Tableau Interview Questions

1. What is Tableau?

2. What are the key features of Tableau?

3. What is a Tableau workbook

4. What is a Tableau worksheet?

5. What is a Tableau dashboard?

6. What is data blending in Tableau

7. What is a Tableau extract?

8. How do you improve performance in Tableau?

9. What is a Tableau parameter?

10. What is a Tableau calculated field?

11. What is the difference between a dimension and a measure in Tableau?

12. How do you create a map in Tableau?

13. What is the difference between a quick filter and a normal filter in Tableau?

14. What is a Tableau story?

15. How do you publish a Tableau workbook?

16. How can you schedule a Tableau workbook to refresh data?

17. What is the Tableau Desktop?

18. What is Tableau Prep?

19. What is Tableau Server?

20. What is Tableau Online?

21. What is a Tableau extract?

22. What is Tableau Reader?

23. What is a Tableau dashboard?

24. What is Tableau Prep Builder?

25. What is a Tableau join?

26. What is the difference between dimensions and measures in Tableau?

27. Can a measure be converted into a dimension in Tableau?

28. How do you decide which data fields to use as dimensions and measures in Tableau?

29. What is the difference between a continuous and a discrete field in Tableau?

30. Can you create a calculated field using a combination of dimensions and measures in Tableau?

31. What is a combined axis in Tableau?

32. How do you create an area chart in Tableau?

33. Can you combine an area chart with other chart types in Tableau?

34. What are some best practices for designing effective area charts in Tableau?
35. What are some common uses of bar charts in Tableau?

