CRE Sample Test #1.

1. The comparative financial effects of reliability over the designed operating time T of two systems built
to perform the same function can be obtained by comparing the
. Failure rates.
. Operating life of each system.
. Cost of each system (including repair, replacement, and loss).

A. I, II and III B. I and III only C. II and III only D. II only

2. What kind of failure would MOST likely result from insufficient hardware debugging ?
A. Wear out failure. B. Random failure. C. Early failure. D. Catastrophic failure.

3. High cycle fatigue would MOST likely result in

A. Early failure. B. Mid-life failure. C. Constant failure. D. Wear out failure.

4. What is meant by reliability assurance ?

. The probability of performing a specified function without failure under given conditions for a
specified period of time.
. The exercise of positive and deliberate measures to provide confidence that a specified reliability will
be obtained.
. The probability that a product or component will be accepted by the customer.

A. I only B. II only C. III only D. I and II only

5. The BEST way to set an overall reliability goal is to :
A. Set numerical requirements for reliability and confidence levels, specifying operating environments.
B. Write a design specification requiring a product to have high reliability and incorporate it into a
contract.
C. Require that it be expressed in terms of mean-time-between-failures.
D. Have upper management specify who is responsible for achieving the desired reliability.

6. A Reliability Engineering Department is conducting a training needs assessment. Which of these

techniques are used for a training needs assessment ?
. Personal observations.
. External customer surveys.
. Costs analysis.
. Work sampling.
. Interviews.

A. I, IV and V only B. II, III and IV only

C. I, III, IV and V only D. I, II, III, IV and V

7. Which of the following are the MOST desirable basic skills required of a reliability engineer assigned to
a cross-functional product team ?
A. Reliability trouble shooting, data collection and analysis.
B. Experience with FMECA and FTA.
C. Reliability planning, testing and measurement.
D. Communication, co-operation, and technical knowledge.
8. What are the life cycle costs for a new stamping machine purchased by a metal fabrication plant ?
Pertinent cost data follows :
Purchase Price = $230,000
Repair Costs = $107,000
Post Purchase Costs = $870,000
Start Up Costs = $125,000
Maintenance Costs = $420,000
Energy Costs = $325,000

A. $1,100,000 B. $2,077,000 C. $1,207,000 D. $787,000

9. Which of the following techniques would you use to determine the cost effectiveness of a new
production machine, amortized over 5 years of expected useful life ? Current warranty costs are
$50,000/year for this production line. The new machine plus associated costs will require a $150,000
investment, but warranty costs are projected to drop to $30,000/year. Consider that administrative
overhead is 25%, the profit coefficient is 8%, and present worth is subject to 5% discounting.
A. Summed costs comparison. B. Return on investment analysis
C. Single payment compound amount factor analysis. D. Discounted net return analysis.

10. Which answer BEST describes the events and operating conditions an item experiences from mission
initiation to completion ? The events may include the research and development phase, product
manufacturing, warehousing, and so on, to mission completion.
A. Operational readiness. B. Mission profile.
C. Design adequacy. D. Mission reliability.

11. What is System Effectiveness, if Operational Readiness is 0.89, Design Adequacy is 95%, Availability
is 98%, Maintainability is 0.93, and Mission Reliability is 0.99 ?
A. 0.763 B. 0.881 C. 0.837 D. 0.820
12. Which of the following functions are normally accepted reliability engineering tools ?
. Failure probability density function.
. Failure rate function.
. Reliability function.
. Conditional reliability function.
. Mean life function.

A. I and II only B. I, II and III only

C. I, II, III and IV only D. I, II, III, IV and V

13. Regarding computer hardware and software reliability, which of the available answers would NOT
enhance software reliability ?
. Structured programming.
. Redundant code programming.
. Modular programming.
. Programming for fault tolerance.

A. I and III only B. II only

C. II and IV only D. All of the options will enhance software reliability

14. Which answer describes the MOST significant difference that Reliability Engineering has, compared to
the Quality Profession ?
A. It concerns customer satisfaction immediately after purchase.
B. It concerns product conformance with specifications.
C. It concerns failures over time.
D. None of the above.

15. Compared to quality, reliability engineering is more concerned with :

. Failure rate over time.
. Manufacturing errors.
. Defective rate at a point in time.
. Product design.

A. I and II only B. II and III only C. I, II, III and IV D. I and IV only
16. What functions can normally be expected to be assigned to the Reliability Engineering Department of
a company that emphasizes product reliability ?
. Maintain a failure reporting system.
. Establish reliability growth.
. Oversee use of statistical tools.
. Evaluate customer surveys regarding product costs.
. Establish and maintain a corrective action system.

A. I and II only B. II and III only C. I, II and III only D. I, III, IV and V only

17. In a life test of 4 batteries, failures were observed after 10, 30, and 40 hours. The 4th battery was
tested 75 hours without failure, at which time the test was terminated. What are the estimated
Mean-Time-To-Failure (theta) and failure rate (lambda) ?
A. Estimated MTTF = .019; Failure rate = 52
B. Estimated MTTF = 27; Failure rate = .038
C. Estimated MTTF = 52; Failure rate = .019
D. Estimated MTTF = 14; Failure rate = .017

18. The distribution used to describe the time between failures which occur independently and at a
constant rate, is the :
A. Log normal. B. Weibull. C. Gamma. D. Exponential.

19. An airline maintains a fleet of 4-engine aircraft. Its maintenance records show that on the average an
engine fails 3 times in 10,000 operating hours with normal preventive maintenance. What is the Poisson
distributed probability that 2 or more engines on an aircraft will fail during a typical flying period of 8
hours ?
A. 0.000034 B. 0.0000034 C. 0.0000029 D. 0.000029
20. The hazard rate function h(t) for a device is given by the relationship on the left, where t is time in
hours. What is the reliability of this device at t = 2 hours ?

{
0.5t t ≥0
h(t)=
0 t ≤0

A. 0.638 B. 0.368 C. 0.486 D. 0.238

21. A randomly failing component is tested to r failures, and n observations are made. Degrees of
freedom for calculating confidence limits on the mean should be :
A. 2r + 2 B. 2r C. n D. n - 1

22. For the exponential model, the reliability at mean time to failure is about :
A. 37 percent. B. 50 percent. C. 67 percent. D. 73 percent.

23. Given mean-time-to-failure of 200 hours for each of two components, what is the probability of failure
if both components operate in series for one hour ?
A. P = 0.990 B. P = 0.001 C. P = 0.002 D. P = 0.010

24. The factorial of 8 is :

A. 5040 B. 40,320 C. 9790 D. 78,320

25. Pascal's triangle presents a simple means of determining which of the various terms of the binomial
expansion ?
A. Exponents. B. Coefficients. C. Combinations. D. Permutations.
26. How is the level of significance defined ?
A. The probability of rejecting a null hypothesis when it is true.
B. The probability of not rejecting a null hypothesis when it is true.
C. The probability of accepting a null hypothesis when it is true.
D. The probability of not accepting a null hypothesis when it is true.

27. For a Weibull distribution the scale parameter, as a characteristic of time to failure, is a fixed
percentile of the distribution regardless of its value. This percentile is :
A. 36.7 B. 31.6 C. 63.3 D. 63.2

28. If a test shows three failures in 50 hours of operation, how many failures will it show in 1000 hours
of operation if the failure rate is constant ?
A. 150 B. 20 C. 333 D. 60

29. An off road trip is contemplated using a utility vehicle equipped with five tires. The probability of
failure for each tire on this trip follows the binomial distribution and is estimated to be 0.5. What is the
probability that the trip can be completed successfully with the five available tires ?
A. 0.0625 B. 0.5000 C. 0.3125 D. 0.1875

30. If the mean time between failure has been determined to be a constant 13 hours for an experimental
radar system, what is its reliability at t = 13.2 hours ?
A. 0.362 B. 0.920 C. 0.206 D. 0.985

31. The failure rate for an IC chip is 0.0023 per hour of operation. Calculate the MTBF given that the
failure rate is constant.
A. 37.6 hrs B. 43 hrs C. 434.78 hrs D. 486 hrs
32. The Monte Carlo method refers to a technique that :
. Insures random sampling from homogeneous populations.
. Provides maximum return by simulation.
. Simulates operations when random variations are an essential consideration.
. Establishes quantitative values for unknown restrictive variables in linear programming.

A. I and III only B. II and IV only C. III only D. IV only

33. A plastics plant operates 8 extruders producing plastic film. Production volume requirements cannot be
met if less than 6 extruders are operating. There is a .30 probability that a machine stopping malfunction
will occur. What is the probability that 6 extruders can remain operating throughout the day ?
A. 0.5783 B. 0.4482 C. 0.5518 D. 0.8059

34. Which of the following statistical distributions can be used to compare sample means ?
A. Chi-square. B. Normal. C. t test. D. Exponential.

35. Which of the following statements is TRUE about probability distributions ?

A. The 3rd moment about the mean is used to measure the kurtosis
B. 4th moment about the mean is used to measure the skewness
C. The variance is used to measure the central tendency
D. The median is used to measure the central tendency

36. Which of the following is a continuous probability distribution ?

A. Weibull. B. Hypergeometric. C. Binomial. D. Poisson.

37. Which of these terms is commonly used as the probability of rejecting material produced at an
unacceptable quality level ?
A. α only B. β only C. 1 - α only D. 1 - β only
38. Which of the following is NOT true about the Taguchi DOE approach ?
. It includes the concept of loss function in factorial experiments.
. It assumes losses occur when a process fails to meet a target value.
. It assumes losses are due to variability within the process.
. It assumes that the loss function is a step function relative to the specification limits.

