Industrial Engineering and Operations Research MCQs 2026

Time study is used to determine

1. A standard time required to perform a job ✓
2. B chemical composition of alloys ✓
3. C fluid viscosity only ✓
4. D electrical resistance of wire only ✓

Method study in industrial engineering is concerned with

1. A measuring worker blood pressure only ✓
2. B examining and improving the way a job is done ✓
3. C designing boiler tubes only ✓
4. D calculating beam deflection only ✓

Industrial engineering primarily focuses on

1. A only chemical reaction kinetics ✓
2. B optimization of integrated systems of people, materials and equipment ✓
3. C only astronomical navigation ✓
4. D only literary criticism ✓

Forecasting methods include

1. A only Rockwell hardness test ✓
2. B only Charpy impact only ✓
3. C only Brinell test only ✓
4. D moving average and exponential smoothing ✓

Value engineering aims to

1. A increase gold plating on all parts ✓
2. B provide necessary function at lowest life-cycle cost ✓
3. C maximize weight always ✓
4. D eliminate all testing ✓

Standard time equals

1. A observed time only without rating ✓
2. B break time squared ✓
3. C normal time × (1 + allowance fraction) ✓
4. D setup time minus run time ✓

Performance rating in time study compares

1. A observed worker pace to standard pace ✓
2. B machine colour to standard ✓
3. C material density to standard only ✓
4. D room temperature to standard only ✓

Allowance in time study accounts for

1. A profit margin only ✓
2. B personal, fatigue and delay factors ✓
3. C material cost only ✓
4. D tool rake angle only ✓

Work sampling is used to

1. A measure exact cutting force continuously ✓
2. B chemical analysis of slag ✓
3. C estimate proportion of time spent on activities by random observations ✓
4. D ultrasonic thickness only ✓

Little's Law states L =

1. A λ / W only ✓
2. B λ W (average number in system = arrival rate × average time in system) ✓
3. C λ + W ✓
4. D μ − λ ✓

Average waiting time in queues generally increases when

1. A arrival rate drops to zero ✓
2. B service rate exceeds arrival rate greatly ✓
3. C queue discipline is ignored ✓
4. D utilization of server approaches 100% ✓

In a single-server queuing system, arrival rate λ and service rate μ must satisfy for stability

1. A λ > μ always ✓
2. B λ = μ always ✓
3. C μ = 0 ✓
4. D λ < μ ✓

Simplex method solves LP by

1. A random search only ✓
2. B integration of curves only ✓
3. C moving from vertex to vertex improving objective ✓
4. D finite element meshing only ✓

Feasible region in LP is

1. A only the origin point ✓
2. B objective function line only ✓
3. C unbounded profit always ✓
4. D set of points satisfying all constraints ✓

Linear programming seeks to

1. A optimize a linear objective subject to linear constraints ✓
2. B solve only quadratic equations ✓
3. C measure surface roughness only ✓
4. D design cam profiles only ✓

Crashing a project means

1. A reducing duration by adding resources at higher cost ✓
2. B canceling all inspections ✓
3. C removing the critical path ✓
4. D decreasing quality always ✓

Dummy activity in CPM network represents

1. A actual welding operation ✓
2. B logical dependency without consuming time or resources ✓
3. C material storage only physically ✓
4. D worker lunch break time ✓

Float (slack) of a non-critical activity is

1. A always negative ✓
2. B time it can be delayed without delaying project ✓
3. C equal to project duration ✓
4. D same as setup time always ✓

Critical path in a project network is

1. A the path with most resources visually ✓
2. B any path with zero cost ✓
3. C the shortest path always ✓
4. D the longest path determining minimum project duration ✓

CPM assumes activity durations are

1. A deterministic (known) ✓
2. B always zero ✓
3. C random with beta distribution only ✓
4. D equal to project float always ✓

PERT is used mainly for

1. A project scheduling with uncertain activity times ✓
2. B metal cutting speed only ✓
3. C gear train design only ✓
4. D refrigerant selection only ✓

ABC analysis classifies inventory by

1. A alphabetical product names only ✓
2. B physical weight only ✓
3. C annual consumption value ✓
4. D supplier country only ✓

Reorder point depends on

1. A colour of packaging only ✓
2. B CEO tenure only ✓
3. C demand during lead time and safety stock ✓
4. D machine paint scheme only ✓

