27 real Production Planning & Cost questions from the Plant Operations bank, as asked in Indian campus drives and tech interviews. Every question has a verified answer and an AI-tutor explanation on placd — free to start.
1. What is Conversion vs yield?
Junior
A.conversion is the fraction of reactant consumed; yield is desired product formed per unit of reactant fed
B.finding the unit that limits throughput, such as a compressor or a flooding column, and relieving it with minimal capex to raise capacity 10–20%
C.sequencing campaigns to minimise changeovers and cleaning while matching inventory and delivery commitments, using MRP or APS tools
D.selling price minus variable cost per tonne, used to rank products and decide whether to run at reduced rate or shut down
A.Conversion vs yield — raw material or energy used per tonne of product, such as Gcal per tonne urea or kWh per tonne caustic, the primary efficiency KPI
B.Conversion vs yield — raw materials, utilities and catalyst vary with output; labour, maintenance, depreciation and overheads do not, so unit cost falls at higher rate
C.Conversion vs yield — selling price minus variable cost per tonne, used to rank products and decide whether to run at reduced rate or shut down
D.Conversion vs yield — conversion is the fraction of reactant consumed; yield is desired product formed per unit of reactant fed
5. Which term means: "overall equipment effectiveness, the product of availability, performance rate and quality rate, with about 85% regarded as world class"?
A.OEE — finding the unit that limits throughput, such as a compressor or a flooding column, and relieving it with minimal capex to raise capacity 10–20%
B.OEE — conversion is the fraction of reactant consumed; yield is desired product formed per unit of reactant fed
C.OEE — comparison of measured inputs against outputs and inventory change; a gap beyond 1–2% points to meter error or unaccounted loss
D.OEE — overall equipment effectiveness, the product of availability, performance rate and quality rate, with about 85% regarded as world class
8. Which term means: "raw material or energy used per tonne of product, such as Gcal per tonne urea or kWh per tonne caustic, the primary efficiency KPI"?
A.Specific consumption — raw material or energy used per tonne of product, such as Gcal per tonne urea or kWh per tonne caustic, the primary efficiency KPI
B.Specific consumption — selling price minus variable cost per tonne, used to rank products and decide whether to run at reduced rate or shut down
C.Specific consumption — finding the unit that limits throughput, such as a compressor or a flooding column, and relieving it with minimal capex to raise capacity 10–20%
D.Specific consumption — sequencing campaigns to minimise changeovers and cleaning while matching inventory and delivery commitments, using MRP or APS tools
11. Which term means: "comparison of measured inputs against outputs and inventory change; a gap beyond 1–2% points to meter error or unaccounted loss"?
A.Mass balance closure — raw materials, utilities and catalyst vary with output; labour, maintenance, depreciation and overheads do not, so unit cost falls at higher rate
B.Mass balance closure — comparison of measured inputs against outputs and inventory change; a gap beyond 1–2% points to meter error or unaccounted loss
C.Mass balance closure — selling price minus variable cost per tonne, used to rank products and decide whether to run at reduced rate or shut down
D.Mass balance closure — overall equipment effectiveness, the product of availability, performance rate and quality rate, with about 85% regarded as world class
14. Which term means: "finding the unit that limits throughput, such as a compressor or a flooding column, and relieving it with minimal capex to raise capacity 10–20%"?
A.Debottlenecking — raw material or energy used per tonne of product, such as Gcal per tonne urea or kWh per tonne caustic, the primary efficiency KPI
B.Debottlenecking — overall equipment effectiveness, the product of availability, performance rate and quality rate, with about 85% regarded as world class
C.Debottlenecking — finding the unit that limits throughput, such as a compressor or a flooding column, and relieving it with minimal capex to raise capacity 10–20%
D.Debottlenecking — benchmark comparing a refinery's actual energy use with a standard for its configuration, where lower is better and 100 is the reference
17. Which term means: "raw materials, utilities and catalyst vary with output; labour, maintenance, depreciation and overheads do not, so unit cost falls at higher rate"?
A.Variable vs fixed cost — selling price minus variable cost per tonne, used to rank products and decide whether to run at reduced rate or shut down
B.Variable vs fixed cost — raw materials, utilities and catalyst vary with output; labour, maintenance, depreciation and overheads do not, so unit cost falls at higher rate
C.Variable vs fixed cost — finding the unit that limits throughput, such as a compressor or a flooding column, and relieving it with minimal capex to raise capacity 10–20%
D.Variable vs fixed cost — raw material or energy used per tonne of product, such as Gcal per tonne urea or kWh per tonne caustic, the primary efficiency KPI
20. Which term means: "sequencing campaigns to minimise changeovers and cleaning while matching inventory and delivery commitments, using MRP or APS tools"?
A.Production scheduling — overall equipment effectiveness, the product of availability, performance rate and quality rate, with about 85% regarded as world class
B.Production scheduling — selling price minus variable cost per tonne, used to rank products and decide whether to run at reduced rate or shut down
C.Production scheduling — sequencing campaigns to minimise changeovers and cleaning while matching inventory and delivery commitments, using MRP or APS tools
D.Production scheduling — comparison of measured inputs against outputs and inventory change; a gap beyond 1–2% points to meter error or unaccounted loss
A.Contribution margin — sequencing campaigns to minimise changeovers and cleaning while matching inventory and delivery commitments, using MRP or APS tools
B.Contribution margin — selling price minus variable cost per tonne, used to rank products and decide whether to run at reduced rate or shut down
C.Contribution margin — benchmark comparing a refinery's actual energy use with a standard for its configuration, where lower is better and 100 is the reference
D.Contribution margin — raw material or energy used per tonne of product, such as Gcal per tonne urea or kWh per tonne caustic, the primary efficiency KPI
26. Which term means: "benchmark comparing a refinery's actual energy use with a standard for its configuration, where lower is better and 100 is the reference"?
A.Solomon energy intensity index — raw material or energy used per tonne of product, such as Gcal per tonne urea or kWh per tonne caustic, the primary efficiency KPI
B.Solomon energy intensity index — raw materials, utilities and catalyst vary with output; labour, maintenance, depreciation and overheads do not, so unit cost falls at higher rate
C.Solomon energy intensity index — selling price minus variable cost per tonne, used to rank products and decide whether to run at reduced rate or shut down
D.Solomon energy intensity index — benchmark comparing a refinery's actual energy use with a standard for its configuration, where lower is better and 100 is the reference
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