Is Tableau Certification Worth It?

Is Tableau Certification worth it?

Today we’re looking at the different Tableau certifications and why I recommend the Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification.

Tableau Certification Options

Tableau currently offers 5 different certifications - 3 for Tableau desktop and 2 for Tableau Server. I’ll talk mainly about the desktop certifications, but most of what I’ll say applies to the Tableau Server certifications as well.

Regardless of which certification you are considering, I highly recommend only getting certified through Tableau. While there are third-party certification options, none of them carry the same weight as certification directly from Tableau.

Tableau Desktop Certified Associate

Tableau Desktop Certified Associate is focused on people with 5+ months of Tableau experience. It’s a 2 hour exam that is also multiple choice / multiple response. Like the desktop specialist exam, it includes questions that require you to do hands-on work in Tableau to answer.

Once you've earned the certification, it's good for 2 years. To maintain your credentials as a Tableau Desktop Certified Associate, you will need to retake the exam every 2 years.

Tableau Desktop Certified Professional

Tableau Desktop Certified Professional is geared towards individuals with at least a year of experience in Tableau. You must be an active Tableau Desktop Certified Associate to sit for professional certification. The exam is much more open ended than the other exams, requiring you to demonstrate your skills through written answers, hands on exercise, and building/savings solutions in Tableau. It’s a 3 hour exam scored by a committee.

Once you've earned the certification, it's good for 3 years. To maintain your credentials as a Tableau Desktop Certified Professional, you will need to retake the exam every 3 years.

> Who is the Tableau Desktop Certified Professional Exam for?

Tableau recommends you have at least a year of Tableau experience to take the exam.

> Tableau Desktop Certified Professional Exam Length

It’s a 3 hour exam that’s scored by committee. The work involved is more dynamic and demonstrates not only finding the right answer, but also your methodology for getting to your answers. 

> Tableau Desktop Certified Professional Exam Cost

The Tableau Desktop Specialist exam costs $600 (USD). 

> How to prep for the Tableau Desktop Certified Professional Exam

If you're new to using Tableau, start with prepping the the Desktop Specialist exam. This will give you a strong foundation for building your skills. Check out my Tableau training course which helps you prepare for the certification.

From there, focus on the additional skills added into this exam which will include more complex, hands-on challenges. I don't recommend taking the certification exam without working in Tableau outside of a training environment. This exam is heavily focused on your methodology and practical application to very complex issues.

If you have to pick one certification, I recommend Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification.

Why do I specifically recommend Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification? 

Even if you have more experience and get higher level certifications, Tableau Desktop Specialist is a nice one to have because it doesn’t expire. The Tableau Desktop Certified Associate expires after 3 years and Tableau Desktop Certified Professional expires after 2 years.

Tableau Certification Providers

Get certified through Tableau - not a third-party.

There’s incentive for Tableau to provide a very balanced certification. On one hand, they need to make sure that the test is rigorous enough that when people pass it, it truly demonstrates they have the capabilities companies need to work well in their tools. On the other hand, they need it to be achievable enough that a decent number of people will take the time to get certified.

Since Tableau is also the maker of the software you’re certifying in, companies also have reason to trust that if Tableau certifies someone, they likely know what they’re doing.

This is an ideal scenario for a certification. The process is hard enough that it’s not a given that everyone taking it will pass. It actually means something about your knowledge and skills if you pass it. However, it’s also not ridiculously difficult. If you put in time to learn the tool, you’ll have no issue passing the exam and getting certified.

Check out my Tableau course to learn Tableau for yourself and then take the certification exam if you’d like to.