A. I only B. II only C. III only D. IV only

39. All of the following statements concerning statistical inference are true EXCEPT :
A. The confidence interval is a range of values which may include the true value of a population
parameter.
B. The confidence interval is normally the statistical tolerance limits of the population parameter.
C. The point estimate is a single value used to estimate the population parameter.
D. Estimation is the process of analyzing a sample result in order to predict the value of the population
parameter.

40. Which mathematical model is characterized by linking exact relationships between variables ?
A. Stochastic process. B. Deterministic process.
C. Random process. D. Predictive link.

41. Laboratory tests of a new polymer prototype yielded the following proportions of a critical compound :

4.2 ppm, 4.1 ppm, 4.7 ppm, 4.9 ppm, 5.3 ppm

What is the sample standard deviation ?

A. 0.498 B. 0.464 C. 0.475 D. 0.445

42. Mathematical models used for statistical inference are :

A. Exponential models. B. Inferential models.
C. Deterministic models. D. Probabilistic models.
43. The function below has a density distribution where X is a continuous random variable. What is the
probability that X = 4.0 ?
1 X 5

A. 0.00 B. 0.20 C. 0.30 D. 0.40

44. What is the MOST accurate method to verify that the maintainability requirement of a design is being
met ?
A. By analysis of the design. B. By performing maintainability prediction.
C. By thorough design reviews. D. By demonstration at the customer's facility.

45.
What is the reliability of the logic diagram on the left ?

Where, R1 = 0.9, R2 = 0.8, R3 = 0.7,

R4 = 0.6, R5 = 0.5, R6 = 0.4

Assume that each component is statistically independent.

A. 0.8201 B. 0.7796 C. 0.6918 D. 0.6803

46. A system made up of 5 series components has a design reliability of .96. Subsequently, 4 of the
components have reliabilities apportioned to them of 0.992, 0.991, 0.994, and 0.992. What should the
reliability apportionment for the 5th subsystem be ?
A. 0.970 B. 0.969 C. 0.990 D. 0.992

47. A system is made up of four independent components in series each having a failure rate of .005
failures per hour. If time to failure is exponential, then the reliability of the system at 10 hours is :
A. 0.8187 B .0.8860 C. 0.9512 D. 0.9802
48. Which process has as its principle parts
- Defining the system.
- Establishing the reliability model.
- Assigning failure rates to the equipment involved.
- Computing the reliability for each function and for the system.

A. Predicting reliability. B. Design review.

C. Defining the program plan. D. Demonstrating the reliability.

49. The reliability of a device comprised of various parts functioning in series is the :
A. Product of the reliability. B. Sum of the probabilities of the unreliability.
C. Product of the unreliability. D. Sum of the reliability.

50. When requesting "worst case" design analysis, you expect the reliability group to :
A. Analyze the worst rejects.
B. Analyze only those products failing to meet specification requirements.
C. Determine whether product requirements can be met with subassemblies assumed at their worst
combination of tolerances.
D. Assume all subassembly tolerances are at their maximum limit.

51. What is the reliability of the logic diagram to the below ? (Assume statistical independence of all 3
components)

A. 0.9905 B. 0.994 C. 0.94 D. 0.996

52. What is this system‘s reliability at 3000 hours ?
MTBFs for the components are :
A = 2500 hours B = 3700 hours
C = 2000 hours D = 4000 hours.

A. 0.017 B. 0.014 C. 0.047 D. 0.029

53. If a component has a known constant failure rate of 0.0037 failures per hour ; the reliability of two of
these components in a series alignment would be :
A. Insufficient information to solve problem.
B. 99.63 percent.
C. Less than 99 percent.
D. Dependent on the wear out rate of a mating subsystem.

54. Which of the following models are used for software reliability ?
. Basic execution time model.
. Markov analysis model.
. Logarithmic Poisson execution time model.
. Simulation model.

A. I and II only B. I, II and III only C. I and III only D. II, III and IV only

55. Weibull analysis is a way to quickly and easily analyze field data or interval test data. The limits of
the use of this technique include having a good estimate for the :
A. Shape parameter. B. MTBF.
C. Expected life. D. Average quality of the production lots.

56. All of the following Boolean algebra expression is incorrect EXCEPT ?

A. 1 + 1 = 2 B. 1 - 1 = 1 C. 1 - 0 = 0 D. 1 + 0 = 1
57. What is the reliability of this system ?

Where component reliabilities,

A = 0.80 B = 0.95 C = 0.82
D = 0.85 E = 0.75

A. 0.10 B. 0.90 C. 0.96 D. 0.04

58. What is this system's reliability at 700 hours ?

Component failure data is :
- Failure rate of A = 0.0007 failures/hr
- Reliability of B = 0.92
- MTTF of C = 1400 hours
- Reliability of D = 0.85.

