One last note here, just for reference, you can check out tableau has their own prep guide that I really did use to try to build some my notes and hit some of the points that they have outlined that they cover for the exam. You can check that out here just be aware depending on whenever you’re reaching this post that either this link could be updated or Tableau could have an updated exam guy posted on the website, so definitely check out their website for the latest information.
Tableau Desktop Specialist Guide
Update 1/18/2022
As of 1/18/2022, following the outline and study guide that I have posted above I was able to successfully pass the Tableau Desktop Specialist exam.
Update 1/14/2022
After watching and reading some more content. I am appending some other notes that I took from Tableau’s learn section on their website regarding some topics that might be a useful summary for some others.
Tableau Product Help
Data Concepts
- Dimensions are qualitative. They can’t be measured but are described.
- Measures are quantitative they can be measured and recorded as numbers
- Discrete – means individually separate or distinct
- Continuous – means forming an unbroken continuous whole
- Dimensions are usually discrete. Measures are usually continuous.
Dimensions and Measures
Tableau represents data differently in the view depending on whether the field is discrete (blue), or continuous (green). Continuous and discrete are mathematical terms. Continuous means “forming an unbroken whole, without interruption”; discrete means “individually separate and distinct.”
Generally continuous fields add axes to the view. Generally discrete fields add headers to the view.
Tableau’s Order of Operations
The order of operations for tableau filters goes
- Extract Filters
- Data Source Filters
- Context Filters – you can set one or more categorical filters as context filters for the view. You can think of a context filter as being an independent filter. Any other filters that you set are defined as dependent filters because they process only the data that passes through the context filter.
- Dimension Filters
- Measure Filters
- Table Calc Filters
Data Aggregation in Tableau
You can aggregate dimension in the view as a min, max, count, or countD.
Data Sources
- A tableau data source is the link between source data and tableau. A data source may contain multiple data connections to different databases or files. The connections can be embedded in the workbook where they were created or published separately.
- Data sources can be combined using different methods
- Relationships – It’s brought together during the context of a viz, but never joined together. It’s good if you need to work with tables that have different levels of granularity.
- These are created at the logical location. These are good to combine data at different levels of detail.
- Joins – Merging two tables of data based on a join clause. Used to add new columns of data, this would create. Anew table.
- These are created at the physical location. Requires some planning and a correct join clause.
- Unions – adds new rows of data across same basic column structure
- Blends – Works across two or more separate tableau data sources. Queries both sources independently, mimics the behavior of a left join and may filter data from the secondary data sources.
Dashboards
A dashboard is a collection of several views, letting you compare a variety of data simultaneously. For example, if you have a set of views that you review every day, you can create a dashboard that displays all the views at once, rather than navigate to separate worksheets.
Like worksheets, you access dashboards from tabs at the bottom of a workbook. Data in sheets and dashboards is connected; when you modify a sheet, any dashboards containing it change, and vice versa. Both sheets and dashboards update with the latest available data from the data source.
- Fixed – Remains the same size regardless of the size of the window used to display it
- Range – Varies between the min and max sizes that you specific
- Automatic – Automatically resizes to fill the window to display it
- Layout Containers- These can be either horizontal or vertical
- Float or Tile items – Tiled items snap to grid and don’t overlap. Floating items can be set anywhere on the dashboard
Stories
In Tableau, a story is a sequence of visualizations that work together to convey information. You can create stories to tell a data narrative, provide context, demonstrate how decisions relate to outcomes, or to simply make a compelling case.
A story is a sheet, so the methods you use to create, name, and manage worksheets and dashboards also apply to stories (for more details, see Workbooks and Sheets). At the same time, a story is also a collection of sheets, arranged in a sequence. Each individual sheet in a story is called a story point.
Exporting Views
- Worksheet > Export > Image – as a PNG
- File > Export as a Powerpoint – Static slides. All story points will become separate slides
- File > Print to PDF – to save as a PDF
Exporting Data
- From the Data Source page: On the Data Source page, select Data > Export Data to CSV to export all the data in your data source to .csv file.
- From the view: On the sheet tab, drag a field to the Columns or Rows shelf, click the View Data icon in the Data pane, and click the Export All button.
- You can also save your data and subset of your data in the data source as a .hyper file
- When you export and save your data you can save it as a .tds file. It creates a shortcut to your remote data
- You can also export data that generates a view as a Access file. Worksheet > Export > Data
Christopher Sandoli 
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