CERTIFIED-DATA-ANALYST-ASSOCIATE Question #62: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

Question

A data scientist has asked a data analyst to create histograms for every continuous variable in a data set. The data analyst needs to identify which columns are continuous in the data set. What describes a continuous variable?

Options

• AA quantitative variable that never stops changing
• BA quantitative variable Chat can take on a finite or countably infinite set of values
• CA quantitative variable that can take on an uncountable set of values
• DA categorical variable in which the number of categories continues to increase over time

Explanation

Option C is correct because a continuous variable can take on any value within a range - including fractions and decimals - making the set of possible values uncountably infinite. Examples include height, temperature, or weight, where measurements are limited only by the precision of your instrument.

Why the distractors fail:

• A is wrong because "never stops changing" describes behavior over time, not a statistical property - this is not a recognized definition in data science.
• B actually defines a discrete variable (e.g., number of purchases, number of siblings), which is countable and has gaps between values.
• D is wrong on two counts: it describes a categorical variable, and no standard variable type is defined by growing categories over time.

Memory tip: Think of the word continuous as a number line with no gaps - between any two values (say 1.5 and 1.6), you can always find another valid value (1.55, 1.555, ...). If you can always squeeze another value in, it's continuous.

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