A. 0.986 B. 0.998 C. 0.994 D. 0.952

59. Given mean-time-to-failure of 200 hours for each of two components, what is the probability of system
failure if both components operate in parallel for one hour ?
A. P = 0.010 B. P = 0.005 C. P = 0.001 D. P = 0.000025
60. Which is the MOST appropriate approach for calculating the total reliability of the system block
diagram shown. (The system will function if either component I or II is operating).

A. Take the reliability for I and combine it with the reliability for III and then combine that result with
the reliability for II.
B. Take the reliability for III and combine it with the reliability for II and then combine that result with
the reliability for I.
C. Take the reliability for I and combine it with the reliability for II and then combine that result with the
reliability for III.
D. Multiply the reliabilities of I times II times III

61. Reliability prediction is :

A. A one time estimation process.
B. A continuous process starting with paper predictions.
C. More important than reliability attained in the field.
D. A popular method as simulation theory.

62. Which method is used to predict new device reliability during its early design stage ?
A. Burn-in method. B. Part stress analysis method.
C. Parts count method. D. Accelerated testing method.
63. Reliability data is rarely complete. 50 units are placed on test for 50 hours. During the test several
units fail. The remaining units are removed from testing at that point. Which of the following type(s) of
censoring has (have) occurred ?
. Right censoring.
. Single censoring.
. Time censoring.
. Type I censoring.

A. I only B. II and III only C. I, III and IV only D. I, II, III and IV

64. Which of the following tools are classified as structured root cause analysis tools ?
. 5P.
. 7D, 8D or 9D problem solving.
. Management oversight and risk tree analysis (MORT).
. Human performance evaluation system (HPE).

A. I only B. II and III only C. I, II and IV only D. I, II, III and IV

65. Root cause analysis provides a common sense approach to evaluating a problem. Align the following
action steps in proper sequence from start to finish.
. Describe problem conditions.
. Develop possible problem causes.
. Collect facts and determine relationships.
. Validate the true problem causes.
. Define the problem statement.

A. I, V, IV, II, III B. V, I, III, II, IV C. I, V, III, IV, II D. V, III, I, IV, II

66. Arrange the following failure data steps into the correct sequence from start to finish.
. Verify the failure.
. Identify and control the failure.
. Investigate the failure.
. Provide corrective action and follow up.
. Report the fail.

A. II, V, I, III, IV B. I, II, V, III, IV C. III, II, V, I, IV D. I, II, III, IV, V

67. Which of the following forms of reliability data will BEST provide valuable information on product
usage and reliability ?
A. In-house test results. B. Independent lab results.
C. Field support data. D. Quality control data.

68. The predicted reliability is higher than the long term realized probability. Which of the following is the
MOST likely cause of this difference ?
A. Deterioration of the manufacturing processes and procedures.
B. Lack of adequate employee training and process audits.
C. The accumulation of random process variations.
D. A poor initial estimation of reliability.

69. In a corrective action system, trend analysis can be defined as :

. Long-term movement.
. The short term status of problems.
. A cyclical component of a time series.
. Seasonal variations.

A. I only B. II and III only C. I, II and III only D. I, II, III and IV
70. As the reliability engineer overseeing supplier development, you review the supplier's corrective action
problem solving guidebook. It is a structured approach and you notice in the problem definition segment
that there is a reference to "is data" and "is not data". You recognize that they are using a technique
promoted and championed by :
A. Kaoru Ishikawa. B. Kepner-Tregoe.
C. Deming's PDCA Cycle. D. Kaizen Principles.

71. The MOST valid source of failure rate data is :

A. Test data obtained under very closely controlled conditions.
B. Environmental test data.
C. The manufacturing process.
D. Operational data.

72. A comprehensive failure analysis and corrective action feedback loop must determine :
. What failed.
. How it failed.
. Why it failed.

A. I only B. I and II only C. II and III only D. I, II and III

73. Basic sources of reliability data are :

. In-plant testing.
. Field testing.
. Operation by user.

A. I and II only B. II and III only C. I and III only D. I, II, and III
74. Failure data collection, analysis, and corrective action :
. Should be conducted by a competent staff using an electronic computer.
. Is a requirement of MIL-STD-785.
. Always pays for itself in the long run.

A. I only B. II only C. I and III only D. I, II and III

75. Ideally for a FRACAS to be effective, how many failures should be allowed to pass before corrective
action is to be undertaken ?
A. First occurrence of a failure mode. B. Second occurrence of a failure mode.
C. Third occurrence of a failure mode. D. Fourth occurrence of a failure mode.

76. In consumer products, the complaint rate is MOST directly a measure of :

A. Product quality. B. Customer satisfaction.
C. Market value. D. Rejection rate and specification conformance.

77. The gathering of quality and reliability data is common in many companies. Mainframes are used in
some companies and networked PCs are used in others. The MOST important senior management
decision is to answer which of the following questions ?
A. How can we provide all key people with useful information ?
B. What are the cost benefits of a mainframe system ?
C. What are the cost benefits of a PC based system ?
D. What is the proper 4GL database system to employ ?