36. What are some common uses of line charts in Tableau?

37. What are some common uses of scatter plots in Tableau?

38. What are some common uses of maps in Tableau?

39. What are some common uses of heat maps in Tableau?

40. What are the default properties of fields in Tableau?

41. What are some common types of filters in Tableau?

42. What is the difference between a dimension filter and a measure filter in Tableau?

43. What are calculated fields in Tableau?

44. What is the syntax for creating a calculated field in Tableau?

45. What are data functions in Tableau?

46. What is the difference between a table calculation and a data function in Tableau?

47. What are text functions in Tableau?

48. How do you use the UPPER function in Tableau?

49. How do you use the REPLACE function in Tableau?

50. How do you use the TRIM function in Tableau?

51. How do you use the SPLIT function in Tableau?

52. What are the different sorting options available in Tableau?

53. How do you perform a manual sort in Tableau?

54. How do you perform an ascending sort in Tableau?

55. How do you perform a descending sort in Tableau?

56. How do you sort data based on multiple fields in Tableau?

57. How do you sort data based on an aggregated value in Tableau?

58. What are reference lines in Tableau?

59. How do you add a reference line in Tableau?

60. What are trend lines in Tableau?

61. How do you add a trend line in Tableau?

62. Can you add multiple reference lines or trend lines to a chart in Tableau?

63. How can you use reference lines and trend lines to enhance your analysis in Tableau?

64. What is a Pareto chart in Tableau?

65. How do you create a Pareto chart in Tableau?

66. What is a waterfall chart in Tableau?

67. How do you create a waterfall chart in Tableau?

68. How can you use a Pareto chart or a waterfall chart to enhance your analysis in Tableau?

69. What is a dashboard in Tableau?

70. How do you create a dashboard in Tableau?

71. What are some best practices for designing effective dashboards in Tableau?

72. How can you optimize the performance of a Tableau dashboard?

73. Can you embed a Tableau dashboard in a website or other application?

74. What are actions in Tableau?

75. What types of actions are available in Tableau?

76. How do you create an action in Tableau?

77. Can you customize the appearance of an action in Tableau?

78. How can you use actions to improve the user experience in a Tableau dashboard?

79. How can you optimize a Tableau dashboard for mobile devices?

80. How do you create a mobile layout in Tableau?

81. Can you create a different dashboard for mobile devices and desktop devices in Tableau?

82. How can you test the mobile compatibility of a Tableau dashboard?

83. What are some common challenges when designing Tableau dashboards for mobile devices?

84. What is a Tableau story?

85. What are the elements of a Tableau story?

86. What is the difference between a Tableau dashboard and a Tableau story?

87. Can you customize the layout and design of a Tableau story?

88. How can you create a compelling Tableau story?

89. What is a Tableau union?

90. What are the advantages of using a Tableau union?

91. What is the difference between a Tableau union and a Tableau join?

92. How do you create a Tableau union?

93. What are the limitations of a Tableau union?

94. Can you undo a Tableau union?

95. What is a Tableau join?

96. What are the different types of Tableau joins?

97. How do you create a Tableau join?

98. What is the difference between a Tableau join and a Tableau blend?

99. What are the limitations of a Tableau join?

100. How do you improve the performance of a Tableau join?

101. What is data blending in Tableau?

102. How is data blending different from data joining in Tableau?

103. What are the advantages of using data blending in Tableau?

104. What are the limitations of using data blending in Tableau?

105. How do you set up data blending in Tableau?

106. What is Fixed LOD in Tableau

107. How does Fixed LOD differ from regular aggregation in Tableau?

108. What is an example of using Fixed LOD in Tableau?

109. What is Include LOD in Tableau?

110. What is Exclude LOD in Tableau?

Here’s a comprehensive explanation of each Tableau-related interview question along with simple answers and 3
examples or syntax wherever applicable. Since there are many questions, I'll provide concise answers for each,
grouped into related categories.

Introduction and Features

1. What is Tableau?
Tableau is a data visualization tool used for creating interactive dashboards and reports from various data
sources.
2. What are the key features of Tableau?
o Drag-and-drop interface.
o Supports various data sources.
o Interactive dashboards.

Examples: Connect to Excel, SQL Server, and CSV files.

Components of Tableau

3. What is a Tableau workbook?

A file containing multiple sheets, dashboards, or stories.
4. What is a Tableau worksheet?
A single view for visualizing data.
5. What is a Tableau dashboard?
A combination of multiple views on one screen.
6. What is a Tableau story?
A sequence of sheets that conveys a narrative.

Data Handling in Tableau

7. What is data blending in Tableau?

Combining data from different data sources.
8. What is a Tableau extract?
A snapshot of data saved for performance optimization.

Examples:

o Connect to live data.

o Extract data for performance.
o Schedule extract refreshes.
 9. How do you improve performance in Tableau?
o Use extracts instead of live connections.
o Optimize calculations.
o Limit data in views.
10. What is a Tableau parameter?
A dynamic value used to modify calculations or filters.

Example: Dropdown filter for selecting regions.

Data Calculations and Fields

11. What is a Tableau calculated field?

A field created using expressions to derive new insights.

Example Syntax:

o IF [Sales] > 100 THEN "High" ELSE "Low" END

o [Profit] / [Sales]
o DATEADD('month', 3, [Order Date])
12. What is the difference between a dimension and a measure in Tableau?
o Dimension: Categorical data.
o Measure: Numeric, used for aggregation.
13. Can a measure be converted into a dimension in Tableau?
Yes, by changing its type.

Visualizations

14. How do you create a map in Tableau?

o Drag a geographical field (like Country) to the view.
o Use Map view type.
15. What is a combined axis in Tableau?
A view combining multiple measures on one axis.

Example: Combine Sales and Profit on a single axis.

16. How do you create an area chart in Tableau?

o Drag dimensions to Rows and Measures to Columns.
o Choose Area Chart from the Marks dropdown.

Filters and Sorting

17. What are some common types of filters in Tableau?

o Dimension filters.
o Measure filters.
o Context filters.
18. What is the difference between a quick filter and a normal filter in Tableau?
o Quick filter: User-controlled.
o Normal filter: Applied directly.
19. How do you sort data based on multiple fields in Tableau?
o Use the Sort option in the toolbar.
o Choose fields to sort by.
Dashboards and Actions

20. How do you create a dashboard in Tableau?

Drag sheets onto a blank dashboard canvas.
21. What are actions in Tableau?
User interactions like filtering or highlighting.
22. How can you optimize the performance of a Tableau dashboard?
o Use extracts.
o Minimize visual elements.
o Aggregate data.
23. How can you embed a Tableau dashboard in a website?
Use the embed code generated in Tableau Server or Tableau Online.

Advanced Concepts

24. What is Fixed LOD in Tableau?

A level of detail calculation ignoring view-level filters.
Syntax: { FIXED [Region] : SUM([Sales]) }
25. What is Include LOD in Tableau?
Includes extra dimensions in aggregations.
Syntax: { INCLUDE [Category] : AVG([Profit]) }
26. What is Exclude LOD in Tableau?
Excludes dimensions in aggregations.
Syntax: { EXCLUDE [Segment] : SUM([Sales]) }

Joins, Unions, and Blending

27. What is a Tableau join?

Combining data from two tables using keys.
28. What are the different types of Tableau joins?
o Inner Join.
o Left Join.
o Right Join.
o Full Outer Join.
29. What is the difference between a Tableau union and a Tableau join?
o Union: Combines rows.
o Join: Combines columns.

