DA0-001 CompTIA Data+ Certification Exam Free Practice Exam Questions (2026 Updated)

VARCHAR is a data type optimized for storing variable-length strings. It only uses the necessary space for each value, making it more efficient in terms of storage compared to CHAR, which allocates a fixed amount of space regardless of the string's actual length​.

Data governance refers to the overarching management of data’s availability, usability, integrity, and security within an organization. It involves setting policies and standards that govern data usage, determining data ownership, implementing data security measures, and ensuring that data is accessible for business insights while maintaining its quality. The goal of data governance is to ensure that data is consistent, trustworthy, and not misused, supporting compliance with data privacy regulations and enabling effective data analytics to optimize operations and drive business decision-making.

Explanation

Correct answer C. Snowflake.

Since the dimension links to a dimension that isn't connected to the fact table, it must be a Snowflake, with a Star, all dimensions link directly to the fact table, Sun and Comet are not data warehouse design patterns.

A measure of the amount of dispersion of a set of values. This is because standard deviation is a type of statistical measure that quantifies how much the values in a data set vary or deviate from the mean or the average of the data set. Standard deviation can be used to describe the spread or the distribution of the data, as well as to identify any outliers or extreme values in the data. For example, a low standard deviation indicates that the values are close to the mean, while a high standard deviation indicates that the values are far from the mean. The other options are not correct descriptions of standard deviation. Here is why:

A measure that is used to establish a relationship between two variables is not a correct description of standard deviation, but rather a description of correlation or regression, which are types of statistical measures that quantify how two variables are related or associated with each other. Correlation or regression can be used to test or model the dependence or the influence of one variable on another variable, as well as to predict or estimate the value of one variable based on the value of another variable.

A measure of how data is distributed is not a correct description of standard deviation, but rather a description of frequency or probability, which are types of statistical measures that quantify how often or how likely a value or an event occurs in a data set. Frequency or probability can be used to describe the occurrence or the chance of the data, as well as tocompare or contrast different categories or groups of the data.

A measure that is used to find the significant difference between variables is not a correct description of standard deviation, but rather a description of hypothesis testing or inferential statistics, which are types of statistical methods that use sample data to make generalizations or conclusions about a population or a parameter. Hypothesis testing or inferential statistics can be used to test or verify a claim or an assumption about the data, as well as to measure the confidence or the error of the estimation.

 Creating a new report that automatically calculates weekly totals would streamline the process for the recipient. By setting this report to run at the end of business on Friday, it would provide the recipient with the necessary information for the entire week in one consolidated document. This eliminates the need for manual calculations and combines the previous week’s data into one report, making it more efficient and less time-consuming.

Logical functions are used in spreadsheets to create conditions that return YES/NO or TRUE/FALSE results. These functions include IF, AND, OR, NOT, etc., which are specifically designed for decision-making processes in data analysis. For example, the IF function in Excel evaluates a condition and returns one value if TRUE and another if FALSE, perfectly implementing YES/NO logic.

CompTIA Data+ Reference:

CompTIA Data+ Study Guide (Exam DA0-001), Chapter 4: Data Manipulation and Analysis, Section “Data Manipulation Functions – Logical”, Official CompTIA CertMaster Learn for Data+, Module 4.3 “Logical Functions in Spreadsheets”.

Explanation

Correct answer B. When data is at rest or in transit.

To provide maximum protection, encrypt data both in transit and at rest.

Mean and mode are measures of central tendency, which describe the typical or most common value in a distribution of data. Mean is the arithmetic average of all the values in a dataset, calculated by adding up all the values and dividing by the number of values. Mode is the most frequently occurring value in a dataset. Other measures of central tendency include median, which is the middle value when the data is sorted in ascending or descending order.

The report for the CEO should include YTD total sales, as this will provide a high-level overview of the sales performance of the company and show how it is meeting its annual goals. The other options are not appropriate for the CEO, as they are either too detailed or irrelevant for the report. The sales representatives’ home addresses, line-item SKU numbers, and customers’ first and last names are not related to the sales performance and might compromise the privacy and security of the data. Reference: CompTIA Data+ (DA0-001) Practice Certification Exams | Udemy

Dashboards are visual tools that provide insights into various aspects of business operations. The type of dashboard developed depends on the intended audience and the nature of information to be conveyed.

Referencing Dashboard: This term is not standard in the context of dashboard types and doesn't correspond to a recognized category.

Strategic Dashboard: Designed for senior management, strategic dashboards provide a high-level overview of key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with the organization's long-term goals. They focus on overall performance and strategic objectives, rather than detailed operational issues.

Operational Dashboard: These dashboards monitor the real-time operations of an organization. They are used to track immediate metrics and processes, allowing teams to respond quickly to issues as they arise. In the context of data pipelines, an operational dashboard would display the current status, including any failures, enabling prompt action to resolve issues.

Technical Dashboard: While this could pertain to dashboards focused on technical metrics, it's not a standard term. Operational dashboards often encompass technical aspects, especially concerning system operations and processes.

Given the need to provide information about failed data pipelines, an Operational Dashboard is most appropriate. It offers real-time monitoring and alerts for immediate issues within data processes, enabling swift identification and resolution of failures.

The term that best describes the action of changing the names of categories that you used for different types of books is recoding. Recoding is a process of transforming or modifying the values of a variable or a category to make them more meaningful, consistent, or accurate. For example, you can recode the names of book genres from “Fiction”, “Non-Fiction”, “Biography”, etc. to “FIC”, “NF”, “BIO”, etc. to make them shorter and easier to use. Reference: Recoding Data - SPSS Tutorials - LibGuides at Kent State University

The rating variable in a survey where participants rate a company on a scale of one to ten is best described as ordinal. This is because the ratings are ranked in order, with each number representing a position on a scale of satisfaction or quality. The numbers are not just labels (which would be nominal), nor do they represent a continuous spectrum (which would be continuous). They also do not fit the definition of categorical, as that implies non-ordered groups or categories. In an ordinal scale, the order of the values is significant and meaningful12.

Explanation

Duplicate Data.

While invalid, redundant, or missing data are all valid concerns, data about people exists in two of the six systems. As such, Jhon needs to account for duplicate data issues.

Optimizing the dashboard is the process of improving its performance and reducing its loading time by applying various techniques and best practices. Some of the common ways to optimize a dashboard are:

Reducing the size and complexity of the data model, such as removing unnecessary columns, aggregating data at the source, or using data compression techniques12

Leveraging caching strategies, such as setting appropriate cache refresh intervals or utilizing Power BI’s built-in caching mechanisms, to minimize data retrieval delays2

Utilizing query folding, direct query, or live connection to enhance data processing efficiency and enable real-time data updates23

Optimizing DAX queries, such as avoiding nested calculations, using variables, or simplifying measures, to improve data calculation speed23

Reducing visualizations and calculations, such as using fewer or simpler charts, filters, or parameters, to speed up dashboard rendering12

Evaluating the impact of custom visuals on dashboard load time and avoiding or replacing those that are slow or inefficient2

Applying aggregation and summarization techniques, such as using extract filters, context filters, or level of detail expressions, to reduce the amount of data displayed on the dashboard1

Troubleshooting and resolving any issues that may cause slow dashboard load, such as network latency, server overload, or hardware limitations24