78. A failure reporting and corrective action system should ensure that all steps are taken to :
A. Determine responsibilities for failures.
B. Record costs associated with the corrective action.
C. Identify, investigate and analyze failures.
D. Define the goals of the FRACAS team.
79. Which of the following CANNOT be classified as a computer output device ?
A. Magnetic tape unit. B. The keyboard.
C. Disc drive unit. D. Printer.

80. There is a subtle difference between a standard parts program and a standardization program. A
standardization program tends to emphasize :
A. Limited part numbers. B. Limited suppliers.
C. Limited sizes. D. Limited part applications.

81. Consider the four normal stress and strength distributions described below. Which component would
have the highest reliability ?
A. The average and standard deviation of the stress distribution are both higher than for the strength
curve.
B. The average and standard deviation of the stress and strength distributions are the same.
C. Both distributions have the same standard deviation but the strength average is higher than the
stress average.
D. Both distributions have the same variance but the stress average is slightly higher than the strength
average.

82. The techniques of design control are :

A. Unique to the aerospace industry. B. Too expensive for general application.
C. Applicable generally throughout industry. D. Limited to hardware-manufacturing enterprises.

83. Which of the following considerations should a criticality analysis (CA) take into account ?
. Consequences of a failure.
. Consequential damage of a failure.
. Damage to the environment.
. Potential increase in efficiencies.

A. I only B. I and II only C. I, II and III only D. I, II, III and IV

84. The Arrhenius model is used to predict part reliability. Which of the following are valid Arrhenius
model statements ?
. The rate of chemical reaction doubles for every 10°F rise.
. It is useful for all accelerated testing plans.
. It is useful for significant thermal stresses.
. It provides a relationship of failure to temperature.

A. I and II only B. II and III only C. III and IV only D. I, III and IV only

85. A fault tree analysis (FTA) is a design analysis technique constructed from a "top event". A basic
problem with this technique in comparison to a FMECA would be which of the following ?
A. Assigning probabilities to the various events.
B. Needing a different FTA for each defined top event.
C. Understanding logical symbols.
D. Only electronic systems can be analyzed.

86. Which of the following techniques is NOT used when derating parts to enhance their overall reliability
?
A. Derating for temperature. B. Derating for stress.
C. Use of 100% rating. D. Lower power dissipation.

87. Subcontractor ABC has provided a new canister design. The canisters are rated at 1000 psi, with a
standard deviation of 150 psi. The expected stress will be 750 psi with a standard deviation of 200 psi.
What is the probability of failure of the canister ?
A. 0.3085 B. 0.1587 C. 0.1056 D. 0.0228

88. A vendor must perform tests on parts to determine which of the following ?
A. Functional capability under specified environmental conditions. B. Materials and processes.
C. Configuration and size. D. Cost.
89. Failure results when the applied load exceeds the strength of the material in the design phase. Which
of the following factor(s) is MOST important for the designer to know ?
A. That the load and strength figures are fixed.
B. That the load and strength figures are statistically distributed.
C. That the means and standard deviations must be defined.
D. That a safety margin must be maintained.

90. Which of the following is required to establish a reliability specification ?

A. The usage environment. B. A robust design.
C. The reliability policy. D. A mathematical model.

91. A first step in the FMECA is to :

A. Define the system requirements. B. Compile a critical items list.
C. Identify failure modes. D. Establish ground rules to which the FMECA is performed.

92. As a design or reliability engineer, you may recommend that various tests be performed on a new
part. Which of the following would NOT be a direct result of those tests ?
A. Data for an estimate of MTBF.
B. A disclosure of part deficiencies.
C. Knowledge of whether the part meets requirements.
D. An improvement in reliability.

93. The rated breaking strength of a suspension bridge cable is 150,000 pounds. An example using this
cable in a derated condition is which of the following ?
A. The cable in a 75,000 pound maximum stress application
B. The cable in a 150,000 pound maximum stress application
C. The cable in a 225,000 pound maximum stress application
D. The cable as a parallel component.
94. In general, one should select the highest component parameter ratings feasible so that :
. Failure rates may be minimized.
. Probability of secondary failure is minimized.
. Safety margins are offered against unforeseen transients.

A. I only B. I and II only C. I and III only D. I, II and III

95. Using an extreme worst-case method of variability analysis, if the indicated performance characteristics
values fall within specifications, the designer can be confident that :
A. The probability of occurrence will be unknown.
B. The system has high drift reliability.
C. A high parameter tolerance limit is needed.
D. A low parameter tolerance limit is needed.

96. Derating parts in specific applications is performed in order to :

A. Establish a preferred parts list. B. Lower the stress limits to lower failure rates.
C. Show which parts are inferior in design. D. Determine the stress ratios.

