DA0-002 Visualization and Reporting Practice Question
A time series dataset has several missing months of data. Which chart type will present the most honest picture of the trend?
⚠ Common exam trap
DA0-002 often tests the distinction between missing data and zero, and whether candidates understand that interpolation can be a form of data fabrication rather than a fix.
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
✓
Line chart with gaps for missing months
A line chart with gaps for missing months is the most honest representation because it visually signals that data is absent rather than fabricating continuity. Leaving gaps preserves the integrity of the trend and prevents viewers from drawing false conclusions about the missing periods.
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 with interpolation
Why it's wrong here
Interpolation invents data for the absent months, so the plotted trend reflects fabricated values rather than observed ones. It is tempting because interpolation smooths gaps and is legitimate when missing points can be reliably estimated from surrounding known values.
- ✓
Line chart with gaps for missing months
Why this is correct
Omitting missing months entirely would fabricate continuity, implying data that was never collected. Leaving visible gaps preserves the true temporal axis, so viewers see exactly where records are absent rather than reading an interpolated or misleading trend across those months.
- ✗
Bar chart with zero values for missing months
Why it's wrong here
Plotting missing months as zero misrepresents them as genuine zero measurements, distorting the trend. It is tempting because bar charts with explicit zero values are appropriate when zero is a real recorded observation rather than an absent data point.
- ✗
Scatter plot with connected lines
Why it's wrong here
Connecting points across missing months draws implied values that were never measured, fabricating trend continuity. It is tempting because scatter plots with connected lines suit irregular or non-uniform time intervals, which is the correct use case when every plotted point genuinely exists.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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