Data Analyst Course 2 Challenge Questions

A time-bound SMART question specifies which of the following parameters?

The era, phase, or period of analysis

Describe the key difference between the problem types of categorizing things and identifying themes.

Categorizing things involves assigning items to categories. Identifying themes takes those categories a step further, grouping them into broader themes.

In a formula, the plus sign (+) is the operator for addition, and the hyphen (-) is the operator for subtraction.

True

What is the term for the set of cells that a data analyst selects to include in a formula?

Data range

The amount of exercise time it takes for a single person to burn a minimum of 400 calories is a problem that requires big data.

False

A metric is a single, quantifiable type of data that can be used for what task?

Setting and evaluating goals

Within a spreadsheet, data analysts use which tools to save time and effort by automating commands? Select all that apply.

- Functions - Formulas

Fill in the blank: In data analytics, a process or set of rules to be followed for a specific task is _____.

an algorithm

You perform several calculations in your spreadsheet. One calculation is four divided by 10. How would you enter this into the spreadsheet?

=4/10

A data analyst working for a mid-sized retailer is writing questions for a customer experience survey. One of the questions is: "Do you prefer online or in-store?" Then, they rewrite it to say: "Do you prefer shopping at our online marketplace or shopping at your local store?" Describe why this is a more effective question.

The first question is vague, whereas the second question includes important context.

What do data analysts use to label the type of data contained in each column in a spreadsheet?

Attributes

In data analytics, how are dashboards different from reports?

Dashboards monitor live, incoming data from multiple datasets and organize the information into one central location. Reports are static collections of data.

Describe the difference between data and metrics.

Data is a collection of facts. Metrics are quantifiable data types used for measurement.

A data analyst is trying to understand what data to use to help solve a business problem. They're asking questions such as, "What internal data is available in the database?" and "What outside facts do I need to research?" The data analyst is in which phase of the data analysis process?

Prepare

A data analyst joins an online meeting on time. After reviewing the agenda, they see that their project comes at the very end. They're extremely busy and can use this time to stay on top of their current projects. How should they proceed?

Stay focused and attentive during the entire meeting. Even though some items on the agenda don't affect their projects, they could still learn something or have something to contribute.

Focusing on stakeholder expectations enables data analysts to achieve what goals? Select all that apply.

- Understand project goals - Build trust - Improve communication among teams

Your supervisor gives you a new data analysis project with unclear instructions, and you become frustrated trying to figure out how to proceed. Which actions can you take next that demonstrate a responsibility to move the project forward? Select all that apply.

- Schedule a time to ask your supervisor more questions about the big picture goals. - Do some additional research to better understand the context of the request.

What are some of the causes of bias in data analytics? Select all that apply.

- Serving an agenda - Social norms - Cultural differences

When leading a meeting, what can you do to make it easier to have a collaborative discussion?

Limit the number of attendees to no more than ten people.?

Which of the following is an example of small data?

The number of steps someone walks in a day

In the function =MAX(G3:G13), what does G3:G13 represent?

The range

Fill in the blank: Pivot tables in data processing tools are used to _____ data.

summarize

You are almost done with a project when one of the project stakeholders asks you to include a new analysis. Incorporating the new work will require additional time and will likely cause you to miss the previous deadline. How should you proceed?

Inform the stakeholder that this additional task will cause you to not meet the original deadline and discuss an extension if possible.

Which of the following options describes a metric goal? Select all that apply.

- Evaluated using metrics - Measurable

A director emails you asking for a report by the end of the week. This type of report takes at least 10 days to complete correctly. What is the best course of action?

Email the director and say that you would be happy to do that, but you believe it will take 10 days to get the information you need. Then, ask if you can discuss the possibility of a different timeline.

In data analytics, dashboards monitor data that is a continuous source of incoming information. Which of the following terms describes this type of data?

Live

Using historical data to make informed decisions about how things may be in the future is an example of which problem domain?

Making predictions

The share phase of the data analysis process typically involves which of the following activities? Select all that apply.

- Creating a slideshow to present to stakeholders - Communicating findings - Summarizing results using data visualizations

Which of the following examples are vague questions? Select all that apply.

- Do you generally prefer hot or cold? - What's the best place to purchase the things we need? - Who was the greatest of all time?

What are the key elements of structured thinking? Select all that apply.

- Recognizing the current problem or situation - Revealing gaps and opportunities in order to identify the options - Organizing available information

How does the customer-facing team benefit their organization? Select all that apply.

