DA0-002 Visualization and Reporting Practice Question
A data analyst is preparing a report on customer satisfaction scores for the past quarter. The scores are measured on a scale from 1 to 5, and the analyst wants to show the distribution of scores, including the median and any outliers. Which visualization is most appropriate for this purpose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the goal of showing distribution and outliers with showing frequency or trend, leading to selection of a histogram or line chart instead of a box plot.
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
✓
A box plot showing the median, quartiles, and potential outliers.
A box plot is the most appropriate because it directly visualizes the median, quartiles, and outliers, which are exactly the elements the analyst wants to highlight. It provides a concise statistical summary of the distribution of satisfaction scores, allowing quick identification of central tendency and any unusual values. Other charts do not convey all these aspects effectively.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A histogram showing the frequency of each score.
Why it's wrong here
A histogram is excellent for showing the distribution of continuous data, but customer satisfaction scores on a 1-5 scale are discrete and ordinal. A histogram could be used, but it would not explicitly show the median or outliers. A box plot is better suited for highlighting median and outliers. Thus, while a histogram shows frequency, it falls short of the specific requirements.
- ✗
A pie chart showing the percentage of customers in each score category.
Why it's wrong here
A pie chart shows part-to-whole relationships but does not effectively display distribution shape, median, or outliers. It is limited to showing proportions of categories and cannot convey statistical summaries like median or spread. For a 1-5 scale, a pie chart would have five slices, but it would not reveal the central tendency or variability, making it unsuitable for this analysis.
- ✗
A line chart showing the average satisfaction score over time.
Why it's wrong here
A line chart is used to show trends over time, but the requirement is to show the distribution of scores for a single quarter, not trends. It would only display an average, hiding the distribution, median, and outliers. This visualization does not address the need to understand the spread and central tendency of individual scores, making it inappropriate.
- ✓
A box plot showing the median, quartiles, and potential outliers.
Why this is correct
A box plot is specifically designed to display the median, quartiles, and outliers, making it ideal for summarizing the distribution of a numerical variable like satisfaction scores. It provides a clear visual of central tendency and spread, and outliers are plotted individually. This directly meets the analyst's need to show distribution, median, and outliers in a compact format.
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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.