Certified Production & Operations Manager (POM) Practice Exam

What is the purpose of a run test in quality control?

1. To evaluate overall process performance

2. To check for nonrandom variability in a control chart

3. To assess acceptability of a sample

4. To analyze defect rates

The correct answer is: To check for nonrandom variability in a control chart

The purpose of a run test in quality control is to check for nonrandom variability in a control chart. A run test analyzes a sequence of data points to determine whether the patterns observed (such as sequences of positive or negative values) deviate from what would be expected under the assumption of randomness. This is crucial in quality control as it helps identify potential issues in the process or signals an unusual variation that may require further investigation. If patterns that suggest nonrandomness are found, it could indicate that there are systematic problems in the process that need to be addressed, thus ensuring quality standards are maintained. Evaluating overall process performance, assessing acceptability of a sample, or analyzing defect rates are all important aspects of quality control, but they do not specifically focus on the detection of nonrandom variability as the run test does.