Certification Examination Practice

Illinois Lean Manufacturing Technician Certification Examination Practice Questions And Correct Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf

• What is the primary goal of Lean Manufacturing?

a) Increase workforce size

b) Eliminate waste and improve process efficiency

c) Reduce product quality

d) Maximize machine usage

Rationale: Lean focuses on reducing waste (muda) in all processes to

improve efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.

• Which of the following is considered a type of waste in Lean?

a) Overproduction

b) Inventory 1 / 4

c) Defects

d) All of the above

Rationale: Lean identifies seven (or eight) wastes, including

overproduction, inventory, defects, waiting, motion, transport, and overprocessing.

• What does “5S” stand for in Lean Manufacturing?

a) Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain

b) Select, Store, Shine, Simplify, Sustain

c) Sort, Scan, Shine, Standardize, Sustain

d) Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain

Rationale: 5S is a methodology to organize the workplace for

efficiency and safety.

• What is the purpose of a Value Stream Map (VSM)?

a) Measure employee satisfaction

b) Visualize and analyze the flow of materials and information

c) Track financial performance

d) Predict market trends

Rationale: VSM identifies steps that add value and highlights areas

of waste in a process.

5. Kaizen focuses on:

a) Long-term strategic planning

b) Continuous, incremental improvements

c) Mass production 2 / 4

d) Cost reduction only

Rationale: Kaizen emphasizes small, continuous improvements

involving all employees.

• What is the difference between push and pull systems?

a) Push produces based on demand; pull produces on forecast

b) Push produces on forecast; pull produces based on demand

c) Both produce on forecast

d) Both produce on demand

Rationale: Pull systems respond to customer demand, reducing

excess inventory; push systems rely on forecasts.

• Which tool is commonly used for root cause analysis?

a) Pareto chart

b) Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram

c) Control chart

d) Kanban

Rationale: Fishbone diagrams help identify potential causes of a

problem to target improvements.

• What does SMED stand for?

a) Single-Minute Equipment Development

b) Single-Minute Exchange of Dies

c) Standardized Method for Equipment Design

d) Sequential Maintenance and Equipment Design 3 / 4

Rationale: SMED focuses on reducing setup/changeover times to

increase flexibility and reduce downtime.

• Which Lean principle emphasizes producing only what is needed when

it is needed?

a) Standard work

• 5S

c) Just-In-Time (JIT)

d) Kanban

Rationale: JIT reduces inventory and waste by synchronizing

production with demand.

• What is a Kanban card used for?

a) Signal production or movement of materials

b) Document safety incidents

c) Assign tasks to employees

d) Record quality defects

Rationale: Kanban cards visually control inventory and production

flow in a pull system.

• Which of the following is NOT a type of waste in Lean?

a) Waiting

b) Overprocessing

c) Employee training

d) Employee training

Rationale: Lean considers waiting, overprocessing, defects,

• / 4