Tableau Data Analyst Study Guide 2026

This guide maps every objective on the Salesforce Certified Tableau Data Analyst exam (Analytics-DA-201, formerly Tableau Certified Data Analyst) to a free practice quiz. Read a domain, do its quizzes, and finish with two full mock exams. Most candidates with 6 months of Tableau experience need about 6 weeks.

Want more? Get 3 full-length Tableau Data Analyst practice exams with explanations in our Tableau Data Analyst Prep course.

Want guided prep? See the full Tableau Certified Data Analyst course.

Exam facts (verified Oct 2026): 60 scored questions plus up to 5 unscored · 105 min · 65% to pass · US$200 (retake US$100) · tests Tableau 2024.2 · no labs since Dec 2024 · no prerequisite, but you’re assumed to know everything in Desktop Foundations (Desktop Specialist). See also our Desktop Foundations (Desktop Specialist) study guide.

Name change: formerly the Tableau Certified Data Analyst. The current exam tests Tableau 2024.2, and official training has moved to Salesforce Trailhead.

Table of Contents

Domain 1: Connect to and Transform Data (24%)

Domain 2: Explore and Analyze Data (41%)

2.1. Create calculated fields

2.1.1. Write date calculations (DATEPARSE, DATENAME…) – quiz questions
2.1.2. Write string functions – quiz questions
2.1.3. Write logical and Boolean expressions (If, case, nested, etc.)
2.1.4. Write number functions – quiz questions
2.1.5. Write type conversion functions – quiz questions
2.1.6. Write aggregate functions – quiz questions
2.1.7. Write basic spatial calculations

2.3. Create table calculations

Comment – odd that there is no section 2.2, but that’s how it is on Tableau’s exam outline.

Quiz questions on custom table calculations

2.3.1. Moving average and window average
2.3.2. Percent of total
2.3.3. Running total
2.3.4. Difference and percent of difference
2.3.5. Percentile
2.3.6. Index
2.3.7. Ranking
2.3.8. Apply quick table calculations
2.3.9 Customize table caclculations

2.4. Create and use filters

Quiz questions on create and use filters

2.4.1. Apply filters to dimensions and measures
2.4.2. Configure filter settings including Top N, Bottom N, include, exclude, wildcard, and
conditional
2.4.3. Add filters to context
2.4.4. Apply filters to multiple sheets and data sources

2.5. Create parameters to enable interactivity

Quiz questions on using parameters

2.5.1. In calculations
2.5.2. With filters
2.5.3. With reference lines
2.5.4. Set parameters to dynamically refresh

2.6. Structure the data

Quiz quesions on structuring the data

2.6.1. Sets
2.6.2. Bins
2.6.3. Hierarchies
2.6.4. Groups

2.7. Map data geographically

Quiz questions on mapping data

2.7.1. Create symbol maps
2.7.2. Create heat maps
2.7.3. Create density maps – note that “heat maps” and “density maps” are interchangeable terms
2.7.4. Create choropleth maps (filled maps)

2.8. Summarize, model, and customize data by using the Analytics feature

Quiz questions on the analytics feature

2.8.1. Totals and subtotals
2.8.2. Reference lines
2.8.3. Reference bands
2.8.4. Average lines
2.8.5. Trend lines
2.8.6. Distribution bands
2.8.7. Forecast by using default settings
2.8.8. Customize a data forecasting model
~~2.8.9. Create a predictive model~~ – removed from current exam curriculum

2.9. Create Level of Detail (LOD) calculations

Quiz questions on LOD calculations

2.9.1. Write FIXED LOD calculations
2.9.2. Write INCLUDE LOD calculations
2.9.3. Write EXCLUDE LOD calculations
2.9.4. Write nested LOD calculations

Domain 3: Create Content (26%)

3.1. Create charts

3.1.1. Create basic charts from scratch (bar, line, pie, highlight table, scatter plot, histogram, tree map, bubbles, data tables, Gantt, box plots, area, dual axis, combo) – quiz questions
3.1.2. Sort data (including custom sort) – questions on sorting

3.2. Create dashboards and stories

Quiz quesions on creating dashboards & stories

3.2.1. Combine sheets into a dashboard by using containers and layout options
3.2.2. Add objects
3.2.3. Create stories

3.3. Add interactivity to dashboards

Quiz questions on adding interactivity to dashboards

3.3.1. Apply a filter to a view
3.3.2. Add filter, URL, and highlight actions
3.3.3. Create interactivity using dynamic zone visibility
3.3.4. Add navigation buttons
3.3.5. Create interactivity using set and parameter actions
3.3.6. Create show/hide buttons for dashboard objects

3.4. Format dashboards

Quiz questions on formatting dashboards

3.4.1. Apply color, font, shapes, styling
3.4.2. Add custom shapes and color palettes
3.4.3. Add annotations
3.4.4. Add tooltips
3.4.5. Apply padding
3.4.6. Remove gridlines, row-level and column-level bands, and shading – note that banding is a type of shading
3.4.7. Apply responsive design for specific device layouts

Domain 4: Publish and Manage Content on Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud (9%)

4.1. Publish Content

4.1.1. Publish a workbook – quiz questions
4.1.2. Publish a data source from Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep – quiz questions
4.1.3. Export content
4.1.4 Publish a flow

4.2. Schedule data updates

4.2.1. Schedule data extract refreshes

4.3. Manage Published workbooks

4.3.1. Create alerts
4.3.2. Create subscriptions
4.3.3. Create user specific views
4.3.4. •Understand user roles and permissions
4.3.5. Customize and distribute a published workbook

6-week study plan

Week 1: Connect & Transform (24%). Connections, extracts, joins, unions and relationships.
Week 2: Tableau Prep flows: cleaning, pivots, aggregations, joins.
Weeks 3–4: Explore & Analyze (41%). LOD expressions, table calcs, percentiles, median, parameters, sets, maps.
Week 5: Create Content (26%) and Publish & Manage (9%). Dashboards, actions, subscriptions, alerts, permissions, refresh schedules. Then do the free Trailhead module “Cert Prep: Tableau Data Analyst”.
Week 6: Do the Tableau Data Analyst practice questions with answers and both full mock exams. Book the exam when you score 75% or more.

How hard is the Data Analyst exam?

It’s a step up from Desktop Foundations. You need 65% instead of 48%, the exam has 60 questions, and retakes cost $100. The Explore & Analyze domain (41%) decides most results, so expect LOD and table-calc scenarios.

Getting Tableau Prep and Cloud to practice

Tableau Public doesn’t include Prep publishing, Cloud alerts, or subscriptions. Options: a work license or a student license through Tableau for Students.

Full practice exams

Time yourself at 105 minutes: take the free Data Analyst practice exam and Data Analyst Practice Exam 2. More full-length tests are on our free Tableau Data Analyst practice test page.

FAQ

How long should I study for the Tableau Data Analyst exam?

About 6 weeks if you already use Tableau Desktop and Prep regularly.

What’s the passing score and how many questions?

65%, with 60 scored questions in 105 minutes.

Is there a free Tableau Data Analyst practice test?

Yes. See our free Data Analyst practice exam and Salesforce’s free Trailhead Cert Prep module.

Is it still called Tableau Certified Data Analyst?

No. Since July 2025 it’s Salesforce Certified Tableau Data Analyst (Analytics-DA-201).