Top 25 Tableau Interview Questions and Answers in 2024

Editorial Team

25 Tableau Interview Questions & Answers

Tableau is one of the leading business intelligence software companies in the world. Securing a job here may seem challenging. This article provides you with 25 questions and their sample answers can help you ace your chances of getting a job at Tableau.

1. What Are The Key Features Of Tableau?

Tableau has attractive features such as shared and embedded dashboards; data filters and highlights; data connectors; mobile-ready dashboards; tableau reader; data notifications; drag and drop functionality; metadata management, and has security permissions at any level.

2. Why Is Tableau Unique?

As a business intelligence tool, the tableau is free and uses a free academic distribution. As far as I am concerned, Tableau is one of the most agile and easy-to-use products available in the world today. Tableau is also unique due to the fact that it is not a complete technology stack. This makes it easy for the data to be analyzed and visualized. With tableau, the user can make dashboards and worksheets that offer actionable insights as well as extend the business quickly.

3. Explain To Us The Tableau Design Flow

 The tableau design flow is as follows:

Through the connectors in the tableau, the design flow links the data to the source. It creates data views such as graphs and charts. Using advanced tableau methods, the design flow enhances the data views. Design flow helps to create various worksheets to enable the user to have different data views from the same data.

The design flow allows the user to create a dashboard that organizes relevant data views for reporting. Through design flow, the user can create stories that express the language of the data better.

4. Explain The Difference Between A Live Connection And An Extract Connection.

 A live connection represents a data source that comprises a direct connection to underlying data that reflects real-time or close to real-time data. Using a live connection, Tableau can make queries against the database and returns the results directly to be used in a workbook. An Extract connection refers to the part of the data source that keeps on being refreshed from time to time to acquire the updated data.

5. Tell Us Me What You Understand By Calculated Fields.

A Calculated Field is a user-created field containing operations on other fields in the data. The calculated field doesn’t affect the primary data. It creates another field that comprises the operation’s results conducted on the data.

6. Highlight Some Steps That You Would Take To Create A Calculated Field.

While creating a calculated field, I would follow the following steps:

  • Go to Analysis and choose Create Calculated Field. 
  • A calculation editor will pop up on the screen. I will put the name in my calculated field.
  • I will then enter the formula and click ok
  • Bring any delay to the view.
  • Create a new calculated field for the average delays
  • Drag Region field to Rows shelf and find the sum of the Average Delayto the marks card.The average delay for every region gets displayed.

7. Explain What Filters Are And Give Examples Of Those That Are In Tableau.

Filters are features that restrict the number of records that may enter on a dashboard or workbook. Various types of filters used in Tableau are context filters, extract filters, data source filters, tableau calculation filters, measure filters, and dimension filters.

8. Explain Parts Of A Dashboard

A dashboard has several components such as:

  • Vertical containers: They help one to group dashboard and worksheets components from the top to bottom of your page as well as edit the width of all the basics at once.
  • Horizontal containers: They help the user to group dashboard and worksheets components from right to left across the page as well as edit the height of all the basics at a go.
  • Image Extract: Helps to extract images that can be stored in XML format
  • Text:All textual fields
  • URL action: helps to link a file, web page, and other resources outside tableau.

9. How Do You Performance Testing In Tableau?

Performance testing in tableau is done by loading the testing tableau server using Tabjolt (point and run load generator).

10. Take Me Through How To Add Custom Color To Tableau

When a user wants to add custom color, he or she should restart the tableau desktop. From the measure pane, the user should then drag the item to add color to. Select edit colors from the color legend menu arrow. Once a dialog box opens, the user should select the palette drop-down list and customize the item according to how the user wants.

11. Kindly Define The Term Extracts And Schedules As Used In Tableau Server

Data extracts represent the first subdivisions of the actual data from the primary data source. After extracting data, the user may publish the workbook that also publishes the extract in the tableau server. Scheduled data represents the set of data that refreshes the extracted data automatically while publishing a workbook. Schedules help to remove the burden of republishing the workbook each and every time the data gets updated.

12. Explain How To Automate Reports

The first thing you need to do while automating reports is to publish the report to the tableau server. As you publish the report, you will come across an option, ’schedule reports’. Then select the actual time when you will refresh data.

13. Help Me Understand The Difference Between Continuous And Discrete Data In Tableau.

Continuous data are used to take account of continuous data. These data measure any value within infinite or finite intervals such as profit, time, price, etc. The values are indicated as green pills.

On the other hand, discrete data are distinct data that only take an individual value in a range such as a customer name, state, etc. Discrete data are indicated as blue pills.

14. What Is Aggregation And Disaggregation Of Data?

Aggregation of data is the process of viewing numeric values at a more summarized level. As a user, you can aggregate data easily using tableau since the data appears in front of the name of the field on a shelf. On the other side, disaggregation of data is the process that enables the user to view each row of the data source. Disaggregation of data is very useful when analyzing values in an independently or dependently view.

15. Highlight The Different Tableau Files

The various Tableau files include:

  • Data connection files: They include an XML file containing different connection information.
  • Data extraction files: They refer to a local copy of the entire data source
  • Workbooks: they hold worksheets and dashboards
  • Packaged workbooks:  contains workbooks and background images
  • Bookmarks: consists of a single worksheet that helps the user to share works

16. Explain TDE File

TDE is a Tableau desktop file that consists of a.tde extension. It represents a file containing data that is extracted from external sources such as Ms. Access, Ms. Excel, or CSV file. TDE file has two features that enable it to support analytics and data discovery.  To begin with, TDE is a columnar store. Secondly, TDE is architecture aware; they use all parts of the computer memory.

