DA0-002 Data Analysis Practice Question
A data analyst calculates a correlation coefficient of -0.85 between temperature and heating costs. What does this indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misinterpretation of the sign of the correlation coefficient, where candidates confuse a strong negative correlation with a weak one or mistakenly think a negative value implies no relationship.
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
✓
Strong negative correlation
A correlation coefficient of -0.85 indicates a strong negative linear relationship between temperature and heating costs. As temperature increases, heating costs decrease significantly, and the magnitude of 0.85 (close to -1) confirms the strength of this inverse association.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
No correlation
Why it's wrong here
A value near -0.85 indicates a significant relationship.
- ✗
Strong positive correlation
Why it's wrong here
Positive correlation would have a positive coefficient, e.g., 0.85.
- ✓
Strong negative correlation
Why this is correct
The negative sign shows an inverse relationship, and 0.85 is close to -1, indicating strength.
- ✗
Weak negative correlation
Why it's wrong here
A value of -0.85 is not weak; it is strong.
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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.