DA0-002 Data Analysis Practice Question
A data analyst is compiling a monthly sales dashboard. The dataset contains a 'Revenue' column with a highly right-skewed distribution due to a few large enterprise transactions. The analyst wants a measure of central tendency that is robust to these outliers. Which measure should the analyst use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming the mean is always the best measure of central tendency, ignoring its sensitivity to outliers in skewed distributions.
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
✓
Median
The median is the appropriate measure of central tendency when data is skewed or contains outliers because it depends only on the middle position. The mean would be inflated by the large enterprise transactions, while the mode and range do not serve as robust central measures. Thus, the median best represents the typical revenue.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Mode
Why it's wrong here
The mode identifies the most frequent value, which may not exist or may be arbitrary in continuous revenue data. Revenue is unlikely to have a meaningful repeated value, and even if it did, the mode would not represent the central tendency of the distribution. It is not a robust measure for skewed continuous data.
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Mean
Why it's wrong here
The mean is sensitive to extreme values because it incorporates every data point in its calculation. In a right-skewed distribution with large enterprise transactions, the mean will be pulled upward, misrepresenting the typical revenue value. It is not robust to outliers, so it fails to provide a stable measure of central tendency here.
- ✓
Median
Why this is correct
The median is the middle value when data is ordered, so it is not affected by extreme values. With right-skewed revenue data, the median remains representative of the typical transaction, making it the robust measure of central tendency. It accurately reflects the center without being distorted by the large enterprise transactions.
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Range
Why it's wrong here
The range is a measure of dispersion, not central tendency. It is calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum values and is highly sensitive to outliers. Using range would not provide a central value and would be strongly influenced by the large enterprise transactions, making it inappropriate for this purpose.
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.