CRE Sample Test #3.

1. Which of the following is the BEST example of a random variable ?

A. A hazard rate. B. The mean time between failure.
C. The time to failure. D. The mean time to repair.

2. Which of the following is TRUE about the distribution of the mean for large samples ?
A. It is the same as the population distributions. B. It is exponentially distribution.
C. It is lognormally distributed. D. It is normally distributed.

3. Which of the following is a primary concern for a reliability engineer who uses publicly available
sources for mechanical part-failure rates ?
A. Finding appropriate data for each application.
B. Assuring that the data are in compliance with ISO standards.
C. Meeting parts-count requirements.
D. Recognizing that the quantity of such data is unlimited.

4. When assessing failures during a reliability test program, which of the following should a reliability
engineer consider first ?
A. The capability of test equipment. B. When the failure occurred.
C. What resources are required. D. What corrective actions are required.

5. Preventive maintenance programs are MOST effective when

A. Random failure occur. B. The hazard rate is constant.
C. The hazard rate is decreasing. D. The hazard rate is increasing.
6. Which of the following action will help eliminate the effects of extraneous factors in a designed
experiment ?
A. Randomizing the experiment. B. Selecting factor levels.
C. Fractionating the experiment. D. Repeating the experiment under different conditions.

7. The following electrical system contains a normally closed switching subsystem, X. Its function is to
remove power from subsystem Y and Z during unusual or unsafe operating conditions.

Y Z
X

The reliability of the switching subsystem can BEST be improved by :

A. Adding a redundant switching subsystem physically in series.
B. Adding a redundant switching subsystem physically in parallel.
C. Increasing the cycle life of subsystem Y and Z.
D. Increasing physical accessibility to the switching subsystem.

8. Which of the following analysis is used to quantify various human error risks ?
A. Worst-case analysis. B. Process analysis. C. Quality analysis. D. FMECA.

9. According to the Taguchi approach, the BEST way to achieve an optimal performance is to conduct
designed experiments during.
A. System design. B. Parameter design. C. Tolerance testing. D. Up-front testing.

10. Maintainability engineering is performed for all of the following reasons EXCEPT to
A. Estimate the labor hours and other resources required for performing maintenance.
B. Estimate system availability.
C. Restore equipment to operational condition after failure has occurred.
D. Influence design to achieve each of maintenance.
11. Which of the following BEST describes complete data ?
A. Truncated. B. Exact life. C. Right-censored. D. Left-censored.

12. Which of the following will provide the BEST information for determining the value of reliability
activities ?
A. Return on investment. B. Weibull analysis report.
C. Daily SPC report. D. Corrective action closure reports.

13. An undesired event in a system led to the below fault tree. Which of the following are the cut sets of
the fault tree ?

A. {A}, {A, B1} B. {A}, {B1, B2}

C. {A, B1}, {B2} D. {A, B1} {A, B2}

14. Which of the following statements is TRUE about reliability prediction ?

A. It is accurate in the determination of system failure causes.
B. It contributes directly to system reliability.
C. It forms decision criteria for selecting courses of action that affect reliability.
D. It demonstrates that a proposed design will meet its reliability requirements.
15. Which of the following is the BEST method of selecting parts of a new product ?
A. Performing incoming inspection.
B. Drawing them from an approved parts list.
C. Using those that represent that latest technology.
D. Using only those that have a high reliability.

16. Which of the following techniques is MOST efficient when two nuisance variables are to be averaged
out in an experimental design ?
A. Full factional. B. Fractional factorial. C. Latin square. D. Paired test.

17. What is the CORRECT measurement of reliability to use for nonrepairable systems ?
A. Mean time between repairs (MTBR) B. Mean time between failures (MTBF)
C. Mean time to repairs (MTTR) D. Mean time to failure (MTTF)

18. In developing an accelerated test, which of the following is the most important concept for the
reliability engineer to understand in order to estimate the product life ?
A. Statistical models. B. Sample size.
C. Acceleration factor. D. Test equipment repeatability.

