Module One Summative Quiz:The Data Scientist’s Toolbox(Data Science Specialization):Answers2025
Question 1
Which of these is NOT one of the main skills embodied by data scientists?
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❌ Hacking skills
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❌ Math and stats
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✅ Machine learning
Explanation:
The three core skills of a data scientist are often represented by the “Data Science Venn Diagram” —
1️⃣ Hacking skills (practical coding)
2️⃣ Math & statistics knowledge
3️⃣ Substantive expertise (domain knowledge)
Machine learning is a tool or subset of data science, not one of the three foundational skill areas.
Question 2
What is the most important thing in Data Science?
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✅ The question you are trying to answer
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❌ Statistical inference
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❌ Working with large data sets
Explanation:
Data science begins with asking the right question. Without a clear, well-defined question, no amount of data or modeling can provide meaningful insights.
Question 3
Which of these might be a good title for a forum post?
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❌ URGENT! R isn’t working!
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✅ Removing rows with NAs in data.frame using subset(), R 3.4.3
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❌ How do I get rnorm() to work?
Explanation:
A good post title is clear, descriptive, and specific — it tells readers exactly what the issue is and helps others find it later. “URGENT” or vague titles are discouraged.
Question 4
What’s the first step in the data science process?
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❌ Communicate your findings
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❌ Exploring the data
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✅ Generating the question
Explanation:
Before you explore or analyze, you must first formulate a meaningful, data-driven question. This guides the rest of the data science workflow — data collection, analysis, and communication.
Question 5
Which of these is an example of a quantitative variable?
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✅ Latitude
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❌ Occupation
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❌ Educational level
Explanation:
Quantitative variables are numeric and can be measured or ordered mathematically. Latitude is a continuous numeric variable. Occupation and education level are categorical (qualitative).
🧾 Summary Table
| Q# | ✅ Correct Answer(s) | Key Concept |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machine learning | Core skills = hacking + math/stats + domain expertise |
| 2 | The question you are trying to answer | A clear question drives all data science work |
| 3 | Removing rows with NAs in data.frame… | Good titles are specific and descriptive |
| 4 | Generating the question | Question formulation is the first step |
| 5 | Latitude | Quantitative = numeric, measurable variable |