Think like a data analyst.
Turn an unclear business request into a defined question, checked calculations and a useful evidence note.
Northstar Shop
“March looks better.
Should we increase the budget?”
Your first analytical
evidence package.
Build a decision brief, metric contract, quality log, reconciled summaries and a concise recommendation. Every lesson includes an explanation, practical task and worked solution.
Before you start: Comfort with basic arithmetic and opening a CSV file. A spreadsheet is optional; no SQL or Python is required.
Allow about four hours including exercises. The suggested times are flexible. Keep your work locally; no upload or payment is required.
3 lessons. One complete piece of work.
What Data Analysts Actually Do
Separate a business decision from a request for a chart.
From Business Question to Measurable Analysis
Write a metric contract with a clear population and period.
What Makes an Analytical Result Trustworthy?
Test uniqueness, completeness, validity and consistency.
Small enough to check.
Realistic enough to learn.
The raw extract deliberately contains defects. Use the verified reference to check corrections rather than guessing missing production values.
Open the files in a spreadsheet, or use a text editor and calculator. All records are fictional.
Can someone reproduce your answer?
Use the final lesson's 10-point rubric to review your work. A suggested target is 8 points, with no zero in metric definitions or calculations and no unsupported causal claim. This is a self-review guide, not an accredited or automatically verified assessment.
Begin Module 01 →Continue to Module 02: Excel for data analysis →
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