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Quiz: Budgeting, Sourcing, and Classroom Logistics

Test your understanding of budgeting, sourcing, and classroom logistics with these review questions.

1. What is a bill of materials (BOM)?

  1. The total project cost divided across every student who will build one
  2. A period during which manufacturing capacity can't keep pace with demand
  3. A written set of rules for lending reusable hardware outside of class time
  4. An itemized list of every part a single project requires, each with quantity, unit price, and a sourcing note
Show Answer

The correct answer is D. A bill of materials is an itemized list of every part a single project requires, each with its quantity, unit price, and a sourcing note — nothing assumed, nothing left to memory. Option A describes cost per student, option B describes a supply chain shortage, and option C describes a loaner equipment policy.

Concept Tested: Bill Of Materials

2. What is lead time?

  1. A reduced per-unit price offered when a buyer orders a large enough quantity at once
  2. The elapsed time between placing an order and actually receiving the component
  3. The process of estimating every dollar a project will cost before committing to it
  4. A scoring guide that breaks a project down into specific, gradable criteria
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. Lead time is the elapsed time between placing an order and actually receiving the component, which can stretch from days to many weeks during a shortage. Option A describes a bulk discount, option C describes project budgeting, and option D describes an assessment rubric.

Concept Tested: Lead Time

3. What distinguishes a reusable component from a consumable one in classroom kit planning?

  1. Reusable components are always more expensive than consumable components
  2. Reusable and consumable are two names for the same budgeting category
  3. Reusable components can be collected back, cleaned, and issued to a different student next term, while consumable components are used up and must be repurchased for every new build
  4. Consumable components can be reissued after being cleaned, while reusable components must be repurchased each term
Show Answer

The correct answer is C. Reusable components, like a Pico or a breadboard, can be collected back, cleaned, and issued to a different student next term, while consumable components, like a coin-cell battery or solder, are used up and must be repurchased for every new build. Option A makes an unsupported cost claim, option B incorrectly treats them as identical, and option D reverses the two categories.

Concept Tested: Reusable Versus Consumable

4. According to the chapter's comparison, how does grant funding typically differ from donor-sourced hardware?

  1. Grant funding usually requires an application and arrives new and purchased to spec, while donor-sourced hardware arrives on the donor's own timeline and should be tested before use
  2. Grant funding always arrives faster than donor-sourced hardware
  3. Donor-sourced hardware requires a formal application process, while grant funding does not
  4. Grant funding and donor-sourced hardware are functionally identical funding sources
Show Answer

The correct answer is A. The chapter's comparison table shows grant funding as new equipment purchased to spec, usually requiring an application and a report on outcomes, while donor-sourced hardware has variable condition, arrives on the donor's own schedule, and should be tested before use. Option B reverses the predictability comparison, option C swaps which source requires an application, and option D incorrectly treats them as identical.

Concept Tested: Grant Funding

5. Why does the chapter describe cost per student as "a lever you control" rather than a fixed fact about a hardware tier?

  1. Cost per student is set entirely by the manufacturer and cannot be changed by an educator
  2. Cost per student only applies to Tier 5 Pi 5 projects, not earlier tiers
  3. Cost per student automatically decreases as a supply chain shortage worsens
  4. Sourcing decisions like bulk discounts and shared component bins can substantially lower cost per student without changing what any individual student experiences
Show Answer

The correct answer is D. The chapter explains that the same hardware tier can cost very different amounts per student depending on sourcing decisions — bulk ordering versus one kit at a time, or using a shared component bin instead of stocking every kit fully — without changing what any individual student experiences. Option A contradicts this explicitly. Option B wrongly restricts the concept to one tier, and option C reverses the actual effect of a shortage, which tends to raise costs.

Concept Tested: Cost Per Student

6. A classroom kit's base price is $30 per student. An educator orders in bulk and receives a 20% bulk discount. For a class of 25 students, what is the total project cost?

