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Tableau Interview Questions and Answers

Tableau is a powerful data visualization tool that turns raw data into understandable insights. It helps users create interactive and shareable dashboards, charts, and reports, making it easier to analyze and communicate complex data trends for better decision-making in business and other fields.

In this article, we have provided you with the top 50+ Tableau Interview questions with answers that cover everything from basics to advanced. Whether you are a fresher or an experienced IT professional (5 years or 10 years of experience ), this article gives you all the confidence you need to ace your next Tableau interview in one go!



Table of Content



Tableau Interview Questions for Beginners

1. What is Tableau?

Tableau is a powerful visualization and business intelligence software application that enables users and other organizations to create shareable, interactive dashboards, reports, and data visualizations. It is widely used for data analysis and reporting purposes.

2. What is a tableau reporting tool?

Tableau is a potent business intelligence (BI) and data visualization software program used to create interactive and shareable reports and dashboards. Users can connect to different data sources with it, transform unprocessed data into insightful visuals, and derive insights from their data. The user-friendly design of Tableau and its wealth of tools for data exploration, analysis, and storytelling are well-known.

To transform data into usable insights, make data-driven choices, and effectively convey findings through interactive reports and dashboards, it is widely utilized in businesses across industries. The several editions of Tableau include Tableau Desktop (for authoring reports), Tableau Server (for sharing and collaborating on reports), and Tableau Online (a cloud-based version).

3. What do you understand by Business Intelligence?

Business Intelligence is a method that utilizes technology for data analysis and information delivery that aids leaders, managers, and employees in making strategic business decisions. As part of the BI process, organizations gather data from internal IT systems and external sources, prepare it for analysis, run queries against the data, create data visualizations, BI dashboards, and reports, and then make the analytics results accessible to business individuals for decision-making related to operations and strategic planning.

4. What is the difference between Power BI and Tableau?

Basis

Tableau

Power BI
Provider Tableau is an independent company that was later acquired by Salesforce. It operates independently but also has integrations with Salesforce products. It is developed by Microsoft, Which is a component of the Microsoft business that easily interfaces with Microsoft products including SQL Server, Azure, and Excel.
Ease of Use Although Tableau has a more difficult learning curve than Power BI, it offers more sophisticated customizations and analytical features. It is preferred by data analysts and experts. Power BI, which is well known for its user-friendly interface, is frequently appreciated for its simplicity of use, which makes it available to a wider range of customers.
Data Connectivity Tableau provides a wide range of data connectors and integration tools, making it suited for integrating with a variety of data sources, including databases, online services, and cloud platforms. It provides a large choice of native connectors for connecting to different data sources, like as Excel, SQL servers, and cloud-based applications. Also, it supports unique data connectors.
Visualization Tableau, which excels in complicated visuals, offers a wide range of customization options. Users who need extensive data exploration and visualization tend to favor it. It provides customers with a wide range of visualization options and allows for the easy creation of interactive reports and dashboards. With regard to advanced analytics, it might have some restrictions.
Collaboration It allows for sharing and collaboration via the Tableau server and Tableau online. It offers fine-grained control over user access and permissions. Power BI Service enables collaboration and the sharing of reports and dashboards with coworkers and clients. It allows simple connectivity with Teams and Sharepoint.

5. What are the different Tableau Products?

Different products of Tableau are :

6. What are the different datatypes in Tableau?

Tableau supports 7 various different data types:

7. What is the difference between Measures and Dimensions in Tableau?

Attributes Dimension Measure
Nature They are categorical or qualitative data fields. They represent categories, labels, or attributes by which you can segment and group your data. They are numerical or quantitative data fields. They represent quantities, amounts, or values that can be aggregated, or calculated.
Usage They are used for grouping and segmenting data, creating hierarchies, and the structure for visualizations. They are used for performing calculations and creating the numerical representation of the data as sum, average, etc.
Example Category, Region, Product name, etc. Sales(sum of sales), Profit(sum of profit), Quantity(sum of quantity), etc.

