Tableau Desktop Foundations Practice Test

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.

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 you create bins, Tableau generates a separate field containing the bin ranges. That field is placed in the Dimensions area because each bin represents a discrete category (a range label such as "0-4" or "5-9"). Although the underlying values are numeric, the field is treated as a discrete dimension, which you can drag to Columns or Rows to build the histogram. It is not left as a continuous measure, converted to a parameter, or defined as a table calculation.

A packaged workbook (.twbx) bundles the workbook XML together with any extracts, background images, custom shapes, and local file data sources, so recipients can open the file without separate assets. A .twb contains only XML references, a .hyper holds just the extract data, and a .tds is a standalone data-source definition-none of these include the needed external resources.

To stack the bars by a second dimension, you need to encode that dimension on the Marks card so Tableau layers its members within each bar. Dragging the discrete dimension Region to the Color shelf causes Tableau to draw one colored segment per Region and stack those segments vertically (because the mark type is Bar). Moving Region to Size or Shape changes mark properties but does not produce stacking, while adding Region to Columns creates separate side-by-side bars. Adding another measure simply creates a dual-axis or combined view, not a stacked bar.

Drag the Ship Mode dimension to the Shape button on the Marks card. Doing so separates the marks by the members of Ship Mode and assigns a distinct shape to each member, which you can customize via the Shape legend. Dragging Ship Mode to Detail only adds it to the level of detail and leaves all marks with the default shape. Setting a default shape through Default Properties defines which shapes will appear once the field is placed on Shape, but it does not encode shapes in a view where the dimension is not already on the Shape card. The Format > Shading command affects background shading, not mark shapes.

The setting named "Aggregate for visible dimensions" tells Tableau to collapse the underlying rows down to the dimensions that are currently used in the view and then store only the aggregated results in the .hyper file. Because far fewer rows are written, the extract is smaller and refreshes more quickly. Options like "Include hidden fields", "Use Data Interpreter", or "Enforce referential integrity" do not perform row aggregation; they either add additional metadata to the extract or prepare the data in other ways, so they would not significantly shrink the file through summarization.

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.

Dragging one table directly below another in the physical layer until the prompt "Drag table to union" appears tells Tableau to create a union, not a join or relationship. A union appends the rows of the two tables; columns must match by name or will contain nulls when they don't. Joins, shown with a Venn-diagram icon when you drag tables side-by-side, combine rows horizontally on matching fields. Relationships are defined at the logical layer and defer joins until query time. Data blending links separate data sources in a worksheet and never occurs in the Data Source canvas. Therefore, Tableau creates a union in this scenario.

Continuous fields in Tableau are represented by green pills. When placed on the Rows or Columns shelf, they generate a continuous axis that shows the full quantitative range of values. This contrasts with discrete (blue) fields, which create individual headers for each distinct value. Continuous fields are not automatically converted to dimensions, and they do not appear as a single mark unless further aggregated or filtered.

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 formula is [First Name] + " " + [Last Name]. In Tableau, the plus (+) operator is used to concatenate (combine) string values. To add a literal space between the first and last names, the space character must be enclosed in quotes and included in the calculation.

The formula [First Name] + [Last Name] is incorrect as it will combine the strings without a space, resulting in a format like 'JohnSmith'. The ampersand (&) operator is used for concatenation in other applications like Power BI, not Tableau. While Tableau has many built-in string functions, CONCATENATE() is not the standard operator for this simple arithmetic, and the plus (+) operator is the correct choice.

Dragging one dimension directly onto another in the Data pane creates a new hierarchy containing the two fields. Tableau immediately opens a small dialog that lets you accept or change the automatically generated name, which defaults to the two field names separated by a comma (for example, "Region, Sub-Region"). None of the other actions generate a hierarchy: creating a calculated field makes a new field, creating a parameter builds an independent control, and changing the geographic role only reclassifies a field's data type.

Choosing Add to Saved Data Sources creates a .tds file that stores only metadata-field names, aliases, default properties, calculations, joins, and connection information-without including the actual data. Saving a workbook (.twb or .twbx) keeps the metadata but ties it to the current workbook; a packaged workbook (.twbx) also includes data. Exporting a .hyper extract or packaging the data source as a .tdsx both embed data, which the scenario specifically aims to avoid.

A relative date filter supports multiple pre-built periods such as Today, Yesterday, Year to Date, Previous Quarter, and also lets the user select a Custom range. Displaying this filter to users therefore satisfies all requested scenarios with one filter. A discrete date part filter restricts selection to a single part (for example, just years), a context filter combined with a parameter still needs an additional calculated field, and a Top N filter is designed for ranking, not dates.

In Tableau, the color of the pill indicates whether a field is discrete (blue) or continuous (green). When a date field is set to discrete, it is treated as a categorical value. This means Tableau separates the date into its component parts (like year, quarter, or month). When placed on the Rows or Columns shelf, these discrete date parts create individual headers or labels for each member, which helps in comparing distinct time periods. A continuous date field (green pill), on the other hand, creates a single, unbroken axis that is useful for viewing trends over time.

Assigning an alias changes only how the selected member of a discrete dimension appears in the view; the value stored in the database or extract stays the same. In Tableau Desktop you can open the Edit Aliases dialog by right-clicking the dimension (in the Data pane or on a discrete pill) and mapping "NY" to a friendlier label such as "New York". Data Interpreter is designed to identify headers and subtables in Excel-style files; it cannot relabel individual member values. Renaming a field modifies the field's display name for all members, not a single value, and Replace Data Source switches entire connections rather than value-level labels.

Measures in Tableau contain numeric, quantitative values that you can perform mathematical calculations on. When connecting to a data source, Tableau automatically assigns fields like sales or profit as measures because they contain values that can be measured and aggregated. Qualitative attributes, temporal data, and categorical data are typically assigned as dimensions because they are used to categorize, segment, and provide context to the data.

The correct answer is SUM. When a measure is dragged into a view, Tableau's default behavior is to aggregate it as a sum (SUM). While AVG (Average), MEDIAN, and ATTR (Attribute) are all valid aggregations in Tableau, they are not the default and must be selected manually by the user.

The Percent of Total quick table calculation divides each mark's value by the total for all marks in the partition, returning a ratio between 0 and 1 (or 0%-100%). Running Total shows cumulative values, Moving Average smooths trends, and Difference From highlights change between points; none of those calculate a share of the whole.