Free Salesforce Tableau Desktop Foundations practice questions

Question 1

A field called Escalated at Universal Containers contains 0 and 1, and Tableau shows it as a continuous measure. The support manager wants the values to read No and Yes, but Aliases does not appear in the field's menu. What should the data analyst do?
A. Change the field's default aggregation to Count and then open the Aliases dialog
B. Rename the Escalated field in the Data pane so that its values read No and Yes
C. Assign the field a geographic role so that Tableau treats each value as a member
D. Convert the field to a discrete dimension, then edit the aliases for its values

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: D. Convert the field to a discrete dimension, then edit the aliases for its values
Aliases can be created only for members of discrete dimensions, not for measures, continuous dimensions or dates; Tableau Help suggests converting a 0/1 field to a discrete dimension and then aliasing its values. Changing the aggregation leaves it a measure. Geographic roles are for location data, not codes. Renaming changes the field's name, not the values it contains.

Question 2

Every time anyone at Northern Trail Outfitters drags Revenue into a new view, the dashboard author wants it to show as US dollars with two decimal places, without formatting each worksheet by hand. What should she do?
A. Right-click Revenue in the Data pane and set Default Properties > Number Format
B. Change the data type of Revenue to String and type the dollar sign into each value
C. Format the Revenue pill in the Format pane on the worksheet she is currently using
D. Set Default Properties > Aggregation on Revenue to Sum so the currency is shown

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: A. Right-click Revenue in the Data pane and set Default Properties > Number Format
Default Properties > Number Format in the Data pane sets the default format a field uses when it is added to a view, for example currency with two decimals. Formatting a pill on one worksheet doesn't set the field's default. Converting Revenue to a string would stop it working as a number. Aggregation controls how values are combined, not how they are displayed.

Question 3

A data analyst at Bloomington Caregivers is deciding between relationships and joins for a new data source. Which two statements about them are true? Choose 2 answers.
A. Joins merge physical tables into one table up front, which can duplicate or drop values
B. Relationships merge the related tables into a single flat table before any analysis begins
C. Relationships need only matching fields; Tableau picks the join type from the fields used in each view
D. Relationships can be defined on geographic fields such as City or Postal Code when needed
E. Joins are re-evaluated on every worksheet so their join type changes with the fields used

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: A. Joins merge physical tables into one table up front, which can duplicate or drop values | C. Relationships need only matching fields; Tableau picks the join type from the fields used in each view
Relationships require only matching field pairs; Tableau forms the appropriate joins at query time based on the fields in the viz, keeping tables separate at their native level of detail. Joins are fixed in the data source and merge physical tables into a single table, which can duplicate values or omit unmatched records. Relationships don't merge tables, and Tableau Help states that relationships can't be defined on geographic fields. Join types are static and do not change with the analytical context.

Question 4

A data analyst at AW Computing must hand a small extract of a 40-million-row orders table to the sales team. They only need the EMEA region, and many columns in the table are never used in any worksheet. Which two actions in Tableau Desktop reduce the size of the extract? Choose 2 answers.
A. Hide the unused fields, for example with Hide All Unused Fields, before creating the extract
B. Add an extract filter on Region in the Extract Data dialog that keeps only the EMEA value
C. Configure incremental refresh on the Order Date column so fewer rows are written each time
D. Save the data source as a packaged .tdsx file instead of a .tds file before extracting
E. Select the Physical Tables data storage option and then set the number of rows to Top N

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: A. Hide the unused fields, for example with Hide All Unused Fields, before creating the extract | B. Add an extract filter on Region in the Extract Data dialog that keeps only the EMEA value
Extract filters limit which rows are extracted, and Tableau Help notes that fields you hide are excluded from the extract, with Hide All Unused Fields removing them. Top N, filters and aggregation are disabled when you choose the Physical Tables storage option, so that combination isn't available. Incremental refresh only controls which new rows a refresh adds; the first extract still contains everything. A .tdsx bundles a copy of the data with the data source file and does not make the extract smaller.

