DA0-002 Visualization and Reporting Practice Question
A data analyst is presenting a story about declining sales. The narrative arc should include which three elements in order?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the narrative order with a simple 'problem-solution' structure, mistakenly placing Complication first (Option D) or skipping the Situation entirely, but the exam requires the full Situation → Complication → Resolution sequence to ensure a complete and logical data story.
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
✓
Situation → Complication → Resolution
A compelling data story about declining sales follows the classic narrative arc: Situation (establish context, e.g., 'Sales were steady in Q1'), Complication (introduce the conflict, e.g., 'Then a 20% drop occurred in Q2'), and Resolution (present the insight or action, e.g., 'We identified the cause and implemented a new pricing strategy'). This order mirrors the 'Situation-Complication-Resolution' framework used in data storytelling to guide the audience logically from context to problem to solution.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Resolution → Complication → Situation
Why it's wrong here
The arc must open with Situation, so leading with Resolution inverts the causal sequence the audience needs to follow. This ordering is tempting because Resolution-first is the inverted-pyramid structure used in news writing and executive summaries, where the outcome is stated up front before supporting detail.
- ✓
Situation → Complication → Resolution
Why this is correct
This three-part arc first establishes the stable business context, then introduces the sales decline as the disrupting complication, then closes with the recommended resolution, giving the audience a logical causal progression from problem to action.
- ✗
Situation → Resolution → Complication
Why it's wrong here
Placing Resolution before Complication breaks the causal chain: the complication must precede the resolution it explains. This order suits a status report, where completed actions are listed before remaining issues, but a narrative arc requires Situation, then Complication, then Resolution.
- ✗
Complication → Situation → Resolution
Why it's wrong here
This reverses the narrative arc: the situation must establish context first, then the complication disrupts it, then the resolution answers it. Leading with the complication confuses the audience, though this ordering could suit a deliberately suspenseful opening rather than a standard analytical story.
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