# Dual axis, combination charts and sorting

*Tableau Data Analyst Study Guide · Create Content · Last updated October 29, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-data-analyst/create-content/dual-axis-combination-charts-and-sorting*

Diagnose dual axis and combo charts (which pill is primary, what Synchronize Axis aligns, which Marks card an encoding lands on) and pick the sort that produces the order a stakeholder asks for: nested or non-nested, toolbar, Manual, Field or case-insensitive.

- 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

- Build a dual axis chart, decide which measure is the primary axis, and synchronize or reorder the axes on request.
- Turn a dual axis into a combo chart by changing the mark type and encodings on one measure's Marks card without touching the other.
- Predict what each sort entry point (axis, header, field label, toolbar) sorts, and switch between nested and non-nested sorts.
- Produce a custom order with Manual sort, header drag, a Field sort or a case-insensitive calculated field, and control sorting for viewers.

Recipes are in the Desktop Foundations units Combined axis and dual axis charts and Sorting, reference lines and totals; other chart types are in Building chart types on the Marks card.

Key terms:
- **Primary axis:** the axis of the first measure pill on the shelf; the secondary axis is the second.
- **Synchronize Axis:** aligns the secondary axis's scale to the primary axis's scale.
- **Combo chart:** a view whose measures use customized marks, such as bars for one and a line for the other.
- **Nested sort:** sorts each pane independently; a non-nested sort keeps one order across panes.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Layered axes | Up to four: two on Columns, two on Rows | [Add Axes for Multiple Measures](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/multiple_measures.htm) |
| Synchronize Axis | On the secondary axis; aligns it to the primary scale | [Add Axes for Multiple Measures](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/multiple_measures.htm) |
| Swap primary | Drag secondary pill in front until an orange triangle appears | [Add Axes for Multiple Measures](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/multiple_measures.htm) |
| Per-measure Marks card | Encodings apply only to the selected measure; All changes every measure | [Add Axes for Multiple Measures](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/multiple_measures.htm) |
| Sort icon clicks | One descending, two ascending, three clear | [Sort Data in a Visualization](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/sortgroup_sorting_computed_howto.htm) |
| Default nesting | Axis sort nested; field label sort non-nested | [Sort Data in a Visualization](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/sortgroup_sorting_computed_howto.htm) |
| Toolbar sort | Uses the leftmost measure on the shelf | [Sort Data in a Visualization](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/sortgroup_sorting_computed_howto.htm) |
| Alphabetic | Case sensitive; [A-Z] before [a-z] | [Sort Data in a Visualization](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/sortgroup_sorting_computed_howto.htm) |
| Show Sort Controls | Deselect on the Worksheet menu to hide icons from viewers | [Sort Data in a Visualization](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/sortgroup_sorting_computed_howto.htm) |

## Check yourself

- Why does an Alphabetic sort put 19 before 2?
- Can you open the Sort menu on a continuous measure?
- Where do sort icons never appear, even with Show Sort Controls on?
- Why might Synchronize Axis be grayed out on a dual axis chart?

## Sources

- [Add Axes for Multiple Measures in Views](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/multiple_measures.htm)
- [Sort Data in a Visualization](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/sortgroup_sorting_computed_howto.htm)
- [Edit Axes](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/formatting_editaxes.htm)
- [Measure Values and Measure Names](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/datafields_understanddatawindow_meavalues.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 8 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Data Analyst pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams