Quick Answer
The correct answer is web scraping and public APIs. These two methods are the most common techniques for acquiring data from external sources because they allow you to programmatically access and retrieve information that is not stored in your own local databases. Public APIs provide a standardized, structured interface—often RESTful over HTTP/HTTPS—to request data like JSON or XML from third-party services, while web scraping extracts data by parsing the HTML or DOM of web pages when no API is available. On the CompTIA Data+ DA0-001 exam, this question tests your understanding of data acquisition methods, often appearing in the "Data Governance and Acquisition" domain. A common trap is confusing manual downloads or database queries with external acquisition; remember that external sources require an automated, programmatic interface or extraction tool. To recall the pair, think "API for structure, scrape for no API."
This DA0-001 practice question tests your understanding of mining and acquiring data. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which TWO of the following are common methods for acquiring data from external sources?
Data warehousing
Why wrong: Data warehousing is a storage and management approach, not an acquisition method.
Manual data entry
Why wrong: Manual entry is not a common method for acquiring external data due to inefficiency.
Public APIs
APIs provide structured access to external data.
Web scraping
Web scraping extracts data from external websites.
Direct database connection to an internal server
Why wrong: This is internal, not external.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Public APIs
Public APIs (C) are a common method for acquiring data from external sources because they provide a standardized, programmatic interface (often RESTful over HTTP/HTTPS) for requesting and receiving structured data, such as JSON or XML, from third-party services like social media platforms or weather services. Web scraping (D) is another common method that involves programmatically extracting data from web pages by parsing HTML or DOM structures, often using tools like BeautifulSoup or Selenium, when no API is available.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Data warehousing
Why it's wrong here
Data warehousing is a storage and management approach, not an acquisition method.
Manual data entry
Why it's wrong here
Manual entry is not a common method for acquiring external data due to inefficiency.
Public APIs
Why this is correct
APIs provide structured access to external data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Web scraping
Why this is correct
Web scraping extracts data from external websites.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Direct database connection to an internal server
Why it's wrong here
This is internal, not external.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse data warehousing (a storage/management process) with data acquisition methods, or think manual data entry is a valid external acquisition method, when the exam specifically tests automated, programmatic techniques for pulling data from outside the organization.
Detailed technical explanation
Public APIs often use OAuth 2.0 for authentication and rate limiting to control access, while web scraping must respect robots.txt files and can be legally complex if it violates terms of service. Under the hood, web scraping sends HTTP GET requests to fetch raw HTML, then uses parsers like lxml to extract specific elements via XPath or CSS selectors, whereas APIs return structured data directly, reducing parsing overhead.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the DA0-001 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Mining and Acquiring Data — This question tests Mining and Acquiring Data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Public APIs — Public APIs (C) are a common method for acquiring data from external sources because they provide a standardized, programmatic interface (often RESTful over HTTP/HTTPS) for requesting and receiving structured data, such as JSON or XML, from third-party services like social media platforms or weather services. Web scraping (D) is another common method that involves programmatically extracting data from web pages by parsing HTML or DOM structures, often using tools like BeautifulSoup or Selenium, when no API is available.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This DA0-001 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 DA0-001 exam.
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