Tableau Table Calculations 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a table calculation in Tableau?
- A calculation executed at the database level before results return
- A computation applied to the values already in the visualization (Correct answer)
- A fixed value expression that ignores filters
- A calculation that only works on date fields
Correct answer: A computation applied to the values already in the visualization
Table calculations are computations performed on the values returned by the query and displayed in the visualization, not at the database level.
Question 2: Which of the following is a built-in Quick Table Calculation available in Tableau?
- FIXED
- INCLUDE
- Running Total (Correct answer)
- COUNTD
Correct answer: Running Total
Running Total is one of Tableau's built-in Quick Table Calculations; FIXED and INCLUDE are LOD expression keywords, and COUNTD is an aggregation function.
Question 3: What does the 'Compute Using' option in a Tableau table calculation control?
- The aggregation formula applied to the measure
- The direction and scope across which the calculation traverses (Correct answer)
- The data source queried for the calculation
- The level of detail applied to dimensions
Correct answer: The direction and scope across which the calculation traverses
'Compute Using' determines which dimensions the table calculation moves across (addresses) and which it restarts across (partitions).
Question 4: Which Tableau function calculates a cumulative sum from the first row to the current row?
- SUM()
- TOTAL()
- RUNNING_SUM() (Correct answer)
- WINDOW_SUM()
Correct answer: RUNNING_SUM()
RUNNING_SUM() accumulates the sum from the first row of the partition to the current row, making it ideal for running totals.
Question 5: How does WINDOW_SUM() differ from RUNNING_SUM() in Tableau?
- WINDOW_SUM() totals all values in the partition; RUNNING_SUM() accumulates from start to current row (Correct answer)
- WINDOW_SUM() only works on measures; RUNNING_SUM() works on dimensions too
- WINDOW_SUM() requires a date field; RUNNING_SUM() does not
- They are identical functions with different names
Correct answer: WINDOW_SUM() totals all values in the partition; RUNNING_SUM() accumulates from start to current row
WINDOW_SUM() returns the same total for every row (the sum across the entire partition window), while RUNNING_SUM() grows incrementally from the first row to the current row.
Question 6: What does the RANK() function in Tableau assign to tied values?
- The same rank with subsequent positions skipped (e.g., 1, 1, 3) (Correct answer)
- Sequential unique ranks with no skipping
- The average of their position numbers
- The last rank within their tied group
Correct answer: The same rank with subsequent positions skipped (e.g., 1, 1, 3)
RANK() uses competition ranking: tied values share the same lowest rank, and the next rank is skipped accordingly (e.g., two items tied for 1st both get 1, next item gets 3).
Question 7: Which Tableau function returns the value from a previous row in the current partition?
- PREVIOUS_VALUE()
- LOOKUP(SUM([Sales]), -1) (Correct answer)
- LAG()
- OFFSET(-1)
Correct answer: LOOKUP(SUM([Sales]), -1)
LOOKUP(expression, offset) retrieves the value from a row at a given offset; using -1 accesses the immediately preceding row in the partition.
Tableau Table Calculations 1
What is a table calculation in Tableau?