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FE · 9% of the exam

Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems practice questions

10 free Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems questions for the FE Industrial and Systems Exam (FE) exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question FE quiz

What this domain covers

Planning and running operations in factories and services: forecasting, inventory, scheduling, production planning, lean and automation.

Exam weight
9%
On a real exam
≈ 10 questions
In our bank
54 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Forecasting methods and forecast error
  • EOQ, reorder points and safety stock
  • Sequencing rules and Johnson's rule
  • MRP, aggregate planning and capacity
  • Lean, just-in-time and line balancing

How to study it

Build a one-page sheet of inventory and forecasting formulas with the meaning of each symbol; the calculations are short once the model is chosen.

Sample Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    In aggregate planning, a chase strategy:

    • AAdjusts the production rate to match demand each period
    • BKeeps production constant
    • CIgnores demand
    • DUses only overtime
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Adjusts the production rate to match demand each period

    • ACorrect. A level strategy holds output constant and uses inventory.
    • BIncorrect. That's a level strategy.
    • CIncorrect. It tracks demand.
    • DIncorrect. It adjusts capacity generally.

  2. Question 2

    Last forecast was 100, actual demand was 120, and α = 0.2. The exponential smoothing forecast for next period is:

    • A116
    • B104
    • C120
    • D110
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) 104

    • AIncorrect. That uses α = 0.8.
    • BCorrect. F = 100 + 0.2(120 − 100).
    • CIncorrect. That's the actual demand.
    • DIncorrect. That uses α = 0.5.

  3. Question 3

    A line runs 480 minutes per day and must produce 240 units. The required cycle time is:

    • A2 minutes per unit
    • B0.5 minutes per unit
    • C240 minutes per unit
    • D4 minutes per unit
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 2 minutes per unit

    • ACorrect. Available time ÷ demand.
    • BIncorrect. That's inverted.
    • CIncorrect. Divide 480 by 240.
    • DIncorrect. Recheck: 480/240.

  4. Question 4

    Actual demand for a product last month was 125 units, and the forecast was 110 units. Using actual demand as the base, what is the absolute percent error of the forecast?

    • A13.6%
    • B12.0%
    • C88.0%
    • D0.12%
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) 12.0%

    Absolute percent error = |actual − forecast| ÷ actual × 100% = 15 ÷ 125 × 100% = 12.0%.

    • AIncorrect. This divides the 15-unit error by the forecast (15 ÷ 110). The stem says to use actual demand as the base.
    • BCorrect. |125 − 110| ÷ 125 × 100% = 15 ÷ 125 × 100% = 12.0%.
    • CIncorrect. This is the ratio of forecast to actual (110 ÷ 125). It is not the size of the error.
    • DIncorrect. This treats the decimal ratio 0.12 as a percentage. Multiply by 100 to get 12%.

  5. Question 5

    A line with design capacity 100 units/hour actually produces 80 units/hour. Its utilization is:

    • A100%
    • B125%
    • C20%
    • D80%
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 80%

    • AIncorrect. Recheck: 80/100.
    • BIncorrect. That's inverted.
    • CIncorrect. That's unused capacity.
    • DCorrect. Actual output / design capacity.

  6. Question 6

    A trend forecast is y = 50 + 10t. The forecast for period t = 6 is:

    • A300
    • B60
    • C66
    • D110
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 110

    • AIncorrect. That multiplies.
    • BIncorrect. That omits the intercept.
    • CIncorrect. That adds 10 + 6 to 50.
    • DCorrect. Substitute t = 6: 50 + 10(6) = 110.

  7. Question 7

    A lean team wants a single diagram of a product family's process, from customer order to shipment, so they can find non-value-added steps and delays. Which tool best fits this purpose?

    • AMicromotion study that breaks one operator's task into therbligs
    • BControl chart that plots a process statistic against control limits
    • CPareto chart that ranks defect categories by how often they occur
    • DValue stream map that shows material and information flow end to end
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Value stream map that shows material and information flow end to end

    Value stream mapping is a lean tool that diagrams material and information flow across a value stream to expose waste. Motion studies, control charts and Pareto charts serve narrower purposes.

    • AIncorrect. Micromotion study looks at the hand and body motions of one task. It does not show material and information flow across the whole process.
    • BIncorrect. A control chart checks whether one process characteristic is in statistical control. It does not map the flow from order to shipment.
    • CIncorrect. A Pareto chart ranks problem categories by frequency. It does not show process steps, inventory, or information flow.
    • DCorrect. A value stream map shows the material and information flows of a product family from end to end, so waste and non-value-added steps can be found and a future state can be planned.

  8. Question 8

    In MRP, lot-for-lot ordering:

    • AOrders once per year
    • BAlways orders the EOQ
    • COrders exactly the net requirement each period
    • DIgnores on-hand inventory
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) Orders exactly the net requirement each period

    • AIncorrect. It orders each period as needed.
    • BIncorrect. That's fixed order quantity.
    • CCorrect. It minimizes inventory but maximizes orders.
    • DIncorrect. Net requirements account for it.

  9. Question 9

    A production line has a throughput of 20 units per hour, and units spend an average of 3 hours in the system. Using Little's law, what is the average work-in-process (WIP)?

    • A0.15 units
    • B6.7 units
    • C23 units
    • D60 units
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 60 units

    Little's law says WIP = throughput × flow time, so 20 units/hour × 3 hours = 60 units.

    • AIncorrect. This result divides flow time by throughput (3/20). Little's law multiplies the two.
    • BIncorrect. This result divides throughput by flow time (20/3). Little's law multiplies the two.
    • CIncorrect. This result adds throughput and flow time. Those quantities have different units and can't be added.
    • DCorrect. By Little's law, WIP = throughput × flow time = 20 units/h × 3 h = 60 units.

  10. Question 10

    A job is due in 6 days and needs 4 days of processing. Its critical ratio is:

    • A2, on schedule
    • B0.67, behind schedule
    • C1.5, so it's ahead of schedule
    • D10
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 1.5, so it's ahead of schedule

    • AIncorrect. That isn't the calculation.
    • BIncorrect. That inverts the ratio.
    • CCorrect. CR = time remaining ÷ work remaining.
    • DIncorrect. That adds.

Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems: FAQs

How much of the FE exam is Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems?

Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems is 9% of the FE exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 110-question form works out to roughly 10 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems domain cover?

Planning and running operations in factories and services: forecasting, inventory, scheduling, production planning, lean and automation.

How should I study Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems for FE?

Build a one-page sheet of inventory and forecasting formulas with the meaning of each symbol; the calculations are short once the model is chosen.

Where can I practise more Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems questions?

This page has 10 free Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems questions with answers. The ExamWize FE question bank has 54 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other FE topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the FE cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems exam-ready

The full FE bank has 54 Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

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Not affiliated with NCEES; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.