Industrial Engineering and Operations Research MCQs 2026

Industrial engineering primarily focuses on

1. Aonly chemical reaction kinetics✓
2. Boptimization of integrated systems of people, materials and equipment✓
3. Conly astronomical navigation✓
4. Donly literary criticism✓

Method study in industrial engineering is concerned with

1. Ameasuring worker blood pressure only✓
2. Bexamining and improving the way a job is done✓
3. Cdesigning boiler tubes only✓
4. Dcalculating beam deflection only✓

Time study is used to determine

1. Astandard time required to perform a job✓
2. Bchemical composition of alloys✓
3. Cfluid viscosity only✓
4. Delectrical resistance of wire only✓

Therbligs are

1. Atypes of welding electrodes✓
2. Bboiler mountings✓
3. Cbasic elemental motions in motion study✓
4. Dturbine blade profiles✓

A flow process chart records

1. Aonly financial ledger entries✓
2. Bonly gear tooth profiles✓
3. Conly steam pressure readings✓
4. Dsequence of operations and inspections in a process✓

String diagram is used in plant layout to show

1. Astress distribution in a beam✓
2. Bmagnetic field lines only✓
3. Cphase diagram of steel only✓
4. Dmovement of materials or workers on a scale plan✓

Travel chart in layout study plots

1. Acompressor polytropic exponent only✓
2. Bhardness versus tempering time only✓
3. Cfrequency of movement between departments✓
4. Dvoltage versus current only✓

Line balancing aims to

1. Abalance chemical equations only✓
2. Bequalize boiler drum levels only✓
3. Cdistribute work evenly among stations on an assembly line✓
4. Dmatch turbine inlet temperature only✓

Cycle time on an assembly line is determined by

1. Athe slowest workstation (bottleneck)✓
2. Bthe fastest worker always✓
3. Caverage of all breaks only✓
4. Dtotal plant electricity demand✓

Number of workstations for a given cycle time equals

1. Asum of all wages✓
2. Bproduct weight only✓
3. Cnumber of supervisors✓
4. Dtotal work content divided by cycle time (rounded up)✓

Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) minimizes

1. Atotal ordering and holding costs✓
2. Bonly transportation fuel cost✓
3. Conly labour overtime only✓
4. Donly machine depreciation only✓

In EOQ model, annual holding cost increases with

1. Aorder quantity✓
2. Border frequency only✓
3. Csetup cost only✓
4. Dunit purchase price only if unrelated to stock level✓

Reorder point depends on

1. Acolour of packaging only✓
2. BCEO tenure only✓
3. Cdemand during lead time and safety stock✓
4. Dmachine paint scheme only✓

ABC analysis classifies inventory by

1. Aalphabetical product names only✓
2. Bphysical weight only✓
3. Cannual consumption value✓
4. Dsupplier country only✓

PERT is used mainly for

1. Aproject scheduling with uncertain activity times✓
2. Bmetal cutting speed only✓
3. Cgear train design only✓
4. Drefrigerant selection only✓

CPM assumes activity durations are

1. Adeterministic (known)✓
2. Balways zero✓
3. Crandom with beta distribution only✓
4. Dequal to project float always✓

Critical path in a project network is

1. Athe path with most resources visually✓
2. Bany path with zero cost✓
3. Cthe shortest path always✓
4. Dthe longest path determining minimum project duration✓

Float (slack) of a non-critical activity is

1. Aalways negative✓
2. Btime it can be delayed without delaying project✓
3. Cequal to project duration✓
4. Dsame as setup time always✓

Dummy activity in CPM network represents

1. Aactual welding operation✓
2. Blogical dependency without consuming time or resources✓
3. Cmaterial storage only physically✓
4. Dworker lunch break time✓

Crashing a project means

1. Areducing duration by adding resources at higher cost✓
2. Bcanceling all inspections✓
3. Cremoving the critical path✓
4. Ddecreasing quality always✓

Linear programming seeks to

1. Aoptimize a linear objective subject to linear constraints✓
2. Bsolve only quadratic equations✓
3. Cmeasure surface roughness only✓
4. Ddesign cam profiles only✓

Feasible region in LP is

1. Aonly the origin point✓
2. Bobjective function line only✓
3. Cunbounded profit always✓
4. Dset of points satisfying all constraints✓

