Alteryx Designer Advanced Certification

Exam Prep Guide

© 2023 Alteryx. | 01/23 alteryx.com

Advanced Exam Prep Guide

Take Your Superhero

Status to the Next Level
The world is full of valuable data that’s just waiting to
be analyzed. Luckily, there are analytic superheroes
like you who harness their Alteryx powers to turn data
into insights. With your advanced Alteryx analytics
skills, you’re able to tackle complex data sets, analyze
spatial data, and empower others through reports and
analytic applications. You’re the superhero the
analytics world needs.

Table of Contents
Exam Overview ...........................................................................................................................................................................................3

Exam Outline ...............................................................................................................................................................................................4

Steps to Certification Success...............................................................................................................................................................8

Test Tips ........................................................................................................................................................................................................9

Exam Prep Resources ............................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Practice Exam ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 11

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Advanced Exam Prep Guide

Exam Overview
The Alteryx Designer Advanced Certification exam allows users to demonstrate their higher-level abilities
with Alteryx Designer. The exam builds on concepts included in the Core exam and also requires users to
understand a wider breadth of tool functionality and apply their knowledge to more complex applications.

A UD I EN C E: Anyone who is currently Core certified

E XP E RI EN CE L E V E L: Advanced

PR IC E: Free
The Advanced exam is
E X A M T Y PE : Online, on-demand
designed to help you prove
T I M E A L LO TT E D: 2 hours
and improve your skills: it’s
V ERS I ON : The exam tests on the latest version of
free, online, on-demand,
Desktop Designer with the AMP Engine disabled and open-book.
ATT E M PTS : 1 attempt every 7 days

QU ES T ION S : 40

QU ES T ION T YP ES : 36 multiple choice questions, 4 practical application questions

PA S S IN G S CO R E: 80%

PO IN T V A L U ES : 1 point for multiple choice, 10 points for practical application. Partial credit is awarded

and deducted for matching and multiple-response questions (“Select all that apply”).
A L LO W E D R ES O U RC E S : This exam is "open book," and we encourage you to be familiar with resources

that are permitted for use during the exam: content on Alteryx Community, Alteryx Help Documentation,
information on public websites, and sample workflows and other in-Designer resources.
PR OH IB IT E D R ES O U R CES : You may not receive assistance from another person, allow another person to

take the exam on your behalf, plagiarize any exam answers, or use unauthorized publications of exam
answers. See the Alteryx Certification Agreement and Policies for more details.
RE CE RT I F IC AT ION : The Alteryx Designer Advanced Certification expires after 2 years. You may retake and

pass the Advanced exam OR the Alteryx Designer Expert exam OR any Master exam to renew your Advanced
certification.

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Exam Outline
The exam measures a candidate’s knowledge and skills related to the objectives below. In addition to the
tools highlighted below, the exam also includes tools covered on the Core exam. The Core exam tools will be
used for practical application questions and complex expressions or configurations of the tools will appear in
multiple choice questions. The candidate should be able to demonstrate their ability to do the following
with all tools covered on the exam:

• Identify the functionality, strengths, and limitations of the tool

• Identify when the tool would be used to create a given output
• Configure the tool to create a given output
• Differentiate the functionality of similar tools

Advanced Preparation

• Tools: Multi-Field Formula, Multi-Row Formula, Random % Sample

• Correctly format string expressions to produce a given output
• Identify the specifiers and separators that transform a given date
• Create Multi-Row Formula expressions using Row variables
• Determine how to correctly configure the Multi-Row Formula tool for “values for rows that don’t exist”
• Identify the results of a compound condition in the Filter tool (condition joined by and/or operators)
• Identify how the Random % Sample tool selects and processes records to output
• Identify the output of complex expressions

Advanced Join & Parse

• Tools: Join Multiple, RegEx

• Determine the number of records that result from a multidimensional join
• Identify the regular expression that would transform a given input to a given output
• Differentiate Match and Parse output methods of the RegEx tool
• Identify how the Join Multiple tool processes records that don’t match