Question 5

At Ursa Major Solar, a bar chart shows Installations by Panel Brand. The data analyst created a Panel Brand (group) field with one group, Tier 1 Brands, and every other brand still shows as its own bar. The procurement lead wants just two bars: Tier 1 Brands and all remaining brands combined. What should the analyst do?
A. Edit the group field and select Include 'Other' in the Edit Group dialog box
B. Filter Panel Brand (group) to keep only the Tier 1 Brands member in the view
C. Edit the aliases of the remaining brands so that each one of them reads Other
D. Build a hierarchy from the group field and collapse it to its top level only

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: A. Edit the group field and select Include 'Other' in the Edit Group dialog box
Tableau Help says the Include 'Other' option puts all remaining, non-grouped members into an Other group, which is useful for comparing specific groups against everything else; it is turned on by right-clicking the group field in the Data pane, selecting Edit Group and selecting Include 'Other'. Aliases only relabel members, so each brand would still be a separate member. Filtering to Tier 1 Brands removes the other brands instead of combining them. A hierarchy adds drill levels between fields and does not merge members.

Question 6

AW Computing shows SUM(Revenue) by YEAR(Order Date) as bars. The CFO wants each year's bar to show the percentage change from the previous year, and the data analyst wants to apply it in one click without writing a formula. Which quick table calculation should the analyst apply to SUM(Revenue)?
A. YTD Total, which adds each year's revenue to the running total for the years before it
B. Year over Year Growth, which compares each year's revenue with the year before it
C. Compound Growth Rate, which shows one constant rate from the first year
D. Percent of Total, which shows each year's share of revenue across all years in the view

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: B. Year over Year Growth, which compares each year's revenue with the year before it
Year over Year Growth is one of the quick table calculations and shows the percent change of each year compared with the previous year, which is exactly the CFO's request. YTD Total accumulates values within a year rather than comparing years. Percent of Total shows each year's share of the overall total, not its change. Compound Growth Rate expresses growth as a compounded rate from the start of the period, not the change from the immediately preceding year.

Question 7

Universal Containers wants a bar chart that compares the combined revenue of its top 10 customers with that of all other customers, and the top 10 must update automatically as orders change. What should the data analyst create?
A. A fixed set built by selecting the current top 10 customer marks in the view
B. A Top 10 filter on Customer Name so the view shows only the leading accounts
C. A dynamic set on Customer Name using the Top tab, shown as In/Out in the view
D. A group of the top 10 customers made from the Customer Name field headers

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: C. A dynamic set on Customer Name using the Top tab, shown as In/Out in the view
A dynamic set created from the Data pane with a limit on the Top tab changes membership as the underlying data changes, and showing it as In/Out splits customers into the top 10 and everyone else for comparison. A fixed set made from selected marks keeps the same members even when the data changes. A group is a static combination of the members chosen when it was made. A Top filter removes all other customers, so there is nothing left to compare against.

Question 8

A data analyst at AW Computing wants viewers to drill from Product Family down to Model in a view. Neither field is inside a Data pane folder. The analyst drags Model and drops it directly on top of Product Family in the Data pane. What happens next?
A. Tableau creates a combined field whose members join each family and model value
B. Tableau creates a relationship between the two fields on the Data Source page
C. Tableau prompts for a name and then creates a hierarchy that holds both fields
D. Tableau creates a group in Product Family whose members are the Model values

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: C. Tableau prompts for a name and then creates a hierarchy that holds both fields
In the Data pane, dropping a field directly on top of another field starts a hierarchy: Tableau prompts for a hierarchy name, and more fields can then be dragged in and reordered, after which the + and - icons drill between levels in the view. A combined field is created by selecting several dimensions and choosing Create > Combined Field, not by dropping one field on another. A group combines members of a single field rather than linking two fields as levels. Relationships are defined between logical tables on the Data Source page, not between fields in the Data pane.

Question 9

Northern Trail Outfitters has a map that shows one circle per state. The regional VP wants each state's area shaded by SUM(Profit) instead of showing circles. What should the data analyst do?
A. Change the mark type to Map and drag Profit to Color on the Marks card
B. Keep the Circle mark type and drag Profit to Size on the Marks card instead
C. Change the mark type to Density and drag Profit to Detail on the Marks card
D. Drag Profit to the Filters shelf and choose At Least as the range of values

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: A. Change the mark type to Map and drag Profit to Color on the Marks card
A filled (polygon) map is created by setting the mark type to Map, which fills each state's area, and placing a measure on Color shades each state by that value. Sizing circles by profit keeps a point (symbol) map rather than shading areas. A density mark groups many overlapping points into a color surface and is not meant for state-level shading. Filtering on profit removes states but does not shade anything.

