A Gentle Introduction to Training Data vs. Test Data in 2022

The data used determines the quality of the results from a predictive model. To do so, we should first understand the difference between training and testing data in machine learning. To delve deeper into what machine learning is and its importance, you can check out our latest blog post here. Read on to get the complete guide on Training Data and Test data in 2022!

Test and training data are two of the most critical components of the machine learning process, and neither can be without the other. In machine learning, an unknown universal dataset is assumed to exist, containing all possible pairs of data and their real-world appearance probability distributions. If you use insufficient or incorrect data, your model will be unable to make realistic predictions and will lead you astray.

When dealing with real-world applications, we only see a subset of the universal dataset. This acquired dataset is known as the training set and is used to learn the universal dataset's properties and knowledge.

In machine learning, we want these learned "properties" to predict unseen samples or future events and explain the training set. Another dataset, the test set, may be reserved for testing to examine learning performance. 

To better understand the difference, let's take a real-life example. Imagine a university student before the final exams where the teacher gives the students a few questions to practice (training set). The way the students evaluate their performance is to examine them with another problem set (test set). Therefore, it is necessary to separate your dataset into training and test datasets.

In this article, we will examine what Training Data and Test Data are, how Training Data and Test Data work, and the differences between Training Data vs. Test Data, with the most up-to-date information for 2022. 

What is Training Data?

Assume you want to build a model based on a database. This data is divided into two parts in machine learning: training data and testing data. 

Typically, training data is more extensive than testing data, and this is because we want to feed the model as much data as possible to find and learn meaningful patterns. When we feed data from our datasets to a machine learning algorithm, it learns patterns and makes decisions. 

Algorithms allow machines to solve problems based on past observations. Just like us humans, algorithms solve problems by making use of examples. The only difference is that machines need much more samples than humans to see and learn patterns.

There are three main characteristics of a training set:

Label

‍The value of what we are attempting to predict (response variables). For instance, if we want to predict whether a patient will be diagnosed with cancer-based on their symptoms, the response variable for the cancer diagnosis will be Yes/No. Training data can be labeled or left unlabeled.

Size

‍As we mentioned above, the training set typically contains more data than the testing set. The more data you provide the machine, the higher the quality of the model. When a machine learning algorithm is fed data from your records, it learns patterns and creates a decision-making model.

Case Details

‍Algorithms make decisions based on the data you provide them. You must ensure that the data is relevant and contains a variety of cases with varying outcomes. For example, if you need a model that can score potential borrowers, you must include the following information about your potential client in the training set:

• Contact information, name, and location
• Demographics, social, and behavioral traits
• Source of origin ( for example, a website landing page)
• Factors related to the website behaviors include conversions, time spent, number of clicks, etc.
  

What is Testing Data? 

After you've built your machine learning model with your training data, you'll need unseen data to test your model. This data is called test data, and you can use this test data to evaluate the performance and progress of training your algorithms and adjust or optimize for better results.

The following characteristics should be included in the testing set:

• Unseen: The same information in the training set cannot be reused.
• Large: The data set should be sufficiently large for the machine to make predictions.
• Representative: The data should accurately represent the original dataset.
  

As stated earlier, this dataset is new, and "unseen" is the thinnest point. This is because your model has already learned the training data. It will tell you how it performs on new test data, whether it's working correctly, or if it needs more training data to meet your specifications.

Moreover, you don't have to manually collect new data and compare predictions to actual data. The AI can divide existing data into two parts, set aside testing while training, and then run tests comparing predictions and actual results entirely on its own. If you want to examine applications of using AI in machine learning, you can visit our blog post.

How Training and Testing Data Work?

Machine learning models are algorithms that analyze your training dataset, classify the inputs and outputs, and then reanalyze them. A sufficiently well-trained algorithm will memorize all the inputs and outputs in a training dataset, which can become an issue when considering data from other sources, such as real-world customers.

The training data collection procedure consists of three steps:

1. Providing data to a model.
2. The model converts the training data into text vectors.
3. As a final step, you test your model by feeding it unseen test data.
   

Once the training is complete, you can use 20% of the data you saved from your real dataset to test the model. This is where real care and attention are paid and fine-tuned to ensure the model works as we want it to.

How Much Training Data You Need

We receive many questions about this subject from our customers and the communities who follow us. To answer this question: It depends. 

This is because the amount of data required depends on the problem's complexity and the learning algorithm's complexity. If you ask what we recommend as Cameralyze, we can say that the more data, the better results. Because the how much more you train your model, the better results your model will start to produce.

To Sum Up: Train New Models with Cameralyze

Good training data is the building block of machine learning. Understanding the importance of training datasets in machine learning is critical because it ensures you have the right quality and amount of training data to train your model.

Now that you understand the difference between Training Data and Test Data, we offer you an opportunity as Cameralyze. Would you like to earn income with  Cameralyze Partnership? Earn income by uploading your models to AI Studio and get the opportunity to collaborate with us to train new models. Want to Become Community Member? Just click HERE!