Which sequence best describes the PDCA cycle?

• A. Do, Plan, Check, Act
• B. Plan, Act, Check, Do
• C. Plan, Do, Check, Act
• D. Plan, Do, Act, Check

Answer: (C)

This question tests how the PDCA cycle is ordered. The cycle follows a continuous improvement loop: plan what you want to accomplish, do it, check the results against your plan, and act on what you’ve learned to improve or standardize the change. In maintenance practice, this means first outlining objectives, tasks, resources, and metrics for a improvement or change (plan); then carrying out those tasks (do); then measuring and reviewing the outcomes—data on uptime, failures, MTBF, or process efficiency (check); and finally implementing the successful changes or adjusting the plan for next iteration (act). This order keeps work purposeful and measurable, ensuring improvements are based on evidence rather than guesswork. The other sequences disrupt the logical flow—doing before planning, checking before having results, or acting without verification—so they won’t reliably lead to effective, repeatable improvements.