Can I Learn Tableau For Free?

You can learn Tableau using free online resources. This method of learning is accessible to anyone with a stable internet connection, affording so many people the chance to learn Tableau. However, most free resources provide only lessons in the fundamentals of Tableau, not in more advanced skills, which require more formal methods of training to learn. 

What Free Resources Are Available for Learning Tableau?

Free resources for learning Tableau come in many shapes and sizes. Training centers and schools, such as Noble Desktop, upload instructional videos to their YouTube channels to help students learn the basics of Tableau and other data visualization platforms. YouTube offers the chance to learn Tableau in a video lecture format that learners can watch in their own time. The comment sections of these types of videos often serve as a sort of forum where learners can ask and answer questions on the video topic.

Like many tech-related subjects, individuals looking to learn Tableau can turn toward actual online forums for more information. Oftentimes, professionals and beginners alike will turn to Reddit or a more specialized community forum to teach each other the basics, ask questions, and provide feedback. Many of the most useful forums online have spanned years, providing internet searchers with a means of finding answers quickly to their questions and helping them troubleshoot persistent problems. 

Libraries also provide free resources for learning Tableau. You can ask the staff at your local library about resources for learning Tableau, including books, ebooks, and video tutorials. 

How to Make Use of Free Tableau Resources

Free Tableau resources provide a great way to learn the basics of Tableau. Many beginners find it difficult to know what content to look into when learning Tableau. They may question which variant of Tableau to use, if their computer meets the requirements necessary to use the variant they choose, and then, of course, how to get started with Tableau. Finding the answers to these questions can appear daunting when unfamiliar with the platform. The resources you find online or at your library can help you find answers to these basic questions, ultimately easing you into the learning process. 

Free Tableau resources can supplement formal Tableau training. In formal Tableau training sessions, you’ll receive in-depth instruction in the platform and have the chance to gain hands-on experience working on real-world projects. When using free resources, what you find may provide the basics needed to prepare you for a more immersive learning experience such as a bootcamp or certification program. You may also find that a resource at your disposal helps answer more niche questions that a formal training class may not cover.

Limitations of Free Resources

Free Tableau resources provide a great way to familiarize yourself with the platform and figure out how you can use Tableau for your work or personal projects. However, free resources have limitations. For one, free Tableau resources often only provide basic knowledge of Tableau. Learning advanced Tableau skills usually requires formal training. 

Any free resources you find that cover advanced Tableau topics will likely take time to parse out in comparison to receiving formal instruction on the topics. This is because formal training provides you access to an instructor whereas relying on free resources does not. At most, the closest you’ll get to a formal training experience when relying on free resources is in the form of video lectures. However, with video lectures, you still don’t have access to a live instructor to direct your questions. This makes it difficult to receive help unless you find someone willing to discuss your work with you for free. 

What to Do After Utilizing Free Tableau Resources

Free Tableau resources can help you learn the basics of Tableau and familiarize you with the Tableau interface. It's recommended to utilize free resources first and then move toward paid, live training under the guidance of an expert instructor. 

Live training is the most efficient way to learn Tableau. In-person and live online classes offered by training centers and schools, such as Noble Desktop, provide students the opportunity to receive in-depth, hands-on Tableau lessons. Classes take place during the week, on weekends, and in the evenings, allowing students to find a schedule that works best for them. Additionally, many schools offer group and private sessions, letting prospective enrollees determine whether they’d like to learn among and work with classmates or prefer 1-on-1 instruction. 

The biggest benefit of live training is the live aspect of it. With live instruction, students have access to a teacher who can answer their questions, provide feedback, and alter the curriculum in real time based on the group’s level of knowledge. Unlike self-teaching methods, live training emphasizes the ability to receive help from others, including classmates, making the learning process more collaborative than self-teaching and on-demand classes. 

Live training classes vary in price range and depth of instruction, allowing students to choose the type of training that best suits their needs. Basic classes fall on the lower end of the price scale, with most 1-2 day classes costing several hundred dollars and covering either introductory or advanced-level Tableau skills. Tableau bootcamps cost slightly more in price with classes lasting nearly twice as long as beginner-level classes, as they tend to cover both beginner and advanced-level topics. 

Tableau Classes in Your Area

Enroll in a Tableau training course to learn the platform’s ins and outs from an expert instructor while gaining hands-on experience working on practical projects. You can enroll in part-time or full-time classes offered in-person, live online, and even on-demand. 

Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a Tableau for Data Visualization Bootcamp at their NYC location and live online. The bootcamp covers the field of data visualization and the features and tools that Tableau provides to help you create maps, charts, graphs, and other visual representations of data. In the bootcamp, you will first learn how to identify data sets before moving on to working in Tableau. The course follows this introductory section up with lessons on calculating in Tableau, formatting your visualization, and distributing and publishing your visualization. 

The second module of the bootcamp moves students toward more advanced visualizations and mapping in Tableau. During this module, you’ll receive an introduction to mapping data before learning how to create visualization maps, dual-axis charts, dashboards, and stories. This is a hands-on bootcamp, so you can expect to work on projects throughout its duration. In the second module, you’ll spend supervised class time working with provided data or your own data to work on an individual project. Previous projects students have worked on included bar charts, heat maps, and geographical maps. 

No prior knowledge is required to enroll in Noble Desktop’s Tableau Bootcamp. Tuition is $499, which is due in full before the bootcamp begins. Included in the price of tuition are 12 hours of instruction, a proprietary workbook, a digital certificate of completion awarded after the bootcamp has ended, and a free retake within one year. 

NYIM Training

Over the course of a six-hour class, students can learn about data visualization with Tableau Public. NYIM Training’s Tableau Level I course teaches students how to use Tableau’s free online platform, Tableau Public. During this single-session class, students will work on identifying datasets and then manipulating data appropriately to create a data visualization that stands out and informs. Small sections of the class will introduce advanced Tableau tools, such as using Filters. At the end of the class, students will learn how to share the visualizations they’ve made in Tableau Public with others.

NYIM Training offers Tableau Level I online and in-person. After completing Tableau Level I, NYIM offers Tableau Level II, which introduces students to advanced topics and tools not covered in the introductory class. Students can expect to learn about data mapping and custom charts and understand how to create visualization maps like choropleth maps, spider maps, proportional symbol maps, and density maps. Both courses cost $299, but NYIM Training’s Tableau Bootcamp, which combines the curriculum from Tableau Level I and Tableau Level II, comes at a 15% discount when compared to enrolling in the two courses separately. 

Computer Training Source

Computer Training Source offers a two-series live online Tableau class, consisting of Tableau Part 1 and Tableau Part 2. Tableau Part 1 covers creating visualizations and dashboards and introduces students to mapping in Tableau and sharing data insights using Story Points. At the end of the class, students will learn how to share workbooks through Tableau Server, Online, Public, and Reader, and how to print to PDF. 

Tableau Part 2 expands on the skills students will have developed in Tableau Part 1. Lessons cover additional visualizations than those taught in Tableau Part 1, such as whisker plots, dual axis, and combination charts. Students will also learn how to customize their dashboard layouts before moving toward the final lesson on forecasting and building a story. 

Certstaffix Training

Certstaffix Training’s live online Tableau Desktop Basic Course introduces students to data analysis and visualization with Tableau. Beginner-level students will feel at ease in this class, where they’ll start by learning how to explore, connect to, and transform data. An instructor will then guide them through creating visualizations, parameters, calculations, and dashboards. The class lasts two days with lessons spread out across the two sessions, giving students the time they need to explore concepts and tools in Tableau that will help them create exciting and informative data visualizations in the future. 

Students who want an advanced-level education in Tableau can follow up the basic course with Certstaffix Training’s Tableau Desktop: Advanced. This class covers Tableau Prep, Tableau’s data exploration and preparation tool that users can depend on to clean, shape, and organize data before performing data analysis. Other lessons in the advanced course cover geospatial features and integrating Tableau with AI and extensions. Students who finish the advanced class can register for Tableau’s Qualified Associate Certification exam. 

Students who would prefer to try out on-demand learning can register for Certstaffix Training’s Tableau elearning Bundle Course. The bundle includes seven courses that will teach students data analysis and visualization with Tableau. The first class in the bundle introduces students to different versions of Tableau and their user interfaces. Classes immediately following the first course focus on business intelligence solutions and building interactive dashboards, providing students with the opportunity to see how work in Tableau applies to real-world situations. 

The remaining courses in the bundle make up Certstaffix’s Essential Career Skills Pack. The pack includes the classes Productivity and Time Management, Basic Digital Skills, 4 Ways to Boost Creativity, and The 11 Essential Career Soft Skills. Enrolled students will receive instant access to the course after purchase and can access the bundle for six months.