What are the four steps of the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle?

• A. Plan, Do, Study, Act
• B. Plan, Implement, Study, Adjust
• C. Plan, Do, Analyze, Act
• D. Plan, Do, Check, Act

Answer: (A)

The plan-do-study-act cycle is a loop for testing changes on a small scale and learning as you go. It starts with planning: define a clear aim, predict what will happen, decide what data to collect, and plan who will do what. Then you execute that plan on a limited basis—the Do step—while collecting the gathered data. After that comes the study phase: analyze the results, compare them to your predictions, and determine what the data show about the change’s impact. Finally, the act step uses what you learned to decide your next move—whether to adopt the change, modify and test it again, or abandon it—and then you plan the next cycle accordingly. This sequence emphasizes thoughtful testing and continuous improvement, which is why it’s the standard phrasing for PDSA. Other options change the terminology slightly (for example, using Implement instead of Do, Analyze instead of Study, or Check instead of Study), which shifts the emphasis away from the learning-centered evaluation that PDSA uses.