19. A system is turned off every 30 days for 5 minutes for on line maintenance. If the probability of
system failure due to hardware failure is negligible, what is the system's unavailability ?
A. 1.157 × 10-4 B. 3.472 × 10-4 C. 0.0333 D. 0.999

20. A resistor is rated at 1 watt. One example of using this resistor in a derated condition is using :
A. The resistor in a 0.5 watt application. B. The resistor in a 2 watt application.
C. The resistor as a standby unit. D. Two of the resistors in series.
21. In a production reliability acceptance test (PRAT) plan, the design/discrimination ratio is expressed as
the ratio of
A. Lower test MTBF/upper test MTBF. B. Upper test MTBF/lower test MTBF.
C. Producer's risk/consumer's risk. D. Consumer's risk/producer's risk.

22. During burn-in, electronic parts normally exhibit

A. A constant hazard rate. B. An increasing hazard rate.
C. A decreasing hazard rate. D. A bathtub hazard rate.

23. As a result of improper machining, a gear-tooth in a vehicle's transmission breaks causing the
transmission to lock up and the vehicle to crash, injuring the driver. The failure mode in this case should
be identified by the reliability engineer as the
A. Injured driver. B. Jammed transmission.
C. Improper machining. D. Vehicle crash.

24. All of the following elements should be included in training plans for project personnel EXCEPT :
A. A broad view of the project. B. Relevant theory and application.
C. In-depth training in selected area. D. A qualification matrix.

25. If the probability of a car starting on a sub-zero morning is 0.6, and we have two such cars. What is
the probability that at least one of the cars will start on a sub-zero morning ?
A. 0.92 B. 0.84 C. 0.81 D. 0.60
26. All of the following tools could be used for trending the data below EXCEPT :

A. A regression model. B. Exponential smoothing.

C. A Taguchi loss function. D. A stochastic time series.

27. Which of the following safety design methods is NOT used to control hazardous conditions ?
A. Reducing operator response and reaction times.
B. Avoiding awkward or interfering controls
C. Using safety design margins and redundancy.
D. Providing clear and understandable instruction.

28. Which of the following is the BEST approach to recover product reliability from manufacturing ?
A. Improve the suppler selection process. B. Increase receiving inspection.
C. Reduce product variability. D. Reduce scheduled product maintenance.

29. A go/no-go device is tested until it fails. If x is the number of tests to first failure with no wear out
present, and the probability of success on each test is .99, then the probability that x is greater than 5 is
:
A. 0.931 B. 0.941 C. .9510 D. .9610
30. Failure data are analyzed and a proportion of items survive to the end of the test. Data on these
types of samples are referred as :
A. Parameter data. B. Non-parameter data. C. Control data D. Censored Data.

31. For a system with constant failure rate λ and constant repair rate μ , which of the following is the

correct expression for the instantaneous availability at time ?

μ λ λ μ μ λ λ μ
A. B.
λ μ λ μ λ μ λ μ
λ λ λ μ λ λ λ μ
C. D.
λ μ λ μ λ μ λ μ

32. The reliability growth factor is MOST important to consider in which of the following situation ?
Reliability Corrective Action
A. Above target Planned
B. Above target Not planned
C. Below target Planned
D. Below target Not planned

33. The ratio of the variances of two independent samples from normal distributions with a common true
variance has what type of distribution ?
A. F test B. t C. chi-square. D. Beta

34. The MOST desirable outcome of an FMEA is

A. A risk priority number. B. A recommended action.
C. An estimated of the detection number. D. An estimated of the occurrence number.
35. Which of the following is TRUE about the self-assessment a team uses when implementing concurrent
engineering ?
A. It provides a "snapshot" of the team's status or needs.
B. It is a required part of the process documentation.
C. It is a means of comparing teams in different organization.
D. It is a strategic planning tool.

36. The reliability goal for a complex system is 0.995. The predicted reliability for the system is 0.999
when one of the subsystems is functioning and 0.90 when that subsystem is not functioning. What is the
minimum reliability for this subsystem to meet the system reliability goal ?
A. 0.899 B. 0.929 C. 0.960 D. 0.998

37. Develop the fault tree analysis for a candy dispensing machine. There are two contributing
subsystems, both of them must fail for the system to fail. The electronic release has Pf = 0.04 and the
coil spring release has Pf = 0.06. What is the system's probability of failure ?

