Tableau Desktop Foundations Practice Test

The process starts from the Data menu. Selecting the data source name under Data and then choosing Extract Data opens the Extract dialog, where you can optionally filter or aggregate before saving the .hyper file. Publishing through the Server menu, duplicating a worksheet, or exporting data do not create an extract; they either share the source, copy a view, or write a static export.

The correct answer is a line chart. Line charts are the primary method for displaying a continuous data series over a period of time, making them ideal for identifying trends, patterns, and fluctuations.

• A stacked bar chart is used to show part-to-whole relationships across categories.
• A scatter plot is used to show the relationship between two different measures.
• A highlight table is used to display precise numerical values in a tabular format, but it is less effective at visualizing trends.

The correct answer is that extracts provide improved dashboard performance. A Tableau data extract is a snapshot of data stored as an optimized .hyper file, which uses Tableau's high-performance, in-memory data engine. This allows for much faster query processing compared to sending queries to a potentially slow live database, directly addressing the performance issue described in the scenario.

• Access to real-time data is an advantage of a live connection, not an extract. Extracts are static snapshots and must be manually or scheduled to be refreshed to get updated data.
• The ability to work offline is a benefit of using an extract, but in the context of a slow database causing performance issues, the most significant advantage is the improvement in query speed.
• Reducing the query load on the source database is a secondary benefit of using an extract, but the primary advantage for the end-user and dashboard developer is the enhanced performance and responsiveness of the dashboard itself.

A hierarchy is created directly in the Data pane by dragging one dimension onto another. Dropping State on top of Country prompts Tableau to create a new hierarchy and nest State under Country; City can then be dragged into the same structure. Show Me does not build hierarchies, making a group combines members rather than creating drill-down levels, and placing fields on the Level of Detail shelf only adds them to the view without establishing any parent-child relationship.

In a worksheet, choose Analysis > Legends > Color Legend. This toggles the visibility of just the color legend card that was hidden. The other menu paths either reset all cards, apply only to dashboards, or open formatting options rather than reveal the color legend.

Tableau classifies fields based on how they are intended to behave in a view. Dimensions are categorical descriptors such as names, dates, or IDs. When placed on a shelf they are passed to the view exactly as stored, creating slices that segment the data-no aggregation is applied. Measures, in contrast, are quantitative fields. Tableau automatically applies an aggregation (by default SUM) to a measure the moment it is added to the view, producing a single numeric result for each dimensional combination. The incorrect options either reverse these behaviors, claim that colors (blue/green) necessarily imply aggregation, or suggest that field data types dictate the role, which is not true.

The correct action is to assign the 'State/Province' geographic role to the field. When a field containing location data is assigned a geographic role, Tableau generates the necessary latitude and longitude coordinates to plot the data on a map. Renaming the field or changing its data type will not enable Tableau to recognize it as geographic data. While a calculated field might sometimes be used for data cleaning or to resolve ambiguities, it is not the essential first step to enable mapping functionality.

Adding a dimension increases the level of detail in the view. Tableau therefore recalculates the aggregation for each distinct value of the new dimension, creating separate marks that each show the sum of Sales for one Region. The total bar is not retained, the numbers are not split evenly, and the aggregation type (SUM) does not change automatically-only its computation level changes.

Grand totals are added from the Analysis menu. Because the desired total is a single row that sums all values across the columns, you need a Row Grand Total. Choosing Analysis > Totals > Show Row Grand Totals inserts that extra bottom row. Filtering, changing chart type, or creating a set do not add any totals to the view.

When a dimension is added to a view that already contains an aggregated measure, it increases the level of detail. Tableau partitions, or breaks down, the measure based on the members of that dimension. In this scenario, the single SUM(Profit) value is recalculated for each individual region, resulting in multiple values. The aggregation type (SUM) does not change automatically, and the measure is not fully disaggregated unless specified.

