Introduction

The Tableau Desktop Certified Associate certification is a valuable credential for professionals seeking to demonstrate their proficiency in using Tableau Desktop to analyze data, create visualizations, and deliver actionable insights. As one of the leading business intelligence tools, Tableau enables users to connect, visualize, and share data in ways that drive smarter business decisions. This course is designed to prepare participants for the Tableau Desktop Certified Associate Exam, providing them with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to pass the exam and effectively use Tableau in their daily work.

This training course covers all exam objectives, including data connections, organizing and simplifying data, field and chart types, organizing workbooks, and creating dashboards and stories. Through a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical exercises, participants will gain a deep understanding of Tableau’s capabilities and best practices in data visualization.

Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of Tableau Desktop and its key features.
• Connect to, prepare, and organize data for analysis in Tableau.
• Create a variety of visualizations and charts such as bar charts, line charts, scatter plots, maps, and more.
• Use calculated fields, filters, and parameters to perform advanced data analysis.
• Design interactive dashboards and stories that deliver clear insights to business stakeholders.
• Understand how to optimize workbooks for performance and ease of use.
• Prepare for the Tableau Desktop Certified Associate certification exam (Exam 20-21).

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

• Data Analysts, Business Intelligence (BI) Professionals, and Business Analysts who want to become proficient in Tableau Desktop and obtain the Tableau Desktop Certified Associate certification.
• Excel users and data enthusiasts looking to enhance their data visualization skills and learn advanced techniques using Tableau.
• Tableau beginners and professionals seeking a structured path to learn and get certified in Tableau Desktop.
• Consultants and business professionals involved in presenting data insights through reports and dashboards.
• IT professionals and developers looking to expand their knowledge of data visualization tools for business intelligence applications.

Day 1: Introduction to Tableau and Data Connections

• Overview of Tableau Desktop

  • Introduction to Tableau Desktop: What is Tableau, its features, and its role in business intelligence.
  • Key components of Tableau Desktop: Data Connections, Data Source pane, Worksheet, Dashboard, and Story.
  • Understanding Tableau’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

• Connecting to Data Sources

  • How to connect to various data sources: Excel, CSV, SQL Server, Google Sheets, Tableau Data Extracts (TDE), and Cloud data sources.
  • Importing data and preparing it for analysis: establishing data relationships, data blending, and creating data extracts.

• Data Preparation

  • Data organization in Tableau: organizing data into dimensions and measures.
  • Managing data quality issues: handling nulls, duplicates, and formatting.
  • Data Source Filters: filtering data before it’s loaded into Tableau.

• Hands-on Exercise:

  • Connect to a CSV dataset and clean the data using Tableau’s Data Source pane.
  • Create an initial data extract and filter data based on business requirements.

Day 2: Basic Visualizations and Field Types

• Creating Basic Visualizations

  • Overview of Tableau’s core chart types: Bar Charts, Line Charts, Pie Charts, Histograms, Scatter Plots, and Maps.
  • How to build effective visualizations by selecting appropriate chart types based on the data and business needs.

• Using Dimensions and Measures

  • The difference between Dimensions (categorical data) and Measures (numerical data).
  • Dragging and dropping fields into the Rows and Columns shelves to build visualizations.
  • Understanding Aggregations in Tableau and how to work with them (e.g., sum, average, count).

• Sorting, Filtering, and Grouping Data

  • Sorting and filtering data within visualizations to provide a deeper understanding of trends.
  • How to use filters to limit data and display relevant subsets (e.g., date filters, top N filters).
  • Grouping data: grouping categories and creating hierarchies for easy exploration.

• Hands-on Exercise:

  • Create a line chart, bar chart, and pie chart to visualize sales data from a sample dataset.
  • Apply filters, sorting, and grouping to the visualizations to explore trends and patterns.

Day 3: Calculated Fields and Advanced Visualization Techniques

• Creating Calculated Fields

  • Introduction to Calculated Fields: creating custom calculations using Tableau’s formula language.
  • Examples of commonly used calculations: SUM, AVG, IF statements, and DATE calculations.
  • Advanced calculations: Table Calculations, Window Calculations, and Level of Detail (LOD) expressions.

• Building Advanced Visualizations

  • Using dual-axis charts, combo charts, and trend lines for advanced data analysis.
  • Creating and formatting maps: using geographic data to visualize spatial patterns.
  • Exploring Box Plots, Waterfall charts, and Heat Maps for deeper insights.

• Using Parameters

  • Introduction to Parameters: how to create dynamic inputs and control your visualizations.
  • Using parameters for advanced filtering and controlling views (e.g., dynamic measures, thresholds).

• Hands-on Exercise:

  • Create a dual-axis chart and a map to visualize regional sales performance.
  • Use a calculated field to calculate the profit margin and apply it to a dashboard.
  • Implement a parameter to dynamically control the displayed metric on a dashboard.

Day 4: Dashboards and Stories

• Designing Dashboards

  • Introduction to Dashboards: understanding the elements of a well-designed dashboard.
  • Combining multiple visualizations into a single, interactive dashboard.
  • Best practices for dashboard design: layout, color schemes, interactivity, and performance optimization.

• Interactivity in Dashboards

  • Adding filters, actions, and tooltips to make dashboards interactive.
  • Using highlight actions, URL actions, and filter actions to allow users to drill down into data.

• Creating a Story

  • Introduction to Stories in Tableau: creating a narrative around your data.
  • Using Story Points to guide users through a series of visualizations that highlight key insights.

• Optimizing Dashboards

  • Performance optimization techniques: reducing dashboard load times and making it user-friendly.
  • Best practices for dashboard layout and design: ensuring your dashboard is easy to interpret and navigate.

• Hands-on Exercise:

  • Design an interactive dashboard to display key business metrics such as sales performance, profit, and customer segmentation.
  • Create a story that walks users through a data-driven analysis of business performance over time.

Day 5: Exam Preparation and Final Review

• Review of Core Concepts

  • In-depth review of key concepts covered in the course: data connections, visualizations, calculations, parameters, dashboards, and stories.
  • Tips and best practices for preparing for the Tableau Desktop Certified Associate Exam.

• Practice Exam and Mock Test

  • Take a mock exam to assess understanding of key topics and identify areas for improvement.
  • Review answers and explanations to practice questions.

• Final Q&A Session

  • Open session for any last-minute questions or clarifications before the exam.
  • Exam preparation tips and techniques for success.

• Hands-on Exercise:

  • Complete a practice exam with real-world scenarios and Tableau-specific questions.
  • Discuss results and review best practices for answering exam questions efficiently.