Exploring and Analyzing Data37% of the exam
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.
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).
~8 min read · 7 practice questions ·
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
Bar chart field arrangement
- Detail
- A dimension on Rows and a measure on Columns, or vice versa
Date dimension plus a measure
- Detail
- Automatic picks Line, not Bar
Two inner measures
- Detail
- Automatic picks Shape
Stacked bar
- Detail
- Dimension on Color; bar marks stack automatically
Continuous month across years
- Detail
- Month from the lower section of the date pill menu
Scatter plot requirement
- Detail
- At least one measure on Columns and one on Rows
Dimensions plus measures on shelves
- Detail
- Measures are placed innermost
Detail on the Marks card
- Detail
- Separates marks without changing the table structure
Trend line requirement
- Detail
- Both axes must hold a field interpreted as a number
Trend lines on stacked bars
- Detail
- Not allowed
Sources for this section (6)
- Build a Bar Charthelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Change the Type of Mark in the Viewhelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Building Line Chartshelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Build a Scatter Plothelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Control the Appearance of Marks in the Viewhelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Add Trend Lines to a Visualizationhelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- 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?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
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