8. What are the different file extensions used in Tableau and what are their significance?

Tableau uses several file extensions for different purposes within its ecosystem. Here are the most common file extensions used in Tableau and their significance:

9. What data sources can you connect to the Tableau?

With the help of Tableau, a potent business intelligence and data visualization tool, you can build engaging visualizations of a variety of data sources. Numerous data sources are supported by Tableau, such as:

10. What kinds of connections can you build with your dataset in Tableau?

In Tableau you can create different types of connections with your dataset:

Intermediate Tableau Interview Questions

11. What are the different types of joins available in Tableau?

There are different types of joins in Tableau:

12. What’s the difference between joining and blending?

Basis Joining Blending
Data Source Requirement Joining is basically used when you have data from the same data source, such as a relational database, where tables are already related through primary and foreign keys. Blending is used when we have data from different data sources. such as a combination of Excel spreadsheets, CSV files, and databases. These sources may not have predefined relationships.
Relationships The foundation for joins is the use of common data like a customer ID or product code to establish predetermined links between tables. These relations are developed within the same data source. There is no need for pre-established links between tables while blending. Instead, you link different data sources separately and combine them by matching fields with comparable values.
Data Combining When tables are joined, a single unified data source with a merged schema is produced. A single table with every relevant field is created by combining the two tables. Data blending maintains the separation of the data sources. At query time, Tableau gathers and combines data from several sources to produce a momentary, in-memory blend for visualization needs.
Data Transformation It is useful for data transformation, aggregations, and calculations on the combined data. The information from many connected tables can be used to build computed fields. It is only useful for data transformation and calculations. It cannot create calculated fields that involve data from different blended data sources.
Performance Joins are more effective and quicker than blending because they leverage the database’s processing power to perform the merge It can be slower than joining because it involves querying and combining the data from the different sources at runtime. Large datasets in particular may have an impact on performance.

13. How to view SQL generated by Tableau Desktop?

In Tableau Desktop, you can view the SQL generated by your data source by following these steps:

14. How do you create a dashboard in Tableau?

Creating a dashboard in Tableau allows you to combine multiple visualizations, sheets, and objects into a single interactive canvas for data presentations and explorations. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a dashboard in Tableau:

15. What is the difference between the Tableau Worksheet, Dashboard, Story, and Workbook?

16. What is the difference between a discrete and a continuous value in the Tableau?

17. What are groups, sets, and parameters in Tableau?

18. What is the difference between sets and groups in Tableau?

Basis

Sets

Groups

Definition

A set is a specially created subset of data based on particular requirements or criteria. Sets can be either dynamically changing or static, allowing for the development of a binary split where objects either belong to the set or do not.

A group combines several members of a dimension into a higher-level category, aggregating data in accordance with user-specified rules and producing a new dimension that organizes data into user-specified categories.

Behaviour

Sets are dynamic by default, as they can change when the underlying data changes. However, you can create static sets that remain fixed regardless of data updates.

Groups are static, maintaining them even when underlying data changes, but users have the option to manually adjust group members or create dynamic sets based on groups for more flexibility in analysis.

Use Cases

Sets are often used for highlighting specific data points in visualizations, certain custom filters, or performing conditional formatting.

Groups are employed when you want to aggregate or categorize dimension members for simplification or to create hierarchies.

19. What is a calculated field and How do we create it in Tableau?

A calculated field in Tableau is a user-defined field you construct by performing a calculation or formula on pre-existing fields in your dataset. You can use different string, logical, or mathematical operations to your data to produce fresh results or insights. For building unique measurements, dimensions, or aggregations that aren’t found in the original dataset, calculated fields are especially useful. Your capacity to properly analyze and visualize your data will be improved by using them to alter, manipulate, or derive new information from your data. To provide flexibility and customization to your data analysis process, calculated fields can be utilized in Tableau worksheets, dashboards, and reports.

To create a Calculated field in a Tableau, follow these steps:

20. What are the different data aggregation functions in Tableau?

Tableau has many different data aggregation functions used in Tableau:

21. What are the different types of charts available in Tableau?

Tableau offers a wide range of charts and different visualizations to help users explore and present the data effectively. Some of the charts in Tableau are:

22. What is a dual-axis plot and how we can create it in Tableau?

A dual-axis plot in Tableau is a visualization that combines two distinct chart types on one graph while employing two different y-axis. This makes it simpler to spot patterns and links between two sets of data that have various scales or units of measurement. Dual-axis plots offer a more thorough picture of the data in a single chart and help show data with many dimensions or metrics.

