WGU C207 Data Driven Decision Making OA Final Exam
(Questions) | Latest Update 2026/2027
This study guide covers the fundamental concepts of data-driven decision-making, including
descriptive and inferential statistics, data interpretation, hypothesis testing, research methods,
and evidence-based business analysis. Students will review data collection techniques,
probability concepts, statistical significance, correlation, regression analysis, data visualization,
and the application of quantitative findings to organizational decision-making. The material is
designed to strengthen analytical thinking skills, improve interpretation of business data, and
support comprehensive preparation for the WGU C207 Objective Assessment.
WGU C207 Data-Driven Decision Making OA Final
Exam
SECTION A: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS & DATA TYPES
(Questions 1–20)
1. Amanda is measuring the temperature. She looks at the thermometer and sees
that it is somewhere between 65 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature is what
type of data?
A) Nominal, Discrete
B) Nominal, Continuous
C) Continuous, Discrete
D) Discrete, Continuous
Answer: D) Discrete, Continuous
Rationale: Temperature is continuous data because it can take any value within a range. It
,is also discrete in the sense of measurement increments, but the correct classification is
continuous data as it can be any number within a range .
2. What is the first stage of Davenport and Kim's Three-Stage Model of
quantitative decision making?
A) Communicate the results
B) Frame the problem
C) Solve the problem
D) Analyze the data
Answer: B) Frame the problem
Rationale: The first stage is to frame the problem by understanding the environment of a
problem. After that, one can solve the problem and communicate the results to others .
3. A manager is looking at his previous quarter and determining the causes for a
sudden sales spike to gain a better understanding of the actions and outcomes.
Which type of analytics would the manager use?
A) Predictive Analytics
B) Prescriptive Analytics
C) Descriptive Analytics
D) Proactive Analytics
Answer: C) Descriptive Analytics
Rationale: Descriptive analytics is used to describe the characteristics of what is being
studied by summarizing historical data to identify patterns and trends .
4. Which statistic best summarizes the center of a skewed income distribution?
A) Mean
B) Median
,C) Standard deviation
D) Variance
Answer: B) Median
Rationale: Income data are typically right-skewed due to extreme high values. The median
is resistant to outliers, while the mean is pulled toward extreme values .
5. Adam measures the temperature of a freezing lake ten times with the same
thermometer and gets: 20, 21, 21, 20, 20, 19, 19, 21, 20, 19°F. Is his thermometer
reliable? Is it valid? (Freezing point is 32°F)
A) Reliable and Valid
B) Reliable but not Valid
C) Not Reliable but Valid
D) Not Reliable or Valid
Answer: B) Reliable but not Valid
Rationale: Reliability = consistency (it gave similar results each time, so yes). Validity =
accuracy (it should say 32, but it says ~20, so no). It is consistent, but it is wrong .
6. According to the 2000 census, the average number of people in a family in the
U.S. was 3.17. Since it isn't possible to have 0.17 of a person, you would use what
type of data to describe the number of people in your family?
A) Continuous
B) Discrete
C) Nominal
D) Ordinal
Answer: B) Discrete
Rationale: Discrete data consist of countable, separate values such as integers. You cannot
have a fractional person in a family, so the number of family members is discrete .
, 7. What is the key difference between a parameter and a statistic?
A) Parameter describes a sample; statistic describes a population
B) Parameter describes a population; statistic describes a sample
C) Both describe populations
D) Both describe samples
Answer: B) Parameter describes a population; statistic describes a sample
Rationale: A parameter is a numerical measure that describes a characteristic of a
population. A statistic is a numerical measure that describes a characteristic of a sample .
8. Which measure of dispersion is most affected by outliers?
A) Range
B) Interquartile Range (IQR)
C) Variance
D) Median Absolute Deviation
Answer: A) Range
Rationale: The range (maximum - minimum) is highly sensitive to outliers because a
single extreme value can drastically change both the maximum or minimum. IQR is more
robust .
9. What does a coefficient of variation (CV) measure?
A) Absolute dispersion in original units
B) Relative dispersion as a percentage of the mean
C) The spread of the middle 50% of data
D) The average distance from the median
Answer: B) Relative dispersion as a percentage of the mean
Rationale: The coefficient of variation = (standard deviation / mean) × 100%. It measures
relative dispersion, allowing comparison of variability across datasets with different
means .