Question 10

A data analyst at Ursa Major Solar is explaining sets to new colleagues before building views of installer performance in Tableau Desktop. Which two statements about sets are true? Choose 2 answers.
A. A set can be shown in In/Out mode only after the workbook is published to Tableau Cloud
B. The members of a fixed set refresh automatically whenever the underlying data changes
C. A dynamic set can combine several dimensions, such as Region and Installer Name, in each member
D. When a set is in In/Out mode, its field on the shelf is prefaced by IN/OUT and the set name
E. A fixed set can combine several dimensions, such as Region and Installer Name, in each member

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: D. When a set is in In/Out mode, its field on the shelf is prefaced by IN/OUT and the set name | E. A fixed set can combine several dimensions, such as Region and Installer Name, in each member
Tableau Help states that a fixed set can be based on a single dimension or multiple dimensions, and that when a set is in In/Out mode the field on the shelf is prefaced by IN/OUT followed by the set name. Dynamic sets can be based on only a single dimension. Fixed set members do not change, even when the underlying data changes; it is dynamic sets whose members change. In/Out mode is available in Tableau Desktop, and it is the only mode on Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, so publishing is not required.

Question 11

A data analyst at Bloomington Caregivers created Visit Minutes (bin) from the Visit Minutes measure, placed the bin on Columns and CNT(Visit Minutes) on Rows. The chart shows one column header per bin, but the care director wants a continuous x-axis like the histogram that Show Me builds. What should the analyst do?
A. Edit Visit Minutes (bin) and set the bin size to 1 so each value has a bar
B. Convert the Visit Minutes measure to a dimension before using it on Rows
C. Change the aggregation of Visit Minutes on the Rows shelf from Count to Sum
D. Convert Visit Minutes (bin) to continuous in the Data pane and use it on Columns

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: D. Convert Visit Minutes (bin) to continuous in the Data pane and use it on Columns
Creating bins from a measure creates a new discrete dimension, so it produces headers; Tableau Help notes that once the binned dimension is created it can be converted to continuous, which gives the continuous axis that a histogram uses. Changing Count to Sum would show total minutes per bin instead of how many visits fall in each range. Making Visit Minutes a dimension would stop it being counted on Rows. A bin size of 1 changes the width of the ranges but keeps headers instead of an axis.

Question 12

A dashboard author at AW Computing has turned on animations for a workbook. During testing in Tableau Desktop, some parts of the views change instantly without any animation. Which three parts of a view does Tableau not animate? Choose 3 answers.
A. Bar marks that move into a new order after a sort
B. Circle marks on a scatter plot after a filter change
C. Pie marks that change when a filter is applied
D. Text marks that update after a parameter change
E. Reference lines and trend lines on an axis

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: C. Pie marks that change when a filter is applied | D. Text marks that update after a parameter change | E. Reference lines and trend lines on an axis
Tableau's animation documentation lists the features that don't animate: pie and text marks, headers, forecasts, trends and reference lines, page history trails, and in web browsers maps, polygons and density marks. That is why the pie marks, the text marks and the reference and trend lines change instantly. Bars re-sorting and circle marks responding to a filter are standard mark transitions that animations are designed to show, so both animate.

Question 13

A data analyst at Cloud Kicks needs a reusable PNG file of one worksheet to insert into several reports, choosing which parts such as the title and legend to include. What should the analyst do in Tableau Desktop?
A. Choose Analysis > View Data and click Download to save the view as a PNG image
B. Choose Worksheet > Copy > Image and paste it into an image editing tool to save it
C. Choose Worksheet > Export > Image, pick the elements, and save the file as .png
D. Choose File > Export as PowerPoint and then save the slide picture as a PNG file

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: C. Choose Worksheet > Export > Image, pick the elements, and save the file as .png
Worksheet > Export > Image lets you choose the elements to include and save the view as a BMP, JPEG, PNG or SVG file you can reuse. Worksheet > Copy > Image places a BMP (Windows) or TIFF (macOS) image on the clipboard rather than creating a file. Exporting to PowerPoint creates a presentation, which adds unnecessary steps. View Data downloads the underlying data as a CSV file, not a picture of the view.