Simplex method solves LP by

1. Arandom search only✓
2. Bintegration of curves only✓
3. Cmoving from vertex to vertex improving objective✓
4. Dfinite element meshing only✓

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

1. Aλ > μ always✓
2. Bλ = μ always✓
3. Cμ = 0✓
4. Dλ < μ✓

Average waiting time in queues generally increases when

1. Aarrival rate drops to zero✓
2. Bservice rate exceeds arrival rate greatly✓
3. Cqueue discipline is ignored✓
4. Dutilization of server approaches 100%✓

Little's Law states L =

1. Aλ / W only✓
2. Bλ W (average number in system = arrival rate × average time in system)✓
3. Cλ + W✓
4. Dμ − λ✓

Work sampling is used to

1. Ameasure exact cutting force continuously✓
2. Bchemical analysis of slag✓
3. Cestimate proportion of time spent on activities by random observations✓
4. Dultrasonic thickness only✓

Allowance in time study accounts for

1. Aprofit margin only✓
2. Bpersonal, fatigue and delay factors✓
3. Cmaterial cost only✓
4. Dtool rake angle only✓

Performance rating in time study compares

1. Aobserved worker pace to standard pace✓
2. Bmachine colour to standard✓
3. Cmaterial density to standard only✓
4. Droom temperature to standard only✓

Standard time equals

1. Aobserved time only without rating✓
2. Bbreak time squared✓
3. Cnormal time × (1 + allowance fraction)✓
4. Dsetup time minus run time✓

Value engineering aims to

1. Aincrease gold plating on all parts✓
2. Bprovide necessary function at lowest life-cycle cost✓
3. Cmaximize weight always✓
4. Deliminate all testing✓

Forecasting methods include

1. Aonly Rockwell hardness test✓
2. Bonly Charpy impact only✓
3. Conly Brinell test only✓
4. Dmoving average and exponential smoothing✓

Exponential smoothing gives more weight to

1. Aoldest data only✓
2. Bonly outliers✓
3. Czero weight to all data✓
4. Drecent observations✓

Master production schedule drives

1. Aonly cafeteria menu✓
2. Bonly parking allocation✓
3. Cdetailed production and procurement plans✓
4. Donly annual audit report✓

Bill of materials (BOM) lists

1. Aemployee salaries only✓
2. Bcomponents and quantities to make a product✓
3. Cboiler safety valve settings only✓
4. Dturbine blade angles only✓

MRP logic explodes BOM based on

1. Aweather forecast only✓
2. Bstock market index✓
3. Ccolour preferences only✓
4. Dmaster schedule and inventory records✓

Kanban is associated with

1. Apull production and visual inventory control✓
2. Bpush system with large batches only✓
3. Cbatch-and-queue mass inventory always✓
4. Dproject crashing only✓

Just-in-Time (JIT) seeks to

1. Amaximize warehouse stock always✓
2. Bminimize inventory by producing only what is needed when needed✓
3. Cincrease setup times✓
4. Dignore supplier quality✓

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

1. AShitsuke (sustain discipline)✓
2. BShinkansen✓
3. CShogun✓
4. DShimano✓

Bottleneck resource in production limits

1. Aoffice stationery supply only✓
2. Blogo design only✓
3. Cthroughput of the entire system✓
4. Dparking slots only✓

Theory of Constraints five focusing steps begin with

1. Ahire more marketing staff✓
2. Bidentify the system constraint✓
3. Cpaint machines green✓
4. Dincrease batch size blindly✓

Product layout is best for

1. Aunique one-off shipbuilding only✓
2. Bhigh-volume standardized products✓
3. Chospital surgery scheduling only✓
4. Dresearch library catalog only✓

Process layout groups

1. Aproducts in fixed sequence lines only✓
2. Bonly executive offices✓
3. Conly finished goods pallets in line✓
4. Dsimilar machines or functions together✓

Fixed-position layout is used for

1. Alarge bulky products like ships and aircraft✓
2. Bpen manufacturing only✓
3. Csoft drink bottling only✓
4. Dpaper clip assembly only✓

Ergonomics in IE addresses

1. Amaximizing noise exposure✓
2. Beliminating all breaks✓
3. Cfitting the job to the worker to reduce fatigue and injury✓
4. Dignoring posture always✓

Learning curve effect means

1. Aquality always decreases✓
2. Btime per unit decreases as cumulative production increases✓
3. Ccost per unit rises always✓
4. Dworkers forget skills✓

