DA0-002 Data Analysis Practice Question
After a marketing campaign, sales increased by 15%. The analyst wants to understand which customer segment contributed most to the increase. Which type of analysis is this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse diagnostic analysis with descriptive analysis, as both deal with past data, but descriptive only summarizes what happened while diagnostic explains why it happened.
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
✓
Diagnostic analysis
Diagnostic analysis is used to understand the root cause of an event or change. In this scenario, the analyst already knows sales increased by 15% and wants to determine which customer segment drove that increase, which is a classic diagnostic question. This type of analysis goes beyond describing what happened to explain why it happened.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Predictive analysis
Why it's wrong here
Predictive analysis forecasts future outcomes using historical patterns; it does not explain which segment drove an observed past increase. It tempts because campaign analytics often involve forecasting, and would be correct if the analyst wanted to project next quarter's sales rather than attribute the realised uplift.
- ✓
Diagnostic analysis
Why this is correct
Diagnostic analysis examines why an outcome occurred by drilling into contributing factors. Here it isolates which customer segment drove the 15% sales lift, satisfying the requirement to explain the increase's source rather than merely describing it or forecasting future values.
- ✗
Prescriptive analysis
Why it's wrong here
Prescriptive analysis recommends actions to optimise outcomes, such as which segment to target next, rather than attributing a past sales change. It tempts because campaign work often leads to recommendations, and would be correct if the analyst asked what action to take to maximise future uplift.
- ✗
Descriptive analysis
Why it's wrong here
Descriptive analysis summarises what happened, such as total sales or averages, but does not isolate which segment caused the 15% increase. It tempts because the question concerns past data, and would be correct if the analyst simply wanted to report the overall sales change.
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