DA0-002 Data Acquisition and Preparation Practice Question
A data analyst discovers that a dataset contains multiple records for the same customer with different spellings (e.g., 'Jon' vs 'John'). Which data preparation step should be applied first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to 'remove duplicates' (Option B) because they think of exact-match deduplication, but the question specifically tests the understanding that data quality issues like inconsistent spellings must be resolved through standardization before any deduplication logic can be applied.
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
✓
Standardize text fields using a lookup table.
The first step when dealing with inconsistent text values (like 'Jon' vs 'John') is to standardize the data using a lookup table or reference mapping. This ensures that all variations are normalized to a canonical form before any merging or deduplication is attempted, preventing data loss and preserving referential integrity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Merge all records into one per customer.
Why it's wrong here
Merging without standardizing may propagate inconsistencies.
- ✗
Remove duplicates based on exact match.
Why it's wrong here
Exact match won't catch spelling variations.
- ✓
Standardize text fields using a lookup table.
Why this is correct
Standardization harmonizes variations like 'Jon' and 'John'.
- ✗
Flag records for manual review.
Why it's wrong here
Manual review is not scalable and should follow automation.
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JA
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.