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Spatial Analytics

• Tools: Buffer, Create Points, Distance, Find Nearest, Generalize, Poly-Build, Poly-Split, Spatial Info, Spatial
Match, Spatial Process, Trade Area
• Identify which tools can generate the centroid of a polygon
• Interpret the results of interactions between Target and Universe objects
• Differentiate the functionality of the T and U input anchors of the Find Nearest tool
• Identify the spatial object that’s created from the intersection of two spatial objects
• Identify the output of a Convex Hull build method
• Determine how the Distance tool outputs the distance of a point within a polygon to the nearest edge of
the polygon
• Identify the tool that can decrease the number of nodes that make up a polyline or polygon
• Configure the Trade Area tool to create doughnuts
• Identify spatial functionality within the Summarize tool
• Identify spatial functionality within the Formula tool

Reporting

• Tools: Interactive Chart, Layout, Overlay, Render, Report Map, Report Text, Table
• Identify the tool that can place reporting snippets on top of one another
• Identify the tools used to produce a given report
• Identify the default outputs of the Report Map tool
• Determine ways the Report Text tool can accept incoming data
• Identify configuration options in the Interactive Chart tool
• Identify configuration options of the Table tool
• Identify the ways the Render tool can write out reporting snippets
• Determine how to achieve batch reporting with the Reporting tools
• Determine how the Layout tool arranges snippets

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Macros

• Tools: Control Parameter, Macro Input, Macro Output

• Determine which kind of macro (standard, iterative, batch) is the best solution for a given scenario
• Identify the number of outputs an iterative macro can produce
• Identify common reasons macros error
• Determine how to debug a macro interface
• Differentiate the functionality of macros versus apps
• Determine how to use an engine iteration number
• Configure a batch macro and an iterative macro

Analytic Applications

• Tools: Action, Check Box, Drop Down, Error Message, File Browse, Folder Browse, List Box, Map, Numeric
Up Down, Radio Button, Text Box, Tree
• Configure chained applications
• Identify the Interface tools used to create a given App interface
• Determine when an Action tool is required between Interface and workflow tools
• Identify which Interface tools can be used to input or output data in an App
• Correctly format list values for the Drop Down tool
• Identify ways app users can interact with interface elements from the Map tool
• Identify common reasons why apps error

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Data Investigation

• Tools: Association Analysis, Field Summary, Frequency Table, Pearson Correlation, Scatterplot, Spearman
Correlation
• Identify the tool that provides remarks and suggestions on data quality
• Interpret the output of the Pearson Correlation tool and identify the variables that have the strongest
correlation
• Differentiate the Spearman Correlation and Pearson Correlation tools
• Interpret the output of the Spearman Correlation tool
• Identify the configuration of the Scatterplot tool that produces a given graph
• Determine how to find p-values for correlations

Practical Application
• Questions in the practical application section gauge your ability to use the tools above, along with tools
from the Core exam, to solve real-life scenario questions. These questions require you to connect to a
provided data set in Alteryx Designer and build a workflow to arrive at the correct answer.
• The ability to solve problems accurately and efficiently is an important advanced skill that’s measured in
this section. The time restriction of the exam reflects the importance of efficiency in the workplace. Time
is a valuable commodity at work and during the exam.
• The practical application questions account for just over half of the points on the exam.
• The 4 practical application questions appear at the beginning of the exam, but you may complete the
questions in any order.

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Steps to Certification Success

LEARN
1. Begin with the Advanced Certification Learning Path. The learning path is organized by topic area
and is designed to help you prepare for the exam by collecting some of the most useful learning
assets from Community in one place, including interactive lessons, video trainings, and articles.
2. Use your new skills to solve at least 10 Weekly Challenges. Each topic area in the Advanced
Certification Learning Path provides Weekly Challenge suggestions that will give you hands-on
practice with the topic. Approach the challenges with efficiency in mind. If you get stuck, look at how
others solved it and learn from their expertise. Examining different solutions may also help you learn
how others solved the problem with fewer tools.
3. Analyze data that is meaningful to you. Formulate questions and build workflows that give you
insight into your own data. This is a critical step in the learning process; not only will you be applying
what you’ve learned but it also allows you to visualize how Designer can help you do your job more
efficiently and effectively. For example, take a workflow process that you use on a regular basis and
turn it into a macro or add reporting elements to your favorite workflows.

PREPARE
4. Review the exam outline to understand exactly what’s on the
exam, gauge your current skill level, and identify areas where
you need to brush up.
5. Watch the Advanced Prep Video Series for a review of the
Advanced tool set and to learn what to expect on exam day.
6. Take the practice exam at the end of this guide.

