QSDA2024 Practice Exam Questions with Answers Qlik Sense Data Architect Certification Exam – 2024 Certification

In this scenario, the data architect is using a GENERIC LOAD statement in the script to handle the data structure provided. A GENERIC LOAD is used in Qlik Sense when you have data in a key-value pair structure and you want to transform it into a more traditional table structure, where each attribute becomes a column.

Given the input data table with three columns (Object, Attribute, Value), and the attributes in the Attribute field being either color, diameter, length, or width, the GENERIC LOAD will create separate tables based on the combinations of Object and each Attribute.

Here's how the GENERIC LOAD works:

For each unique object(circle, rectangle, square), the GENERIC LOAD creates separate tables based on the distinct values of the Attribute field.

Each of these tableswill contain two fields: Object and the specific attribute (e.g., color, diameter, length, width).

Breakdown:

Table for circle:

Fields: Object, color, diameter

Table for rectangle:

Fields: Object, color, length, width

Table for square:

Fields: Object, color, length

Each distinct attribute (color, diameter, length, width) and object combination generates a separate table.

Final Count of Tables:

The script will create6 separate tables: one for each unique combination of Object and Attribute.

References:

Qlik Sense Documentation on Generic Load: Generic loads are used to pivot key-value pair data structures into multiple tables, where each key (in this case, the Attribute field values) forms a new column in its own table.

The issue described relates to the incorrect display of month and year values on the x-axis of a chart. The source data has dates in the M/D/YYYY format, and a calculated field named Month-Year was created using this date format.

To correct the issue:

The correct approach is to use the MonthStart() function, which returns the first date of the month for the provided date. This ensures consistency in month-year representation.

The Date() function is then used to format the result of MonthStart() to the desired format of MMM-YYYY (e.g., Feb-2018).

Explanation of the Correct Expression:

MonthStart([Common Date]): This ensures that all dates within a month are treated as the first day of that month, which is critical for accurate monthly aggregation.

Date(..., 'MMM-YYYY'): This formats the result to show just the month and year in the correct format.

Using this expression ensures that the x-axis correctly displays the month-year values.

In Qlik Sense, when a data load script is executed and an error occurs, the script execution is halted immediately, and any tables that were being loaded at the time of the error are discarded. However, the existing data model—i.e., the last successfully loaded data model—remains intact and is not affected by the failed script. This ensures that the application retains the last known good state of the data, avoiding any partial or inconsistent data loads that could occur due to an error.

When the script encounters an error:

The tables that were successfully loaded prior to the error are retained in the session, but these tables are not merged with the existing data model.

The existing data model before the script was executed remains unchanged and is maintained.

No partial or incomplete data is loaded into the application; hence, the data model remains consistent and reliable.

Qlik Sense Data Architect ReferencesThis behavior is designed to protect the integrity of the data model. In scenarios where script execution fails, the user can debug and fix the script without risking the data integrity of the existing application. The key references include:

Qlik Help Documentation: Provides detailed information on how Qlik Sense handles script errors, highlighting that the existing data model remains unchanged after an error.

Data Load Editor Practices: Best practices dictate ensuring that the script is fully functional before executing it to avoid data inconsistency. In cases where an error occurs, understanding that the current data model is maintained helps in strategic debugging and script correction.

In the provided data model, both the CurrentOffice and Transaction tables contain the fields SalesID and Office. This leads to the creation of a synthetic key in Qlik Sense because of the two common fields between the two tables. A synthetic key is created automatically by Qlik Sense when two or more tables have two or more fields in common. While synthetic keys can be useful in some scenarios, they often lead to unwanted and unexpected results, so it’s generally advisable to resolve them.

In this case, the goal is to have both the current office of the salesperson and the office where the transaction occurred visible in the data model. Here’s how each option compares:

Option A: Comment out the Office in the Transaction table:This would remove the Office field from the Transaction table, which would prevent you from seeing which office the salesperson was in when the transaction occurred. This option does not meet the requirement.

