Course Overview
This course has one narrow purpose: getting you ready for the Tableau Desktop Specialist exam. It is not a general Tableau course. The lessons follow the exam's topic areas, and a large part of the value is the practice tests. After Tableau revised the exam in August 2021 and moved its delivery to Pearson, the instructor rebuilt the practice exams to match the new format.
You don't need a paid Tableau license. Everything is done in Tableau Public, the free edition. The package also includes a downloadable study guide with notes and links. It covers how to sit the exam from home with a remote proctor, and the instructor answers student questions. The instructor, Lukas Halim, holds both the Specialist and Data Analyst credentials and works as a data analyst in health insurance.
What You Will Learn
- Connect to data live or through extracts
- Combine data using joins, blends, and unions, including the SQL logic behind joins and unions
- Build bar-style charts, maps, and text tables
- Assemble interactive dashboards and stories
- Organize data with filters, sorts, hierarchies, groups, and sets
- Tell dimensions from measures, and discrete fields from continuous ones
- Distinguish table calculations from aggregate calculations
- Answer both theory questions and hands-on questions in the style of the exam
Course Structure
The course has 11 sections and 51 lectures. The video content is organized around four exam areas:
- Connecting to and preparing data
- Exploring and analyzing data
- Sharing insights
- Understanding Tableau concepts
The practice exams come at the end, with a solution guide for self-scoring. Along with the video, you get 12 articles and 20 downloadable resources.
Who Is This Course For?
It suits beginners in data analytics, and professionals who want a first Tableau credential. It also works for people who already know a little Tableau and want to check whether they're ready for the exam.
Look elsewhere if you want to learn Tableau thoroughly through projects. The course is built around passing a test, not around portfolio work. If you already have solid Tableau experience, the instructor himself suggests going for the Data Analyst certification instead of this one.
Format & Time Commitment
The course is self-paced and has lifetime access. It includes closed captions, and you can watch on mobile and TV. The video runs just under three hours, so you could finish the lessons in a weekend. Plan extra time for the three practice exams and for reviewing your wrong answers, since that is where most of the preparation happens.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Very compact. The video content takes under three hours.
- Practice exams were updated for the post-2021 exam format.
- Includes a study guide and practical advice on taking the exam at home.
- You can follow along using only the free Tableau Public.
- Highly rated: 4.6 from over 4,000 ratings.
- The instructor holds the certifications he is teaching toward.
Cons
- The short runtime means the lessons are an overview. A complete beginner may need other material to feel comfortable with Tableau itself.
- One reviewer said some practice-exam answers seemed unclear or questionable, and noted that others raised the same issue in the discussion section. That review is several years old, so check recent comments.
- The same reviewer found the video quality blurry even at 1080p.
- Content was last updated in December 2024. Tableau's certification lineup may have changed since then, so compare the exam guide on Tableau's site with the syllabus.
- The Specialist is an entry-level credential, so this course won't prepare you for more advanced analyst roles.
- The course description mentions three practice exams, but the "what you'll learn" list refers to two. Check the content tab before you buy.
FAQ
How much does it cost?
The listed price for a one-time purchase is ₫499,000. If you subscribe to Udemy (from ₫250,000/month), the course is included at no extra charge.
Do I need to buy Tableau?
No. The course uses Tableau Public, which is free. You only need a Windows or Mac computer.
Does the certificate prove I'm Tableau certified?
No. The course gives you a Udemy certificate of completion. The Tableau Desktop Specialist credential comes from passing Tableau's own exam, which you take separately.
Is there a better alternative for experienced users?
Possibly. The instructor also teaches a longer Tableau Certified Data Analyst prep course. Udemy lists other, longer Tableau exam courses as well, which cover more material.
If you're weighing a quick, exam-focused option, take a look at the syllabus and recent reviews on the official Udemy page.
