Module 03 Knowledge Check
5 questions. Pass mark 4 out of 5. Answer every question before checking the answer key below, then retry after reading the feedback.
1. Bars must start at zero because they encode…
- A. position
- B. length
- C. colour
- D. area only
2. A line chart with a truncated y-axis is…
- A. always misleading
- B. acceptable if the axis is labelled
- C. never acceptable
- D. the same as a truncated bar chart
3. Every value label needs the measure, the unit and…
- A. the chart type
- B. the scope and period
- C. the data source
- D. the author
4. On a log axis, a straight line means…
- A. steady absolute growth
- B. compounding growth
- C. no growth
- D. declining growth
5. Compared with a legend, direct labelling…
- A. takes more space and is worse
- B. removes a lookup per series per glance
- C. is only for line charts
- D. requires more code
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Answer Key and Explanations
Check these only after attempting every question.
1. B - length
Length is read as proportional to value, so a truncated baseline misstates the ratio.
2. B - acceptable if the axis is labelled
Lines encode position rather than length, which is why the rule differs by mark type.
3. B - the scope and period
Charts get screenshotted and forwarded without their surrounding page.
4. B - compounding growth
Equal distances become equal ratios, so an unlabelled log axis understates growth.
5. B - removes a lookup per series per glance
Legends earn their place when series are too dense to label or one serves several panels.
Practical Check
Apply this module to your own work: complete the module activity for *Chart Anatomy: Axes, Labels, Scales, Legends and Annotations*, then write one sentence naming what your result shows and one naming what it does not.
Strong Answer Pattern
A strong answer names the task, the evidence used, the check performed, and the remaining limitation. It avoids "proved", "guaranteed", or "always" unless the evidence genuinely supports it.