To create a dual-axis in Tableau, follow these steps:

23. How Can You Display the Top Five and Bottom Five Values in the Same View in Tableau?

In Tableau, to display the Top five and bottom five values, we need to follow some steps:

RANK(SUM[measure], ‘asc’) <= [Parameter]

OR

RANK(SUM[measure], ‘dsc’) <= [Parameter]

This calculation filters data in either ascending (‘asc’) or descending (‘dsc’) order, depending on whether the rank of the SUM of the measure is less than or equal to a given parameter.

24. What Is the Difference Between Tableau Heat Map and Treemap?

Basis

Tree Maps

Heat Maps

Representation

Treemaps display hierarchical data in a rectangular, nested layout. Information is communicated through the size and color of each rectangle, each of which indicates a category or subcategory.

Heat maps show values in a grid by using color intensity. They are typically used to show how data points are distributed or concentrated in a 2D space.

Data Type

They are employed to show categorical and hierarchical data.

They’re employed to show continuous data, such as numerical numbers.

Color Usage

In order to depict a certain attribute or measure, color is widely employed in treemaps. Additional information can be conveyed through a color’s intensity.

Values are often represented in heat maps by the intensity of the colors. Higher values are represented by brighter or darker hues, whereas lower values are reflected by lighter colors.

Interactivity

With interactive tree maps, users may click on the rectangle to reveal subcategories and dig deeper into hierarchical data.

Users can hover over the cells on interactive heat maps to view particular numbers or features.

Interactivity

They are employed for category, hierarchical, and organizational data visualization.

They are utilized in a variety of industries, including finance, geospatial data, data analysis, and more.

25. What is the Level of Detail (LOD) Expression in Tableau?

Level Of Detail (LOD) Expression is a strong feature that lets you do computations within your data visualization at different degrees of granularity irrespective of the visualization’s dimensions and filters. Using LOD expressions will provide you greater power and versatility when disaggregating or aggregating data depending on the specific dimensions or fields.

There are three types of LOD:

26. How Do You Handle Null Values in Tableau?

Handling null values is important for data accuracy and visualization clarity. Some of the ways to handle null values are:

27. How do you concatenate two strings in Tableau?

We can concatenate two strings in Tableau by creating a calculated field using either the ‘CONCAT()’ function or the ‘+’ operator.

28. What is the purpose of the IF function in Tableau, and how is it used?

The IF function in Tableau is used to build calculated fields that test a given condition and return various values depending on whether it is true or false. This is a form of conditional logic. The IF function is valuable for introducing logic and control flow into your Tableau calculations, allowing you to tailor data processing and visualizations to your needs.

To use the IF function in Tableau:

IF condition THEN result_when_true ELSE result_when_false END

29. How can you extract the year from a date field in Tableau?

To extract the year from a date field in Tableau, you can create a calculated field using ‘YEAR()’ function.

YEAR([Data Field])

30. How do you use the DATEADD function to add or subtract time from a date field?

The Tableau function DATEDD() increments a given date and returns a new date. The interval and the date part together define the increment. This function allows you to perform various date calculations and is used in tasks like creating rolling averages, calculating future dates, or aggregating data by time intervals. To use this function:

DATEDD (interval, number, date)

31. What is the difference between the COUNT and COUNTD functions in Tableau?

Basis

COUNT

COUNTD
Definition “COUNT” is used to count the number of records or rows in a dataset. “COUNTD” stands for “Count Distinct” and is used to count a number of distinct values in a dataset.
Function It counts all the rows, including duplicates, and provides a simple count of how many records exist. It counts only unique values and eliminates duplicates, providing a count of the distinct values in a field.
Example ‘COUNT([Customer ID])’ will count the number of CUSTOMER IDs in the dataset, including duplicates. ‘COUNTD([Customer ID])’ ill count the number of unique customer IDs in the dataset, excluding duplicates.

32. How would you distinguish between Reference Band and Bollinger Bands ?

Basis

Reference Bands

Bollinger Bands

Purpose

Reference bands are used as horizontal lines or bands to denote significant reference levels or points, such as trendlines, moving averages, and support and resistance levels.

A statistical tool called Bollinger Bands is used to assess price volatility and spot possible overbought or oversold positions in a financial asset.

Calculation

Typically, reference bands are drawn by hand or in accordance with particular technical analysis indications or chart patterns.

Bollinger Bands are made up of three lines: the middle band, which is typically a simple moving average, the upper band, which is the middle band plus a certain number of standard deviations, and the lower band, which is the middle band less that same number of standard deviations.