In EOQ model, annual holding cost increases with

1. A order quantity ✓
2. B order frequency only ✓
3. C setup cost only ✓
4. D unit purchase price only if unrelated to stock level ✓

Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) minimizes

1. A total ordering and holding costs ✓
2. B only transportation fuel cost ✓
3. C only labour overtime only ✓
4. D only machine depreciation only ✓

Number of workstations for a given cycle time equals

1. A sum of all wages ✓
2. B product weight only ✓
3. C number of supervisors ✓
4. D total work content divided by cycle time (rounded up) ✓

Cycle time on an assembly line is determined by

1. A the slowest workstation (bottleneck) ✓
2. B the fastest worker always ✓
3. C average of all breaks only ✓
4. D total plant electricity demand ✓

Line balancing aims to

1. A balance chemical equations only ✓
2. B equalize boiler drum levels only ✓
3. C distribute work evenly among stations on an assembly line ✓
4. D match turbine inlet temperature only ✓

Travel chart in layout study plots

1. A compressor polytropic exponent only ✓
2. B hardness versus tempering time only ✓
3. C frequency of movement between departments ✓
4. D voltage versus current only ✓

String diagram is used in plant layout to show

1. A stress distribution in a beam ✓
2. B magnetic field lines only ✓
3. C phase diagram of steel only ✓
4. D movement of materials or workers on a scale plan ✓

A flow process chart records

1. A only financial ledger entries ✓
2. B only gear tooth profiles ✓
3. C only steam pressure readings ✓
4. D sequence of operations and inspections in a process ✓

Therbligs are

1. A types of welding electrodes ✓
2. B boiler mountings ✓
3. C basic elemental motions in motion study ✓
4. D turbine blade profiles ✓

Ergonomics in IE addresses

1. A maximizing noise exposure ✓
2. B eliminating all breaks ✓
3. C fitting the job to the worker to reduce fatigue and injury ✓
4. D ignoring posture always ✓

Fixed-position layout is used for

1. A large bulky products like ships and aircraft ✓
2. B pen manufacturing only ✓
3. C soft drink bottling only ✓
4. D paper clip assembly only ✓

Process layout groups

1. A products in fixed sequence lines only ✓
2. B only executive offices ✓
3. C only finished goods pallets in line ✓
4. D similar machines or functions together ✓

Product layout is best for

1. A unique one-off shipbuilding only ✓
2. B high-volume standardized products ✓
3. C hospital surgery scheduling only ✓
4. D research library catalog only ✓

Theory of Constraints five focusing steps begin with

1. A hire more marketing staff ✓
2. B identify the system constraint ✓
3. C paint machines green ✓
4. D increase batch size blindly ✓

Bottleneck resource in production limits

1. A office stationery supply only ✓
2. B logo design only ✓
3. C throughput of the entire system ✓
4. D parking slots only ✓

5S workplace organization includes Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and

1. A Shitsuke (sustain discipline) ✓
2. B Shinkansen ✓
3. C Shogun ✓
4. D Shimano ✓

Just-in-Time (JIT) seeks to

1. A maximize warehouse stock always ✓
2. B minimize inventory by producing only what is needed when needed ✓
3. C increase setup times ✓
4. D ignore supplier quality ✓

Kanban is associated with

1. A pull production and visual inventory control ✓
2. B push system with large batches only ✓
3. C batch-and-queue mass inventory always ✓
4. D project crashing only ✓

MRP logic explodes BOM based on

1. A weather forecast only ✓
2. B stock market index ✓
3. C colour preferences only ✓
4. D master schedule and inventory records ✓

Bill of materials (BOM) lists

1. A employee salaries only ✓
2. B components and quantities to make a product ✓
3. C boiler safety valve settings only ✓
4. D turbine blade angles only ✓

Master production schedule drives

1. A only cafeteria menu ✓
2. B only parking allocation ✓
3. C detailed production and procurement plans ✓
4. D only annual audit report ✓

Exponential smoothing gives more weight to

1. A oldest data only ✓
2. B only outliers ✓
3. C zero weight to all data ✓
4. D recent observations ✓

SMED aims to reduce

1. A changeover/setup time ✓
2. B product quality always negatively ✓
3. C employee training to zero ✓
4. D customer orders ✓