- They compile information about the customers. - They set expectations from customers. - They communicate customer feedback.

A data analyst uses the SMART methodology to create a question that encourages change. This type of question can be described how?

Action-oriented

Fill in the blank: A scope of work is an agreed-upon _____ of the work you're going to perform on a project.

outline

If we asked you to calculate the return on investment of this purchase, the metrics to consider would be the cost of the investment and what else?

Net profit in 2019

Data analysts focus on sample size to make sure they have enough data so that a few unusual responses don't skew the results.

True

The spotting something unusual problem type could involve which of the following scenarios?

A data analyst working for an agricultural company examines why a dataset has a surprising and rare data point.

For data analysis, why are action-oriented questions preferable to questions that are not action-oriented?

Action-oriented questions are more likely to lead to actual change.

In which step of the data analysis process would an analyst ask questions such as, "What data errors might get in the way of my analysis?" or "How can I clean my data so the information I have is consistent?"

Process

A data analyst assesses how well their company's marketing campaign is performing. They apply a formula that compares the cost of the campaign and its net profit. What does this formula measure?

The return on investment

If someone is subjectively describing their feelings or emotions, it is qualitative data.

True

Organizing available information and revealing gaps and opportunities are part of what process?

Using structured thinking

Fill in the blank: A _____ is a data-summarization tool used to sort, reorganize, group, count, total, or average data.

pivot table

When giving a spreadsheet a title, what are some best practices to follow? Select all that apply.

- Titles should be clear - Titles should state what the data in the spreadsheet is about - Titles should be short

Let's say you've created a report to present stakeholders with information about an upcoming event. Describe the benefits of using a report. Select all that apply.

- Reports provide a snapshot of high-level, historical data. - Reports reflect data that's already been cleaned and sorted.

Data analysts use which of the following functions to quickly perform calculations in a spreadsheet? Select all that apply.

- SUM - AVERAGE - MIN

What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data?

Qualitative data can be used to measure qualities and characteristics. Quantitative data can be used to measure numerical facts.

Fill in the blank: If a data analyst is measuring qualities and characteristics, they are considering _____ data.

qualitative

Fill in the blank: Data-inspired decision-making can discover _____ when exploring different data sources.

what the data has in common

What is the term for a preset command in a spreadsheet?

Function

Return on Investment (ROI) uses which of the following metrics in its definition?

Profit and investment

Formulas are created by the user, whereas functions are preset commands in spreadsheets.

True

Which of the following are examples of operators used in formulas? Select all that apply.

- Forward slash (/) - Hyphen (-) - Asterisk (*)

Which of the following questions are unfair because they make assumptions? Select all that apply.

- How much do you like this art style? - You want this as soon as possible, right?

Let's say we just completed a big event for a client and wanted to find out if they were satisfied with their experience. Provide some examples of measurable questions that you could include in the customer feedback survey. Select all that apply.

- How satisfied were you with our event planning service — dissatisfied, neutral, or satisfied? - On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all likely and 5 being very likely, how likely are you to recommend Patel Events Plus?

What are some strategies to ensure your data is accurate and fair? Select all that apply.

- Think through the "who, what, where, when, how, and why" of your data - Collect the data in an objective way - Make sure you start with an accurate representation of the population in the sample

To communicate clearly with stakeholders and team members, there are four key questions data analysts ask themselves. The first is: Who is my audience? Identify the remaining three questions. Select all that apply.

- What does my audience already know? - How can I communicate effectively to my audience? - What does my audience need to know?

What is the correct spreadsheet formula for multiplying cell H2 times cell H5?

=H2*H5

Describe the main differences between big and small data.

Small data is specific and concerns a short time period. Big data is less specific and concerns a longer time period.

A data analyst feels overworked. They often stay late to finish work, and have started missing deadlines. Their supervisor emails them another project to complete, and this causes the analyst even more stress. How should they handle this situation?

Wait a few minutes to think it over, then respond with a meeting request to discuss this project and the general workload

Fill in the blank: Data analysts can use _____ to highlight the area around cells in order to see spreadsheet data more clearly.

borders

Asking questions including, "Does my analysis answer the original question?" and "Are there other angles I haven't considered?" enable data analysts to accomplish what tasks? Select all that apply.

- Use data to get to a solid conclusion - Help their team make informed, data-driven decisions

Describe the key differences between small data and big data. Select all that apply.

