DA0-002 Data Analysis Practice Question
A data analyst is summarizing the central tendency of a dataset with extreme outliers. Which measure is most robust to outliers?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse measures of central tendency with measures of dispersion, and assuming that the mean is always the best measure of center. Candidates often pick the mean out of habit, ignoring its sensitivity to outliers.
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 middle value when data is ordered, so extreme outliers (whether very high or very low) do not affect its position. Unlike the mean, which incorporates every value and can be pulled strongly by outliers, the median remains stable. Therefore, for a dataset with extreme outliers, the median is the most robust measure of central tendency.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Standard deviation
Why it's wrong here
Standard deviation measures dispersion around the mean and is strongly inflated by extreme outliers, since each deviation is squared. It suits datasets that are roughly symmetric and outlier-free. Summarising central tendency under outliers calls for the median, which resists skewed values.
- ✓
Median
Why this is correct
The median is positional, not arithmetic: it depends only on the middle value's rank, so extreme outliers cannot drag it. The mean incorporates every value's magnitude, making it highly sensitive to skew. For skewed data, the median better represents typical central tendency.
- ✗
Mean
Why it's wrong here
The mean sums every value and divides by the count, so a single extreme outlier drags it away from the centre; the median, by contrast, depends only on rank position. The mean is tempting because it uses all data points and suits symmetric distributions without extreme values, where it equals the median.
- ✗
Range
Why it's wrong here
Range is a measure of spread, not central tendency, and is highly sensitive to extreme values since it uses only the maximum and minimum. It would be chosen when describing total variability. For central tendency with outliers, the median is the robust measure.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 1,004 original DA0-002 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.