(Questions) | Latest Update 2026/2027
This study guide covers the fundamental concepts of data-driven decision-making, including
descriptive and inferential statistics, data interpretation, hypothesis testing, research methods,
and evidence-based business analysis. Students will review data collection techniques,
probability concepts, statistical significance, correlation, regression analysis, data visualization,
and the application of quantitative findings to organizational decision-making. The material is
designed to strengthen analytical thinking skills, improve interpretation of business data, and
support comprehensive preparation for the WGU C207 Objective Assessment.
WGU C207 Data-Driven Decision Making OA Final
Exam
SECTION A: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS & DATA TYPES
(Questions 1–20)
1. Amanda is measuring the temperature. She looks at the thermometer and sees
that it is somewhere between 65 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature is what
type of data?
A) Nominal, Discrete
B) Nominal, Continuous
C) Continuous, Discrete
D) Discrete, Continuous
Answer: D) Discrete, Continuous
Rationale: Temperature is continuous data because it can take any value within a range. It
,is also discrete in the sense of measurement increments, but the correct classification is
continuous data as it can be any number within a range .
2. What is the first stage of Davenport and Kim's Three-Stage Model of
quantitative decision making?
A) Communicate the results
B) Frame the problem
C) Solve the problem
D) Analyze the data
Answer: B) Frame the problem
Rationale: The first stage is to frame the problem by understanding the environment of a
problem. After that, one can solve the problem and communicate the results to others .
3. A manager is looking at his previous quarter and determining the causes for a
sudden sales spike to gain a better understanding of the actions and outcomes.
Which type of analytics would the manager use?
A) Predictive Analytics
B) Prescriptive Analytics
C) Descriptive Analytics
D) Proactive Analytics
Answer: C) Descriptive Analytics
Rationale: Descriptive analytics is used to describe the characteristics of what is being
studied by summarizing historical data to identify patterns and trends .
4. Which statistic best summarizes the center of a skewed income distribution?
A) Mean
B) Median
,C) Standard deviation
D) Variance
Answer: B) Median
Rationale: Income data are typically right-skewed due to extreme high values. The median
is resistant to outliers, while the mean is pulled toward extreme values .
5. Adam measures the temperature of a freezing lake ten times with the same
thermometer and gets: 20, 21, 21, 20, 20, 19, 19, 21, 20, 19°F. Is his thermometer
reliable? Is it valid? (Freezing point is 32°F)
A) Reliable and Valid
B) Reliable but not Valid
C) Not Reliable but Valid
D) Not Reliable or Valid
Answer: B) Reliable but not Valid
Rationale: Reliability = consistency (it gave similar results each time, so yes). Validity =
accuracy (it should say 32, but it says ~20, so no). It is consistent, but it is wrong .
6. According to the 2000 census, the average number of people in a family in the
U.S. was 3.17. Since it isn't possible to have 0.17 of a person, you would use what
type of data to describe the number of people in your family?
A) Continuous
B) Discrete
C) Nominal
D) Ordinal
Answer: B) Discrete
Rationale: Discrete data consist of countable, separate values such as integers. You cannot
have a fractional person in a family, so the number of family members is discrete .
, 7. What is the key difference between a parameter and a statistic?
A) Parameter describes a sample; statistic describes a population
B) Parameter describes a population; statistic describes a sample
C) Both describe populations
D) Both describe samples
Answer: B) Parameter describes a population; statistic describes a sample
Rationale: A parameter is a numerical measure that describes a characteristic of a
population. A statistic is a numerical measure that describes a characteristic of a sample .
8. Which measure of dispersion is most affected by outliers?
A) Range
B) Interquartile Range (IQR)
C) Variance
D) Median Absolute Deviation
Answer: A) Range
Rationale: The range (maximum - minimum) is highly sensitive to outliers because a
single extreme value can drastically change both the maximum or minimum. IQR is more
robust .
9. What does a coefficient of variation (CV) measure?
A) Absolute dispersion in original units
B) Relative dispersion as a percentage of the mean
C) The spread of the middle 50% of data
D) The average distance from the median
Answer: B) Relative dispersion as a percentage of the mean
Rationale: The coefficient of variation = (standard deviation / mean) × 100%. It measures
relative dispersion, allowing comparison of variability across datasets with different
means .