A. 0.0124 B. 0.0100
C. 0.0098 D. 0.0024

38. When parts are selected for a product in development, which of the following key elements should be
considered first ?
A. Cost. B. Serviceability C. Availability D. Application.
39. Reliability predictions can be used for all of the following purpose EXCEPT to
A. Compare alternative designs. B. Assess the time remaining to meet a reliability goal.
C. Predict life-cycle cost. D. Focus reliability improvement.

40. Which of the following is the main advantage of a step stress test ?
A. It runs at constant stress. B. It yields failure quickly.
C. It segregate discrepant hardware D. It guarantees accurate estimates.

41. A systematic approach to analyze fault trees requires all of the following EXCEPT
A. System definition. B. Hierarchical diagram construction.
C. Tolerance stack-up analysis D. Quantitative evaluation.

42. A satellite has two redundant control systems, each has a failure rate (lambda) = 1×10-6 failures/hour.
If one of the systems fails, the failure rate for the remaining system increases to 2×10-5 failures/hour.
What is the reliability of the redundant control systems at 175,000 hours ?
A. 0.8609 B. 0.7796 C. 0.690 D. 0.2507

43. A QFD team's primary goal should be to

A. Identify factors that influence customer satisfaction.
B. Document the quality frequency and defects field testing program.
C. Develop a matrix of the environmental test levels for reliability.
D. Develop a matrix of critical component reliability tradeoffs.
44 - 46. Using complete field-based data, a reliability engineer has analyzed the reliability growth of a
repairable system over the last 24 months. The analysis suggests a "no growth" condition, and that
finding is reported to management. Due to a pending multimillion dollar order, management requests that
a line be drawn to show growth where none actually exists. The engineer's department manager directs
the engineer to comply with management request.

44. In this situation, which of the following should be of primary concern to the engineer ?
A. Adverse affects on the producer. B. Professional integrity as a reliability engineer.
C. Adverse effects on the company's bottom line. D. Corporate political ramifications.

45. According to the ASQ Code of Ethics, which of the following is an appropriate action for the engineer
to take next ?
A. Initiate new product reliability growth tests.
B. Request a meeting with a representative from Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration (OSHA)
C. Advise management of the consequences to expect if the engineer's professional judgement is
overruled.
D. Ask the department manager for support in presenting the original data to upper management in a
more convincing way.

46. The system is released without improvements and the company receives the multimillion dollar order
from an external customer. The customer then requests evidence of the reliability growth. Which of the
following actions by the engineer would be MOST appropriate ?
A. Revisit the original data and project artificial reliability growth to satisfy the customer's request.
B. Ask the department manager to respond to the customer's request.
C. Arrange a meeting with the customer and discuss all past occurrences.
D. Arrange a meeting with the department manager and upper management to discuss the reliability
report.

47. An exclusive "or" gate produces an output only if :

A. All of the input events occur simultaneously.
B. One, but not both input events occur.
C. Any one of the input events occur.
D. All of the input events occur in the correct order.
48. A qualification test is planned to establish whether a unit meets required minimum mean time between
failures. Which of the following tools can be used to estimate the chance that the unit will pass the test
even if its true MTBF is below the required level ?
A. Operating characteristics curve. B. Block diagram.
C. Fault tree D. Transition state matrix.

49. A failure reporting and corrective action system should ensure that all steps are taken to
A. Identify and investigate failure for resolution to close out the issues.
B. Estimate and record costs associated with the implementation to corrective action.
C. Determine who is responsible for the failure.
D. Define and communicate employees reaction to the identified failure.

50. The reliability of complex software can be improved by :

A. Increasing the logic branches. B. Using GOTO constructs.
C. Using voting redundancy D. Using binary source code.

51. The reliability of a 4-way valve in relation to surviving a 10,000 cycle test in a specified environment
is 0.92. If 5 valves are placed on test, what is the probability that exactly 4 will survive ?
A. 0.0177 B. 0.1563 C. 0.2866 D. 0.9999

52. Which one of the following will NOT increase reliability in design?
A. Deterating techniques. B. Design redundancy.
C. Designing for maintainability. D. Acceptance testing.
53. Which of the following calculation is used to determine the overall tolerance for the serial combination
of the component ?
A. The average of the tolerances.
B. The maximum of the tolerances.
C. The sum of the tolerances.
D. The square root of the sum of the square of the tolerance.