- Small data is effective for analyzing day-to-day decisions. Big data is effective for analyzing more substantial decisions. - Small data focuses on short, well-defined time periods. Big data focuses on change over a long period of time. - Small data involves datasets concerned with a small number of specific metrics. Big data involves datasets that are larger and less specific.

A data analyst at a social media company is creating questions for a focus group. They use common abbreviations such as PLS for "please" and LMK for "let me know." This is fair because the participants use social media a lot and are likely to be technically savvy.

False

You're working on a data analysis project with a coworker, and the two of you disagree on what the data is telling you. Things get tense. The best course of action is to go to your supervisor and politely explain that your coworker is looking at the data incorrectly. Then, ask to work with a different coworker on future projects.

False

The human resources director approaches a data analyst to propose a new data analysis project. The analyst has a lot of experience in human resources and believes the director is taking the wrong approach, and it will lead to some problems. Select the data analyst's best course of action.

Respectfully explain their viewpoints and offer the director some additional information to help improve the project.

A community college wishes to share information about their new career technical degrees. Who are likely examples of their target audience? Select all that apply.

- Students who just graduated high school - People looking for a career change

A data analyst starts a new project for the operations team at their company. They take a few hours at the beginning of the project to identify their stakeholders. Which of the following people are most likely the secondary stakeholders? Select all that apply.

- The project manager - The data analyst

A data analyst at an online retailer works with historical sales data. The analyst identifies repeating trends in the sales data. This is an example of which problem type?

Finding patterns

You're working with a dataset that the data analytics coordinator should have cleaned, but it turns out that it wasn't. Your supervisor thought the dataset was ready for use, but you discover nulls, redundant data, and other issues. The project is due in less than two weeks. Which of the following options would be an appropriate approach? Select all that apply.

- Email your supervisor and the data analytics coordinator to communicate about the issue. Ask if you can meet to come up with a solution. - Provide your supervisor with a proposed revised timeline. Politely explain that you need some additional time to clean the data. - Email the data analytics coordinator to ask if the two of you can work together to clean the data, as the project is on a tight timeline.

As a data analyst, it's important to communicate often. Sharing detailed notes and creating reports are ways to communicate with the people who have invested time and resources in a project. Who are these people?

Stakeholders

A data analyst has entered the analyze step of the data analysis process. Identify the questions they might ask during this phase. Select all that apply.

- How will my data help me solve this problem? - What story is my data telling me?

Which individuals are considered the secondary stakeholders? Select all that apply.

- Project manager, analytics - Data analytics coordinator

A colleague sent you a question via email nearly two days ago. You know it's going to take a while for you to find the answer because you need to do some research first. You're too busy to get it done today. What's the best course of action?

Reply with a quick update thanking the sender for their patience and letting them know when they can expect you to respond with the answer to their question.

A data analytics team works to recognize the current problem. Then, they organize available information to reveal gaps and opportunities. Finally, they identify the available options. These steps are part of what process?

Using structured thinking

You are working with spreadsheet data about a cross-country relay race. Each runner's times are located in cells H2 through H28. To find the runner with the slowest time, what is the correct function?

=MAX(H2:H28)

Which of the following examples describes using data to achieve business results? Select all that apply.

- A large retailer performs data analysis on product purchases to create better promotions. - A video streaming service analyzes user preferences to customize movie recommendations.

The customer-facing team does which of the following activities? Select all that apply.

- Share customer feedback - Compile information about customer expectations

To communicate clearly with stakeholders and team members, there are four key questions data analysts ask themselves. One of the questions is: Who is my audience? Identify the remaining three questions? Select all that apply.

- What does my audience need to know? - What does my audience already know? - How can I communicate effectively to my audience?

Making predictions is one of the six data analytics problem types. It deals with using data to inform decisions about how things might be in the future. Select the scenario that's an example of making predictions.

A data analyst at a shoe retailer uses data to inform the marketing plan for an upcoming summer sale.

A data analyst is using data to predict next year's revenue. What tool can they use to accomplish this task?

A spreadsheet

A data analyst identifies and classifies keywords from customer reviews to improve customer satisfaction. This is an example of which problem type?

Categorizing things

In a spreadsheet, a formula should always start with which of the following operators?

Equal sign (=)

A stakeholder has asked a data analyst to produce a report very quickly. What are some strategies the analyst can apply to ensure their work isn't rushed, answers the right question, and delivers useful results? Select all that apply.

- Set clear expectations about timeframe - Outline the problem - Reframe the question

Fill in the blank: A data analyst considers which organization created, collected, or funded a dataset in order to understand its _____.

context