This document contains 25 multiple choice questions about quantitative methods in management science. The questions cover topics such as linear programming, transportation problems, critical path method, and PERT networks. Specifically, questions ask about slack variables in linear programming models, the difference between transportation and assignment problems, calculating expected activity times when uncertain, and identifying the critical path as the longest path through a CPM/PERT network.

1. College of Business Administration
AL KHARJ UNIVERSITY
MIS 231-Management Science
1
MCQ Bank
1. The field of management science
a. concentrates on the use of quantitative methods to assist in decision making.
b. approaches decision making rationally, with techniques based on the scientific method.
c. is another name for decision science and for operations research.
d. each of the above is true.
ANSWER: d
2. Identification and definition of a problem
a. cannot be done until alternatives are proposed.
b. is the first step of decision making.
c. is the final step of problem solving.
d. requires consideration of multiple criteria.
ANSWER: b
3. The quantitative analysis approach requires
a. the manager’s prior experience with a similar problem.
b. a relatively uncomplicated problem.
c. mathematical expressions for the relationships.
d. each of the above is true.
ANSWER: c
4. A physical model that does not have the same physical appearance as the object being modeled is
a. an analog model.
b. an iconic model.
c. a mathematical model.
d. a qualitative model.
ANSWER: a
5. Management science and operations research both involve
a. qualitative managerial skills.
b. quantitative approaches to decision making.
c. operational management skills.
d. scientific research as opposed to applications.
ANSWER: b
6. George Dantzig is important in the history of management science because he developed
a. the scientific management revolution.
b. World War II operations research teams.
c. the simplex method for linear programming.
d. powerful digital computers.
ANSWER: c
7. A model that uses a systemof symbols to represent a problem is called
a. mathematical.
b. iconic.
c. analog.
d. constrained.
ANSWER: a

2. 2
8. Slack
a. is the difference between the left and right sides of a constraint.
b. is the amount by which the left side of a < constraint is smaller than the right side.
c. is the amount by which the left side of a > constraint is larger than the right side.
d. exists for each variable in a linear programming problem.
ANSWER: b
9. Which of the following special cases does not require reformulation of the problem in order to obtain a
solution?
a. alternate optimality
b. infeasibility
c. unboundedness
d. each case requires a reformulation.
ANSWER: a
10. The range of feasibility measures
a. the right-hand-side values for which the objective function value will not change.
b. the right-hand-side values for which the values of the decision variables will not change.
c. the right-hand-side values for which the dual prices will not change.
d. each of the above is true.
ANSWER: c
11. The amount that the objective function coefficient of a decision variable would have to improve before that
variable would have a positive value in the solution is the
a. dual price.
b. surplus variable.
c. reduced cost.
d. upper limit.
ANSWER: c
12. The values in the cj - zj , or net evaluation, row indicate
a. the value of the objective function.
b. the decrease in value of the objective function that will result if one unit of the variable
corresponding to the jth column of the A matrix is brought into the basis.
c. the net change in the value of the objective function that will result if one unit of the variable
corresponding to the jth column of the A matrix is brought into the basis.
d. the values of the decision variables.
ANSWER: c
13. In the simplex method, a tableau is optimal only if all the cj – zj values are
a. zero or negative.
b. zero.
c. negative and nonzero.
d. positive and nonzero.
ANSWER: a
14. For the basic feasible solution to remain optimal
a. all cj - zj values must remain  0.
b. no objective function coefficients are allowed to change.
c. the value of the objective function must not change.
d. each of the above is true.
ANSWER: a

3. 3
15. The dual variable represents
a. the marginal value of the constraint
b. the right-hand-side value of the constraint
c. the artificial variable
d. the technical coefficient of the constraint
ANSWER: a
16. The parts of a network that represent the origins are
a. the axes
b. the flow
c. the nodes
d. the arrows
ANSWER: c
17. The number of units shipped from origin i to destination j is represented by
a. xij.
b. xji.
c. cij.
d. cji.
ANSWER: a
18. The difference between the transportation and assignment problems is that
a. total supply must equal total demand in the transportation problem
b. the number of origins must equal the number of destinations in the transportation problem
c. each supply and demand value is 1 in the assignment problem
d. there are many differences between the transportation and assignment problems
ANSWER: c
19. In an assignment problem,
a. one agent can do parts of several tasks.
b. one taskcan be done by several agents.
c. each agent is assigned to its own best task.
d. None of the alternatives is correct.
ANSWER: d
20. Arcs in a transshipment problem
a. must connect every node to a transshipment node.
b. represent the cost of shipments.
c. indicate the direction of the flow.
d. All of the alternatives are correct.
ANSWER: c
21. To use the Hungarian method, a profit-maximization assignment problem requires
a. converting all profits to opportunity losses.
b. a dummy agent or task.
c. matrix expansion.
d. finding the maximum number of lines to cover all the zeros in the reduced matrix.
ANSWER: a

4. 4
22. The critical path
a. is any path that goes from the starting node to the completion node.
b. is a combination of all paths.
c. is the shortest path.
d. is the longest path.
ANSWER: d
23. When activity times are uncertain,
a. assume they are normally distributed.
b. calculate the expected time, using (a + 4m + b)/6.
c. use the most likely time.
d. calculate the expected time, using (a + m + b)/3.
ANSWER: b
24. The critical path is the __________ path through the network.
a. longest
b. shortest
c. straightest
d. none of the above
Answer: a
25. In a CPM/PERT network the critical path is the
a. lowest path through the network
b. highest path through the network
c. shortest path through the network
d. longest path through the network
Answer: d
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