Easy1 markExtended Response
Interpreting Results and Evaluating Findingsdata cleaningevaluationinterpreting datafoundation

AQA GCSE · Question 10.5 · Interpreting Results and Evaluating Findings

CountryIn Europe?Birth Rate (per 1000)ArgentinaN17.0BelgiumY11.4CameroonN34.5DenmarkY10.4EgyptN30.3FranceY12.3GermanyY8.5HondurasN55.8ItalyY8.7JapanN7.9

Here is the list of countries and their birth rates found by Sol. He decides to check the value for Honduras as he thinks it must be wrong.
By referring to the map from the earlier question (which showed Central America in the 20.1-30 category), how does he know this value is almost certainly wrong?

How to approach this question

The question requires you to compare two pieces of information: the value for Honduras in the table (55.8) and the information from the (unseen, but described) map. The map places Honduras in a category like 20.1-30. Is the value 55.8 consistent with this category? Explain the discrepancy.

Full Answer

The value for Honduras is 55.8. This is a very high birth rate. The map showed that the region containing Honduras (Central America) was in a much lower category, such as 20.1-30. The value of 55.8 is far outside this range, suggesting it is an error.
Data cleaning and verification involves checking for anomalies and errors. Here, Sol is comparing a value from his table with a value from another source (the map). The table shows a birth rate of 55.8 for Honduras. The choropleth map (from the original question) shows Central America, where Honduras is located, in the colour corresponding to the 20.1-30 births per 1000 category. The value 55.8 is significantly higher than the upper limit of this range (30). This large discrepancy suggests that the value of 55.8 in the table is very likely an error (e.g., a typo).

Common mistakes

✗ Just stating that 55.8 is high, without referring to the map. ✗ Giving a vague answer like "the numbers are different".

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