Which quality cost category is focused on preventing defects before they occur?

• A. Prevention costs
• B. Appraisal costs
• C. Internal failure costs
• D. External failure costs

Answer: (A)

Prevention costs represent the proactive investments aimed at stopping defects before they happen. These include activities like quality planning, supplier quality assurance, process design and capability improvements, training, and preventive maintenance. By building robust processes and preventing issues from arising, you reduce the likelihood of defects.

This contrasts with appraisal costs, which cover inspections and testing to find defects after they appear, internal failure costs which arise from defects found during production and require rework or scrap, and external failure costs that occur after delivery, such as warranties and returns. Since the question asks for the category focused on preventing defects before they occur, prevention costs are the best fit.