The answer is that the minimum age of 0 and maximum age of 120 should be investigated further as potential outliers. This is correct because when you investigate outliers in a data quality report, values that fall outside a realistic domain—such as an age of 0 or 120—are strong indicators of data entry errors or measurement anomalies, rather than legitimate variation. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty MLS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between statistical anomalies and genuine data quality issues; a common trap is to focus on missing values or distribution shape when the real red flag is implausible range boundaries. Remember that while 2.3% missing data or 85 unique values may be acceptable, an age of 0 is biologically impossible in most contexts, making it the priority for investigation. Memory tip: when scanning a data quality report, always check the min and max first—if they defy common sense, they are likely outliers needing deeper review.
MLS-C01 Exploratory Data Analysis Practice Question
This MLS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of exploratory data analysis. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. Consider the following output from an Amazon SageMaker Data Wrangler data quality report:
Column: 'age'
Missing: 2.3%
Mean: 38.5
Median: 37.0
StdDev: 15.2
Min: 0
Max: 120
Unique: 85
The exhibit shows a data quality report for a column named 'age'. Which potential data issue should be investigated further?
Refer to the exhibit. Consider the following output from an Amazon SageMaker Data Wrangler data quality report:
Column: 'age'
Missing: 2.3%
Mean: 38.5
Median: 37.0
StdDev: 15.2
Min: 0
Max: 120
Unique: 85
A
The mean and median are significantly different
Why wrong: Mean 38.5 and median 37.0 are close.
B
The minimum age of 0 and maximum age of 120 may be outliers
Age 0 and 120 are likely data errors.
C
The missing value rate of 2.3% is too high
Why wrong: 2.3% missing is relatively low.
D
The number of unique values (85) is too high
Why wrong: 85 unique ages is reasonable for a dataset.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The minimum age of 0 and maximum age of 120 may be outliers
Option D is correct because an age of 0 and 120 are likely data entry errors and should be investigated. Option A is wrong because 2.3% missing is relatively low and may be acceptable. Option B is wrong because the mean and median are close. Option C is wrong because 85 unique values for age is reasonable.
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.
✗
The mean and median are significantly different
Why it's wrong here
Mean 38.5 and median 37.0 are close.
✓
The minimum age of 0 and maximum age of 120 may be outliers
Why this is correct
Age 0 and 120 are likely data errors.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The missing value rate of 2.3% is too high
Why it's wrong here
2.3% missing is relatively low.
✗
The number of unique values (85) is too high
Why it's wrong here
85 unique ages is reasonable for a dataset.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
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: The minimum age of 0 and maximum age of 120 may be outliers — Option D is correct because an age of 0 and 120 are likely data entry errors and should be investigated. Option A is wrong because 2.3% missing is relatively low and may be acceptable. Option B is wrong because the mean and median are close. Option C is wrong because 85 unique values for age is reasonable.
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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Question Discussion
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