Core Certification - Practical

[Monica_L]

Are there practice data sets/problems available anywhere that are similar to the practical exam questions?  I am stuck on the Transpose and Cross-tab tools and could use more practice on some others.  Those two just don't make sense to me conceptually, so I need a way to practice over and over.  The Weekly Challenges don't help because I spend a lot of time or get stuck in other places, leading up to the tool, so I don't get a chance to actually use the tool in question.  Also the examples in the Tool Palette are slightly helpful, but I'm still not solving for anything (e.g. I see how a Pres and V Pres go together, but I can't answer any other arbitrary questions about it).  Thanks for any advice!

[EricR · Accepted solution]

Hi @Monica_L ,

If you are looking for exercises on those tools and many others, I would try the Getting Started Learning Path in the Academy Section of Community.  In addition to the interactive lessons and tool mastery articles, there are exercises called "TRY IT!" that are drills on the different configurations of individual tools.  Once you have completed the tasks specified, you can use the same datasets to practice other transformations of the data.  Have a desired outcome in mind and experiment with the tools until you are able to make them happen.  The Transpose and Cross Tab tools are two of the more difficult tools on the Core exam and do require some practice to master.  Good luck on the exam and feel free to reach out to certification@alteryx.com for any exam related questions.

All the best,

Eric

Alteryx Certification Team

[JWarmbrodt]

@Monica_L --I've had the same struggles too and the interactive lessons are helpful. I'm prepping for my Core cert too. Best of luck! 

[Qiu]

@Monica_L 

Agree that the interactive lessons is very informative.

 Suprisingly, you can some of the answers in the lessons, which you can not find it any where else.

[Monica_L]

Thanks for the helpful information!

[atcodedog05]

Hi @Monica_L 

I would definitely recommend as @EricR suggested

Getting Started Learning Path and there are exercises called "TRY IT!" will definitely help you to get more hands on practice.

And i saw you are facing a challenge with weekly challenges. Since practical questions in certification is almost in the similar lines to weekly. I would say if you get good at weeklys you can perform well at clearing practicals and your speed will also increase.

Hope this helps 🙂

[Monica_L]

I took the Core Certification exam on Wednesday and passed!!  Thanks for all the advice and words of encouragement. I have been struggling with the Weekly Challenges - and couldn't focus on them because they weren't giving me the kind of practice I needed.  So, now I will spend more time with them in order increase my overall understanding of how all the tools work together.

[Frachiu]

If you watch the video#3 for the core certification training and make notes from it by pausing and writing it will be very clear.

I struggle with join and union and found video#2 very helpful. Hope this helps.