TEST
7. Take the exam. Use your first attempt as a learning opportunity and take advantage of your open
book resources to look up what you do not know. Refine your skills over the next 7 days and then
retake the exam. Don’t worry if it takes you a few tries to pass! Approach the exam as part of the
learning journey and use it to help you assess your strengths and weaknesses and keep improving
your knowledge and skills.

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Test Tips

Learn While Testing

The exam is part of the learning process. On your first attempt focus on learning instead of
passing. Use your resources to look up answers you don’t already know.

Read Carefully
Read each question carefully before answering. Pay close attention to tool configurations,
screenshots, and data sets. The details matter! Read twice and solve once.

Use Your Resources

Search for answers using Google, Alteryx Community, and Help Docs. Use One Tool Examples
to test out tool configurations. Use the Text Input tool to build out scenarios in Designer.

Pace Yourself
Spend about 90 seconds on each 1 point question and 16 minutes on each 10 point practical
application question. If you finish early go back and check your answers. Use the full 2 hours.

Answer Every Question

In the exam platform, use the “Bookmark” feature to flag questions you’d like to come back
and review later. Click on “See all questions” to view all unanswered and bookmarked
questions.

Reflect, Review, Refine

After the exam, reflect on the tools and topics that you were unsure about. Review the
category results you receive at the end of the exam. Refine your skills and never stop
learning.

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Exam Prep Resources

Advanced Certification Learning Path
The Advanced Certification Learning Path is a topic-based curriculum that will help you broaden your
Designer skillset and learn about the tools and concepts covered on the exam. Interactive lessons, articles,
videos, and suggested Weekly Challenges allow you to build your knowledge and apply your skills.

Weekly Challenges
The best way to prepare for the practical application questions
is to use your skills to solve real-world problems. There are
over 250 Weekly Challenges that can help you do just that!
You can use the suggestions in the Advanced Certification
Learning Path and use the index to search for challenges on
specific topics.

Practice Exam
Test out your skills with the practice exam at the end of this prep guide.

Advanced Prep Video Series

The Advanced Prep Video Series includes 6 training videos that cover exam tools and concepts and gives
you additional details about what to expect on exam day.

• Part 1 – Spatial analytics

• Part 2 – Building macros
• Part 3 – Building apps
• Part 4 – Reporting
• Part 5 – Advanced prep and parse
• Part 6 – What to expect on exam day, the exam platform, and exam tips and strategy

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Practice Exam
Question 1
Practical Application Question

You are researching consumption of common food staples globally. In the provided dataset, the average
yearly consumption in pounds per person of 15 foods is provided for 236 regions. There are two rows for
each region, the header row provides the name of the food and the data row directly beneath it provides the
quantity consumed of that food.

Determine which region consumes the lowest total quantity of wheat, rice, beans and corn per person.
What is that region’s total quantity consumed per person for all four items? (Note: data provided are
fictitious and randomly generated)

A) 174 pounds per person

B) 181 pounds per person

C) 196 pounds per person

D) 202 pounds per person

E) 203 pounds per person

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Question 2
Which of the following red polygons represents the convex hull of the green polygon?

A. B.

C. D.

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Question 3
Which regular expression used with the Parse output method of the RegEx tool will achieve the desired
result?

Before: Desired Result:

A. (\<\w+\>)\s(\d+),\s(\d+)

B. (\<\w+\>) (\d), (\d+)

C. ([A-Z]+)(\d+)(\d+)

D. (.+)\s(.+)\s(.+)

Question 4
Which of the following can the Render tool output? Select all that apply.

A. A PowerPoint Presentation
B. An Alteryx Database file
C. A picture with a transparent background
D. Records with a line separating them

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Question 5
A user is looking at the following output from the Pearson Correlation tool. The user determines that there
are weak linear relationships between these variables because the p-values are too high.

Why is this conclusion incorrect?

A. High p-values show a strong relationship

B. The Pearson Correlation tool checks the strength of non-linear relationships

C. There are too many fields included to make valid conclusions

D. The output displays correlation coefficients, not p-values

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Question 6
Which of the following interface tools were used to create the Analytic Application interface shown below?
Select all that apply.

A. File Browse

B. Drop Down

C. Numeric Up Down

D. List Box

E. Folder Browse

F. Text Box

Answer Key:

Question 1 – B Question 2- A Question 3 – A Question 4 – A, C, D Question 5- D Question 6 – C, E, F

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 Alteryx Certification Program
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© 2023 Alteryx. | 01/23 alteryx.com