Option B: Inner Join the Transaction table to the CurrentOffice table:Performing an inner join would merge the two tables based on the common SalesID and Office fields. However, this might result in a loss of data if there are sales records in the Transaction table that don’t have a corresponding record in the CurrentOffice table or vice versa. This approach might also lead to unexpected results in your analysis.

Option C: Alias Office to CurrentOffice In the CurrentOffice table:By renaming the Office field in the CurrentOffice table to CurrentOffice, you prevent the synthetic key from being created. This allows you to differentiate between the salesperson’s current office and the office where the transaction occurred. This approach maintains the integrity of your data and allows for clear analysis.

Option D: Force concatenation between the tables:Forcing concatenation would combine the rows of both tables into a single table. This would not solve the issue of distinguishing between the current office and the office at the time of the transaction, and it could lead to incorrect data associations.

Given these considerations, the best approach to resolve the synthetic key while fulfilling the requirement of having both the current office and the office at the time of the transaction visible is toAlias Office to CurrentOffice in the CurrentOffice table. This ensures that the data model will accurately represent both pieces of information without causing synthetic key issues.

In this scenario, the data architect is loading two tables, Orders and Shipments, into Qlik Sense, and a synthetic key is being generated due to the presence of shared fields (OrderID and LineNo) between these tables.

Understanding the Issue:

Synthetic Keys: Qlik Sense automatically creates synthetic keys when two or more tables share multiple fields with the same names. While synthetic keys aren't necessarily problematic, they can sometimes lead to incorrect or unexpected data associations and should be resolved when possible to maintain clarity and control over the data model.

The tables Orders and Shipments share the fields OrderID and LineNo. In this context, these fields together uniquely identify each record, so they are both necessary for accurate data linkage.

Correct Resolution Approach:

Option C: Create a composite key using OrderID and LineNois the best approach.

Here's why:

Composite Key Creation:

By creating a composite key that combines OrderID and LineNo (e.g., OrderID & '-' & LineNo), you ensure that each line in the orders and shipments tables is uniquely identified. This composite key will accurately link the related records from the Orders and Shipments tables.

Avoiding Synthetic Keys:

By manually creating this composite key, you eliminate the need for Qlik Sense to generate a synthetic key, thereby simplifying the data model and ensuring that data associations are clear and controlled.

Retaining Both Fields:

This approach allows you to keep both OrderID and LineNo as separate fields in your tables if needed for other analyses or reporting purposes, while using the composite key for linking the tables.

References:

Qlik Sense Data Modeling Best Practices: When dealing with multiple fields that are used together to uniquely identify records, it is recommended to create composite keys rather than relying on Qlik Sense's synthetic keys for clarity and better control.

In this scenario, the data architect needs to conform the revenue data from Company B to match the data standard of Company A, where $0 is explicitly used to represent journeys without revenue.

Explanation of the Correct Script:

Option A:money(replace(Revenue, chr(32), 0)) AS [Revenue Conformed]

replace(Revenue, chr(32), 0):This part of the expression replaces any spaces (ASCII character code 32) in the Revenue field with 0.

money(...):This function formats the resulting value as currency. Since Company B may have either null values or spaces where 0 should be, this script ensures that any blanks are replaced with 0 and then formatted as currency.

Why Option A is Correct:

Handling Spaces:The replace() function is effective in replacing spaces with 0, conforming to Company A's standard of using $0 for non-revenue journeys.

Handling NULL Values:The money() function is used to ensure the final output is formatted as currency. However, it's important to note that NULL values are not directly handled by the replace() function, which is why it is applied before money() to deal with spaces.

In the provided scenario, the sales territories were realigned during the year, and it is necessary to track performance based on the date of the sale and the salesperson’s assignment during that period. The IntervalMatch function is the best approach to create a time-based relationship between the sales transactions and the sales territory assignments.