17. How Can You Test And Find Bugs In An Application?

Software testing is carried out in all stages of software development and after your main launch. Software testing is very crucial in software development since things change, platforms are updated, and errors in mobile apps that were not visible before an OS update can wreak havoc. When testing, I will view the whole application and every component of the application. I will also set priorities in areas that are more at risk than the others. I will keep checking for any bugs. Once I detect a defect, I will make sure that I have recorded them giving them priority depending on the effect and severity they have on the application.

18. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement.

 My greatest achievement took place in my previous role as a software specialist.  I was employed at a time when the company was facing a shortage of software specialists. Since the company was small-sized, adding more software specialists to the table seemed costly. I suggested to the president of that company how we could automate some tasks. He was not sure how to go about it but I assisted him. Through automation, some tasks such as backups at specific periods and monitoring some resource patterns became easy. This gave me time to concentrate on analyzing data and revealing the hidden data patterns. At the end of the day, the company was able to accomplish alt yet at a minimal cost.

19. Highlight Some Of The Roles That You Will Be Undertaking At Tableau Should You Be Hired.

I will be responsible for gathering, interpreting, and analyzing data from a variety of sources. I will ensure that the data I have collected go through cleaning and filtering before analyzing it. It will be my role to keep the company’s database secure as well as explain the complex data sets to our clients. I am also aware that this role requires me to work closely with the software support department in providing technical help to clients or employees of the company. This means I will also be working with computer soft wares to diagnose performance issues and generate solutions to assist others to go through these issues. Other duties include addressing technical issues regarding software function, implementation, and upgrades; resolving customer problems or complaints and creating product problem reports as well as troubleshooting documents for every issue; working closely with other development teams to pinpoint and find a solution to any issue that can arise in the course of developing software.

20. Briefly Describe Your Experience

 I have been a Software Support Engineer in a software manufacturing company for six years. My duties involved addressing technical issues regarding software function, implementation, and upgrades; resolving customer problems or complaints and creating product problem reports as well as troubleshooting documents for every issue; working closely with other development teams to pinpoint and find a solution to any issue that can arise in the course of developing software. Additionally, I was involved in training classes to educate clients about software products. Should you hire me for this role, I will utilize all the skills and expertise that I have gained to make a success in this role.

21. What Strategies Will You Embrace To Succeed In Your Assignment At Tableau?

Due to the nature of this assignment, I will work with a clear and focused mind. This will enable me to deal with complex datasets and figure out hidden patterns. I will also work closely with my colleagues and be attentive to ensure that I capture all the information required to analyze data. I will exercise good interpersonal skills when handling clients to maintain good relationships with customers.

22. What Skills Do You Have To Work Effectively In This Role?

I am familiar with database design, data mining, and programming languages such as XML, C++, and Javascript. I also have experience with reporting packages. Having worked as a data analyst for 6 years, I can handle huge data with ease through organizing, analyzing, and dissemination. I have previously succeeded in analyzing massive and complex data sets as well as revealing hidden patterns. In the course of working, I have also gained strong troubleshooting, customer service, organizational, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Moreover, I am a fast learner and an open-minded person who is willing to learn new things. If all goes well and I get this job, I will use these skills to make a success in this role.

23. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?

Challenges are inevitable. In the course of working in this profession, I have encountered many challenges. The main challenge I faced in my previous role was the time limitation. The company was at its start-up stage and had a shortage of staff. Even though there was increased customer demand and I was the only software engineer in the company. On the other hand, the majority of our clients were international and were working with them virtually. Working in multiple time zones was a big challenge for me in the beginning. My ability to work under pressure helped me to balance things here. I understood the underlying business concepts to bring in the needed features to satisfy the growing customers’ demand. This enabled me to produce quality software products even though there were time constraints. Even though this was a challenge, in the beginning, today I count it as an opportunity because it exposed me to the cultural diversity that I embrace up to date.

24. Describe A Time When You Failed In your previous Role And The Lesson You Learnt

 When I was newly employed in my previous role, I was very excited to perform. I could not provide no for an answer even if I did not know how to go about a situation. I thought that seeking help from colleagues was a sign of weakness. I, therefore, pushed through my work with so many pressures. One day my supervisor wanted to know why I was always working overtime. I told him that I had so much work and strict deadlines. He advised me to ask for help from my colleagues which I did. After a few days, the workload was over. I learned that teamwork is important and you cannot grow alone. You need others to succeed. From this, I also learned the aspect of delegating duties. It is a technique that I use up to date and it has been of much help.

25. Why Do You Feel You Are The Most Suited For This Role?

I am an ambitious, intelligent, and self-driven candidate with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a Cisco certification. I can work well with minimal or no supervision yet produce as expected. Previously I have worked for 6 years as a support software engineer in the manufacturing industry. Over this years, I have gained a lot of experience in software designing, developing, and installing. . My duties involved addressing technical issues regarding software function, implementation, and upgrades; resolving customer problems or complaints and creating product problem reports as well as troubleshooting documents for every issue; working closely with other development teams to pinpoint and find a solution to any issue that can arise in the course of developing software. Additionally, I was involved in training classes to educate clients about software products. Should I be hired, I believe that I will make a success in this role.

Conclusion

The above questions and answers are here to give a snapshot of what to expect in a tableau interview. However, you will need to go through the mission, vision, and core values of the company to get to know them better.