How to answer this Technical interview question about Model Evaluation for Mid-Level Data Scientist?

How would you evaluate the performance of a machine learning model for a classification problem?

Data Scientist

Technical

Asked at

Netflix

Difficulty :

Hard

Explanation

This question evaluates your understanding of model evaluation metrics and their applicability to classification problems. Recruiters assess your ability to choose metrics based on the problem context, such as precision-recall trade-offs or class imbalance. Common pitfalls include relying solely on accuracy or failing to account for business goals. A strong answer includes discussing metrics like precision, recall, F1-score, ROC-AUC, and confusion matrices, and tailoring the evaluation strategy to the problem.

Answer Example

I would evaluate the model using metrics like precision, recall, and F1-score, especially in cases of class imbalance. For example, in a churn prediction model, I prioritized recall to minimize false negatives, as missing a potential churner is costlier than a false positive. Additionally, I would use ROC-AUC to assess the model's overall ability to distinguish between classes and analyze the confusion matrix to understand specific errors. This approach ensures the evaluation aligns with business objectives and problem context.

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