IntervalMatch: This function is used to match discrete values (e.g., transaction dates) with intervals (e.g., start and end dates for sales territory assignments). By matching the transaction dates with the intervals in the HR table, you can accurately determine which territory and manager were in effect at the time of each sale.

Using IntervalMatch, you can generate point-in-time data that accurately reflects the dynamic nature of sales territory assignments, allowing both sales reps and regional managers to track performance over time.

In the provided scenario, the goal is to export tables from a Qlik Sense model based on rules specified in an external text file. The structure of the text file indicates which table to export, the filename to use, and how many copies to create.

Given this structure, the data architect needs to:

Loop through each row in the text file to process each table.

Use an IF statement to check whether the specified table exists in the model (though it's mentioned they are verified to exist, this step may involve conditional logic to ensure the rules are correctly followed).

Use another IF statement to handle the creation of multiple copies, ensuring each file is named incrementally (e.g., Clients1.qvd, Clients2.qvd, etc.).

Key Script Strategies:

Loop: A loop is necessary to iterate through each row of the text file to process the tables specified for export.

IF Statements: The first IF statement checks conditions such as whether the table should be exported (based on additional logic if needed). The second IF statement handles the creation of multiple copies by incrementing the filename.

This approach covers all the necessary logic with the minimum set of scripting strategies, ensuring that each table is exported according to the rules defined.

When developing multiple Qlik Sense applications (Sales, Finance, Operations) that share numerous identical calculation expressions, it is crucial to have a centralized, reusable script to avoid redundancy, save time on modifications, and increase the reusability of the assets.

The best approach in Qlik Sense to achieve these goals is to use theIncludescript function. This function allows the data architect to reference a script file that is stored on a file server. The Include function willinject the contents of the external script file into the Qlik Sense script at the point where the Include statement is called. This means that all three apps (Sales, Finance, Operations) can include this common script, and any updates made to the script will automatically apply to all apps that include it.

This method provides a highly maintainable solution because:

No Duplicate Script:The shared logic is maintained in a single file, eliminating redundancy.

Ease of Modifications:Any changes made to the script are propagated to all applications that include it.

Reusable Assets:The script can be reused across different applications, enhancing efficiency and consistency.

In the provided scenario, the data architect needs to create a data model that supports various analyses, including total sales for each customer, total sales by state, identifying customers with no sales, and displaying the names of salespersons and regional account managers.

Here’s whyOption Cis the correct choice:

Loading the Sales Table:The Sales table contains key information related to sales transactions, including SaleID, CustomerID, Amount, SaleDate, SalesPersonID, and RegionalAcctMgrID. This table must be loaded first as it will be central to the analysis.

Loading the Customers Table:The Customers table includes customer details such as CustID, CustName, Address, City, State, and Zip. Loading this table and linking it to the Sales table via the CustomerID field allows you to perform analyses such as total sales per customer and total sales by state. Importantly, loading the customers separately will also allow the identification of customers without any sales.

Loading the Employees Table Twice:The Employees table must be loaded twice because it is used to look up two different roles in the sales process: the SalesPersonID and the RegionalAcctMgrID. When loading the table twice:

The first instance of the Employees table will be used to map the SalesPersonID to EmployeeName.

The second instance will be used to map the RegionalAcctMgrID to EmployeeName.

Aliasing the EmployeeID field appropriately in each instance is crucial to prevent creating synthetic keys and to ensure the correct association with the roles in the sales process.

This approach ensures that the data model will correctly support all the required analyses, including identifying customers without sales, which is crucial for meeting the business requirements.

Option AandOption Bpropose using a mapping load and ApplyMap, which can complicate the model and does not directly address all the business requirements.

Option Dinvolves aliasing fields in a way that could create unnecessary complexity and might not accurately reflect the relationships in the data.

Thus,Option Cis the correct answer as it best meets the requirements while maintaining a clear and functional data model.