97. Who should be chairperson of a design review committee ?

A. A senior member of management. B. The chief designer.
C. The person best able to make decisions on a design. D. The reliability engineer.

98. Highly repetitive operations should be assigned to :

A. A machine.
B. An operator.
C. A machine and operator performing the same task alternately.
D. An operator assisted by a computer.
99. The idea of concurrent engineering is changing the way U.S. managers think and manage. How many
of the following steps could be eliminated using concurrent engineering (and cycle time reduction) ?
. Reverification.
. Product Definition.
. Reprototype.
. Design Verification.
. Prototype testing.
. Prototype.
. Production.
. Redesign.
. Final testing.
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5

100. Human vision is necessary for many normal operations. MIL-STD-1472 requires a line of sight angle
for critical functions. What is that angle ?
A. 15 degrees B. 20 degrees C. 30 degrees D. 45 degrees

101. The two principal measures of failure during risk assessment are which of the following ?
A. Failure severity and failure probability. B. Failure analysis and failure effects.
C. Failure method and failure mode. D. Failure mode and failure mechanism.

102. Which of the following is the BEST description of a process FMECA ?

A. It analyzes the functional output of a device.
B. It analyzes the specific hardware details of a device.
C. It analyzes a system design and how failure modes affect the system.
D. It analyzes the manufacturing operation and how manufacturing failures affect the product operation.

103. A component has a strength of 8000 psi and a standard deviation of 1200 psi. It needs to withstand
a load with a mean value of 5000 psi and a standard deviation of 500 psi. Both strength and load are
normally distributed. What is the probability of failure for the component ?
A. 0.0174 B. 0.0104 C. 0.0059 D. 0.0014
104. Human factors are important considerations when designing for reliability because :
. Habits are sometimes difficult to change.
. Conditions such as lighting and heating influence performance.
. Weak parts must be easily replaceable.
. Age and skill can limit one's ability to use equipment correctly.

A. I and III only B. II and III only C. II, III and IV only D. I, II, III and IV

105. What is the MOST vital information to know about a system in order to perform a hardware FMECA
?
A. The details of the system. B. The details of the subsystems.
C. The black box functions. D. Full process information.

106. Inherent reliability can be increased by :

A. Design change. B. Training in the manufacturing area.
C. Inspection techniques. D. Good maintenance techniques.

107. It is of primary importance that the choice of the time-to-failure distribution to represent a particular
reliability situation be based on :
A. Convenience. B. Simplicity of use.
C. Empirical grounds. D. Representation of the failure mechanism.

108. What is the first step when conducting a maintainability study for a piece of existing equipment ?
A. Analyzing the root causes of the downtime.
B. Calculating the availability of the equipment.
C. Identifying the problems that are causing the majority of downtime.
D. Instituting a failure reporting and corrective action system (FRACAS) process.
109. Which of the following is an appropriate definition for availability ?
. All actions necessary for retaining an item or restoring it to a specified condition.
. Being in an operable and committed state at the start of a mission.
. The measure of the ability of an item to be retained or restored to a specified condition for a
specified mission.
. The probability that an item can perform its intended function for a specified interval under stated
conditions.

A. I B. II C. II and IV only D. I, II and III only

110. Software reliability planning includes all of the following EXCEPT

A. Selecting models for data analysis and prediction.
B. Trade-offs of general purpose programs vs. commercially available programs.
C. Trade-offs involving cost, schedule, and failure intensity of software products
D. Modeling acquisition of computer software systems.

111. Your company is investigating the use of Reliability Centered Maintenance. A RCM program would
encompass which of the following features ?
. Preserve system function (provide an output).
. Identify failure modes that affect system function.
. Prioritize function needs (via failure modes).
. Select needed PM tasks.

A. I only B. II and III only C. I and IV only D. I, II, III and IV

112. For a critical complex system, which of the following BEST expresses the ideal relationship between
the planned cost of preventive maintenance (CPM) and cost of corrective maintenance (CCM) ?
A. The CPM should be significantly higher than CCM.
B. The CCM should be significantly higher than CPM.
C. The CPM should be slightly higher than CCM.
D. The CCM should be slightly higher than CPM.
113. Maintainability considerations are important in the design of :
A. Unmanned satellites. B. Integrated circuits.
C. Modern automobiles. D. Consumer televisions.

114. In establishing a budget for a new maintainability program, you should allocate more maintainability
funds during which of the following periods ?
A. Initial design and development phase. B. Demonstration verification phase.
C. Operational phase. D. Customer service phase.

115. Maintainability of equipment may be measured in terms of :

. Maintenance dollar cost.
. Maintenance man-hours.
. Repair time.

A. II only B. III only C. I and III only D. I, II and III

116. Maintainability is :
A. The probability of a system being restored to functional operation within a given period of time.
B. Performing adequate maintenance on a system.
C. Probability of survival of a system for a given period of time.
D. Maintaining a machine in satisfactory working condition.