Usage

In order to assist traders in choosing when to enter or exit positions, they are used to indicate important price levels where strong buying or selling pressure may occur.

Bollinger Bands are a tool for displaying price volatility. When the price moves in close proximity to the upper band, it can be deemed overbought, and when it gets close to the lower band, it might be deemed oversold.

Customization

The degree to which reference bands can be altered depends on personal preferences and trading tactics.

In order to fit their trading methods, traders can change the parameters of Bollinger Bands, which have predetermined calculations based on the moving average and standard deviations.

Interpretation

Trading decisions are based on how traders interpret price changes in relation to these reference levels.

By examining how the price is positioned in relation to the bands, traders can utilize Bollinger Bands to spot potential reversals, breakouts, or trend strength.

Tableau Interview Questions for Experienced

33. How can you calculate the percentage of total for a field in Tableau?

To calculate the percentage of total for a field in Tableau. Choose percentages from the “Analysis” to display a variety of percentages of the row, table, row in the pane, table in the pane, and cell. Select the total value from which the percentage is to be determined after choosing one of the given options to calculate the percentage.

34. What is the purpose of the AVG function in Tableau, and how is it used?

The AVG function is used to calculate the average(mean) value of a numeric field within a dataset, it is used to analyze and visualize the central tendency of a dataset. Steps to do so:

Create a calculated field and in the calculated editor, use the AVG function to calculate the average of a numeric field.

AVG([Numeric Field)]

We can use the AVG function to display the average value in charts, graphs, or tables to understand the central tendency of a dataset or we can use it to compare the average values across different categories or time periods to identify trends or anomalies.

35. How can you use the RANK function to rank data in Tableau?

Create a worksheet, drag and drop the dimensions you want to rank the data and the measure in the marks card. 
In the “Analytics” pane on the left, find the “Rank” function and drag it onto your worksheet. 
Configure the RANK function calculation by right-clicking on it

36. How can you use the WINDOW_AVG function to calculate a moving average in Tableau?

To calculate a moving average using the ‘WINDOW_AVG’ function in Tableau:

WINDOW_AVG([measure] , [start], [End])

37. How can you use the WINDOW_SUM function in Tableau?

To compute a running or cumulative sum of a measure within a given window or range, use Tableau’s ‘WINDOW_SUM’ function. To implement it :

WINDOW_SUM(SUM([measure]), [start], [end])’

38. When we will use the SCRIPT_REAL functions in Tableau?

When you need to employ unique computations or Python or R scripts to manipulate and analyze your data, you would use Tableau’s ‘SCRIPT_REAL’ function. You can use this method to run outside scripts and get real (numeric) values that you can utilize in your Tableau graphic.

You can use SCRIPT_REAL in some scenarios like:

39. How do you use the LOOKUP function in Tableau?

In Tableau, the LOOKUP function is used to locate a given dimension or measure value within the data. It is useful for comparing a data point to other data points at a given offset. The tableau LOOKUP function can used like this:

LOOKUP( expression, offset)

‘expression’: dimension or measure you want to retrieve from the data.

‘Offset’: specifies the relative position of the data point you want to look up.

Open the worksheet or workbook where you want to create your calculation using the LOOKUP function. Right-click on Data and select “Create Calculated field”. In the calculate editor, you can write your LOOKUP function.

40. How Do You Add a web page to a Tableau Dashboard?

You can integrate a Tableau dashboard or report into a web application or web page to build dynamic web pages with interactive Tableau visuals. You can include Tableau content in a web application using its embedding options and APIs.

To create a dynamic website in Tableau, follow these steps:

41. What are the different ways to optimize a Dashboard’s Performance?

For a dashboard to load quickly, be responsive, and offer a seamless user experience, its performance in Tableau must be optimized. Here are various methods for improving the functionality of a Tableau dashboard:

42. How we will plot the geographical data in Tableau?

To plot geographical data in Tableau, follow these steps:

Scenario Based Tableau Interview Questions 

43. What type of chart would you use to visualize the quarterly sales trends for the last five years?

A line chart or time series line chart can be used for displaying quarterly sales patterns over the previous five years. A line chart makes it possible to compare sales patterns clearly between years since it shows each year’s quarterly sales data as a separate line. Using this type of graphic, you may spot trends, seasonality, and variations in sales performance over a five-year period. A Time Series Line Chart offers extra possibilities, such as trend analysis and forecasting, if you have a date dimension. These graphs provide insightful information on sales trends, making them crucial tools for performance evaluation and data-driven decision-making in corporate situations.