54. Which of the following techniques is MOST applicable when estimating how much additional testing is
required to demonstrate a reliability goal ?
A. Reliability growth. B. Weibull testing.
C. Mistaking-proofing. D. Hypothesis testing.

55. The term "failure mode" is defined as the :

A. Consequence of the mechanism through which a failure occurs.
B. Physical, chemical, electrical, or thermal process that results in failure.
C. Event or inoperable state in which an item or part of an item does not perform as specifed.
D. Failure caused by the failure of an associated items.

56. Which of the following reliability tools is MOST likely to be employed in the design phase of a project ?
A. Step-stress B. Burn-in C. Fatigue testing D. Thermal analysis

57. Time-to-market can be reduced MOST directly through the use of :

A. Concurrent engineering. B. Field testing.
C. Highly accelerated stress screening (HASS) D. Reliability centered maintenance (RCM)
58 - 60. A company has produced a new module. The failure data on 40 returns are shown below.

Time to Failure Number of

(in hours) Returns

1 5
5 5
10 15
12 10
20 5

58. Which of the following is the first step in the review of this situation ?
A. Find the median of the data set.
B. Categorize the data by using a Pareto analysis.
C. Determine the location in which the failure occurred.
D. Identify the field service personnel who handled the returns.

59. If the time to failure follows a normal distribution, what is the probability that time to failure exceeds
20 hours ?
A. 0.028 B. 0.050 C. 0.950 C. 0.972

60. If time to failure follows an exponential distribution, and Z = 1.65, t = 1.95, and χ =60, what is the
lower 95% confidence limit on the mean time to failure ?
A. 8.6 hours. B. 10. 0 hours. C. 13.3 hours. D. 15.6 hours.

61. Which of the following probability distribution BEST satisfies the inequality ?
A. Two-parameter Weibull. B. One-parameter exponential.
C. Normal. D. Lognormal.
62. All of the following statements are TRUE about confidence interval EXCEPT
A. A larger sample size would yield a smaller width.
B. A smaller sample size would yield a larger width.
C. The width indicate the uncertainty in estimates.
D. The width does not depend on the confidence level.

63. Which of the following is the primary goal of accelerated testing ?

A. Increased quality. B. Increased reliability.
C. Reduced development cost. D. Reduced development time.

64. Keeping a list of all safety activities serves to organize the safety engineer's activities by :
A. Documenting hazard correction and accident prevention activities.
B. Providing a record for management to justify the safety engineer's activities.
C. Assuring that the safety engineer is performing assigned tasks in compliance with regulatory agency
guidelines.
D. Providing a paper-trail of exhibits for cost justification.

65. A standard parts program is likely to have which of the following positive and negative effects ?
Positive Negative
A. Encourage product innovation Increase cost of qualifying new parts
B. Encourage product innovation Increase cost of existing parts
C. Reduce weight or size of parts. Discourage product innovation
D. Reduce the number of part specifications Discourage product innovation

66. For a reliability plan to be most effective, the reliability tasks should be integrated with which of the
following plan ?
A. Reliability centered maintenance. B. Product sales.
C. Product distribution D. Product design and development.
67. Twenty(20) items were subjected to accelerated test conditions of 150 for 400 hours. Two(2) items
failed : one at 250 hours and one at 300 hours. If the acceleration factor was 2.0 and the distribution
was exponential, the estimated MTTF under normal use conditions lies within which of the following
ranges ?
A. MTTF 5,000 hours. B. 2,000 MTTF 5,000 hours.
C. 1,000 MTTF < 2,000 hours D. MTTF < 1,000 hours.

68. The hazard rate function, , for an electric module was found to follow

λ
The corresponding reliability function for is.
λ λ λ λ
A. B. C. D.

