The Dictionary of Occupational Titles categorizes occupations by data, people, and things. Which of the following is one of these reference categories?

• A. Data
• B. Workload
• C. Salary
• D. Environment

Answer: (A)

Understanding how the Dictionary of Occupational Titles organizes occupations helps you see what the test is asking. DOT groups occupations by three dimensions: data, people, and things. Data refers to the information-handling aspect of a job—the tasks that involve input, processing, analyzing, storing, or communicating information. Since the question asks for one of the reference categories in DOT’s triad, Data is the correct choice because it specifically represents the information-focused dimension. The other options—workload, salary, and environment—are not categories in DOT’s framework; they describe aspects like task intensity, compensation, or work setting, but they aren’t the DOT data-people-things categories.