DA0-002 Data Analysis Practice Question
A data analyst is examining sales data for a retail chain and notices that the mean monthly sales is $50,000 while the median is $35,000. Which of the following best describes the distribution of the sales data?
⚠ Common exam trap
DA0-002 often tests the mean-vs-median relationship, and candidates frequently reverse the skew direction; the rule is mean > median means right skew, mean < median means left skew.
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
✓
The distribution is right-skewed.
When the mean ($50,000) is greater than the median ($35,000), the distribution has a long tail on the right side pulling the mean upward, which is the definition of a right-skewed (positively skewed) distribution. In right-skewed data, a few high values inflate the mean above the median. Therefore the sales data is right-skewed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The distribution is right-skewed.
Why this is correct
A mean of $50,000 exceeding the median of $35,000 indicates positive skew: extreme high-value months pull the mean upward while the median stays resistant. This satisfies the stem's constraint, so the distribution is right-skewed, with the longer tail extending toward higher sales values.
- ✗
The distribution is bimodal.
Why it's wrong here
Bimodality concerns two distinct peaks in the data, which the mean-median gap of $15,000 does not evidence. It is tempting because bimodal sales data can also skew the mean, but it would be the correct choice only if a histogram showed two separate clusters of monthly sales values.
- ✗
The distribution is left-skewed.
Why it's wrong here
Left-skewness pulls the mean below the median, but here the mean ($50,000) sits above the median ($35,000), indicating right-skewness. It is tempting because skewness is the correct concept to invoke, and left-skewed would be the right answer if the mean were the lower of the two figures.
- ✗
The distribution is symmetrical.
Why it's wrong here
A symmetrical distribution places the mean and median at the same value, yet here the mean ($50,000) exceeds the median ($35,000). It is tempting because symmetry is the baseline assumption for many statistical tests, and it would be correct if the two measures coincided rather than diverging by $15,000.
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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.