CBDA Certification in Business Data Analytics (IIBA - CBDA) Question and Answers

Assessing risks for each option is the recommendation that the business analysis professional should make to the analytics team, because it is a technique that involves identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the potential positive or negative impacts of each option on the project, the organization, or the stakeholders. Assessing risks can help the team compare the pros and cons of each option, and determine which one has the highest expected value or the lowest expected loss. Assessing risks can also help the team prepare contingency plans or mitigation strategies for the chosen option, and communicate the rationale and assumptions behind their recommendation. References:

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 5: Use Results to Influence Business Decision Making

•Understanding the Guide to Business Data Analytics, page 9

•CERTIFICATION IN BUSINESS DATA ANALYTICS HANDBOOK - IIBA®, page 8, CBDA Exam Sample Questions and Self-Assessment, Question 12

The ability to rerun the data analysis and the results are the same is the condition that the team should have before presenting the data, because it is a technique that ensures the validity, reliability, and reproducibility of the data analysis. By rerunning the data analysis, the team can verify that the results are consistent and not affected by random errors, biases, or anomalies. The team can also confirm that the data analysis process is well-documented, transparent, and traceable, and that the results can be replicated by other analysts or stakeholders. This can minimize the risk of acting on the data, and increase the confidence and trust in the data analysis. References:

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 4: Interpret and Report Results

•Understanding the Guide to Business Data Analytics, page 9

•Business Data Analytics (IIBA®-CBDA Exam preparation) | Udemy, Section 4: Interpret and Report Results, Lecture 20: Data Validation and Verification

The average time for conversion is the average number of days it takes to convert a lead into a customer. This is an important question to consider when evaluating sales performance, because it indicates the efficiency and effectiveness of the sales process. A shorter time for conversion means that the sales team can close more deals in less time, and thus increase the revenue and profitability of the company. A longer time for conversion may indicate that there are bottlenecks, challenges, or inefficiencies in the sales process that need to be addressed. References:

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 5: Use Results to Influence Business Decision Making

•Understanding the Guide to Business Data Analytics, page 9

•Business Data Analytics (IIBA®-CBDA Exam preparation) | Udemy, Section 4: Interpret and Report Results, Lecture 19: Sales Performance Metrics

The analytics team should restart the work with formation of a new research question, because the existing one may not be well-defined, relevant, or feasible. A well-formed research question is the first step of the business data analytics cycle, and it guides the subsequent steps of sourcing, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting data. If the data analysis does not yield meaningful insights, the team should revisit the research question and refine it based on the business problem, stakeholder needs, data availability, and analytical methods. References:

•Understanding the Guide to Business Data Analytics, page 10-11

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 1: Identify the Research Questions

•CERTIFICATION IN BUSINESS DATA ANALYTICS HANDBOOK - IIBA®, page 8, CBDA Exam Sample Questions and Self-Assessment, Question 5

A box plot is the technique that would allow for the display of the statistical five number summary, because it is a technique that shows the distribution of a data set using a rectangular box and whiskers. A box plot can help the data scientist visualize the minimum, maximum, median, first quartile, and third quartile of the data set, as well as any outliers or skewness. A box plot can also help the data scientist compare the variation and symmetry of different groups or categories of data. Options A, B, and C are not suitable for displaying the statistical five number summary, because they are techniques that show the frequency, relationship, or density of the data, but not the quartiles or outliers. References:

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 3: Analyze Data

•Understanding the Guide to Business Data Analytics, page 18

•16 Best Types of Charts and Graphs for Data Visualization [+ Guide]

The relationship between a Customer entity and an Order entity, where a customer entry will be present in the Customer entity only if they have made an order, is a zero-to-one relationship. This means that for each record in the Order entity, there can be either zero or one record in the Customer entity that is related to it. This implies that the Order entity is optional for the Customer entity, and the Customer entity is mandatory for the Order entity12 References: 1: A Guide to the Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) - Database Star 2: Developing an Application - Oracle

