Power System Protection – Practice Questions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. 1. What is the primary purpose of a protection system in
power systems?
• a) To regulate voltage levels
• b) To reduce energy losses
• c) To detect faults and isolate faulty sections
• d) To improve power factor
2. 2. Which device is used to reduce high current levels to
measurable values in protection systems?
• a) Voltage Transformer
• b) Relay
• c) Circuit Breaker
• d) Current Transformer
3. 3. Why must VT secondary be fused or protected by
MCB?
• a) To increase the transformation ratio
• b) To ensure safety and prevent damage in case of a fault
• c) To reduce losses
• d) To improve phase shift accuracy
4. 4. What does the knee point of a CT refer to?
• a) The point at which CT fails
• b) The point at which CT becomes highly accurate
• c) The point beyond which the CT core saturates
• d) The point of minimum burden
True or False Questions
5. 1. CTs should never be fused because opening their
circuit may cause high voltage spikes. (True/False)
6. 2. Overcurrent protection cannot detect earth faults
reliably. (True/False)
7. 3. The burden of a CT includes the resistance of the CT
itself. (False/True)
8. 4. Directional protection relays operate based on current
magnitude only. (False/True)
9. 5. Fuses are ideal for all fault types and allow for
selective coordination. (False/True)
10. 5. What is the function of an auxiliary relay in
protection systems?
• a) To measure power factor
• b) To perform backup switching and logic operations
• c) To directly trip the circuit breaker
• d) To reduce current
11. 6. What type of protection is typically used for
transmission lines?
• a) Differential protection
• b) Distance protection
• c) Earth fault protection
• d) Overvoltage protection
12. 7. Which of the following is a major cause of faults in
underground cables?
• a) Lightning
• b) Birds
• c) Diggers and oil leakage
• d) Kites
13. 8. Why are zones of protection overlapped?
• a) To reduce cost
• b) To avoid power loss
• c) To ensure no blind spots in protection
• d) To allow for faster switching
14. 9. Which of the following best defines 'selectivity' in a
protection system?
• a) Ensuring low cost of components
• b) Ensuring only the faulty section is isolated
• c) Selecting the best quality components
• d) Choosing the shortest fault path
15. 10. What characteristic defines a 'very inverse'
overcurrent relay curve?
• a) Fixed time regardless of current
• b) Faster trip for lower current
• c) Slower trip for higher current
• d) Much faster trip time as current increases
16. 11. Which of these faults can occur due to trees
touching transmission lines?
• a) Phase-to-earth fault
• b) Open circuit
• c) Fault between parallel lines
• d) Mechanical fault
17. 12. What is the purpose of grading margin between two
protection relays?
• a) To reduce cost
• b) To allow time for breakers to operate
• c) To detect overloads
• d) To provide directional protection
18. 13. What does ALF (Accuracy Limit Factor) represent
in a CT?
• a) The VA rating limit
• b) The maximum fault current it can handle accurately
• c) The secondary current value
• d) The core saturation point
19. 14. Which VT construction is used when zero sequence
voltage is not needed?
• a) Open delta
• b) 3-limb core
• c) 5-limb core
• d) Capacitive VT
20. 6. Distance protection is commonly used in low voltage
circuits. (False)
21. 7. CTs are connected in parallel with the load. (False)
22. 8. VT provides isolation and steps down voltage for
measurement and protection. (True)
23. 9. The excitation current in a CT contributes to core
magnetization. (True)
24. 10. Fuses can easily coordinate with other protection
devices. (False)
25. 11. CT burden includes the relay and lead resistance.
(True)
26. 12. Directional overcurrent relays need a voltage
reference. (True)
27. 13. VT secondary should always be grounded. (False)
28. 14. Overcurrent relays are effective for all fault types,
including earth faults. (False)
29. 15. The knee point is where CT response becomes
nonlinear. (True)
30. 16. Relays use both time and current for fault
discrimination. (True)
31. 17. The primary winding of a CT usually has many
turns. (False)
32. 18. Fuses do not require replacement after operation.
(False)
33. 19. Grading margin ensures only one relay operates at a
time. (False)
34. 20. Auxiliary supplies are not important in relay
operations. (False)
35. 21. VT errors increase with poor design. (True)
36. 22. Directional protection is needed in radial systems.
(False)
37. 23. A protection system must be both reliable and
secure. (True)
38. 24. Earth fault current is typically higher than phase
faults. (False)
39. 25. Mechanical damage can lead to faults in generators.
(True)
