Which data quality metric assesses whether data is current and up-to-date?

• A. Timeliness
• B. Accuracy
• C. Completeness
• D. Consistency

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is whether data is current and up-to-date. Timeliness measures how fresh the data is and how quickly it becomes available after the events it represents. It answers whether the information is ready when needed and reflects recent updates, which is essential for decisions that rely on the latest conditions—for example, a dashboard that shows stock levels updated right after each sale.

This is why timeliness is the best fit: it directly targets the freshness of data. Other metrics look at different aspects—accuracy checks if values are correct, completeness checks whether all required fields are present, and consistency ensures uniformity across datasets. Those can be valid concerns, but they don’t guarantee that the data is current. Data can be accurate, complete, and consistent yet still be stale.