Common Visualizations

30. What are some common uses of bar charts in Tableau?

o Comparing categories.
o Highlighting trends.
o Summarizing data.
31. What are some common uses of scatter plots in Tableau?
o Identifying correlations.
o Comparing two measures.
o Clustering data points.
 32. What is a Pareto chart in Tableau?
A combined bar and line chart showing cumulative values.
33. What is a waterfall chart in Tableau?
A chart showing the cumulative effect of sequential values.

Best Practices

34. What are some best practices for designing Tableau dashboards?
o Use a clean layout.
o Focus on key insights.
o Optimize performance.
35. How can you optimize a Tableau dashboard for mobile devices?
o Use responsive design.
o Create a dedicated mobile layout.
o Test on multiple devices.

Functions in Tableau

36. What are text functions in Tableau?

Functions for manipulating text data.

Examples:

o UPPER([Name]): Converts to uppercase.

o TRIM([Name]): Removes spaces.
o SPLIT([Email], "@", 1): Splits text.
37. What are reference lines in Tableau?
Lines added to charts for context.
38. What are trend lines in Tableau?
Lines showing patterns or trends in data.

This list is long, so I provided concise explanations. Let me know if you’d like a deeper dive into any specific
section!

Let’s start with detailed explanations of some important Tableau topics. I’ll cover these in a bit more depth with
examples and syntax. Let me know which one you'd like to expand on further.

1. Level of Detail (LOD) Calculations

LOD calculations are used to compute values at specific granularities regardless of the view's level of detail.

Types of LODs

 FIXED LOD: Ignores filters and calculates based on the specified dimension.
 INCLUDE LOD: Includes additional dimensions in the calculation.
 EXCLUDE LOD: Excludes certain dimensions.
Examples and Syntax

1. FIXED LOD
Use Case: Find total sales per region, ignoring filters.
Syntax:
2. { FIXED [Region] : SUM([Sales]) }

Example:
If the view is filtered to "East," FIXED LOD will still calculate the total sales for all regions.

3. INCLUDE LOD
Use Case: Add a finer level of detail to the calculation, such as adding Category to sales by Region.
Syntax:
4. { INCLUDE [Category] : SUM([Sales]) }

Example: If Region is in the view, this LOD adds Category to calculate sales by both dimensions.

5. EXCLUDE LOD
Use Case: Remove a dimension from the view for the calculation.
Syntax:
6. { EXCLUDE [Segment] : SUM([Sales]) }

Example: Calculate total sales across all Segments while displaying Region and Category.

2. Creating Visualizations

1. Maps

Steps to Create a Map in Tableau:

 Drag a geographical field like State or Country to the Columns or Rows shelf.
 Add Sales or another measure to the Size or Color field.
 Use the Map mark type.

Example Syntax:

1. Basic Map:
o State to Rows.
o Sales to Color.
2. Filled Map:
o Select Map > Background Layers to adjust layers.

2. Area Charts

Steps:

 Drag a dimension (e.g., Date) to Columns.

 Drag a measure (e.g., Sales) to Rows.
 Select Area Chart from the Marks dropdown.

Example Syntax:

 Order Date on Columns, Sales on Rows, and select Area Chart.

3. Joins and Data Blending

Joins

Joins combine two tables into one based on a key field.

Types of Joins in Tableau:

 Inner Join: Matches rows in both tables.

 Left Join: All rows from the left table + matching rows from the right.
 Right Join: All rows from the right table + matching rows from the left.
 Full Outer Join: All rows from both tables.

Example Syntax:

Table1: [Region, Sales]

Table2: [Region, Profit]

Join them on Region:

1. Inner Join: Returns only matching regions.

2. Left Join: Includes all regions from Table1.
3. Right Join: Includes all regions from Table2.

4. Dashboard Optimization and Design

Best Practices:

1. Layout:
o Use a logical arrangement of visualizations.
o Keep key insights at the top or center.
2. Filters:
o Use context filters to limit data shown.
o Minimize cascading filters for better performance.
3. Performance Optimization:
o Avoid high-granularity data.
o Aggregate data whenever possible.

Example: Use parameter actions instead of multiple filters for interactivity.

