Tableau Certification: Everything You Need to Know

Tableau is the most popular and leading BI and Data Visualization tool in the market according to Gartner’s Magic Quadrant. It helps you pin the extracted insights from a large dataset and even a non-technical professional will be able to understand these visualizations clearly. Plus, it is easy for you to learn, understand, and get started with it. So, here we will be discussing everything that you need to know about Tableau certification.

Before we start the article let’s run down the content of this article:

• What is Tableau? And why does Tableau offer certifications?
• What are the different types of certifications?
• Why should I get Tableau certified? Is it worth it?
• Which certification is right for me?
• Is taking these certifications worth it or not?
• If it’s worth it, then how to prepare for the certification?

What is Tableau? And why does Tableau offer certifications?

To run any business, you need to have proper data to work with. If you do not have access to high-quality data, that is accurate, and truly represents the trend of your product or service, then you will not be able to fully harness the capability of the business you have set up. Because business is trying to solve a problem that exists, and if you are short of data, that makes you incapable to deal with the problem, and pretty soon you will run out of business.

This is where Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, and Data Visualization come into play. Data Analytics is analyzing the data to extract the insights, to help feed you with meaningful actionable insights, BI offers you a Predictive view of the business operations that helps executives, workers, and managers to help make better-informed decisions. And Data Visualization is all about depicting the insights gained in a clear, interactive manner, so that even a non-technical guy in your team, doesn’t need an explanation to better understand.

So, how can businesses get these benefits to start with? Various tools offer these services like Power BI, Qlik, etc. but the best-regarded tool is Tableau in the BI and Data visualization space. So, Tableau offers certifications for its user-base to test themselves, and validate their knowledge and expertise in handling the software at different levels, which helps these test-takers, to get better opportunities through promotion, better offers, or get a salary appraisal, etc. Since Tableau is the official certification body for its certifications, your employers can be sure about what they can expect from a certified employee.

What are the different types of certifications?

Tableau certifications are divided into 2 types, Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server. Tableau Desktop is used for analyzing data and creating visualizations and dashboards. Whereas, Tableau Server is the version that helps organizations host Tableau and offers analytics capabilities to its employees.

Tableau Desktop:

1. Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification (Entry-level)
2. Tableau Desktop Certified Associate Certification (Intermediate-level)
3. Tableau Desktop Certified Professional Certification (Advanced-level)

Tableau Server:

1. Tableau Server Certified Associate Certification
2. Tableau Server Certified Professional Certification

Why should I get Tableau certified?

As we have already conversed about Tableau Interview Questions and how it’s the industry leader in the BI and Data Visualization space. It’s probably the best certification that you can get, to certify and validate your knowledge and expertise in the Analytics and Visualization field. There is a high demand for professionals with Tableau certification lately. As companies can be sure of the candidate, that he/she has validated their knowledge from a trusted certification body and will contribute to the company as expected of them.

Which certification is right for me?

Tableau certifications are meant for professionals at different levels of Tableau expertise, there is entry-level certification, intermediate and advanced level certifications, one for validating expertise in using the Tableau, and the other for setting up the Tableau Server for smoother usage inside the organization. So, it all boils down to which path you want to choose, and the company requirements, that you wish to work with.

Let’s take a glance at the certifications that Tableau has on offer and that will help you give a proper reference, to make a better decision:

Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification:

• Foundational knowledge is required; Tableau recommends 3-month expertise in using the software.
• Validates skills like connecting to the data source, preparing, exploring, and analyzing data, and sharing insights and timelines.
• This certification exam is of 1-hour and consists of 30 questions that have MCQs, Multiple select questions, and even hands-on questions.
• You can take this exam remotely, and it’s available in 7 languages.
• Unlike other Tableau certifications, this certification has no expiry.
• The registration amount is $100.

Tableau Desktop Certified Associate Certification:

• A level up from the basic level, this certification is meant for those who have at least 5 months of experience in using Tableau Desktop.
• It covers fluency with data connections, field, and chart types, organizing and simplifying data, calculations, mapping, analytics including forecasting and trends, building and utilizing dashboards, and timeliness.
• It’s a 2-hour exam for 36 questions, that contains MCQs, MSQs, True/False, and even hands-on questions, with a passing score of 75%.
• This exam is available in 7 languages, could be taken remotely, will expire in 2 years, and has no prerequisites.
• The registration amount is $250.

Tableau Desktop Certified Professional Certification:

• Recommended for advanced users, who have 1 year of experience in working in Tableau Desktop.
• This level of certification tests storytelling, visual best practices, detailed calculations, data restructuring, data sources, etc.
• It’s a 3-hour long exam only in English, which will mark you pass/fail by a committee with multiple graders.
• This certification is valid for 3 years, and the registration amount is $600.

Tableau Server Certified Associate Certification:

• Test takers should have 4-6 months of experience working with Tableau Server.
• Aimed at IT professionals with a good understanding of running Tableau Server in a single-machine environment and tests on minimum hardware and software requirements, network infrastructure, installation best practices, data source identification, server processes, server administration, server configurations, and troubleshooting.
• This 90-minute exam is available in 7 languages and consists of 80 questions of MCQs, Multiple select answer questions, and True/False.
• Minimum Passing marks are set at 75% and the certification is valid for 2 years.
• The registration amount is set at $250.

Tableau Server Certified Professional Certification:

• Intended for Advanced-level users like system administrators, system architects, consultants, and other IT professionals, who have at least 9 months of experience in Tableau Server (not mandatory, but suggested).
• This exam tests your knowledge in system architecture, scalability, security, installation best practices, data source identification, hardware migrations, etc.
• You must have Tableau Server Associate certification to be eligible for this certification.
• This is the longest Tableau exam, at 7 hours, and consists of a short essay, hands-on questions, and a committee grade you Pass/ Fail based on best practices and a rubric.
• Unlike other Tableau exams, you can only take this exam, in-person, at a testing site, and it is available only in English.
• The registration amount is set at $800.

Is taking these certifications worth it or not?

Registering for Tableau certification is worth it, according to many industry insiders and experts. Because if we set aside monetary, and professional benefits, what one can gain is the knowledge that he/she can apply while working on Tableau, and that will boost one’s morale. And speaking of monetary benefits, according to PayScale, a Tableau Certified Associate will receive an average salary of USD 80,000 and by just having a Tableau skill, a Data Analyst will receive an extra $5000 or more salary hike depending on factors like the organization they are working for, job location, work experience, etc.

If it’s worth it, then how to prepare for the certification?

As we have to come to the end of this article, the last question that becomes essential when you discover the benefits of Tableau certifications, is Where to learn and prepare? Based on my experience, I recommend you check out Intellipaat’s Tableau training course which is timed perfectly for aspirants who are eyeing a well-paid exciting job that offers them more opportunities. This is an industry-grade course that offers you personal 1:1 doubt clearing sessions, Lifetime 24*7 technical support, and access along with loads of other key points, that makes this course worth it.