When a process has proven itself to function at a Six Sigma level this means there are less than 3.4 defects per ___________ opportunities.

Question

Options

• AHundred
• BThousand
• CMillion
• DBillion

• B
  5% (1)
• C
  91% (20)
• D
  5% (1)

Explanation

Six Sigma is defined by achieving fewer than 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO), making C the correct answer - this threshold represents 99.99966% perfection, an extraordinarily high quality standard. Option A (hundred) is far too low a scale to be meaningful in quality engineering, as even basic processes can achieve near-zero defects per hundred. Option B (thousand) similarly understates the precision required; a process with 3.4 defects per thousand would only be performing at roughly a 4-Sigma level. Option D (billion) overstates the standard - no industry definition places Six Sigma at the billion scale, and confusing it with billion would imply an even stricter (non-existent) standard.

Memory tip: Think "6 Sigma = 6 zeros minus 2" - a million has 6 zeros, and 3.4 per million is your anchor. The "Six" in Six Sigma pairs with "million" (both feel large), helping you rule out the smaller units.

No community discussion yet for this question.