Question 1,456 of 1,755
Exploratory Data AnalysismediumMultiple SelectObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is the chi-squared test and mutual information. These two methods are appropriate for feature selection during exploratory data analysis because they both measure the dependency between each feature and the target variable, allowing you to rank features by predictive power. The chi-squared test is specifically designed for categorical features and a categorical target, making it a natural fit when the target is binary, while mutual information is more flexible as it can handle both categorical and continuous features by quantifying the amount of information shared between variables. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty MLS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between supervised and unsupervised techniques during EDA—a common trap is confusing dimensionality reduction methods like PCA, which are unsupervised and ignore the target, with supervised filters like chi-squared and mutual information. Remember that PCA and k-means are unsupervised, while chi-squared and mutual information directly use the target to select features. A helpful memory tip: if you need to "inform" your model about the target, use mutual information; if you need to "test" categorical associations, use chi-squared.

MLS-C01 Exploratory Data Analysis Practice Question

This MLS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of exploratory data analysis. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

A data scientist is analyzing a dataset with a binary target variable. The dataset has 50,000 rows and 200 features. The data scientist wants to identify which features are most predictive. Which TWO methods are appropriate for feature selection during EDA?

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Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

Mutual information

Chi-squared test is for categorical features and mutual information can handle both. Option C is wrong because PCA is unsupervised. Option D is wrong because k-means is clustering. Option E is wrong because LSTM is a model, not for EDA.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • Mutual information

    Why this is correct

    Can measure dependency between features and target.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • Chi-squared test

    Why this is correct

    Useful for categorical features against binary target.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • LSTM neural network

    Why it's wrong here

    Model, not for EDA.

  • K-means clustering

    Why it's wrong here

    Clustering, not feature selection.

  • Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

    Why it's wrong here

    Unsupervised method, not for feature selection.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
  • Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
  • Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
  • Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.

TExam Day Tips

  • Underline the problem statement mentally.
  • Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
  • Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which MLS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this MLS-C01 question test?

Exploratory Data Analysis — This question tests Exploratory Data Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Mutual information — Chi-squared test is for categorical features and mutual information can handle both. Option C is wrong because PCA is unsupervised. Option D is wrong because k-means is clustering. Option E is wrong because LSTM is a model, not for EDA.

What should I do if I get this MLS-C01 question wrong?

Identify which MLS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026

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This MLS-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the MLS-C01 exam.