Data Analysis & Reporting Flashcards

When writing a KSA statement about data analysis, which element best demonstrates your ability?

Answer: A specific example showing the problem, your actions, and a measurable result

Rating panels score KSA responses on concrete examples with actions and quantifiable outcomes.

Which measure of central tendency is least affected by extreme outliers?

Answer: Median

The median depends on rank order, so extreme values do not shift it much.

An analyst finds that ice cream sales and drowning incidents rise together. What is the best interpretation?

Answer: Both are likely driven by a third factor such as hot weather

Correlation does not imply causation, and a confounding variable like temperature explains both.

Which chart type is best for showing the trend of monthly case backlog over two years?

Answer: Line chart

Line charts display change over continuous time most clearly.

Before analyzing a newly received dataset, what should you do first?

Answer: Inspect and clean the data for missing values, duplicates, and errors

Data quality problems undermine every downstream conclusion, so validation comes first.

What does a 95% confidence interval indicate?

Answer: The method would capture the true parameter in about 95% of repeated samples

A confidence interval describes the long-run capture rate of the estimation procedure.

When reporting to a non-technical senior executive, you should primarily:

Answer: Lead with key findings and recommendations in plain language

Executives need clear conclusions and actions, with technical detail available as backup.