A process is considered out of control when ________.

A) special causes of variation are present
B) common causes of variation are present
C) process attributes are present
D) process variables are present

When special causes of variation are present, the process is considered out of control. This means that there are factors affecting the process that are not part of the normal, expected variations that are inherent in any process. In contrast, common causes of variation are part of the natural variability of the process, and do not indicate that the process is out of control. Process attributes and variables are factors that are measured during process monitoring and can provide insights into the performance of the process, but they do not determine whether the process is in or out of control.