Quick Answer
The answer is web scraping. This method is the correct choice because it enables a data analyst to programmatically extract unstructured customer sentiment data—such as posts, comments, and reviews—directly from social media platforms using HTTP requests and HTML parsing, making it ideal for capturing large volumes of real-time, publicly available opinions without relying on self-reported or curated responses. On the CompTIA Data+ DA0-001 exam, this question tests your understanding of data acquisition methods and their appropriate use cases, often contrasting web scraping with APIs, surveys, or focus groups; a common trap is assuming an API is always better, but many social platforms lack public APIs for sentiment data or restrict access, while scraping works on publicly visible content. To remember this, think of the mnemonic “Scrape the Surface” — web scraping is your go-to when you need to pull unstructured, surface-level public data from websites that don’t offer a direct API feed.
This DA0-001 practice question tests your understanding of mining and acquiring data. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A data analyst needs to collect customer sentiment data from social media platforms. Which data acquisition method is most appropriate?
Conduct a survey
Why wrong: Surveys are useful for direct feedback but not for passive social media data.
Organize focus groups
Why wrong: Focus groups are qualitative and small-scale, not suitable for large-scale social media collection.
Use web scraping
Web scraping automates extraction of data from social media platforms.
Query the internal CRM
Why wrong: CRM contains internal customer data, not external social media sentiment.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use web scraping
Web scraping is the most appropriate method because it allows the data analyst to programmatically extract unstructured customer sentiment data (e.g., posts, comments, reviews) directly from social media platforms using HTTP requests and HTML parsing. Unlike surveys or focus groups, scraping can collect large volumes of real-time, publicly available data without relying on self-reported or curated responses.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Conduct a survey
Why it's wrong here
Surveys are useful for direct feedback but not for passive social media data.
Organize focus groups
Why it's wrong here
Focus groups are qualitative and small-scale, not suitable for large-scale social media collection.
Use web scraping
Why this is correct
Web scraping automates extraction of data from social media platforms.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Query the internal CRM
Why it's wrong here
CRM contains internal customer data, not external social media sentiment.
Common exam traps
CompTIA often tests the distinction between primary data collection (surveys, focus groups) and secondary data acquisition (web scraping, APIs), where candidates mistakenly choose a primary method for a task that requires large-scale, unsolicited external data.
Detailed technical explanation
Web scraping for social media sentiment typically involves sending HTTP GET requests to platform endpoints (e.g., Twitter API v2 or scraping public pages with BeautifulSoup/Scrapy), then parsing HTML or JSON responses to extract text, timestamps, and user metadata. A subtle challenge is handling rate limits (e.g., 450 requests per 15-minute window on Twitter) and dynamic content loaded via JavaScript, which may require headless browsers like Selenium or Puppeteer. In a real-world scenario, a data analyst scraping Reddit for product sentiment must respect robots.txt directives and implement polite delays to avoid IP bans.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the DA0-001 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Mining and Acquiring Data — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Mining and Acquiring Data practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All DA0-001 questions
509 questions across all exam domains
CompTIA Data+ DA0-001 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
DA0-001 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to Comparing and Contrasting Data Concepts.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to Mining and Acquiring Data.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to Analyzing and Modeling Data.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to Visualizing Data.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to Communicating Data Insights.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to CompTIA A+ hardware.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to CompTIA A+ mobile devices.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to CompTIA A+ networking.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to CompTIA A+ operating systems.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to CompTIA A+ security.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to CompTIA A+ software troubleshooting questions.
Practise DA0-001 questions linked to CompTIA A+ operational procedures questions.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Mining and Acquiring Data — This question tests Mining and Acquiring Data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Use web scraping — Web scraping is the most appropriate method because it allows the data analyst to programmatically extract unstructured customer sentiment data (e.g., posts, comments, reviews) directly from social media platforms using HTTP requests and HTML parsing. Unlike surveys or focus groups, scraping can collect large volumes of real-time, publicly available data without relying on self-reported or curated responses.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO are valid data acquisition methods? (Select two.)
mediumWhy A: Web scraping and API calls are direct methods to acquire data from external sources. Data profiling and data normalization are data preparation techniques, not acquisition. Data encryption is a security measure.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This DA0-001 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 DA0-001 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.