  1. $600
  2. $500
  3. $625
  4. $750
Show Answer

The correct answer is A. Applying the bulk discount: effective price = $30 x (1 - 0.20) = $24 per student. Total cost = $24 x 25 students = $600. Option B, C, and D each result from either skipping the discount, misapplying the percentage, or a different arithmetic error rather than correctly applying the discount before multiplying by class size.

Concept Tested: Bulk Discount

7. A student reports a robot chassis with a bent motor mount. It is still safe to power on, and a spare motor mount is available in the shared component bin. Following the chapter's damage-and-repair triage guide, what is the correct next step?

  1. Remove the entire robot from service immediately and retire it
  2. Swap in the spare part immediately and log the damaged unit for repair
  3. Wait until the end of the term to address the damage
  4. Add the item to next year's bill of materials without further action
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. The chapter's triage flowchart routes a safe-to-power component with an available spare directly to "swap immediately, log old unit for repair," exactly matching this scenario. Option A applies only when it's unsafe to power on, which isn't the case here. Option C delays a fix that a repair plan is specifically designed to handle quickly, and option D skips the actual repair or replacement step entirely.

Concept Tested: Damage And Repair Plan

8. A class includes some students who have never wired a breadboard and others with significant prior experience. Applying differentiated instruction as described in this chapter, which approach best fits the situation?

  1. Give every student the exact same pre-wired kit regardless of experience level
  2. Only allow experienced students to participate in the lesson
  3. Replace the assessment rubric with a single pass/fail grade for all students
  4. Offer a pre-wired kit to newer students while more experienced students tackle an open-ended extension of the same project, without changing the underlying learning objective
Show Answer

The correct answer is D. Differentiated instruction adjusts a lesson's pace, scaffolding, or challenge level for different students within the same class period — exactly the chapter's own example of offering a pre-wired kit to newer students while experienced students tackle an open-ended extension, all without changing the underlying learning objective. Option A ignores experience differences entirely, option B excludes students rather than differentiating for them, and option C removes the graded structure the chapter pairs with differentiation instead of using it.

Concept Tested: Differentiated Instruction

9. A unit is scheduled to start in 4 weeks. A required component's manufacturer-direct lead time during the current shortage is 9 weeks, but a specialized distributor can deliver the same part in 2 weeks at a slightly higher price. Based on this chapter's guidance, what should the educator do?

  1. Order from the manufacturer directly, since it is always the cheapest option regardless of timing
  2. Wait until 1 week before the unit starts to place any order
  3. Order from the specialized distributor now, since its lead time fits within the 4-week window while the manufacturer's does not
  4. Cancel the unit entirely, since no sourcing option can meet the deadline
Show Answer

The correct answer is C. The chapter's lead-time guidance emphasizes ordering as soon as a unit is approved and choosing a sourcing option whose lead time actually fits the available window; here, the distributor's 2-week lead time fits comfortably within 4 weeks while the manufacturer's 9-week lead time does not. Option A ignores the timing mismatch. Option B risks missing the deadline entirely, and option D is unnecessary since a viable option exists.

Concept Tested: Lead Time

10. During a lab, a student notices their project's battery feels unusually hot and appears slightly swollen. Based on this chapter's battery safety guidance, what is the correct immediate response?

  1. Continue using the battery but monitor it closely for the rest of the class period
  2. Immediately remove the battery from service, since a swollen, leaking, or unusually hot battery should be pulled from use right away
  3. Reverse the battery's polarity to reset its internal chemistry
  4. Puncture the battery to relieve internal pressure before continuing
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. The chapter's battery safety guidance explicitly calls for immediate removal from service of any battery that's swollen, leaking, or unusually hot to the touch. Option A ignores a clear safety warning sign. Option C is not a real remedy and could worsen the hazard, and option D is explicitly dangerous — batteries should never be punctured or crushed under any circumstances.

Concept Tested: Battery Safety