WGU D491 EXAM 2026 | INTRODUCTION TO ANALYTICS EXAM | ALL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (DETAILED ANSWERS) | WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY, 100% CORRECT, ALREADY GRADED A+

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WGU D491 EXAM 2026 | INTRODUCTION TO ANALYTICS EXAM
| ALL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (DETAILED
ANSWERS) | WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY, 100%
CORRECT, ALREADY GRADED A+




Q1. Data Types
Which of the following is an example of nominal data?
A. Age in years
B. Test scores
C. Marital status
D. Income in dollars

Correct Answer: C. Marital status
Rationale: Nominal data represents categories without a natural order (e.g.,
single, married, divorced).
Reference: Utts & Heckard, Mind on Statistics (2022)


Q2. Descriptive Statistics
The average score of a dataset is known as the:
A. Mean
B. Mode
C. Median
D. Range

Correct Answer: A. Mean
Rationale: Mean is the arithmetic average of all data points.
Reference: Triola, Elementary Statistics (13th ed.)


Q3. Data Visualization
Which chart is most appropriate for showing proportions of categories?

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A. Histogram
B. Pie chart
C. Scatter plot
D. Line graph

Correct Answer: B. Pie chart
Rationale: Pie charts show relative proportions of categories within a
whole.
Reference: Few, Show Me the Numbers (2012)


Q4. Probability
If a fair die is rolled once, what is the probability of rolling a number greater
than 4?
A. 1/6
B. 2/6
C. 3/6
D. 4/6

Correct Answer: B. 2/6
Rationale: Numbers >4 are {5,6}, so probability = 2 outcomes / 6 total =
2/6.
Reference: De Veaux et al., Intro Stats


Q5. Sampling
Selecting every 10th student from a class list is an example of:
A. Simple random sampling
B. Systematic sampling
C. Stratified sampling
D. Cluster sampling

Correct Answer: B. Systematic sampling
Rationale: Systematic = choosing every kth element from a list.
Reference: WGU D491 Course Material

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Q6. Data Ethics
Which principle is violated if a company sells customer data without
consent?
A. Transparency
B. Integrity
C. Confidentiality
D. Accountability

Correct Answer: C. Confidentiality
Rationale: Confidentiality ensures data is not shared without permission.
Reference: WGU Data Ethics Module


Q7. Inferential Statistics
The process of using a sample to make conclusions about a population is:
A. Data visualization
B. Data cleaning
C. Inferential statistics
D. Descriptive statistics

Correct Answer: C. Inferential statistics
Rationale: Inferential stats generalize findings from sample → population.
Reference: Triola, Elementary Statistics


Q8. Measures of Spread
Which measure is most affected by extreme values?
A. Median
B. Mean
C. Standard deviation
D. Range

Correct Answer: D. Range
Rationale: Range = max – min; extreme outliers distort it heavily.
Reference: Utts & Heckard, Mind on Statistics

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Q9. Regression Analysis
In simple linear regression, the independent variable is plotted on the:
A. Y-axis
B. X-axis
C. Both axes
D. Scatter diagonals

Correct Answer: B. X-axis
Rationale: Predictor (independent variable) goes on X; outcome on Y.
Reference: Montgomery et al., Introduction to Linear Regression


Q10. Hypothesis Testing
If p-value < 0.05, the correct decision is to:
A. Accept null hypothesis
B. Reject null hypothesis
C. Prove null hypothesis true
D. Do nothing

Correct Answer: B. Reject null hypothesis
Rationale: Low p-value = evidence against null hypothesis.
Reference: WGU D491 Hypothesis Module


Q11. Big Data
Which is a key characteristic of big data?
A. Visualization
B. Volume, velocity, variety
C. Verification only
D. Limited storage

Correct Answer: B. Volume, velocity, variety
Rationale: The “3 Vs” define big data.
Reference: IBM Big Data White Paper