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FE · 9% of the exam

Quality practice questions

10 free Quality questions for the FE Industrial and Systems Exam (FE) exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question FE quiz

What this domain covers

Measuring and improving quality: control charts, process capability, acceptance sampling, quality tools, Six Sigma and reliability.

Exam weight
9%
On a real exam
≈ 10 questions
In our bank
54 questions

Topics that come up most

  • X-bar, R, p and c control charts
  • Process capability indices Cp and Cpk
  • Acceptance sampling and OC curves
  • Pareto, fishbone and QFD tools
  • Six Sigma and reliability measures

How to study it

Practise computing control limits with the Handbook's chart constants table; knowing which constant goes with which chart type is half the work.

Sample Quality questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    A check sheet is used to:

    • ATally data by category as it's collected
    • BCalculate control limits
    • CDiagram causes
    • DApprove payments
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Tally data by category as it's collected

    • ACorrect. It's a basic quality tool.
    • BIncorrect. It tallies data.
    • CIncorrect. That's a fishbone diagram.
    • DIncorrect. It tallies data.

  2. Question 2

    If a process mean is exactly centered between the specification limits, then:

    • ACp is undefined
    • BCpk is zero
    • CCpk exceeds Cp
    • DCpk equals Cp
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Cpk equals Cp

    • AIncorrect. Cp is defined.
    • BIncorrect. It equals Cp.
    • CIncorrect. Cpk can't exceed Cp.
    • DCorrect. Off-center processes have Cpk below Cp.

  3. Question 3

    An operating characteristic (OC) curve for a sampling plan shows:

    • AThe probability of accepting a lot versus its fraction defective
    • BProcess mean over time
    • CCost versus volume
    • DDefects by category
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) The probability of accepting a lot versus its fraction defective

    • ACorrect. It shows producer's and consumer's risks.
    • BIncorrect. That's a control chart.
    • CIncorrect. That's a breakeven chart.
    • DIncorrect. That's a Pareto chart.

  4. Question 4

    In quality management, the term kaizen refers to:

    • AOngoing, small-step improvement by employees at every level
    • BA one-time radical redesign of core business processes
    • CFull inspection of every finished unit before shipment
    • DStatistical acceptance sampling of incoming supplier lots
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Ongoing, small-step improvement by employees at every level

    Kaizen is a philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement that engages employees at all levels. It is different from radical reengineering and from inspection-based quality control.

    • ACorrect. Kaizen is a participatory approach to continuous, incremental improvement. It assumes the people closest to the work are best placed to find and carry out improvements.
    • BIncorrect. A one-time radical redesign describes business process reengineering, not kaizen. Kaizen works through many small, repeated improvements.
    • CIncorrect. 100% final inspection is a detection-based quality control practice. It does not improve the process itself, which is the aim of kaizen.
    • DIncorrect. Acceptance sampling decides whether to accept or reject a lot based on a sample. It is an inspection technique, not an improvement philosophy.

  5. Question 5

    On a control chart, seven consecutive points on one side of the centerline (all within limits) suggest:

    • AA nonrandom pattern, such as a process shift
    • BPerfectly random variation
    • CThat the limits are wrong
    • DNothing at all
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) A nonrandom pattern, such as a process shift

    • ACorrect. Run rules flag it.
    • BIncorrect. Such a run is unlikely by chance.
    • CIncorrect. It suggests a shift.
    • DIncorrect. It suggests a shift.

  6. Question 6

    Inspection finds 25 defects in 500 units, each with 10 opportunities for a defect. The DPMO is:

    • A500
    • B50,000
    • C5,000
    • D0.005
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 5,000

    • AIncorrect. That's off by a factor of 10.
    • BIncorrect. That ignores opportunities.
    • CCorrect. 25 ÷ 5,000 × 10⁶.
    • DIncorrect. That's the defect rate.

  7. Question 7

    A centered process with Cp = 0.8 will:

    • AHave a Cpk above Cp
    • BProduce no defects
    • CBe out of statistical control
    • DProduce some parts outside specifications
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Produce some parts outside specifications

    • AIncorrect. Cpk ≤ Cp.
    • BIncorrect. Cp below 1 means defects.
    • CIncorrect. Capability and control differ.
    • DCorrect. The spread exceeds the tolerance.

  8. Question 8

    ISO 9001 is an international standard for:

    • AInformation security
    • BEnvironmental management
    • CQuality management systems
    • DOccupational health and safety
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) Quality management systems

    • AIncorrect. That's ISO 27001.
    • BIncorrect. That's ISO 14001.
    • CCorrect. Organizations can be certified to it.
    • DIncorrect. That's ISO 45001.

  9. Question 9

    A single sampling plan has n = 50 and acceptance number c = 1. The lot is accepted if the sample has:

    • AFewer than 50 defectives
    • BExactly 50 good items only
    • CAt least 1 defective
    • DAt most 1 defective
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) At most 1 defective

    • AIncorrect. The limit is 1.
    • BIncorrect. One defective is allowed.
    • CIncorrect. It's at most 1.
    • DCorrect. Two or more means rejection.

  10. Question 10

    A c-chart for defects per unit has c̄ = 4. Its upper control limit is:

    • A10
    • B16
    • C7
    • D12
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 10

    • ACorrect. UCL = c̄ + 3√c̄ = 4 + 6.
    • BIncorrect. Use 3√c̄, not 3c̄.
    • CIncorrect. Use 3√c̄ = 6.
    • DIncorrect. Recheck: 4 + 3(2).

Quality: FAQs

How much of the FE exam is Quality?

Quality is 9% of the FE exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 110-question form works out to roughly 10 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Quality domain cover?

Measuring and improving quality: control charts, process capability, acceptance sampling, quality tools, Six Sigma and reliability.

How should I study Quality for FE?

Practise computing control limits with the Handbook's chart constants table; knowing which constant goes with which chart type is half the work.

Where can I practise more Quality questions?

This page has 10 free Quality questions with answers. The ExamWize FE question bank has 54 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other FE topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the FE cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Quality exam-ready

The full FE bank has 54 Quality questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

See the full FE practice examsTake the free diagnostic

Not affiliated with NCEES; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.