DA0-002 Data Analysis Practice Question
A data scientist is building a predictive model to forecast monthly sales. The data shows a linear trend with no seasonality. Which regression technique is most appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse 'linear trend' with 'linear in parameters' and incorrectly choose polynomial regression, thinking it adds flexibility, when the question explicitly states no seasonality and a linear trend, making simple linear regression the optimal choice.
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
✓
Linear regression
Linear regression is the most appropriate technique because the data shows a linear trend with no seasonality, making a straight-line model the simplest and most effective fit. It directly models the relationship between the independent variable (e.g., time) and the dependent variable (monthly sales) using a linear equation, minimizing the sum of squared residuals.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Polynomial regression
Why it's wrong here
Polynomial regression adds complexity that may overfit a simple linear trend.
- ✗
Logistic regression
Why it's wrong here
Logistic regression is used for classification, not continuous prediction.
- ✓
Linear regression
Why this is correct
Linear regression directly models a linear relationship between independent and dependent variables.
- ✗
Ridge regression
Why it's wrong here
Ridge regression is a regularized linear regression; while usable, it is not the most appropriate for a simple linear trend.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This DA0-002 question is part of Courseiva's 986-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.