This course is focused on helping you to pass the Tableau Desktop specialist exam and so I want to talk
a little bit about the exam.
So the first question I'd like to address is what's it like to actually take the exam.
And if you download the prep guide here you from the tableau Web site the certification website you'll
see the exam details and get an idea of how the test works.
And it mentions it takes 60 Minutes and it has 30 questions and the majority of those questions are
knowledge based.
The hands on questions where you actually have to use Tableau to work with data.
There are fewer if those than on the qualified associate exam and they're much easier.
I would say though that the knowledge based questions are similar in difficulty though to the one that
you'd see on the tableau qualified associate exam.
So the tableau qualified associate exam which is a harder and longer exam has many more hands on questions
and their hands on questions that it has are more difficult right.
But as far as the knowledge based questions I found that they were similar in difficulty on this exam.
The specialist exam compared with a qualified associate exam.
So that was my general take.
The other big thing to mention is that when you look at this 60 minute time limit it actually takes
much longer to do the whole exam process because before you can even begin this hour long period you
need to successfully get logged in and verified with the proctor because you take the exam online on
a virtual machine unless you do it.
One of the Tableau conferences the way I've taken the exam is to actually use my home computer with
my webcam and the proctor will look at me check my I.D. check that my work area doesn't have any equipment
or notes or anything else.
Telephone has to be put away basically verify you.
And then once that verification process is done then you do a log into a virtual machine.
And when I did that the first time it did not work and I actually had to reschedule my exam and the
second time I also had trouble and I actually had to switch to a different computer to be able to successfully
log in and take the exam.
So this is a time limit says 60 Minutes but you should actually budget much more time and be prepared
for some frustrations with getting logged in.
Once you take the exam and get into the virtual machine you need to be a little bit careful because
if you press the wrong button you can end up logging out of the virtual machine and then you'll need
to ask the proctor to help you.
That happened to me once.
So those are kind of the things that I found to be a little bit surprising and challenging with the
exam.
As far as this the the actual questions themselves.
This is an accurate reflection of what's on the exam.
And so this is what we're going to be covering in the course so that you're well-prepared for any knowledge
based or hands on questions.
Next question.
What are the steps to actually take the exam.
So here I click register online and I have to create an account.
It's a different company that's actually doing the proctor thing.
So I have to grade my account with them.
And then here once you log in after you've created your account you click click here and then you do
a connectivity checker to basically make sure that you have good connectivity with your network because
if you don't you will find that you start to take the test and end up having to stop because you don't
have a good connection.
So basically need enough speed.
So I go through this I choose my region start connectivity checker and I pass because I have good speed
right.
And then there's one other one I need to do which is the speed test right.
So I guess I click here and then go and they encourage when you take the exam that you use an ether
net connection hard wired instead of a Wi-Fi just because that's a little bit more reliable a little
bit faster.
So that's recommended.
And so I run the speed chip test basically just to make sure that I have enough speed and good connectivity.
And then once that's complete then I can actually sign up and I'm going to have to do this again when
I actually do sign up.
So then to order an exam I click here and then I have to basically enter my credit card and want not
to to take for example the specialist exam and then I schedule it.
And you can schedule and reschedule it.
Basically when you go through the scheduling process and I can't do it now without actually paying.
But when you go through the scheduling process you select a specific time that you want to take the
exam.
And then when you come back into this main page right the home page instead of seeing my my scores I'll
actually click here and that'll kind of start me on the process.
Right.
So basically if I you'd see my exam time when that time comes up and you go to this page you'd see that
you can log in and then once you log in you need a webcam so the proctor can see you and you basically
have to show him your I.D. showed that your workspace is clear and then you get logged in right after
the proctor verifies you verifies your workspace you get logged in to a virtual machine.
And that virtual machine will have an installed copy of Tableau Desktop and will have all of the files
that you need to use for any of the hands on questions where you have to use a data set and then the
third thing you will have is you will have basically a web page where you go through and answer the
questions right.
So you have an hour to go through the questions.
You can go back and forth.
You can skip questions and you take it in that environment and you just have to be careful not to press
I think it's the escape key which will log you out of the virtual machine and then you go back to your
own computers you have to make sure you actually stay on the virtual machine while you're taking the
exam.
So be careful about that.
Go through all the questions submit and find out whether you passed what happens if I don't pass the
first time to see the answer that there's a program back here on the certification page and they explain
it very succinctly.
So we go down to this part and you look here it says what happens if I fail.
And it says there is no required waiting period between your first and your second attempt should you
need to take the exam a third time.
There is a two month waiting period between each attempt after your second you must pay the exam fee
for each attempt.