Which statement best describes a matrix (cross-tab) report?

Which statement best describes a matrix (cross-tab) report?

• A. A simple list of records with no grouping.
• B. A grid of rows and columns that allows cross-tabulation of measures across two dimensions.
• C. A pie chart visualization of a single measure.
• D. A stacked bar chart across three dimensions.

Answer: (B)

A matrix (cross-tab) report is a grid with rows and columns that lets you place aggregated measures at the intersections of two dimensions. This layout makes it possible to see how a metric behaves across two axes at once—for example, sales by region (rows) and by quarter (columns). You typically compute sums, averages, or counts for each cell, and you can often add row and column totals to reveal overall patterns. This description is the best fit because it emphasizes the two-dimensional grid structure and the cross-tabulation of measures across two dimensions, which is the defining feature of a matrix report. A simple list shows records without a grid or cross-tabulation, a pie chart represents parts of a whole for a single measure, and a stacked bar chart across three dimensions is a chart, not a two-dimensional cross-tab grid.

A matrix (cross-tab) report is a grid with rows and columns that lets you place aggregated measures at the intersections of two dimensions. This layout makes it possible to see how a metric behaves across two axes at once—for example, sales by region (rows) and by quarter (columns). You typically compute sums, averages, or counts for each cell, and you can often add row and column totals to reveal overall patterns.

This description is the best fit because it emphasizes the two-dimensional grid structure and the cross-tabulation of measures across two dimensions, which is the defining feature of a matrix report. A simple list shows records without a grid or cross-tabulation, a pie chart represents parts of a whole for a single measure, and a stacked bar chart across three dimensions is a chart, not a two-dimensional cross-tab grid.