8 Common Tableau Interview Questions and Sample Answers

Updated 24 March 2023

Tableau is a powerful data visualisation tool you can use for business intelligence (BI) and data analysis. It allows users to create graphs, charts and maps from data inputted, thus allowing efficient analysis of a large quantity of data all at once. If you're about to interview for a job that requires the usage of Tableau, knowing more about the questions you may be asked beforehand can help you better prepare. In this article, we provide answers to 8 frequently asked Tableau interview questions.

8 frequently asked Tableau interview questions

Here are 8 common Tableau-related interview questions:

1. What are some ways you can learn to use Tableau?

Sample answer: 'There are many ways to learn how to use Tableau, and it depends very much on the user himself. One possibility is through watching tutorial videos, which is my own favourite way of learning as it's very user-friendly and easy to understand. Otherwise, you might consider reading the Tableau instruction manual, taking a training course from an approved training provider or attending a Tableau conference hosted by Tableau experts.'

2. What are the different features of Tableau?

Sample answer: 'Tableau boasts several features that facilitate data analysis. My personal favourite is the software's ability to create interactive dashboards from data, as it allows me to better understand and derive conclusions from my data. Another great feature is Tableau's ability to connect to a variety of data sources, including Excel, the SQL Server and the Tableau Server.

Furthermore, Tableau also has the capability to create a variety of visuals like bar graphs, line graphs and maps. Lastly, Tableau allows you to share your charts and graphs with others by publishing them onto Tableau Server or embedding them into a website or blog.'

3. What are some of the products that Tableau offers?

Sample answer: 'Tableau offers users a variety of products such as Tableau Desktop, which is a data visualisation software that you can use to create charts and dashboards. It includes a range of features like the ability to connect to data sources, create calculated fields and publish views. Tableau also offers the Tableau Server, which is a sharing platform that allows users to share their charts and dashboards with other people.

Besides that, Tableau also offers Tableau Public, the free version of Tableau Desktop, and Tableau Online, which is the same but subscription-based.'

4. What is the difference between Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server?

Sample answer: 'While Desktop and Server are both Tableau products, Tableau Desktop was developed to create data visualisations, while Tableau Server is mainly for creating interactive dashboards.'

5. What is the difference between a calculated field and a dimension?

Sample answer: 'A dimension is a field that already exists in the data source, whereas a calculated field is created in Tableau from other existing fields in the data source. Also, calculated fields can include mathematical operations, whilst dimensions cannot.'

6. What is the difference between a line graph and a bar graph?

Sample answer: 'Line graphs demonstrate how variables change over a certain period of time, whereas bar graphs are used in the comparison of different variables. Also, line graphs have a singular series when it comes to data points, whereas bar graphs can have multiple.

7. What are the four different joins in Tableau?

Sample answer: 'Tableau supports all the joins that are possible in SQL. The four different joins are the inner join, left outer join, right outer join and full outer join.'

8. Can you describe a time when you used Tableau to solve a problem?

Sample answer: 'Tableau can be used to solve a wide variety of problems - for example, you might use it to analyse data for a marketing campaign, track website traffic or forecast sales. Recently, I worked with a client who wanted me to improve online traffic to his brand website. I used Tableau to analyse the data from his site and was able to identify trends in his web traffic that indicated certain designs and content resonated better with his target audience. I implemented more of such content into his website, and as a result, there was a significant increase in traffic.'

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