- A
Drop the neighborhood feature entirely
Why wrong: Dropping the feature discards potentially valuable information unnecessarily.
- B
Apply frequency encoding, replacing each neighborhood with its count in the training set
Why wrong: Frequency encoding may lose predictive signal and does not directly relate to the target variable.
- C
One-hot encode the feature and use L1 regularization
Why wrong: One-hot encoding 500 categories would create 500 dummy variables, causing sparsity and memory issues; L1 regularization may help but is not the most appropriate primary approach.
- D
Use target encoding with proper cross-validation to avoid data leakage
Target encoding effectively captures the relationship between categories and target, and cross-validation prevents overfitting.
MLA-C01 Practice Question: A data scientist is building a regression model…
This MLA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of mla-c01 exam topics. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 building a regression model to predict house prices. The dataset contains a feature 'neighborhood' with 500 distinct values, and most neighborhoods have fewer than 10 samples. Which approach is MOST appropriate for handling this high-cardinality categorical feature?
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
Use target encoding with proper cross-validation to avoid data leakage
Target encoding replaces each category with the mean target value, which is effective for high-cardinality features while maintaining predictive power. One-hot encoding would create too many sparse columns, and label encoding would impose an arbitrary ordinal relationship.
Key principle: OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Drop the neighborhood feature entirely
Why it's wrong here
Dropping the feature discards potentially valuable information unnecessarily.
- ✗
Apply frequency encoding, replacing each neighborhood with its count in the training set
Why it's wrong here
Frequency encoding may lose predictive signal and does not directly relate to the target variable.
- ✗
One-hot encode the feature and use L1 regularization
Why it's wrong here
One-hot encoding 500 categories would create 500 dummy variables, causing sparsity and memory issues; L1 regularization may help but is not the most appropriate primary approach.
- ✓
Use target encoding with proper cross-validation to avoid data leakage
Why this is correct
Target encoding effectively captures the relationship between categories and target, and cross-validation prevents overfitting.
Related concept
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: OSPF can fail even when IP connectivity looks correct
OSPF neighbour formation depends on matching areas, timers, network type, authentication and passive-interface behaviour. Do not choose an answer only because the devices can ping.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
OSPF questions usually test the details that control adjacency and route selection. Read the neighbour state, area, router ID and interface configuration before deciding what is wrong.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
- Router ID selection can affect neighbour relationships and LSDB output.
- OSPF cost influences the preferred path.
- A route can appear in OSPF information but not become the installed route.
TExam Day Tips
- Check area mismatch first when OSPF adjacency fails.
- Review passive interfaces when a network is advertised but no neighbour forms.
- Use show ip ospf neighbor and show ip route clues carefully.
Key takeaway
OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
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. OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough. 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.
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related MLA-C01 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this MLA-C01 question test?
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use target encoding with proper cross-validation to avoid data leakage — Target encoding replaces each category with the mean target value, which is effective for high-cardinality features while maintaining predictive power. One-hot encoding would create too many sparse columns, and label encoding would impose an arbitrary ordinal relationship.
What should I do if I get this MLA-C01 question wrong?
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related MLA-C01 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This MLA-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 MLA-C01 exam.
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