69. When failed field item are returned for failure investigation, which of the following steps should be
taken first ?
A. The physics of failure should be used to determine failure mechanism.
B. Each item should be investigated to classify and completely determine the failure mode.
C. Each item's predicted reliability should be compared with its actual reliability.
D. The manufacturing process should be reviewed to ensure that it was followed during the production
of the failed items.

70. An aggregate preventive maintenance program can greatly increase the overall availability of a system
because of the
A. Ability to improve observed reliability. B. Ability to improve product safety.
C. Improved control of inventory levels. D. Emphasis on budgeting operational expenses.
71. Part X and part Y are linearly stacked together. Part X is supplied by a vendor who claims, on the
basis of its SPC database, that the dimension of X follows a normal distribution with a mean of 2.20
and a standard deviation of 0.15 . If the assembled part requires a standard deviation of less than 0.
4 , what is the maximum standard deviation allowed for part dimension ?
A. 0.14 B. 0.25 C. 0.37 D. 0.65

72. Combined environmental reliability testing allows for a :

A. Multiple stress test.
B. Range of test conditions in excess of design tolerances.
C. Use of a common acceleration factor for relative MTTF from its accelerated condition to its normal
condition.
D. Method for certification of test results.

73. Reliability can be specified in terms of all of the following EXCEPT :

A. Cost of failure. B. Stress to failure. C. Time to failure. D. Cycles to failure.

74. A fault tree analysis (FTA) differs from a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) in that an FTA :
A. Starts by considering individual or combined lower level failure first.
B. Starts by considering system failure effects or top events first.
C. Does not take into account human factors such as incorrect operation.
D. Is typically used in conjunction with a cause-and-effect diagram.

75. Censoring of data occurs when

A. Product data are considered biased. B. Product data are sequenced and questionable
C. Data collection is time-truncated. D. Questionable methods of data collection are used.

76. A failure modes and effects analysis :

A. Can best be conducted with a digital computer. B. Requires a knowledge of Boolean algebra.
C. Is a qualitative technique. D. Is a quantitative technique.
77. Which of the following is the general expression for the linear regression model of time to failure for
a system under stresses T and V ?
A. β β B. β β
C. β β ε D. α β β ε

78. In the two-units standby system shown below, component X is active, component Y is redundant, and
the sensing and switching subsystem is imperfect.

Which of the following is necessary to improve the reliability of this system ?

A. The reliability of the sensing and switching subsystem should be equal to the life of either
component.
B. The reliability of the sensing and switching subsystem should be improved.
C. The reliability of the redundant component(Y) should be greater than that of the active component (X).
D. The reliability of the active(X) and redundant(Y) components should be the same.

79. When a defense is prepared for a product liability action, all of the following would be considered
elements of the assumption of risk the plaintiff must have EXCEPT:
A. Had knowledge of the risk. B. Understood the consequence of the risk.
C. Voluntarily undertaken the risk. D. Contributed to the injury through negligence.

80. Which of the following BEST describe a critical item in reliability ?

A. An item that affects safety and mission goals.
B. A highly reliable item used in a critical product.
C. An item manufactured by an unproven technology.
D. A critical reliability design methodology and process.
81. Which of the following is a key element of an effective reliability growth program ?
A. Field generated engineering change orders. B. A field service support organization.
C. A reliability prediction program. D. A failure reporting analysis and corrective action system.

82. In product development planning, which of the following BEST assures the success of the product ?
A. Maximum product quality. B. Maximum product reliability.
C. Minimum life cycle cost. D. Minimum unit cost.

83. Results of accelerated stress testing can be used to determine MTBF under all of the following
condition EXCEPT when the
A. Total test time exceeds the MTBF by more than four times.
B. Stress levels exceeds the designed mission profile.
C. Failure modes have different activation energies.
D. Life distribution shows wearout during anticipated life.

84. In order to enhance the reliability of an extruder producing plastic film, the applied operational and
environmental stresses should be :
A. At the rated nominal ratings. B. Slightly above nominal ratings.
C. Significantly below nominal ratings. D. Significantly above nominal ratings.

85. In an load-strength interference analysis, the safety margin is the relative measure of the
A. Separation of the mean load and the mean strength.
B. Ratio of the mean load to the mean strength.
C. Ratio of the standard deviation of the load to the standard deviation of the strength.
D. Difference between the standard deviation of the load and the standard deviation of the strength.

