DA0-002 Visualization and Reporting Practice Question
A data analyst wants to show the correlation between advertising spend and website traffic. Which chart type should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is choosing a line chart because both variables are numeric and time-ordered — candidates assume 'trend' means line chart, but correlation between two variables requires a scatter plot to show the joint distribution.
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
✓
Scatter plot
A scatter plot displays each observation as a point with one variable on the x-axis (advertising spend) and another on the y-axis (website traffic), making the relationship, direction, and strength of correlation immediately visible. It's the standard chart for bivariate correlation analysis because it preserves individual data points rather than aggregating them.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Area chart
Why it's wrong here
Area charts emphasise cumulative magnitude or part-to-whole trends over time, filling the space beneath the line, which obscures the paired relationship between two variables. They are tempting because they plot time on the x-axis, and would suit showing total traffic volume accumulating across months.
- ✓
Scatter plot
Why this is correct
A scatter plot maps advertising spend on one axis against website traffic on the other, exposing the relationship between two continuous variables. This directly satisfies the stem's correlation requirement, since each point represents a paired observation and the resulting pattern reveals direction and strength of association.
- ✗
Bar chart
Why it's wrong here
Bar charts compare discrete categories, not the relationship between two continuous variables, so they cannot display correlation between spend and traffic. They are tempting because they are the default for comparing values across groups, and would be correct if the analyst wanted to compare total traffic per advertising channel.
- ✗
Line chart
Why it's wrong here
A line chart plots a single series against a continuous axis, typically time, so it shows trend rather than the paired relationship between two measured variables. It is tempting because both variables are numeric, and it would be correct if the analyst wanted to show website traffic trending over successive months.
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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