Break-even analysis finds quantity where

1. Amarginal cost is zero only✓
2. Bprofit is maximized always✓
3. Cfixed cost is zero✓
4. Dtotal revenue equals total cost✓

Fixed cost in break-even context

1. Achanges with every unit always✓
2. Bequals variable cost always✓
3. Cis always zero✓
4. Ddoes not vary with production volume in short run✓

Productivity ratio can be expressed as

1. Ainput divided by output only for IE✓
2. Bprofit divided by tax only✓
3. Cweight divided by colour✓
4. Doutput divided by input✓

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) combines

1. Aonly machine colour metrics✓
2. Bavailability, performance and quality✓
3. Conly office attendance✓
4. Donly shipping distance✓

Depreciation in engineering economy represents

1. Adaily wage payments✓
2. Ballocation of capital asset cost over useful life✓
3. Craw material spoilage only✓
4. Dincome tax refund✓

Present worth analysis discounts

1. Aonly physical dimensions✓
2. Bfuture cash flows to a common time using interest rate✓
3. Conly hardness values✓
4. Donly temperature readings✓

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

1. Apayback period zero always✓
2. Bprofit infinite✓
3. Cnet present value equal to zero✓
4. Ddepreciation zero✓

Payback period measures

1. Atime to recover initial investment from cash flows✓
2. Bproduct colour fading time✓
3. Ctool rake angle✓
4. Dworker height only✓

Sunk cost should generally be

1. Adoubled in calculations✓
2. Bthe only cost considered✓
3. Cignored in future decision making✓
4. Dadded to opportunity cost twice✓

Opportunity cost in IE decisions is

1. Aaccounting depreciation only✓
2. Bscrap metal price only always✓
3. Cvalue of the best forgone alternative✓
4. Dsunk labour from last year✓

Monte Carlo simulation in OR uses

1. Arandom sampling to model uncertainty✓
2. Bonly deterministic LP✓
3. Conly hand sketching✓
4. Donly one scenario always✓

Transportation model in LP minimizes

1. Aworker fatigue only✓
2. Bnoise level only✓
3. Csurface roughness only✓
4. Dcost of shipping from sources to destinations✓

Assignment problem is special case where

1. Aunlimited shipments allowed always✓
2. Beach source assigned to one destination one-to-one✓
3. Cno costs exist✓
4. Ddemand is infinite✓

Simulation differs from optimization because it

1. Aalways finds global optimum analytically✓
2. Bignores randomness always✓
3. Cdescribes system behaviour under scenarios without guaranteeing optimum✓
4. Duses only calculus✓

Gantt chart displays

1. Aactivities as bars on a time scale✓
2. Bstress-strain curve only✓
3. CMollier diagram only✓
4. DSankey of enthalpy only✓

Milestone on a project chart marks

1. Aevery coffee break✓
2. Brandom paint colour✓
3. Csignificant event or completion of a major deliverable✓
4. Ddaily humidity reading✓

Cellular manufacturing groups

1. Aall lathes in one building only always✓
2. Bdissimilar machines into product-focused cells✓
3. Conly office staff✓
4. Donly quality auditors✓

Takt time is calculated as

1. Atotal employees times wage rate✓
2. Bmachine weight divided by power✓
3. Cfloor area only✓
4. Davailable production time divided by customer demand rate✓

Andon system provides

1. Aencrypted email only✓
2. Bvisual signal for abnormal conditions on production line✓
3. Cannual financial audit only✓
4. Dblueprint filing only✓

Poka-yoke means

1. Amistake-proofing a process or product design✓
2. Bincreasing defect rate✓
3. Chiding errors from inspectors✓
4. Dmaximizing rework✓

Six Sigma targets defect rate near

1. A3.4 defects per million opportunities✓
2. B50 percent defects✓
3. C100 percent rework✓
4. Dzero measurement✓

DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and

1. ACancel✓
2. BCopy✓
3. CCompile✓
4. DControl✓

Lean manufacturing primarily eliminates

1. Aall inventory regardless of need blindly✓
2. Ball automation✓
3. Cwaste (muda) in processes✓
4. Dall standards✓

SMED aims to reduce

1. Achangeover/setup time✓
2. Bproduct quality always negatively✓
3. Cemployee training to zero✓
4. Dcustomer orders✓