# Building chart types on the Marks card

*Tableau Data Analyst Study Guide · Create Content · Last updated October 29, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-data-analyst/create-content/building-chart-types-on-the-marks-card*

Build Gantt charts, box plots, histograms, treemaps, packed bubbles, pie and area charts from scratch by knowing which shelf and Marks card property defines each one, and fix the views that go wrong when a measure lands on the wrong property or stays aggregated.

- Certification: Salesforce Tableau Data Analyst
- Exam section: Create Content
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-data-analyst

**Official exam objective:**

> Create charts: Create basic charts from scratch (bar, line, pie, highlight table, scatter plot, histogram, tree map, bubbles, data tables, Gantt, box plots, area, dual axis, combo); Sort data (including custom sort).

## What the exam expects

- Pick the chart type from the question asked: duration, distribution, magnitude or part-to-whole.
- Build Gantt charts, box plots, histograms, treemaps, packed bubbles, pies and area charts from the shelves and Marks card properties that define them.
- Diagnose a broken chart: a measure on the wrong property, an aggregation hiding the spread, a field blocking Show Me, or Stack Marks off.

Key terms:
- **Mark type:** the Marks card drop-down (Automatic, Bar, Line, Area, Square, Circle, Pie, Gantt Bar and others).
- **Gantt Bar:** a mark whose length is proportional to the measure on Size.
- **Disaggregation:** Analysis > Aggregate Measures off, one mark per data source row.
- **Angle:** the Marks card property that appears only for the Pie mark.
- **Stack Marks:** drawing marks cumulatively along an axis instead of overlapping.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gantt bar length | Proportional to the measure on Size | [Mark types](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_marktypes.htm) |
| Gantt duration on Size | Defaults to Sum; the official example changes it to Average | [Build a Gantt Chart](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_gantt.htm) |
| Flat box plots | Caused by one mark per box; fix with Analysis > Aggregate Measures | [Build a Box Plot](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_boxplot.htm) |
| Whiskers | 1.5 times the IQR (schematic) or maximum extent (skeletal) | [Reference lines](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/reference_lines.htm) |
| Box plot reference line on the web | Not available; Tableau Desktop only | [Reference lines](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/reference_lines.htm) |
| Histogram in Show Me | Needs a single measure and no dimensions | [Build a Histogram](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_histogram.htm) |
| Histogram result | Continuous bin on Columns, CNT of the measure on Rows | [Build a Histogram](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_histogram.htm) |
| Treemap measures | Only Size and Color have an effect | [Build a Treemap](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_treemap.htm) |
| Pie requirement | One dimension plus one or two measures; aggregate fields do not count | [Build a Pie Chart](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_pie.htm) |
| Stack Marks | Automatic by default; On or Off is manual and persists | [Stack Marks](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_stacking.htm) |

## Check yourself

- When does Automatic pick the Shape mark?
- Can a box plot be added to a continuous axis in web authoring?
- When does the Angle property appear on the Marks card, and what do 360 degrees represent?
- Which Marks card properties change a treemap when you drop a measure on them?

## Sources

- [Choose the Right Chart Type for Your Data](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/what_chart_example.htm)
- [Change the Type of Mark in the View](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_marktypes.htm)
- [Build a Gantt Chart](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_gantt.htm)
- [Build a Box Plot](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_boxplot.htm)
- [Reference Lines, Bands, Distributions, and Boxes](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/reference_lines.htm)
- [Build a Histogram](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_histogram.htm)
- [Build a Treemap](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_treemap.htm)
- [Build a Packed Bubble Chart](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_bubbles.htm)
- [Build a Pie Chart](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_pie.htm)
- [Stack Marks](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_stacking.htm)
- [Create an Area Chart](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/qs_area_charts.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 12 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Data Analyst pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams