DA0-002 Data Analysis Practice Question
A data analyst calculates the mean, median, and mode of a dataset. Which of the following best describes how these measures are used in descriptive statistics?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is mixing up descriptive statistics (summarizing data) with inferential statistics (drawing conclusions about populations), leading candidates to choose hypothesis testing or probability options.
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
✓
To describe the central tendency of the data
Mean, median, and mode are measures of central tendency, which are used in descriptive statistics to summarize the center point of a dataset. They describe where the data tends to cluster. The correct answer is C because these measures describe the central tendency.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
To identify outliers using standard deviation
Why it's wrong here
Standard deviation measures spread around the mean, not central tendency; the question concerns mean, median and mode as measures of central location. It is tempting because outliers are a descriptive concern, but identifying them requires dispersion measures, not the three averages listed.
- ✗
To test hypotheses about population parameters
Why it's wrong here
Hypothesis testing is inferential statistics, drawing conclusions about populations from samples; mean, median and mode summarise the observed dataset itself. It is tempting because both branches use these measures, but inference would be correct when generalising sample results to a wider population.
- ✓
To describe the central tendency of the data
Why this is correct
Mean, median and mode each summarise a dataset with a single representative value, describing where data clusters. They are the standard measures of central tendency in descriptive statistics, distinct from dispersion measures such as range or standard deviation.
- ✗
To determine the probability of an event
Why it's wrong here
Probability quantifies the likelihood of events and belongs to probability theory, not descriptive statistics; mean, median and mode describe the central tendency of observed data. It is tempting because both summarise data, but probability would be correct when modelling uncertain outcomes rather than describing a dataset.
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Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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