5. Data Filters

Types of Filters:

1. Dimension Filter: Filters categorical data.

2. Measure Filter: Filters numeric values (e.g., Profit > 1000).
3. Context Filter: Prioritizes the order of filters.

Difference Between Quick Filter and Normal Filter

 Quick Filter: User-visible dropdowns.

 Normal Filter: Applied without user interaction.
6. Advanced Concepts

Trend Lines

Use Case: Show linear or polynomial trends in data.

Steps:

 Create a scatterplot or line chart.

 Go to Analytics Pane > Drag Trend Line.

Reference Lines

Use Case: Add constant lines (e.g., sales targets).

Steps:

 Go to Analytics Pane > Drag Reference Line.

Let me know which part of these explanations needs further elaboration, or if you'd like me to dive into another
section!

Let’s dive deeper into specific sections step by step with detailed explanations, examples, and syntax.

1. Level of Detail (LOD) Calculations

LOD expressions allow calculations at a specific level of granularity.

FIXED LOD

Calculates values at the specified level of detail, ignoring filters in the view.

Syntax:

{ FIXED [Dimension] : Aggregate([Measure]) }

Example 1: Fixed Sales by Region

{ FIXED [Region] : SUM([Sales]) }

 This calculates total sales for each region, regardless of filters in the view.

Example 2: Fixed Customer Count

{ FIXED [Customer ID] : COUNTD([Order ID]) }

 This counts distinct orders for each customer.

Example 3: Fixed Sales Across All Categories

{ FIXED : SUM([Sales]) }

 Ignores all dimensions and calculates total sales.

INCLUDE LOD

Includes additional dimensions in the calculation.

Syntax:

{ INCLUDE [Dimension] : Aggregate([Measure]) }

Example 1: Average Sales by Category and Sub-Category

{ INCLUDE [Sub-Category] : AVG([Sales]) }

 Adds Sub-Category to the view's level of detail.

Example 2: Profit Contribution by Region and Product

{ INCLUDE [Product] : SUM([Profit]) }

EXCLUDE LOD

Excludes certain dimensions from the calculation.

Syntax:

{ EXCLUDE [Dimension] : Aggregate([Measure]) }

Example 1: Total Sales Excluding Sub-Category

{ EXCLUDE [Sub-Category] : SUM([Sales]) }

 Removes Sub-Category while keeping other dimensions.

Example 2: Average Profit Excluding Region

{ EXCLUDE [Region] : AVG([Profit]) }

2. Creating Visualizations

Maps

Maps are useful for geospatial analysis.

Steps to Create a Map:

1. Drag a geographic field like State to the Columns or Rows shelf.

2. Add a measure like Sales to Size or Color.
3. Choose the Map option from the Marks dropdown.

Example 1: Sales by Country

 Drag Country to Rows.

 Drag Sales to Color.

Example 2: Profit by State

 Drag State to the view.

  Drag Profit to Size and Color.

Area Charts

Area charts show cumulative trends.

Steps to Create an Area Chart:

1. Drag Order Date to Columns.

2. Drag Sales to Rows.
3. Select Area Chart from the Marks dropdown.

Example 1: Monthly Sales Trend

 Place Month(Order Date) on Columns.

 Use SUM(Sales) for Rows.

Example 2: Cumulative Profit by Region

 Drag Region to Columns.

 Drag SUM(Profit) to Rows and select Area Chart.

3. Joins vs. Data Blending

Joins

Combine tables by merging columns.

Types of Joins:

1. Inner Join: Keeps only matching rows.

2. Left Join: All rows from the left table + matching rows from the right.
3. Right Join: All rows from the right table + matching rows from the left.
4. Full Outer Join: All rows from both tables.

Example Syntax:

Table1: [Region, Sales]

Table2: [Region, Profit]

Join on [Region]
Data Blending

Combines data from different sources. It requires a primary and secondary data source.

Steps for Blending:

1. Define relationships between fields.

2. Use a link icon to activate blending.

Example Use Case: Combine sales data from SQL Server with demographic data from Excel.
4. Filters and Sorting

Filters

Types of Filters:

1. Dimension Filter: Filters based on dimensions.

2. Measure Filter: Filters numeric data (e.g., Sales > 1000).
3. Context Filter: Prioritizes filter execution order.

Example Syntax:

1. Dimension Filter:
o Drag Category to Filters and select specific categories.
2. Measure Filter:
o Drag Profit to Filters and set it to > 5000.
3. Context Filter:
o Right-click a filter and set it as a context filter.

Sorting

Sorts data in ascending or descending order.