86. All of the following benefits can be gained by implementing concurrent engineering EXCEPT :
A. Faster introduction of products. B. Reduced total costs.
C. Reduced reliability problems. D. Minimized management involvement.
87. The primary reason for improving equipment accessibility is to :
A. Minimize equipment downtime. B. Maximize labor utilizations.
C. Improve service life. D. Improve equipment reliability.

88. In a system with a constant failure rate, the relationship between the failure rate and MTBF is that
the failure rate is
A. A linear function of the MTBF with a positive correlation coefficient.
B. A linear function of the MTBF with a negative correlation coefficient.
C. Directly proportional to the MTBF.
D. The inverse of the MTBF.

89. In general, consumer consider reliability and safety to be a

A. Means of reducing product liability. B. Means of reducing product cost.
C. Characteristics of product technology. D. Characteristics of product quality.

90. Which of the following is an analytical approach used during the manufacturing process where process
conditions are changed systematically for the purpose of determining modifications required for product
improvement ?
A. Fractional factorial experiment design. B. Taguchi method.
C. Statistical process control. D. Cause-and-effect analysis.

91. Which of the following is the MOST effective technique for prioritizing critical factors for
problem-solving ?
A. Venn diagram. B. Scatter diagram.
C. Pareto diagram D. Cause-and-effect diagram.
92. All of the following techniques are appropriate for reliability apportionment EXCEPT
A. Duane modeling.
B. Basic weighted series.
C. Advisory group on reliability of electronic equipment (AGREE) allocation methods.
D. Part count.

93. Which of the following can be inferred from the Weibull analysis plot the below ?

A. There is an initial period of time where no failure occur.

B. The analysis includes censored data.
C. More than one failure mechanism is included in the data.
D. The hazard rate remain constant.

94. The ASQ code of ethics require all of the following of its member EXCEPT
A. Being honest and impartial in relationships with employers, clients, and the public.
B. Promoting the reliability and safety of products within their jurisdiction.
C. Aiding other members by disclosing technical processes to solve complex problems.
D. Aiding in the professional development and advancement of subordinates.

95. Which of the following is a model used for monitoring reliability growth ?
A. Duane B. Arrehenius C. Normal D. Lognormal
96. Field data for 20 mechanical suspension systems showed 3 failure during the 12 month warranty
period. When failure occurred they were repair within 2 days and the system returned to operation. If the
time of failure for the failed system were 4.4 moths, 6.3 months, and 10.7 months after placement in the
field, what is the 90% lower confidence estimate on MTBF ?
A. 33.7 months B. 35.9 months C. 43.5 months D. 4.1 months

97. Detection of trends of product failure is MOST important when system failure are
A. Expensive. B. Hard to identify. C. Safety-related. D. Identified by the customer.

98. 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.

99. Random sampling plans are based on which of the following assumption ?
A. The process is unstable.
B. The data are accurate.
C. A specific dependency model has been selected.
D. Every item has an equal chance of being selected.

100. Highly repetitive operations should be assigned to :

A. A machine.
B. An operator.
C. A machine and operator performing the task alternately.
D. An operator assisted by a computer.
101. Which two of the following are measures of the dispersion of a distribution ?
. Range.
. Average.
. Standard deviation.
. Mode.

A. l and ll B. l and lll C. ll and lV D. lll and lV

102. Which of the following activities has the greatest impact on product reliability ?
A. Design. B. Manufacturing. C. Shipping and delivery D. Service.

103. Which of the following is NOT a degradation mechanism ?

A. Fatigue B. Derate C. Wear D. Crack

104. A software sneak circuit is BEST described as which of the following ?

A. Dead code. B. An infinite loop.
C. An invalid, executable path D. An error-handling routine.

105 - 107 refer to a situation in which satellites in synchronous orbits around Earth are hit by meteors
large enough to cause failure once every five years on average.

