Explain the PDCA cycle and its role in problem solving.

• A. Program design, create, analyze, certify.
• B. Prepare, decide, commit, achieve.
• C. Plan-Do-Check-Act is a cycle for testing changes, monitoring results, learning, and adjusting.
• D. Predict, delineate, customize, automate.

Answer: (C)

The PDCA cycle is a structured, iterative way to solve problems and steadily improve processes. It starts with planning what change to test: clearly define the problem, set measurable goals, and decide how you’ll measure success. Next, you implement the change on a small scale (Do), gathering data as you go. Then you check what happened by comparing actual results to what you predicted, analyzing why the outcomes occurred and what they mean. Finally, you act on what you learned: either adopt the change more broadly, refine it and run another cycle, or abandon it and start a new approach. This loop repeats, turning insights into actions and guiding continuous learning and adjustment rather than one-off fixes. By emphasizing testing, monitoring results, learning from outcomes, and making informed adjustments, PDCA helps solve problems effectively and build lasting improvements.