The information layer is the layer that connects the business processes to data analytics. It consists of the data models, data quality, data governance, and data security that enable the data to be accessed, analyzed, and transformed into insights. The information layer also supports the communication and collaboration among the stakeholders involved in the data analytics process. The other layers are the physical layer, which deals with the hardware and software components of the data infrastructure; the technical layer, which handles the data integration, data storage, data processing, and data analysis techniques; and the infrastructure layer, which provides the network, cloud, and security services for the data environment12 References: 1: Data and Analytics (D&A) - Gartner 2: Enterprise Data Analytics - SelectHub

Weighting is a technique that assigns different values or weights to different records or variables in a dataset, based on their importance or relevance. Weighting can be used to handle missing values by giving them a lower weight or imputing them with a weighted average of other values. Weighting can also help to adjust for sampling bias or non-response bias in the data collection process. References:

•Understanding the Guide to Business Data Analytics, page 16

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 3: Analyze Data

•CERTIFICATION IN BUSINESS DATA ANALYTICS HANDBOOK - IIBA®, page 8, CBDA Exam Sample Questions and Self-Assessment, Question 4

The strategic business decision that may be logically derived from the results is to encourage customers to complete online reviews, because the results show that there is a direct relationship between positive customer reviews and increased internet sales. By increasing the number and quality of online reviews, the consumer goods manufacturer can boost its online sales performance, which outperformed other channels in sales growth. Online reviews can also help the manufacturer gain customer feedback, improve customer loyalty, and enhance its brand reputation. References:

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 5: Use Results to Influence Business Decision Making

•Understanding the Guide to Business Data Analytics, page 9

•CERTIFICATION IN BUSINESS DATA ANALYTICS HANDBOOK - IIBA®, page 8, CBDA Exam Sample Questions and Self-Assessment, Question 6

According to the Business Data Analytics (IIBA®- CBDA) principles, extreme outliers in a dataset can be identified visually on a scatter plot as points that are distinctly separate from the bulk of the data. In this visual, there are three points that are significantly higher on the y-axis (credit card expense) relative to their position on the x-axis (household income), indicating unusual credit card purchases. References: The identification and interpretation of outliers is a standard practice in data analytics and is covered under the Business Data Analytics (IIBA®- CBDA) learning resources.

The business model canvas is the model that the task force has leveraged to facilitate the discussion, because it is a technique that describes the logic of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value. The business model canvas consists of nine building blocks that cover the key aspects of a business: customer segments, value proposition, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure. The business model canvas can help the task force develop a shared understanding of the current state of the online retailer, and identify the opportunities and challenges for developing their analytics capabilities. References:

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 6: Guide Organization-level Strategy for Business Analytics

•Understanding the Guide to Business Data Analytics, page 9

•10.8 Business Model Canvas | IIBA®

The analytics team found a correlation between the age of the customer and the price of the neckties purchased, meaning that as one variable changes, the other tends to change in the same direction. However, this correlation does not imply causation, meaning that one variable does not necessarily cause the other to change. There could be other factors, such as income, preference, or quality, that affect both variables and create a spurious relationship. Therefore, the team realized that they need to investigate further to determine if there is a causal link between the variables, or if the correlation is coincidental12 References: 1: Correlation vs. Causation | Difference, Designs & Examples - Scribbr 2: Correlation vs Causation: Understanding the Differences - Statistics By Jim

A research question is a clear and focused question that guides the data analytics process and defines the expected outcome or value of the analysis1. A research question that is too broad may lead to the concern of being difficult to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure, as KPIs are specific, quantifiable, and relevant metrics that indicate the progress and success of the analysis in relation to the research question23. A broad research question may also result in too much or too little data, unclear or conflicting objectives, or irrelevant or ambiguous results4. References: 1: Guide to Business Data Analytics, IIBA, 2020, p. 202: Guide to Business Data Analytics, IIBA, 2020, p. 233: Key Performance Indicators: Developing, Implementing, and Using Winning KPIs, David Parmenter, 2015, p. 34: How to Write a Good Research Question, ThoughtCo, 2021, 1.

