Esri ArcGIS Pro Associate Pro Certification Practice Exam

When solving the question "Which district does each fire station point fall within?" which spatial analysis process do you employ?

1. Network

2. Overlay

3. Intersect

4. Erase

The correct answer is: Overlay

Using the overlay spatial analysis process is appropriate for determining which district each fire station point falls within. The overlay process involves combining different layers of geographic information to analyze how they interact with one another. In this case, you have a layer representing fire station points and another layer that delineates the districts. By applying the overlay technique, you can effectively identify the associated district for each fire station point by examining their spatial relationship. This method allows for a clear understanding of how point features, like fire stations, relate to polygon features, such as districts. Overlay analysis typically produces a new dataset that highlights where the fire stations are located within the respective districts, thus answering the question posed. In contrast, the other options may not serve the specific need for identifying districts based on point locations as effectively. For instance, a network analysis would typically involve transportation or utility networks rather than district boundaries. Intersect could be relevant but is a more specific function focusing on the overlapping areas between two geometries rather than identifying categories. Erase, on the other hand, would remove portions of one dataset based on the features of another, which does not align with the goal of assigning fire stations to districts.