Supplier Relations (20 questions)
A. Internal and External Customers and Suppliers
Distinguish between internal and external customers and suppliers. Describe their impact on products, services, and processes, and identify strategies for working with them to make improvements. (Understand)
B. Customer Satisfaction
Describe different types of customer feedback mechanisms (formal surveys, informal feedback, official complaints) and describe the importance of using data from these and other sources to drive continuous improvement. (Understand)
C. Supplier Management
Identify supplier performance measures, including quality, price, delivery, and level of service. Describe commonly used metrics, including product defect rates, functional performance, and delivery timeliness; service or process responsiveness, and availability and competence of technical support. (Understand)
ASQ Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) Certification Questions
ASQ Quality Improvement Associate Sample Questions:
Que.01. Which of the following is NOT necessary for team effectiveness?
Options:
a) The team’s purpose is clearly understood and supported by all members.
b) The team is accountable for specific measurable outcomes.
c) A process exists for establishing goals and objectives.
d) Company management directly participates as a team member.
Que.02. The process of delegating decision-making authority to lower levels within the organization is the definition of
Options:
a) diversity
b) empowerment
c) involvement
d) commitment
Que.03. In preparation for construction of a cause and effect diagram, it is important to
a) plot separate charts for each source
b) focus on problem outcomes
c) brainstorm ideas
d) validate possible root causes
Que.04. Deming advocates ceasing dependence on mass inspection through the use of
Options:
a) sample inspection
b) process validation
c) reliability testing
d) process improvement
Que.05. Which of the following methods is used to develop an exhaustive list of ideas about a subject?
Options:
a) Goal-setting
b) Brainstorming
c) Benchmarking
d) Problem-solving
Que.06. Groupthink can be best described as
Options:
a) focusing on reaching any decision rather than the best decision
b) building synergy within the team
c) orienting new members about group norms and expectations
d) providing training in group decision-making
Que.07. A type of line graph used to assess the stability of a process is called a
Options:
a) control chart
b) Pareto chart
c) check sheet
d) cause and effect diagram
Que.08. One benefit of quality is that a reduction in errors can result in increased
Options:
a) dispersion
b) down-time
c) cost savings
d) employee turnover
Que.09. Which of the following tools would be most appropriate for collecting data to study the symptoms of a problem?
Options:
a) A check sheet
b) A flow diagram
c) A force field analysis
d) An activity network diagram
Que.10. The best way for a timekeeper to help a team is to
Options:
a) keep minutes of the meeting and record how much time was spent on each agenda item
b) keep track of time during the meeting and alert the team when allocated time is almost up
c) police the team agenda and let team members know when discussions must end
d) let team members know when too much time has been spent on a topic and has prevented the team from completing its work
Answers:
Question: 01 Answer: d
Question: 02 Answer: b
Question: 03 Answer: c
Question: 04 Answer: d
Question: 05 Answer: b
Question: 06 Answer: a
Question: 07 Answer: a
Question: 08 Answer: c
Question: 09 Answer: a
Question: 10 Answer: b
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