Example Syntax:

1. Manual Sort:
o Drag the desired field to the view.
o Right-click > Sort.
2. Sort by Field:
o Sort Category by SUM(Sales).

5. Dashboard Best Practices

Tips for Effective Dashboards:

1. Keep It Simple: Focus on key insights.

2. Use Filters Wisely: Avoid overloading with filters.
3. Test Performance: Optimize queries and visualizations.

Next Steps

I can further expand on:

 Specific LOD calculation scenarios.

 Advanced visualizations like Pareto and Waterfall charts.
 Dashboard interactivity using Actions.

Let me know what you'd like next!

Great! Let’s move forward with more detailed sections. I’ll focus on some advanced Tableau concepts and
examples that are practical for interviews.
1. Advanced LOD Calculation Scenarios

Use Case: Fixed Sales by Region Across All Time Periods

When filters are applied to the view (e.g., specific years), the fixed LOD calculation will ignore them and show
sales for all time periods.

Syntax Example:

{ FIXED [Region] : SUM([Sales]) }

Use Case: Include Sub-Category in Calculations

If Region is in the view, use INCLUDE to add Sub-Category into the aggregation for finer granularity.

Syntax Example:

{ INCLUDE [Sub-Category] : AVG([Profit]) }

Use Case: Exclude Customer Segment for Regional Analysis

If Segment is in the view but you want to calculate sales without segment-level granularity:

Syntax Example:

{ EXCLUDE [Segment] : SUM([Sales]) }

2. Creating Advanced Visualizations

Pareto Chart

A Pareto chart shows the cumulative effect of the most significant factors.

Steps to Create a Pareto Chart:

1. Drag Sub-Category to Columns.

2. Drag Sales to Rows.
3. Add a table calculation for the cumulative sum of Sales.
4. Add a secondary axis for the percentage of total sales.

Example Output:

 The left axis shows cumulative sales.

 The right axis shows the percentage of total sales.

Waterfall Chart

Waterfall charts visually show how incremental changes contribute to a total.

Steps to Create a Waterfall Chart:

1. Drag Dimension (e.g., Month) to Columns.

2. Drag Measure (e.g., Profit) to Rows.
3. Use the Gantt Bar mark type and compute running totals.
Example Syntax:

RUNNING_SUM(SUM([Profit]))

3. Dashboard Interactivity Using Actions

Filter Actions

Allow users to filter one visualization based on another.

Steps:

1. Create a dashboard with multiple visualizations.

2. Go to Dashboard > Actions > Add Action > Filter.
3. Specify the source sheet and target sheet.

Example Use Case:

Clicking on a bar chart for Region filters a map visualization for the selected region.

Highlight Actions

Highlight related data points across multiple charts.

Steps:

1. Go to Dashboard > Actions > Add Action > Highlight.

2. Specify the fields to highlight.

URL Actions

Navigate to external websites based on selected data.

Example Use Case:

Click on a Product to open its detail page in a web browser.

4. Optimizing Dashboards for Performance

Tips to Optimize Dashboards

1. Reduce Filters: Avoid using multiple filters that process large datasets.
2. Extract Data: Use extracts instead of live connections for faster performance.
3. Limit Marks: Reduce the number of marks displayed in visualizations.

5. Mobile Optimization for Dashboards

Creating Mobile Layouts

1. Open the dashboard.

2. Go to the Device Preview tab.
 3. Add a Phone Layout and adjust the placement of components.

6. Tableau Story Design

What is a Tableau Story?

A Tableau story is a sequence of visualizations that work together to convey information.

Steps to Create a Story:

1. Click on the Story tab.

2. Drag dashboards or sheets into the story pane.
3. Add annotations to highlight key insights.

Example Use Case:

Presenting sales performance by region, followed by an analysis of profit trends and a summary.

7. Data Blending vs. Joins

Data Blending

Blending occurs when data is stored in different sources and combined in Tableau.

Key Steps for Data Blending:

1. Add primary and secondary data sources.

2. Create relationships between fields using a link icon.

Example Use Case:

 Combine SQL Sales Data with Excel Targets Data.

Joins

Joins merge tables within the same data source.

Example:

 Inner join two tables on Region to match rows.

Next Focus Areas

Would you like:

 Advanced Dashboard Design Techniques?

 Specific Chart Creation (e.g., Scatter Plot, Heat Maps)?
 Tableau Server and Tableau Online Insights?

Let me know, and I’ll provide detailed answers with examples!