ASQ CQT Exam Prep Free practice test →

Free ASQ CQT Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style ASQ Certified Quality Technician (ASQ CQT) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free ASQ CQT practice test to study every exam domain.

Question 1

A manufacturing engineer designs a custom loading fixture that physically prevents a stamped bracket from being inserted into a press die in the wrong orientation. This expenditure is BEST classified as which category of Cost of Quality?

  1. Appraisal cost, because the fixture evaluates part orientation before the press operation is performed
  2. Internal failure cost, because it is a direct response to a documented assembly defect occurring on the line
  3. Prevention cost
  4. External failure cost, because the fixture prevents non-conforming product from escaping to the customer
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Prevention cost

Question 2

A capability study on a machined bore reports Cp = 1.67 and Cpk = 0.68. Which statement BEST describes this process?

  1. The process is incapable due to excessive variation - the standard deviation must be reduced before the specification can be met
  2. The process is capable and well-centered; no corrective action is required
  3. The process spread fits comfortably within the specification, but the process is significantly off-center and is actively producing defects near one specification limit
  4. Both indices must exceed the widely accepted minimum threshold of 1.33 before any meaningful capability conclusion can be reported to the customer or used to release production
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - The process spread fits comfortably within the specification, but the process is significantly off-center and is actively producing defects near one specification limit

Question 3

A quality technician counts all surface defects - scratches, pits, and discolorations - found on one randomly selected refrigerator door per hour. Sample size is constant at one door per inspection interval. Which control chart is MOST appropriate for this data?

  1. p-chart
  2. u-chart
  3. np-chart
  4. c-chart
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - c-chart

Question 4

A quality engineer monitors a monthly batch process yield (%) using an Individuals and Moving Range (I-MR) chart. The process mean is 87.9% and the average moving range is 4.0%. Using the correct control chart constant for an I-MR chart, what are the Upper and Lower Control Limits for the Individuals (I) chart?

  1. UCL = 97.2%, LCL = 78.6%
  2. UCL = 98.5%, LCL = 77.3%
  3. UCL = 101.0%, LCL = 74.8%
  4. UCL = 99.9%, LCL = 75.9%
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - UCL = 98.5%, LCL = 77.3%

Question 5

A hole is dimensioned Ø 0.750 ± 0.005 with a positional tolerance of Ø 0.004 at MMC. An inspector measures the actual hole diameter at Ø 0.758. What is the total positional tolerance available for this feature?

  1. Ø 0.004
  2. Ø 0.007
  3. Ø 0.012
  4. Ø 0.017
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Ø 0.017

Question 6

A Gauge R&R study conducted on a precision caliper yields a %GRR of 26.7% of the part tolerance. According to standard MSA acceptance criteria, this result:

  1. Falls in the marginal zone and requires engineering judgment based on the criticality and risk of the application
  2. Is unconditionally acceptable because it does not exceed the 30% rejection threshold established by the AIAG MSA Manual for all measurement systems
  3. Is unacceptable - the measurement system must be improved or replaced before it may be used in production
  4. Is acceptable for critical characteristics as long as the value remains below 30%
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Falls in the marginal zone and requires engineering judgment based on the criticality and risk of the application

Question 7

Routine calibration reveals that a height gauge has been reading consistently 0.012" low across its full range. The gauge was last calibrated six months ago and has been used daily to accept finished product dimensions. What is the MOST appropriate immediate action?

  1. Recalibrate the gauge and return it to service
  2. Scrap all product that was inspected with the gauge during the six-month period
  3. Document the as-found condition in the calibration record, notify the quality manager, and reduce the calibration interval at the next scheduled service
  4. Initiate a lookback investigation to identify and evaluate all product measured with the gauge since the last confirmed in-calibration date
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Initiate a lookback investigation to identify and evaluate all product measured with the gauge since the last confirmed in-calibration date

Question 8

During a PFMEA review, a team assigns a Detection rating of 9 to a failure mode with Severity = 7 and Occurrence = 4. The process engineer states this is a strong result because the Detection score is near the maximum of 10. Which response BEST corrects this interpretation?

  1. The engineer is correct - Detection scores above 8 confirm that the control method reliably identifies the failure mode before it reaches downstream processes or the customer
  2. A Detection rating of 9 indicates the failure is nearly impossible to detect, making this a high-priority risk that requires corrective action
  3. Detection ratings above 8 require automatic escalation to senior management regardless of the Severity and Occurrence values assigned
  4. The RPN result is inconclusive until the Detection score is normalized against the process baseline performance
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - A Detection rating of 9 indicates the failure is nearly impossible to detect, making this a high-priority risk that requires corrective action

Question 9

A customer contacts a supplier to report finding 18 non-conforming hydraulic fittings in a recent delivery. The supplier's quality manager immediately begins organizing a root cause analysis team meeting scheduled for the following week. Which critical step has the quality manager failed to initiate first?

  1. Implementing interim containment to prevent any additional non-conforming product from reaching the customer
  2. Logging the complaint in the company's corrective action and nonconformance tracking system and assigning it an initial disposition status
  3. Escalating the complaint to the plant manager and senior quality leadership to ensure appropriate visibility and resource allocation
  4. Increasing the Occurrence rating on the related PFMEA line item to reflect the confirmed field failure
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Implementing interim containment to prevent any additional non-conforming product from reaching the customer

Question 10

During an ISO 9001:2015 internal audit, a quality technician reviews 15 calibration records across four production departments and finds that 11 records are missing the mandatory 'calibration due date' field. Personnel in all four departments confirm they do not follow a formal equipment recall system. How should this finding MOST appropriately be classified?

  1. An opportunity for improvement, since no equipment was found to be out of calibration during the audit
  2. A major nonconformance, because the pattern across multiple departments indicates a systemic failure in the calibration management process
  3. Four separate minor nonconformances, one attributed to each of the four departments audited
  4. A minor nonconformance, since the missing due-date field is a documentation deficiency and no product was demonstrably affected by it during the audit period reviewed
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - A major nonconformance, because the pattern across multiple departments indicates a systemic failure in the calibration management process

Ready for the real thing?

Practice hundreds more ASQ CQT questions with instant scoring, weak-area drills, and full exam simulations.

Start the free practice test See pricing