DA0-002 Visualization and Reporting Practice Question
A data analyst needs to compare the salary distribution across five departments. Which visualization is most appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse 'comparing distributions' with 'showing trends' or 'showing relationships,' leading them to incorrectly select a line chart or scatter plot instead of recognizing that a box plot is purpose-built for distribution comparison across groups.
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
✓
Side-by-side box plot
A side-by-side box plot (option B) is the most appropriate visualization for comparing salary distributions across multiple departments because it displays the median, quartiles, and potential outliers for each group simultaneously. This allows the analyst to assess central tendency, spread, and skewness across all five departments in a single, compact chart.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Line chart
Why it's wrong here
A line chart implies continuity along an ordered axis, typically time, so five unordered departments produce a misleading trend line. It correctly shows salary progression over years for one department, not distribution comparison across categories.
- ✓
Side-by-side box plot
Why this is correct
A side-by-side box plot displays median, quartiles and outliers for each department on a shared salary axis, enabling direct distribution comparison across all five groups. This satisfies the stem's requirement to compare distributions rather than single summary values, which a bar chart of averages could not reveal.
- ✗
Scatter plot
Why it's wrong here
A scatter plot maps individual data points across two continuous numerical axes to reveal correlation or clustering, but the stem requires comparing salary distribution across five discrete, non-numerical departments. The correct visualisation would use a categorical axis (e.g., a box plot or bar chart) to show spread per group. This option is tempting because scatter plots excel at displaying distribution shape and outliers when both variables are continuous, such as plotting salary against years of experience.
- ✗
Stacked bar chart
Why it's wrong here
Stacked bars encode cumulative totals per category, so comparing distribution shapes across five departments becomes obscured by segment stacking. It suits part-to-whole composition within a single bar, such as budget breakdown by department, rather than side-by-side salary spread comparison.
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