117. Preventive maintenance time includes :

A. Repair of equipment which has failed.
B. Downtime for routine or scheduled tasks to retain an item in operable condition.
C. Obtaining spares, making adjustments, and confirming repaired condition by test.
D. Delay time such as meals and awaiting spares from off-site or remote location.
118. The reliability centered maintenance (RCM) approach has potential for use in many areas of industry,
having been successfully employed in the aircraft and nuclear power industries. A major premise of RCM
is which of the following ?
A. Preserve equipment function. B. Eliminate corrective maintenance.
C. Preserve system function. D. Safeguard major equipment investments

119. To which of the following types of systems is the concept mean-time-between-failures LEAST
applicable ?
A. Power generator. B. Rocket motor. C. Radar set. D. Automobile.

120. In order to sustain a high system reliability in the field, it is BEST to :

A. Write detailed reports on major failure modes.
B. Lubricate the equipment exactly to manufacturing specifications.
C. Fully analyze all failed components.
D. Follow a preventive maintenance program with scheduled diagnostic checks.

121. Preventive maintenance is characterized by :

. Replacing failed/defect items as they are found in normal service use
. A planned program of tests, inspections, and/or replacements
. Replacing items just before they fail

A. I only B. II only C. I and III only D. I, II and III

122. The general public is willing to accept some risks in their work environment. A study has indicated
that an accident fatality at which of the following levels is NOT of great concern to the average person ?
A. 1 per 100 per persons per year. B. 1 per 1000 per persons per year.
C. 1 per 10,000 per persons per year. D. 1 per 100,000 per persons per year.
123. System-safety analytical techniques include all EXCEPT :
A. Hazard analyses. B. Fault tree analyses.
C. Logic diagram analysis. D. Design readiness reviews.

124. A "negative" specification on an attribute (such as salmonella) of a food product generally means :
A. That a gram of negative organisms are permissible.
B. That given the state of the technology, none can be detected.
C. That levels above one part per billion are to be rejected.
D. None are correct.

125. Human factors in product safety planning are assessed for which of the following reasons ?
. To allocate the proper balance between man and machine.
. To address the limitations of human beings.
. To determine the user hardware interaction.

A. III only B. I and II only C. I and III only D. I, II and III

126. Eliminating hazards can be accomplished several ways. Which of the following does NOT eliminate a
hazard ?
A. Contingency analysis B. FMEA C. Fault-tree analysis D. Procedure analysis

127. A mission profile is :

. Time-phased.
. A summary of events and environments.
. All activities from initiation to completion of a mission.

A. I and III only B. II and III only C. III only D. I, II and III
128. Customer feedback and field data could NOT normally :
A. Provide information for company's management.
B. Allow management to identify who is to blame.
C. Provide information for product improvement.
D. Provide information for reliability performance measures

129. In product liability lawsuits, who is held ultimately responsible in cases involving the manufacture of a
bad product ?
A. President or CEO. B. Manufacturing manager.
C. Reliability engineer. D. Sales manager.

130. Preliminary hazard analysis :

. Is a review of safety problems prior to production.
. Is normally done at a time when there is little design detail.
. Can be used to identify the principal hazards when the product is first conceived.

A. I only B. III only C. I and II only D. I, II and III

131. A qualification test is used to determine that design and selected production methods will yield a
product that conforms to specification. An acceptance test is used to determine that a completed product
conforms to design. On this basis, a destructive test can be used for:
A. Qualification only. B. Qualification or acceptance.
C. Acceptance only. D. Neither qualification nor acceptance.

132. The concept of accelerated cycling (or a burn-in program) for all devices for six months under
normal operating conditions would :
A. Reduce premature failures in use. B. Improve constant failure rate probability.
C. Be of little value. D. Assure an acceptable customer quality.
133. A sample is split into subgroups. Testing for each subgroup is stopped after the first failure in that
subgroup. The times to first failure are plotted and the distribution parameters are estimated. Which of the
following test types BEST describes this situation ?
A. Censored testing. B. Sudden-death testing.
C. Hazard-rate testing. D. Step-stress testing.

134. To achieve 96 percent reliability at a 90 percent confidence level :

A. Units must be redundant. B. 100 units with one failure is required.
C. 25 units with no failures is required. D. 20 units with no failures is required.

135. The main purpose of environmental stress screening is which of the following ?
A. To eliminate infant mortality failures. B. To subject parts to extremes.
C. To eliminate supplier inspections. D. To assist in the selection of standardized parts.

136. In the planning and usage stages of a test, analyze and fix program, it is very important to :
. Accept some failures as nonrelevant.
. Fully analyze all failures.
. Dismiss no failure as random.
. Take corrective action on all failures.

