In the PDSA cycle, which phase involves implementing the change on a small scale?

• A. Plan
• B. Do
• C. Study
• D. Act

Answer: (B)

The phase that puts the plan into action on a small scale is the Do phase. After you plan—setting your aims, predictions, and how you’ll measure success—you move to Do, where you carry out the change in real conditions but in a limited, controlled scope. This small-scale test lets you observe how the change behaves, gather practical data, and catch unforeseen issues before going bigger. Then you study the results to see whether the outcomes matched your predictions and what was learned, and finally act on those insights by refining the plan, deciding whether to adopt the change more broadly, or abandon it. Focusing on a limited implementation during this phase helps manage risk and build the evidence needed to scale up.