# Bar, line and scatter plot charts

*Tableau Desktop Foundations Study Guide · Exploring and Analyzing Data · Last updated October 29, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-desktop-foundations/exploring-and-analyzing-data/bar-line-and-scatter-plot-charts*

How the fields on Rows and Columns decide the chart: a dimension and a measure make bars, a date and a measure make a line, two measures make a scatter plot. Covers the Mark Type drop-down, stacked bars with Color, continuous monthly lines, Detail for more scatter marks and trend lines.

- Certification: Salesforce Tableau Desktop Foundations
- Exam section: Exploring and Analyzing Data
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-desktop-foundations

**Official exam objective:**

> Create basic charts: Create a bar chart; Create a line chart; Create a scatterplot; Create a map using geographic data; Create a combined axis chart; Create a dual axis chart; Create a stacked bar; Create a density map; Create a chart to show specific values (crosstab, highlight table).

## What the exam expects

- Build a bar chart by placing a dimension on Rows and a measure on Columns, or the reverse.
- Override the Automatic mark type from the Marks card drop-down, for example to turn a date-driven line into bars.
- Build a stacked bar by adding a dimension to Color, and know why Rows, Detail or Filters don't give the same result.
- Build a line chart over time and switch it to a continuous monthly axis across years.
- Build a scatter plot from two measures, break its single mark apart with Detail, and add a trend line from the Analytics pane.

Key terms:
- **Mark type:** the shape Tableau draws for each mark (Bar, Line, Shape, Circle, Text and others), chosen on the Marks card.
- **Automatic:** the default mark type setting, which picks a mark from the inner fields on Rows and Columns.
- **Stacked bar:** a bar split into colored segments by a dimension, each segment showing its share of the bar.
- **Scatter plot:** a chart of one measure against another, showing the relationship between two numeric values.
- **Detail:** a Marks card property that separates marks by a dimension's members without changing the table structure.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bar chart field arrangement | A dimension on Rows and a measure on Columns, or vice versa | [Build a Bar Chart](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_bar.htm) |
| Date dimension plus a measure | Automatic picks Line, not Bar | [Change the Type of Mark in the View](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_marktypes.htm) |
| Two inner measures | Automatic picks Shape | [Change the Type of Mark in the View](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_marktypes.htm) |
| Stacked bar | Dimension on Color; bar marks stack automatically | [Build a Bar Chart](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_bar.htm), [Change the Type of Mark in the View](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_marktypes.htm) |
| Continuous month across years | Month from the lower section of the date pill menu | [Building Line Charts](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_line.htm) |
| Scatter plot requirement | At least one measure on Columns and one on Rows | [Build a Scatter Plot](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_scatter.htm) |
| Dimensions plus measures on shelves | Measures are placed innermost | [Build a Scatter Plot](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_scatter.htm) |
| Detail on the Marks card | Separates marks without changing the table structure | [Control the Appearance of Marks in the View](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_markproperties.htm) |
| Trend line requirement | Both axes must hold a field interpreted as a number | [Add Trend Lines to a Visualization](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/trendlines_add.htm) |
| Trend lines on stacked bars | Not allowed | [Add Trend Lines to a Visualization](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/trendlines_add.htm) |

## Check yourself

- Why does a view with a date on Columns and a measure on Rows draw a line instead of bars?
- When are discrete date headers a better choice than a continuous axis for a line chart?
- What does Show Me do with the fields you selected?
- Which mark types can a scatter plot use besides its default Shape?

## Sources

- [Build a Bar Chart](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_bar.htm)
- [Building Line Charts](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_line.htm)
- [Build a Scatter Plot](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_scatter.htm)
- [Change the Type of Mark in the View](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_marktypes.htm)
- [Choose the Right Chart Type for Your Data](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/what_chart_example.htm)
- [Control the Appearance of Marks in the View](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/viewparts_marks_markproperties.htm)
- [Add Trend Lines to a Visualization](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/trendlines_add.htm)
- [Change Date Levels](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/dates_levels.htm)
- [Use Show Me to Start a View](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildauto_showme.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 7 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Desktop Foundations pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams