DA0-002 Data Concepts and Environments Practice Question
A company uses a data warehouse for reporting. They need to extract data from multiple sources, load it into a staging area, and then transform it before moving to the warehouse. This process is known as:
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse the order of operations in ETL versus ELT, assuming that because modern cloud warehouses support ELT, the described staging-area process must be ELT, when in fact the staging area is a hallmark of traditional ETL.
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
✓
ETL
The process described—extracting data from multiple sources, loading it into a staging area, and then transforming it before moving to the warehouse—is the classic definition of ETL (Extract, Transform, Load). In ETL, transformation occurs after extraction but before loading into the target system, which is exactly what the staging area is used for. This contrasts with ELT, where transformation happens after loading into the warehouse.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ELT
Why it's wrong here
ELT loads raw data first, then transforms it in the warehouse.
- ✓
ETL
Why this is correct
ETL extracts, transforms in a staging area, then loads into warehouse.
- ✗
Data replication
Why it's wrong here
Replication copies data without transformation.
- ✗
Data ingestion
Why it's wrong here
Data ingestion is a broader term for importing data.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DA0-002 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 DA0-002 exam.