Technical practice questions
Industrial Engineering Interview Questions
Real Industrial Engineering interview questions with answers. Filter by sub-field and difficulty, then drill them in practice mode.
Showing 31 of 31 questions
Beginner
Fundamentals, definitions, expected of any candidate
Intermediate
Applied reasoning, design tradeoffs, calculations
Advanced
Deeper scenario / system-design questions and edge cases (stretch material)
BeginnerFundamentals
What is Lean and what are the main types of waste?
fundamental knowledgeLeanwastevalue stream
BeginnerFundamentals
What are the DMAIC phases of Six Sigma?
fundamental knowledgeSix SigmaDMAICvariation
BeginnerFundamentals
What is a bottleneck and how do you find it?
fundamental knowledgebottleneckthroughputTheory of Constraints
BeginnerFundamentals
What is 5S?
fundamental knowledge5SLeanworkplace organization
BeginnerFundamentals
What is the difference between efficiency and effectiveness / utilization and throughput?
fundamental knowledgeefficiencyutilizationthroughput
BeginnerFundamentals
What is a control chart and what does it tell you?
fundamental knowledgecontrol chartSPCvariation
BeginnerFundamentals
What is OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)?
fundamental knowledgeOEEavailabilityperformancequality
IntermediateSupply Chain
What is the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and what does it balance?
EOQinventoryordering costholding cost
IntermediateSupply Chain
What is safety stock and how do you set it?
safety stockservice levelvariabilitylead time
IntermediateProcess Optimization
What is takt time and how does it differ from cycle time?
takt timecycle timeline balancing
IntermediateProcess Optimization
How would you improve a process with a data-driven approach?
process improvementDMAICdata-drivenvalue stream
BeginnerSafety
What is the hierarchy of controls?
hierarchy of controlshazardPPEsafety
IntermediateSafety
What is a JHA / job hazard analysis?
JHAjob hazard analysisrisk assessment
IntermediateProcess Optimization
What is a kanban system and what problem does it solve?
kanbanpull systemJITWIP
BeginnerProcess Optimization
What is poka-yoke (error-proofing)?
poka-yokeerror-proofingqualitydefects
BeginnerProcess Optimization
What is the PDCA cycle?
PDCAcontinuous improvementkaizen
IntermediateProcess Optimization
How do you perform root-cause analysis (5 Whys / fishbone)?
root cause5 whysfishboneIshikawa
IntermediateSupply Chain
What is the bullwhip effect?
bullwhip effectdemand variabilitysupply chain
IntermediateSupply Chain
What is just-in-time (JIT) and what's the risk?
JITinventoryleanresilience
BeginnerSafety
What is lockout/tagout (LOTO) and why is it required?
LOTOlockout tagoutOSHAenergy isolation
IntermediateProcess Optimization
What is Little's Law and how is it used?
Little's LawWIPthroughputlead timequeuing
BeginnerProcess Optimization
What is a Gantt chart and what is the critical path?
Gantt chartcritical pathCPMscheduling
IntermediateProcess Optimization
What is a time study / standard time?
time studystandard timework measurementcapacity
IntermediateSupply Chain
What is MRP (Material Requirements Planning)?
MRPERPbill of materialsplanning
IntermediateSupply Chain
What is the difference between push and pull production?
pushpullkanbanJITinventory
IntermediateSafety
What is the difference between a leading and a lagging safety indicator?
leading indicatorlagging indicatorsafety metrics
IntermediateProcess Optimization
What is line balancing and why does it matter?
line balancingtakt timeworkstationbottleneck
BeginnerProcess Optimization
What is ergonomics / human factors in an industrial setting?
ergonomicshuman factorsinjury preventionproductivity
IntermediateProcess Optimization
What's the difference between cycle time, lead time, and takt time?
cycle timelead timetakt timeflow
BeginnerSupply Chain
What is ABC analysis in inventory management?
ABC analysisinventoryParetoprioritization
IntermediateSafety
What is a near-miss and why should it be reported?
near-missreportingsafety pyramidleading indicator