Tableau Desktop Specialist study plan

Identify and connect to at least four source types (text/CSV, Excel, a relational database, and a cloud or web-hosted source) and record which connection options each exposes

Distinguish live connections from extracts by building the same view both ways and noting the differences in available features and refresh behavior

Construct an inner join and a left join between two tables in the Data Source page, then verify row counts before and after

Union two files with identical structure and confirm that mismatched fields are handled as expected

Set a default data type and rename a field at the source level rather than in the worksheet

Pivot columns to rows on a cross-tab style dataset and confirm the resulting field values match the original totals

Split a combined field (for example, a concatenated region-code field) and correct the inferred data types afterward

Filter rows at the data source level with an extract filter and confirm the filtered-out records no longer appear in any worksheet

Use the Data Interpreter on a source with title rows and verify the header row is correctly promoted

Document a repeatable cleaning sequence (pivot, split, rename, type-cast, filter) applied in a fixed order

Classify every field in your Week 2 dataset as dimension or measure and justify each choice in writing

Demonstrate the difference between discrete and continuous by placing the same field on Columns both ways and describing the resulting axis behavior

Explain, with two worksheet examples, how aggregation level is determined by the dimensions in the view

Reproduce three aggregate calculations and three row-level calculations to show where each is evaluated

State the role of the data source page versus the worksheet in shaping what a view can display

Build groups, sets, and hierarchies on the same dimension and articulate one analytic question each structure answers best

Sort and filter at the dimension, measure, and table-calculation level, noting how each changes the underlying data used by the view

Create five calculated fields spanning string, date, and numeric functions, including one with a conditional (IF or CASE) structure

Apply a quick table calculation and a manual table calculation, then set the compute-using direction deliberately for both

Complete a timed 25-question practice set on explore-and-analyze topics and log every missed item by cause

Write one fixed LOD, one inclusive LOD, and one exclusive LOD expression and explain how each differs from the equivalent view-level aggregation

Add a reference line, a trend line, and a forecast to distinct worksheets and interpret the statistical output in plain language

Build a box plot and a histogram from bins, then adjust bin size and describe the effect on the distribution shape

Combine a parameter with a calculated field to let a user switch which measure is displayed

Combine at least two set actions or group-based filters so the view responds to selection

Assemble a two-sheet dashboard and apply filter, highlight, and URL or parameter actions with clearly defined source and target sheets

Configure dashboard-level filtering so a selection on one sheet does not unintentionally blank another

Format a view to publication standard: number formats, axis labels, titles, tooltips, and a consistent color palette

Write a Story with at least three points that walks a viewer from a problem statement to a conclusion

Export or publish the finished work and identify the permission and refresh settings that control who can see it

Rank the stages of Tableau's order of operations from memory and predict where a context filter, a dimension filter, and a table calculation each execute

Convert a standard filter into a context filter and demonstrate a case where the resulting totals differ

Compare a dimension filter against a data source filter and an extract filter on the same field, noting which layers each bypasses

Take one full-length practice exam under timed conditions and tag every question by domain

Recalculate your weakest two domains and schedule specific remediation for each

Re-drill the two lowest-scoring topics from Week 7 using fresh hands-on rebuilds rather than re-reading notes

Rebuild from scratch, without notes, one end-to-end workflow covering connect, clean, analyze, and share

Review every missed practice item across the plan and restate the correct rule in your own words

Take a second full-length timed practice exam and compare the score by domain against Week 7

Finalize a one-page personal checklist of the ten rules you are most likely to forget under time pressure