Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) — MCQs – EE

1. The full form of SCADA is:
(A) Supervisory Control and Data Analysis
(B) Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(C) System Control and Data Automation
(D) System Communication and Device Access

2. The main purpose of a SCADA system is to:
(A) Monitor and control industrial processes remotely
(B) Design circuits
(C) Perform manual data entry
(D) Generate mechanical motion

3. A SCADA system primarily consists of:
(A) RTUs, PLCs, Communication Network, and HMI
(B) Sensors only
(C) Robots and conveyors
(D) Electric motors only

4. In SCADA, the HMI (Human-Machine Interface) is used to:
(A) Display data and allow operator interaction
(B) Control communication protocols
(C) Manage hardware configurations
(D) Store field data only

5. The RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) in SCADA performs:
(A) Data collection and transmission from field devices
(B) Centralized data analysis
(C) Only signal amplification
(D) Power control functions

6. The PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) in SCADA is used for:
(A) Local process control and automation
(B) Data visualization
(C) Network routing
(D) Manual data entry

7. Communication between SCADA components is done via:
(A) Wired or wireless industrial communication networks
(B) Only manual connections
(C) Internet browsers
(D) Bluetooth only

8. SCADA systems are most commonly used in:
(A) Power plants, water treatment, and manufacturing systems
(B) Office management systems
(C) E-commerce platforms
(D) Mobile networks

9. In a SCADA system, data acquisition refers to:
(A) Collecting data from sensors and field devices
(B) Displaying data on the HMI
(C) Controlling actuators
(D) Encrypting data

10. The central computer in a SCADA system is responsible for:
(A) Supervisory control and data processing
(B) Power distribution
(C) Only displaying alarms
(D) Generating signals for sensors

11. A communication protocol in SCADA defines:
(A) Rules for data exchange between devices
(B) Mechanical operations
(C) Power ratings of equipment
(D) Alarm color codes

12. The commonly used communication protocols in SCADA include:
(A) Modbus, DNP3, and Profibus
(B) HTTP, FTP, and SMTP
(C) Bluetooth and Wi-Fi only
(D) CAN and USB only

13. The master station in SCADA acts as:
(A) The central monitoring and control point
(B) A field device
(C) A backup power supply
(D) A remote sensor

14. The slave devices in a SCADA system are typically:
(A) RTUs or PLCs connected to sensors and actuators
(B) Central computers
(C) Human operators
(D) Servers only

15. One of the main advantages of SCADA is:
(A) Real-time monitoring and control of large systems
(B) Manual operation of equipment
(C) Increased wiring complexity
(D) Reduced data storage capability

16. The alarm function in SCADA is used to:
(A) Alert operators about abnormal process conditions
(B) Store historical data
(C) Reduce communication load
(D) Control actuators directly

17. Historical data logging in SCADA helps in:
(A) Performance analysis and fault diagnosis
(B) Increasing voltage levels
(C) Starting motors
(D) Network speed improvement

18. The trending feature in SCADA is used to:
(A) Display process variables over time
(B) Send commands to RTUs
(C) Configure PLC logic
(D) Start alarms manually

19. A redundant SCADA system ensures:
(A) Continuous operation during failures
(B) Higher communication speed only
(C) Fewer alarms
(D) Manual operation mode

20. Remote monitoring in SCADA allows:
(A) Operators to observe and control processes from distant locations
(B) Manual local control only
(C) Disabling field devices
(D) Isolating sensors

21. Cybersecurity in SCADA systems is important to:
(A) Protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats
(B) Improve motor speed
(C) Increase physical durability
(D) Simplify PLC programming

22. The HMI display in SCADA typically shows:
(A) Process flow diagrams, alarms, and trends
(B) Hardware schematics only
(C) Binary data codes
(D) Network IP addresses

23. The data historian in SCADA stores:
(A) Long-term process and event data
(B) Real-time control commands
(C) Network configuration files
(D) Alarm sound files

24. The polling process in SCADA refers to:
(A) Periodic data request from RTUs or PLCs
(B) Manual voting by operators
(C) Alarm generation
(D) Data encryption

25. SCADA systems differ from DCS systems mainly because:
(A) SCADA is used for wide-area monitoring; DCS is for local control
(B) SCADA uses no PLCs
(C) DCS has no communication system
(D) SCADA cannot log data

26. The client-server architecture in SCADA means:
(A) Clients access data from centralized servers
(B) All nodes are equal
(C) No centralized storage is used
(D) Communication is unidirectional

27. Redundant communication links in SCADA help to:
(A) Maintain system reliability if one link fails
(B) Increase network load
(C) Disable alarm functions
(D) Reduce data acquisition rate

28. SCADA software runs mainly on:
(A) Supervisory computers and HMI terminals
(B) Field sensors
(C) Microcontrollers only
(D) Robots

29. A telemetry system in SCADA is used for:
(A) Transmitting data over long distances
(B) Storing control logic
(C) Power amplification
(D) Manual feedback

30. The main benefit of SCADA in industrial automation is:
(A) Centralized control and efficient decision-making
(B) Manual process operation
(C) Reduced data visibility
(D) Elimination of sensors