The only workflow that reaches the underlying row-level records is to open the View Data window, switch to the Full Data tab (which shows the underlying data table), and then press Export All. The Worksheet > Export > Crosstab to Excel and Worksheet > Copy > Data commands only export the data that are currently displayed in the view (aggregated marks). File > Save As offers workbook formats, not a CSV of the data. Therefore the View Data > Full Data > Export All path is the correct choice.

A highlight action keeps all data visible but visually emphasizes marks that meet the selection criteria, dimming the rest. A filter action would remove non-matching marks from the target view, which is not required here. A URL action simply opens a web page or file and does not change the visualization. A change-parameter action updates a parameter value rather than directly affecting marks, so it would not highlight related marks across views.

The correct answer is "Entire Table". When adding a reference line in Tableau, the scope determines the level at which the reference value is calculated. "Entire Table" calculates the value using all the data in the view and displays one line across the whole table. "Per Pane" would calculate and display a separate line for each pane in the visualization. "Per Cell" would compute the value for each individual cell, which is the most granular level. "Per Axis" is not a valid scope option in the reference line settings.

The correct answer is Sequential. The Sequential animation style is best for showing a progression or story, as it animates changes in a step-by-step order: exiting marks are removed, existing marks move and sort, and then entering marks appear. The Simultaneous style animates all changes at once, which can be hard to follow for complex transitions like ranking changes. Dynamic and Incremental are not valid animation style options in Tableau.

Mapping data requires telling Tableau what kind of geographic entities the field contains. Choosing Geographic Role > State/Province assigns the correct role to the string values, displays the globe icon, and unlocks map capabilities. Merely renaming the field does not guarantee recognition, converting to a number removes the needed text values, and Data Interpreter does not set geographic roles.

Showing a field as a filter places an interactive control (such as a dropdown, slider, or checklist) on the dashboard. Viewers can then choose one or more values and Tableau re-queries the data source, redrawing every worksheet that uses the filter-exactly meeting the requirement to "dynamically restrict" the view. A data highlighter only emphasizes marks without hiding the others, animations affect visual transitions but not filtering, and a parameter control would require an additional calculated field before it could filter the view, making it a less direct solution.

The correct answer is a manual sort. A manual sort allows a user to arrange data in a fixed, user-defined order by dragging headers or labels. This method is used when a specific arrangement is needed that doesn't rely on data values or alphabetical order. A computed sort organizes data based on rules, such as sorting by the value of a field (e.g., profit) or alphabetically, which is not the desired outcome here. An alphabetical sort is a type of computed sort. A nested sort is used for sorting dimensions within other dimensions and is not the primary method for this scenario.

A .TDS file stores only the metadata of a data source-connection details plus customizations such as renamed fields, field aliases, default properties, and calculated fields. Because no visual or data-bearing content is saved, worksheet formatting (including custom color legends), individual worksheets, and any extracted rows are not included. Therefore, another user who connects to the .TDS will see the calculated field exactly as it was created, but none of the other listed items.

The Scope setting determines how widely a reference line is applied across the view. Choosing Per Pane draws the same reference line in every individual pane, so each pane has its own instance of the constant target. Entire Table would show one line spanning the whole view, while Per Cell would place a line in every cell of a crosstab. Per Row is not a valid scope choice in the reference line dialog.

The correct answer is that the date field is configured as a discrete date part. In Tableau, discrete date parts treat portions of a date as separate and distinct categories. When 'Quarter' is used as a discrete date part, it creates a header for each unique quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) and aggregates the measure (e.g., Sales) for that quarter across all years in the data.

A continuous date value would create a single, continuous axis showing the progression of time, such as 'Q1 2024', 'Q2 2024', 'Q3 2024', and so on, rather than aggregating all Q1s together. A date attribute is an aggregation type (ATTR) used to check for unique values and is not the primary configuration for this type of view. A date field is a dimension, not a measure, making 'continuous measure' incorrect.