Question 14

A data analyst at Northern Trail Outfitters places the discrete Product Department dimension (Footwear, Camping, Apparel and so on) on Size in a circle view. A reviewer says the encoding could mislead viewers. Why, and what is a better choice?
A. Size suggests an order from small to large that departments lack; use Color or Shape for the field
B. Discrete fields cannot be placed on Size, so Tableau converts the field to a measure; drag it to Detail
C. Size encoding hides the size legend for discrete fields, so viewers cannot decode it; drag it to Label
D. Size on a discrete field merges the circles into one mark per view; drag the field to Filters instead

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: A. Size suggests an order from small to large that departments lack; use Color or Shape for the field
Tableau assigns a unique size to each member of a discrete field on Size, but because size has an inherent order from small to big, categorical sizes work best for ordered data such as years or quarters; unordered departments are better shown with a categorical palette on Color or with Shape. Discrete fields can be placed on Size, and Tableau then separates the marks by member like Detail does. Tableau displays a size legend for discrete fields. The marks are separated per member, not merged into one.

Question 15

A data analyst at AW Computing has built three worksheets and creates a new dashboard to combine them. How should the analyst add the worksheets to the dashboard?
A. Drag a Web Page object onto the dashboard and enter the URL of each worksheet
B. Copy each worksheet with Copy Dashboard Item and paste it onto the dashboard
C. Drag a Navigation object onto the dashboard and point it at each worksheet
D. Drag each worksheet from the Sheets list on the left onto the dashboard canvas

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: D. Drag each worksheet from the Sheets list on the left onto the dashboard canvas
Worksheets are added by dragging them from the Sheets list in the Dashboard pane onto the dashboard. Sheets in a dashboard are among the items that cannot be copied and pasted as dashboard items. A Navigation object is a button that takes viewers to another sheet; it does not place the sheet on the dashboard. Web Page objects show external web pages, not worksheets from the same workbook.

Question 16

A data analyst at Get Cloudy Consulting is deciding between a discrete date part and a continuous date value for Invoice Date on a trend chart. Which two statements are true? Choose 2 answers.
A. A continuous date value combines one month from every year into one mark
B. By default, dates come into the view as continuous values with green pills
C. A discrete date part draws an axis whose tick marks need not match marks
D. A continuous date value is a truncated date that creates an axis
E. A discrete date part creates labeled headers, such as 2024 and 2025

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: D. A continuous date value is a truncated date that creates an axis | E. A discrete date part creates labeled headers, such as 2024 and 2025
Date parts are discrete and create labels, or headers, in the view, while continuous date values use date truncations such as March 2020 and create an axis. Combining the same month from every year is what a discrete date part does, not a continuous date value. A discrete date part creates headers, not an axis. By default, dates come into the view as discrete fields, so they are blue unless changed.

Question 17

A data analyst at Northern Trail Outfitters drags Shipping Cost from the measures area of the Data pane onto Rows, and the field on the shelf now reads SUM(Shipping Cost). Why does Tableau change the field this way?
A. Tableau sums every field placed on Rows, whether the field is a dimension or a measure
B. Shipping Cost is a measure, and Tableau aggregates measures when they are added to a view
C. Shipping Cost is a dimension, and Tableau sums dimensions so each value is listed once
D. Shipping Cost is discrete, and Tableau sums discrete fields so that it can draw headers

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: B. Shipping Cost is a measure, and Tableau aggregates measures when they are added to a view
Measures hold numeric values, and when a measure is dragged into the view Tableau applies an aggregation, shown before the field name as in SUM(Shipping Cost). Tableau does not aggregate dimensions placed on a shelf; they group the data instead. Not every field on Rows is summed, since dimensions there create headers. Shipping Cost on Rows here is continuous, which is why it draws an axis, and discreteness is not the reason for the SUM.

Question 18

Cloud Kicks has a view with a single bar showing SUM(Sales) of $2.4 million. The data analyst drags Region, which has four members, to Rows. What happens to SUM(Sales)?
A. The bar becomes a count of regions, because a new dimension changes the aggregation
B. Each of the four bars shows $2.4 million, because the aggregation ignores the dimension
C. The four bars each show $600,000, because Tableau splits the total evenly by member
D. It is computed for each region, so four bars appear that together total $2.4 million

Accepted Answer

Correct answer: D. It is computed for each region, so four bars appear that together total $2.4 million
Adding a dimension increases the level of detail, so Tableau computes SUM(Sales) separately for the rows in each region, giving four bars that add up to the $2.4 million total. The aggregation does respond to the dimension, so the bars do not each repeat the grand total. Tableau aggregates each region's actual rows rather than dividing the total evenly. Adding a dimension does not change the measure's aggregation type.

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