DA0-002 Visualization and Reporting Practice Question
A data analyst is building a Power BI report to track KPIs for a retail chain. Which TWO of the following are considered leading indicators? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates see financial metrics like profit margin and revenue and assume they are important KPIs, but importance does not equal leading—the exam tests whether you understand the temporal direction of the indicator.
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
✓
Customer satisfaction score
Customer satisfaction score (B) is a leading indicator because it measures how customers feel about the company's products or service, which tends to predict future repeat purchases, retention, and revenue before those financial outcomes appear. Number of website visits (C) is also a leading indicator because it reflects current interest and engagement that typically precedes conversions and sales, giving an early signal of future demand. By contrast, profit margin (D) and total sales revenue (E) are lagging indicators, since they report financial results that have already occurred. Number of employees (A) is a structural or capacity measure rather than a predictive indicator of future performance, so it does not qualify as a leading indicator here.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Number of employees
Why it's wrong here
Headcount is a capacity input, not a predictor of future retail demand, so it does not forecast KPI movement. It is tempting because workforce size can influence output, but leading indicators must precede and predict the outcome; employee numbers are a resource measure, not a forward signal of sales.
- ✓
Customer satisfaction score
Why this is correct
Customer satisfaction score qualifies as a leading indicator because it measures perceptions that precede and predict future purchase behaviour, satisfying the stem's requirement for forward-looking KPIs. Unlike lagging revenue or profit figures, it signals upcoming retention and sales trends, letting the retail chain act before financial outcomes materialise.
- ✓
Number of website visits
Why this is correct
Website visits measure activity that precedes sales, so they predict future revenue rather than report it. This satisfies the stem's requirement for leading indicators, which forecast outcomes. Trailing indicators such as revenue or profit confirm results after they occur; visit counts give the retail chain earlier warning of demand shifts.
- ✗
Profit margin
Why it's wrong here
Profit margin is a lagging indicator: it reports financial outcome after sales have already occurred, so it cannot forecast future KPI performance as leading indicators must. It is tempting because margin is a genuine retail KPI, and it would be the right choice if the question instead asked for lagging indicators or historical performance measures.
- ✗
Total sales revenue
Why it's wrong here
Total sales revenue is a lagging indicator: it records outcomes already realised, so it cannot predict future performance. It is tempting because revenue is the headline retail KPI, but leading indicators must precede the result; revenue confirms what happened rather than signalling what is coming.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.