A street address is a primitive data element, because it is a basic unit of data that cannot be further decomposed into smaller components. A primitive data element has a distinct name, definition, format, and value domain. A street address can be used to identify the location of an employee or a customer, and it can be stored as a string or a combination of numbers and characters. Options B, C, and D are not primitive data elements, because they can be further broken down into smaller components. For example, a first name can be divided into a prefix, a given name, and a suffix. A customer name can be composed of a first name and a last name. A work phone number can be split into a country code, an area code, and a local number. References:

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 2: Source Data

•Business analysis data dictionary – The Functional BA

•CERTIFICATION IN BUSINESS DATA ANALYTICS HANDBOOK - IIBA®, page 8, CBDA Exam Sample Questions and Self-Assessment, Question 15

The sampling frame is the term that describes the list of all employees present on March 25th, because it is a technique that defines the set of elements from which a sample is drawn. The sampling frame should ideally match the population of interest, which is the group of elements that the researcher wants to study or make inferences about. In this case, the population of interest is the employees of the company, and the sampling frame is the subset of employees who were at work on a specific day. The survey sample is the technique that selects a portion of the sampling frame to participate in the survey. The sample weights are the technique that assigns different values or importance to each element in the sample, based on their representation in the population. References:

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 2: Source Data

•Understanding the Guide to Business Data Analytics, page 14

•CERTIFICATION IN BUSINESS DATA ANALYTICS HANDBOOK - IIBA®, page 8, CBDA Exam Sample Questions and Self-Assessment, Question 14

The business analyst is using the rough order of magnitude method to estimate this work. This method is based on expert opinion or experience from past projects, and it provides a quick and approximate estimate of the cost, time, or effort required for a project or a task. This method is useful when there is limited information or data available, or when a high-level estimate is needed for planning or budgeting purposes. However, this method also has a high degree of uncertainty and variability, and it should be refined as more details become available12 References: 1: Project Estimation Techniques Business Analysts Should Know About 2: Estimation techniques for business analysts – The Functional BA

Descriptive analytics is a type of analytics that summarizes and visualizes the data to provide an overview of what has happened or is happening, such as the attrition rates and the personality test scores of the employees12. The team has been asked to perform descriptive analytics to explore possible relationships between the data variables, without making any predictions or prescriptions for the future. References: 1: Guide to Business Data Analytics, IIBA, 2020, p. 182: Business Analytics: Data Analysis & Decision Making, S. Christian Albright and Wayne L. Winston, 2015, p. 5.

A ROM estimate is a rough order of magnitude estimate that provides a quick and approximate estimate of the cost, time, or effort required for a project or a task. A ROM estimate is based on expert opinion or experience from past projects, and it usually has a large range of variation, such as + or - 10%. A ROM estimate is useful when there is limited information or data available, or when a high-level estimate is needed for planning or budgeting purposes. However, a ROM estimate also has a high degree of uncertainty and variability, and it should be refined as more details become available12 References: 1: Project Estimation Techniques Business Analysts Should Know About 2: Estimation techniques for business analysts – The Functional BA

Meta data management is the practice that, if implemented, would address the situation and mature the organization’s business analytics practice, because it is a technique that involves defining, documenting, and maintaining the information about the data elements, such as their names, definitions, formats, sources, and relationships. Meta data management can help the analyst resolve the inconsistencies and ambiguities in the data element names, and ensure that the data is standardized, consistent, and understandable across different business units. Meta data management can also help the analyst improve the data quality, accessibility, and usability for the analysis. References:

•Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics, CBDA | IIBA®, CBDA Competencies, Domain 2: Source Data

•Guide to Business Data Analytics - Iiba - Google Books, page 14

•Business Data Analytics (IIBA®-CBDA Exam preparation) | Udemy, Section 2: Source Data, Lecture 8: Meta Data Management