TABLEAU DESKTOP SPECIALIST UPDATED EXAMS
TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔What is a moving average useful for? - ✔✔Smoothing short-term fluctuations to
show trend.
✔✔How to rank within each category? - ✔✔Use RANK() with partitioning by category in
the table calc settings.
✔✔How to filter after a table calc is computed? - ✔✔Use table calc filter (e.g., LOOKUP)
or use context filters appropriately.
✔✔What is an LOD expression? - ✔✔Level of Detail expression that computes at a
specific granularity independent of the view.
✔✔Syntax for FIXED LOD? - ✔✔{FIXED <dim list> : <aggregate expr>}.
✔✔When to use FIXED? - ✔✔When you need a value at a specific dimension
regardless of view (e.g., customer sales regardless of filters).
✔✔Syntax for INCLUDE LOD? - ✔✔{INCLUDE <dim list> : <aggregate expr>}.
, ✔✔When to use INCLUDE? - ✔✔To add finer grain to the aggregation than the view
provides.
✔✔Syntax for EXCLUDE LOD? - ✔✔{EXCLUDE <dim list> : <aggregate expr>}.
✔✔When to use EXCLUDE? - ✔✔To remove detail from aggregation (e.g., compute at
region level even if city is in view).
✔✔How do context filters interact with FIXED LODs? - ✔✔FIXED LODs respect context
filters but ignore regular dimension filters.
✔✔Example: Region total sales independent of product? - ✔✔{FIXED [Region]:
SUM([Sales])}.
✔✔Common pitfall with LODs? - ✔✔Mismatched granularity causing unexpected
duplication or nulls when joined data changes row counts.
✔✔What is a parameter? - ✔✔A workbook-level variable users can control (number,
date, string, list, range).
✔✔How do parameters affect the view? - ✔✔They do nothing alone; must be
referenced in calculations, filters, or reference lines.
✔✔Example: metric toggle? - ✔✔Parameter [Metric Select] + calc IF [Metric
Select]='Sales' THEN SUM([Sales]) ELSE SUM([Profit]) END.
✔✔What is a parameter action? - ✔✔An interaction that updates parameter values
based on user clicks/selections.
✔✔How to create a dynamic Top N? - ✔✔Parameter [N] + filter calc
RANK(SUM([Sales])) <= [N].
✔✔How to enable user-selected date granularity? - ✔✔Parameter (Day/Week/Month) +
CASE statement returning DATE(TRUNC) logic.
✔✔What is a set? - ✔✔A field that defines a subset of data based on conditions or
manual selection, can be dynamic.
✔✔What is a group? - ✔✔Combines discrete members into higher-level categories
(static).
✔✔Difference between set and group? - ✔✔Set = dynamic membership; Group = static
bundling.
TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔What is a moving average useful for? - ✔✔Smoothing short-term fluctuations to
show trend.
✔✔How to rank within each category? - ✔✔Use RANK() with partitioning by category in
the table calc settings.
✔✔How to filter after a table calc is computed? - ✔✔Use table calc filter (e.g., LOOKUP)
or use context filters appropriately.
✔✔What is an LOD expression? - ✔✔Level of Detail expression that computes at a
specific granularity independent of the view.
✔✔Syntax for FIXED LOD? - ✔✔{FIXED <dim list> : <aggregate expr>}.
✔✔When to use FIXED? - ✔✔When you need a value at a specific dimension
regardless of view (e.g., customer sales regardless of filters).
✔✔Syntax for INCLUDE LOD? - ✔✔{INCLUDE <dim list> : <aggregate expr>}.
, ✔✔When to use INCLUDE? - ✔✔To add finer grain to the aggregation than the view
provides.
✔✔Syntax for EXCLUDE LOD? - ✔✔{EXCLUDE <dim list> : <aggregate expr>}.
✔✔When to use EXCLUDE? - ✔✔To remove detail from aggregation (e.g., compute at
region level even if city is in view).
✔✔How do context filters interact with FIXED LODs? - ✔✔FIXED LODs respect context
filters but ignore regular dimension filters.
✔✔Example: Region total sales independent of product? - ✔✔{FIXED [Region]:
SUM([Sales])}.
✔✔Common pitfall with LODs? - ✔✔Mismatched granularity causing unexpected
duplication or nulls when joined data changes row counts.
✔✔What is a parameter? - ✔✔A workbook-level variable users can control (number,
date, string, list, range).
✔✔How do parameters affect the view? - ✔✔They do nothing alone; must be
referenced in calculations, filters, or reference lines.
✔✔Example: metric toggle? - ✔✔Parameter [Metric Select] + calc IF [Metric
Select]='Sales' THEN SUM([Sales]) ELSE SUM([Profit]) END.
✔✔What is a parameter action? - ✔✔An interaction that updates parameter values
based on user clicks/selections.
✔✔How to create a dynamic Top N? - ✔✔Parameter [N] + filter calc
RANK(SUM([Sales])) <= [N].
✔✔How to enable user-selected date granularity? - ✔✔Parameter (Day/Week/Month) +
CASE statement returning DATE(TRUNC) logic.
✔✔What is a set? - ✔✔A field that defines a subset of data based on conditions or
manual selection, can be dynamic.
✔✔What is a group? - ✔✔Combines discrete members into higher-level categories
(static).
✔✔Difference between set and group? - ✔✔Set = dynamic membership; Group = static
bundling.