Lean manufacturing primarily eliminates

1. A all inventory regardless of need blindly ✓
2. B all automation ✓
3. C waste (muda) in processes ✓
4. D all standards ✓

DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and

1. A Cancel ✓
2. B Copy ✓
3. C Compile ✓
4. D Control ✓

Six Sigma targets defect rate near

1. A 3.4 defects per million opportunities ✓
2. B 50 percent defects ✓
3. C 100 percent rework ✓
4. D zero measurement ✓

Poka-yoke means

1. A mistake-proofing a process or product design ✓
2. B increasing defect rate ✓
3. C hiding errors from inspectors ✓
4. D maximizing rework ✓

Andon system provides

1. A encrypted email only ✓
2. B visual signal for abnormal conditions on production line ✓
3. C annual financial audit only ✓
4. D blueprint filing only ✓

Takt time is calculated as

1. A total employees times wage rate ✓
2. B machine weight divided by power ✓
3. C floor area only ✓
4. D available production time divided by customer demand rate ✓

Cellular manufacturing groups

1. A all lathes in one building only always ✓
2. B dissimilar machines into product-focused cells ✓
3. C only office staff ✓
4. D only quality auditors ✓

Milestone on a project chart marks

1. A every coffee break ✓
2. B random paint colour ✓
3. C significant event or completion of a major deliverable ✓
4. D daily humidity reading ✓

Gantt chart displays

1. A activities as bars on a time scale ✓
2. B stress-strain curve only ✓
3. C Mollier diagram only ✓
4. D Sankey of enthalpy only ✓

Simulation differs from optimization because it

1. A always finds global optimum analytically ✓
2. B ignores randomness always ✓
3. C describes system behaviour under scenarios without guaranteeing optimum ✓
4. D uses only calculus ✓

Assignment problem is special case where

1. A unlimited shipments allowed always ✓
2. B each source assigned to one destination one-to-one ✓
3. C no costs exist ✓
4. D demand is infinite ✓

Transportation model in LP minimizes

1. A worker fatigue only ✓
2. B noise level only ✓
3. C surface roughness only ✓
4. D cost of shipping from sources to destinations ✓

Monte Carlo simulation in OR uses

1. A random sampling to model uncertainty ✓
2. B only deterministic LP ✓
3. C only hand sketching ✓
4. D only one scenario always ✓

Opportunity cost in IE decisions is

1. A accounting depreciation only ✓
2. B scrap metal price only always ✓
3. C value of the best forgone alternative ✓
4. D sunk labour from last year ✓

Sunk cost should generally be

1. A doubled in calculations ✓
2. B the only cost considered ✓
3. C ignored in future decision making ✓
4. D added to opportunity cost twice ✓

Payback period measures

1. A time to recover initial investment from cash flows ✓
2. B product colour fading time ✓
3. C tool rake angle ✓
4. D worker height only ✓

Internal rate of return (IRR) is the discount rate that makes

1. A payback period zero always ✓
2. B profit infinite ✓
3. C net present value equal to zero ✓
4. D depreciation zero ✓

Present worth analysis discounts

1. A only physical dimensions ✓
2. B future cash flows to a common time using interest rate ✓
3. C only hardness values ✓
4. D only temperature readings ✓

Depreciation in engineering economy represents

1. A daily wage payments ✓
2. B allocation of capital asset cost over useful life ✓
3. C raw material spoilage only ✓
4. D income tax refund ✓

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) combines

1. A only machine colour metrics ✓
2. B availability, performance and quality ✓
3. C only office attendance ✓
4. D only shipping distance ✓

Productivity ratio can be expressed as

1. A input divided by output only for IE ✓
2. B profit divided by tax only ✓
3. C weight divided by colour ✓
4. D output divided by input ✓

Fixed cost in break-even context

1. A changes with every unit always ✓
2. B equals variable cost always ✓
3. C is always zero ✓
4. D does not vary with production volume in short run ✓

Break-even analysis finds quantity where

1. A marginal cost is zero only ✓
2. B profit is maximized always ✓
3. C fixed cost is zero ✓
4. D total revenue equals total cost ✓

Learning curve effect means

1. A quality always decreases ✓
2. B time per unit decreases as cumulative production increases ✓
3. C cost per unit rises always ✓
4. D workers forget skills ✓