105. What is the probability that one of these satellites will be damaged by meteors and fail during its
first year in orbit ?
A. 0.18 B. 0.20 C. 0.80 D. 0.82

106. If a satellite survives the first year, what is the probability that it will survive another year ?
A. 0.18 B. 0.33 C. 0.67 D. 0.82
107. What is the probability of a satellite surviving two years ?
A. 0.33 B. 0.55 C. 0.67 D. 0.82

108. In completing FMECA, it is important to treat each failure as

A. A single event. B. An element of multiple events.
C. An element of simultaneous event. D. An element of serial events.

109. When a new system is being developed, which of the following will be LEAST effective in speeding
up the system reliability growth process ?
A. Attaining components reliability prior to the system test.
B. Testing the system first to find the failed components.
C. Performing systems testing and component testing simultaneously.
D. Performing accelerating testing.

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

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

111. Maintainability can be improved by :

A. Reducing the wear-out rate. B. Reducing the hazard rate.
C. Increasing the repair rate. D. Increasing the testing rate.
112. Which of the following reliability techniques is commonly used during the design phase ?
A. Worst-case analysis. B. Field-failure analysis.
C. Environmental hazard plotting. D. Supplier reliability testing.

113. Derating enhance reliability in all of the following ways EXCEPT by

A. Reducing the impact of parameter variations.
B. Increasing the long-term drift in parameter values.
C. Restricting stress on components to levels below their rated limits.
D. Establishing a robustness design margin

114. A company is in a multi-products, competitive market. Which of the following is the MOST
appropriate strategy to help capture the maximum market share ?
A. Reducing cycle time while introducing new, reliable products.
B. Increasing the reliability of current product.
C. Improving the capacity of manufacturing process.
D. Performing aggressive field-testing.

115. An engineer completed a Taguchi robust design experiment. The signal-to-noise response plots as
follows :

On the basis of the plots above, where should be the time and pressure be set to optimize the process
?
Time Pressure
A. 1 300
B. 1 600
C. 2 300
D. 2 600
116. Which of the following formulas is appropriate to use in accelerated life testing ?
A. λ B. λ
β
C. μ σ D. σ

117. Fifteen(15) motors were tested for a total of 1,200 cumulative hours, with four failure occuring. The
test was then failure-truncated. If the failure rate is assumed to be constant, what is the 95% lower
confidence limit of MTBF ?
A. 131 hours. B. 155 hours. C. 609 hours D. 876 hours.

118. In the model ε the follow a Weibull distribution with a shape parameter

of 3.5 and a characteristic life of 20; follow s log-normal distribution with a mean of 16 and a
standard deviation of 2.5; ε is a random variable with a mean 0 and a σ of 1. In this situation, which of
the following methods would be BEST to evaluate the distribution of ?
A. Regression analysis. B. Monte Carlo simulation.
C. Analysis of variance. D. Numerical integral.

119 - 120 refer to the following diagram, which indicator the stress-strength relationship for a material.

119. What is the factor of safety for the material ?

A. 0.66 B. 0.75 C. 1.33 D. 1.50

120. What percentage of the material is expected to fail ?

A. 1.4% B. 2.0% C. 2.3% D. 8.1%
121. When a hypothesis is rejected, which of the following conclusions can be drawn ?
A. The parameter value of the population was incorrectly estimated.
B. The test statistic for the population was incorrectly estimated.
C. The test statistic is inconsistent with the hypothesis.
D. Insufficient data were used to evaluate the hypothesis.

122. If the equivalent regression model for a 22 factorial design is

β β β β ε , which of the following is true about β ?
A. It is determined by dividing the effect by 2. B. It is determined by multiplying the effect by 2.
C. It is equal to the calculated effect. D. It is not related to the calculated effect.

123. The primary benefit of collecting data throughout a product's life cycle is to
A. Provide information in the event of litigation. B. Provide guidelines for future products.
C. Inform customers of improved use of the products. D. Improve product sales.

124. Which of the following types of control charts detects degradation phenomena most quickly ?
A. and B. and σ C. , , , D. Cusum

125. The most important reason(s) for performing design reviews is to :

. Identify the anticipated field usage of the system
. Review referenced specifications to be used during procurement
. Follow up the outcome of action items discussed during prior meetings

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

126. Which of the following is TRUE about an effective safety system ?
A. It identifies risks as hazards occur.
B. It reduce the hazards through a feedback system.
C. It is an integral part of top management responsibilities.
D. It depends on conformance to OSHA standards.

