DA0-002 Data Acquisition and Preparation Practice Question
A dataset contains transaction amounts with a few extremely high values. The analyst wants to reduce the impact of these outliers on the average. Which measure of central tendency is most robust?
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
Median is not affected by extreme values, while mean is sensitive.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Mean
Why it's wrong here
The mean sums every value, so a few extremely high transactions pull it upward, exaggerating the typical amount. It is tempting because it uses all data and is the default average, and would be correct when the distribution is symmetric with no significant outliers distorting the result.
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Median
Why this is correct
The median is a positional measure, so extreme high transaction values shift it far less than the mean, which sums every value. This robustness to outliers satisfies the stem's requirement to reduce their impact on the average.
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Mode
Why it's wrong here
The mode reports the most frequent value, which need not resemble the typical transaction amount and ignores magnitude entirely. It is tempting because it is unaffected by extreme values, and would be correct for summarising categorical or heavily repeated discrete data such as the most common payment method.
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Standard deviation
Why it's wrong here
Standard deviation measures dispersion around the mean, not central tendency, and is itself inflated by extreme values. It is tempting because it quantifies spread, and would be correct when assessing variability, consistency or volatility of transaction amounts rather than identifying a typical value.
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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.