A. I only B. II and III only C. II, III and IV only D. I, II, III and IV

137. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate reason for selecting accelerated life testing for an
expensive product to determine adherence to design requirements ?
A. The test time to provide adequate reliability assurance under normal operating conditions is too long.
B. The current sample size and the life distribution show wear-out is likely.
C. The error in the population due to part-to-part variation is too large.
D. The probability density function of the product follows either a log normal or a Weibull distribution.
138. In general, reliability testing is performed for which of the following reasons ?
. To detect unanticipated failure modes.
. To compare estimated failure rates to actual failure rates.
. To monitor reliability growth over time.
. To meet or exceed customer expectations.

A. I and III only B. II and IV only C. I, II and III only D. I, II, III and IV

139. A stress test was conducted for a mechanical part by subjecting a sample of 25 parts to increasing
load stress. The results of the test are identified in the table. The sample
was subjected to a 50% added stress each week for 5 weeks. The test
terminated after 5 weeks. To determine whether failures observed in the
test reflect actual use failures or are the result of high test stresses,
which of the following must be known ?

A. The geometry of the test setup. B. The precise history of cumulative stress.
C. The exact times of the failures. D. The mechanisms of the failures.

140. Product reliability concerns the relationship of product function to :

A. Customer demands. B. Design. C. Cost. D. Time.

141. QFD stand for

A. Quality Function Deployment. B. Qualification of Preliminary Design.
C. Quantitative Functional Development. D. Quality Focused Department.

142. Which of following is NOT elements of risk priority number for FMEA ?
A. Severity. B. Catastrophic. C. Probability. D. Detection.
143. Two basic types of redundancy are :
A. Active and standby. B. Parallel and switchover.
C. Parallel and series. D. Priori and parallel.

144. You have written what you feel is an excellent book on reliability principles. Your company wants
you to conduct company-wide training classes on a specific reliability topic. Your advice is sought and you
recommend your text because you are familiar with it. What other professional action should be
immediately taken ?
A. Be modest and nonassuming when explaining your work.
B. Recommend the work of another author to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
C. Inform your employer of your business connection to the book.
D. If the book is commercially available and your royalty is small, no other action is required.

145. In the area of risk assessment, hazard severity categories are used to provide a measure of the
seriousness involved. A system failure causing major environmental damage would be classified as :
A. Catastrophic. B. Critical. C. Marginal. D. Negligible.

146. Measures of availability include :

. Effectiveness.
. Inherent.
. Achieved.
. Dependability.
. Capability.

A. , and B. and C. , and D. , and

147. Product safety is a concern in today's environment. If a risk assessment is performed near the end
of the design stage, consideration should be based on :
. Hazard probability.
. Hazard severity.
. Risk impact.
. Cost impact.

A. I only B. II and III only C. I, II and III only D. I, II, III and IV

148. Which of the following is NOT a major management product safety responsibility ?
A. Formulate a product safety policy.
B. Promote employee safety through training and education.
C. Assure that a mechanism exists to segregate and dispose of any non-conforming product.
D. Ensure that the company complies with all product safety standards and liability laws.

149. Given that your company produces a product that many consumers use, lawsuits are always
possible. You feel very good about your reliability program, under which of the following legal descriptions
can your records be obtained ?
A. Negligence. B. Due care. C. Discovery. D. Warranty.

150. Which of the following is NOT true concerning computer collection and reporting of data ?
. It is more accurate that manual collection and reporting.
. It is faster than manual collection and reporting.
. It can reduce the expenses of collection and reporting data.

A. I only B. I and III only C. II and III only D. I, II, III only
Solutions :
1 A 16 C 31 C 46 C 61 B 76 B 91 A 106 A 121 B 136 C
2 C 17 C 32 C 47 A 62 C 77 A 92 D 107 D 122 D 137 A
3 D 18 D 33 C 48 A 63 D 78 C 93 A 108 C 123 D 138 D
4 B 19 C 34 C 49 A 64 D 79 B 94 D 109 B 124 B 139 D
5 A 20 B 35 D 50 C 65 B 80 C 95 B 110 D 125 D 140 D
6 A 21 B 36 A 51 B 66 A 81 C 96 B 111 D 126 A 141 A
7 D 22 A 37 D 52 B 67 C 82 C 97 C 112 B 127 D 142 B
8 A 23 D 38 D 53 A 68 A 83 C 98 A 113 C 128 B 143 A
9 D 24 B 39 B 54 C 69 A 84 C 99 B 114 A 129 A 144 C
10 B 25 B 40 B 55 A 70 B 85 B 100 A 115 D 130 D 145 B
11 C 26 A 41 A 56 D 71 D 86 C 101 A 116 A 131 B 146 B
12 D 27 D 42 D 57 C 72 D 87 B 102 D 117 B 132 A 147 C
13 B 28 D 43 A 58 B 73 D 88 A 103 B 118 C 133 B 148 B
14 C 29 D 44 D 59 D 74 B 89 B 104 D 119 B 134 B 149 C
15 D 30 A 45 A 60 C 75 A 90 A 105 A 120 D 135 A 150 A