127. Which of the following is the MOST important benefit of using an automated test or automated
measuring system ?
A. A system's reliability can be determined quickly.
B. Statistics process control (SPC) charts can be generated and updated manually.
C. Parametric data can be gathered, summarized, and analyzed quickly.
D. Burn-in on the system can be avoided.

128. In which of the following situation is it NOT advantageous to use Bayesian in reliability calculation ?
A. When both continuous and discrete data will be used.
B. When both objective and subjective information must be used.
C. When each piece of new information will arrive in random error.
D. When no prior information is available.

129. To ensure the collection of accurate and usable data, the reliability department should
A. Develop a documented data collection system with forms, instruction, and training for key
contributors.
B. Audit sources of data and review validity of corrective action requests generated.
C. Ask key contributors to develop data collection methods and establish clear definitions of failure.
D. Budget adequate resources to develop method of analysis and corrective action.

130. The influence of FMEA on reliability is maximized at which of the following stages of development ?
A. Design. B. Prototype. C. Test. D. Operation.
131. A failure that occurs without being caused by the failure of any other item is known as :
A. An independent failure. B. A dependent failure.
C. An intermittent failure. D. A pattern failure.

132. Which of the following approaches to root cause analysis are considered either unstructured or less
structured?
. Intuition.
. Networking.
. Process control charts.
. Pareto charts.

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

133. 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.

134. During system testing a failure is observed that could never occur in the field. This type of failure is
considered to be :
A. A minor failure. B. A system failure.
C. A nonrelevant failure. D. An operational failure.

135. When designing experiments, which term describes the situation in which the effects of two factors
are not separable ?
A. Covariate. B. Confounded. C. Interactive. D. Collinear.
136. 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.

137. It is often observed that unscheduled maintenance :

A. Isolates failure causes more quickly than scheduled maintenance.
B. Does not necessarily isolate failure causes.
C. Always isolates the specific causes of failure.
D. Never isolates the specific causes of failure.

138. 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

139. 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.

140. Which of the following is the reason the bathtub curve has an increasing failure rate during the
wear-out period ?
A. Design, materials and environment determine a limit of useful life.
B. Design period does not project results past a predetermined time.
C. System effectiveness decreases rapidly at this stage.
D. Probability of failure is related to external factors that increase over time.
141. Certain functional tests can be conducted for electronic equipment in the areas of :
. Endurance testing.
. Voltage transients.
. Electromagnetic effects.
. Wearout determination.

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

142. A vendor must perform tests on parts to determine which of the following ?
A. Functional capability under specified environmental conditions.
B. Materials and processes conformance.
C. Configuration and size.
D. Cost trade-off.

143. Which of these reliability terms applies to non-repairable devices ?

A. MTBF. B. Hazard rate. C. Occurrence rate. D. MTBMA.

144. A device has a MTBF of 400 hours. Assuming an exponential distribution of time to failure, what is
the maximum time of allowable operation if a reliability of .995 is required ?
A. 20 hours B. 0.02 hours C. 0.2 hours D. 2 hours

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

A. Customer demands. B. Design. C. Cost. D. Time.
146. Minimum requirements for the organization's reliability manual include :
. Design review and test procedures.
. Responsibility for specific programs.
. Company definition of process control.
. Internal audit policy.
. Statement of reliability policy.

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

147. 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

148. Customer feedback and data have been gathered on several new unknown failure modes, what
would be an appropriate analysis tool to use on the data ?
A. Conduct a FMECA. B. Use a FTA.
C. Use a pareto chart for failures. D. Perform a risk assessment.

149. What component reliability is required to achieve a two component series system reliability of 0.998,
if both components have the same reliability ?
A. Rc = 0.99 B. Rc = 0.98 C. Rc = 0.998 D. Rc = 0.999
150. Some keys to a successful reliability program include :
. An evolutionary approach to new product development
. Emphasis on manufacturing conformance to specifications
. Development of strong long-term relationships with a small number of suppliers
. The use of standards for guidance and lessons learned

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