44. Which chart will you use to visualize the distribution of data across different quartiles?

A Box Plot, also known as a Box-and-Whisker Plot, is an effective visualization tool for comprehending data distribution over quartiles. It offers a succinct breakdown of the major statistics in a dataset. The graphic consists of a box with the median inside that symbolizes the interquartile range (IQR). To help spot outliers, the “whiskers” extend from the box to the minimum and maximum values inside a range. Box plots are great for displaying the central tendency, spread, skewness, and occurrence of extreme values in data. They are helpful for data analysis and statistical comparisons because they provide a rapid and meaningful perspective of how data is distributed across quartiles.

45. Which chart will you use to compare the market share of different companies in a specific industry?

To compare the market share of different companies in a specific industry, a Stacked Bar chart or a Group Bar chart is commonly used. These chart types allow you to visualize the market share of each company within the industry, making it easy to see how they compare to one another.

Stacked Bar chart: A stacked bar graph shows the evolution of a category’s entire market size. Each part shows the market share of a different company and is stacked. The percentage of the company’s market share is shown in segment height, effectively indicating market composition.

Group Bar Chart: A grouped bar graph groups bars for each period of time or category. With bars denoting several companies, each group denotes a time period or category. A company’s market share for that category is shown by the length of the bar, allowing for easy comparisons.

46. Which chart would be best to visualize the share price trends across the year of different companies of a specific industry?

The best option is a Multiple Line Chart or a Line Chart with Multiple Series to show share price patterns over the course of the year for many businesses in a certain industry. With the use of this chart type, you can compare the performance of various companies over time by plotting the share price movements for each firm on the same graph. You can see how the share prices of each line, which each represents a distinct firm, change and develop throughout the course of the year. When examining and contrasting the performance of various businesses operating in the same industry, this method is especially useful.

47. How can we visualize the multiple dimensional data like correlations or covariance in Tableau?

It might be difficult to visualize covariance or correlation between numerous dimensions in Tableau since these metrics frequently entail pairwise comparisons. To learn more about relationships, you can construct heatmaps and scatter plots. Here’s how:

48. What chart will be suitable to display the distribution of data points in a single variable?

A histogram is an appropriate graph to show how data points in a single variable are distributed. The frequency or count of data points inside predetermined intervals or bins is represented visually by a histogram. It enables you to observe any patterns or outliers, as well as the distributional shape of the data and central tendencies. For understanding the distribution of continuous or numerical data, histograms are especially helpful.

49. When we have data with a hierarchical structure, such as product categories and subcategories, which chart will be best suitable to show this hierarchy?

When you have hierarchical data structures like product categories or sub-categories, the best chart to show this hierarchy and the relationships between different levels is a TreeMap.

A TreeMap is a hierarchical data visualization that uses layered rectangles to show categories and subcategories. Rectangles are nested to indicate the hierarchy, with bigger rectangles signifying parent categories and smaller rectangles inside signifying subcategories. Each rectangle’s size gives quantitative information, and additional information can be encoded using color. The interactive nature of treemaps allows viewers to click on parent rectangles to explore subclasses.

50. What is a tableau reporting tool?

Tableau is a potent business intelligence (BI) and data visualization software program used to create interactive and shareable reports and dashboards. Users can connect to different data sources with it, transform unprocessed data into insightful visuals, and derive insights from their data. The user-friendly design of Tableau and its wealth of tools for data exploration, analysis, and storytelling are well-known. To transform data into usable insights, make data-driven choices, and effectively convey findings through interactive reports and dashboards, it is widely utilized in businesses across industries. The several editions of Tableau include Tableau Desktop (for authoring reports), Tableau Server (for sharing and collaborating on reports), and Tableau Online (a cloud-based version).

Also Read:

Conclusion

In this article we have listed 50 top most asked Tableau interview questions and answers for freshers and experienced (basics to advance). Over the years careers in data visualization and data analysis have grown and the demands of good data analysts or BI experts are also growing parallelly.

So keep learning and keep practising the questions to crack any Tableau interviews.


Article Tags :
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