ASQ CSSYB Certification Exam Syllabus

I. Six Sigma Fundamentals (20 Questions)

1. Types of teams
- Identify the various types of teams that operate within an organization (i.e., continuous improvement, self-managed, and cross-functional) and their value. (Understand)

2. Stages of development
- Describe the various stages of team evolution: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. (Understand)

3. Decision-making tools
- Define and apply decision making tools such as brainstorming, multivoting, and nominal group technique (NGT). (Apply)

4. Communication methods
- Explain how teams use agendas, meeting minutes, and project status reports, and how they support project success. (Apply)

1. Quality tools
- Select and use these tools throughout the DMAIC process: Pareto charts, cause and effect diagrams, flowcharts, run charts, check sheets, scatter diagrams, and histograms. (Apply)

2. Six Sigma metrics
- Select and use these metrics throughout the DMAIC process: defects per unit (DPU), defects per million opportunities (DPMO), rolled throughput yield (RTY), cycle time, and cost of poor quality (COPQ). (Apply)

II. Define Phase (14 Questions)

1. Voice of the customer
- Define the voice of the customer and describe how customer needs are translated into quantifiable, critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristics. (Understand)

2. Project selection
- Describe how projects are identified and selected as suitable for a Six Sigma project using the DMAIC methodology. (Understand)

3. Stakeholder analysis
- Identify end users, subject matter experts, process owners, and other people or factors that will be affected by a project, and describe how each of them can influence the project. (Understand)

4. Process inputs and outputs
- Use SIPOC (suppliers, inputs, process, outputs, customers) to identify and define important elements of a process. (Apply)

5. Supply chain management
- Understand supply chain management and how it relates to project management. (Apply)

1. Project charter
- Describe the purpose of a charter and its components: problem statement, project scope, baseline data, and project goal. (Understand)

 2. Communication plan
- Explain the purpose and benefits of a communication plan and how it can impact the success of the project. (Understand)

3. Project planning
- Define work breakdown structure (WBS) and Gantt charts, and describe how they are used to plan and monitor projects. (Understand)

4. Project management tools
- Select and use various PM tools: activity network diagrams, affinity diagrams, matrix charts, relations charts, and tree diagrams. (Understand)

5. Phase reviews
- Explain how tollgate or phase reviews are used throughout the DMAIC lifecycle. (Understand)

III. Measure Phase (15 Questions)

1. Data collection plans
- Describe the critical elements of a data collection plan, including an operational definition, data sources, the method to be used for gathering data, and how frequently it will be gathered. Describe why data collection plans are important. (Understand)

2. Qualitative and quantitative data
- Define and distinguish between these types of data. (Understand)

3. Data collection techniques
- Use various data collection techniques, including surveys, interviews, check sheets, and checklists to gather data that contributes to the process being improved. (Apply)

1. MSA terms
- Define precision, accuracy, bias, linearity, and stability, and describe how these terms are applied in the measurement phase. (Understand)

2. Gauge repeatability and reproducibility (GR&R)
- Describe and distinguish between repeatability and reproducibility and describe how and why GR&R is used in the measurement phase. (Understand)

IV. Analyze Phase (17 Questions)

1. Lean tools
- Define how 5S and value analysis can be used to identify and eliminate waste. (Understand)

2. Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)
- Relate the elements of severity, occurrence, and detection, and determine how they are used to calculate the risk priority number. Demonstrate how FMEA can be used to identify potential failures in a process. (Apply)

1. Basic distribution types
- Define and distinguish between normal and binomial distributions and describe how their shapes (skewed and bimodal) can affect data interpretation. (Understand)

2. Common and special cause variation
- Describe and distinguish between these types of variation. (Understand)

1. Correlation
- Describe how correlation is used to identify relationships between variables. (Understand)

2. Regression
- Describe how regression analysis is used to predict outcomes. (Understand)

V. Improve and Control Phases (14 Questions)

1. Kaizen and kaizen blitz
- Define and distinguish between these two methods and describe how they can be used to make improvements to any process in an organization. (Understand)

2. Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle
- Define and distinguish between the steps in this process improvement tool. (Understand)

3. Cost-benefit analysis
- Explain the importance of this analysis and how it is used in the improve phase. (Understand)

1. Control plan
- Describe the importance of a control plan for maintaining improvements. (Understand)

2. Control charts
- Describe how X-R charts are used for monitoring and sustaining improved processes. (Understand)

3. Document control
- Describe the importance of documenting changes to a process and communicating those changes to stakeholders. (Understand)

4. Work instructions and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Understand the purpose and use of work instructions and SOPs. (Understand)