The field of data analytics is booming. Companies across all industries are increasingly relying on data to drive decisions, identify trends, and gain a competitive edge. This surge in data-driven decision-making has created a high demand for skilled professionals who can leverage powerful Business Intelligence (BI) tools like Qlik Sense. Qlik Sense, with its intuitive interface and robust analytical capabilities, has become a popular choice for organisations seeking to unlock the potential hidden within their data.
This comprehensive guide is designed to be your ultimate resource for acing your Qlik Sense interview. Whether you’re a seasoned BI professional or just starting your journey in the world of data analytics, this article will equip you with the knowledge, insights, and practical tips needed to impress your potential employers and secure your dream role. We’ll delve into the core concepts of Qlik Sense, explore its diverse applications across various industries, and provide in-depth answers to a wide range of interview questions, from basic to advanced levels. Furthermore, we’ll offer valuable advice on how to effectively prepare for your interview, showcase your hands-on skills, and leverage key resources to maximise your chances of success.
What is Qlik Sense?
Qlik Sense is a leading business intelligence and data visualisation platform developed by Qlik. It empowers users to explore data freely, uncover hidden relationships, and derive meaningful insights that can drive informed decision-making. Unlike traditional BI tools that often restrict users to predefined paths of analysis, Qlik Sense employs an associative data model that allows users to traverse data in any direction, revealing connections and patterns that might otherwise remain hidden.
With its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, Qlik Sense makes data exploration accessible to a wide range of users, from business analysts to data scientists. Its availability in both cloud-based and on-premise deployments further enhances the platform’s flexibility, catering to the diverse needs and preferences of organisations.
Core Features of Qlik Sense
Qlik Sense boasts a rich set of features that contribute to its popularity and effectiveness as a BI and data visualisation tool. Some of the key features include:
Associative Data Model: This unique data model lies at the heart of Qlik Sense. It connects all data points within an application, allowing users to explore data freely and discover hidden relationships. Any selection made in one part of the analysis instantly reflects across all related data points, providing a dynamic and comprehensive view of the information.
Drag-and-Drop Interface: Qlik Sense is designed with user-friendliness in mind. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface enables users to create interactive visualisations and dashboards with ease. This eliminates the need for complex coding or scripting, empowering business users to perform their own data exploration and analysis.
Cloud and On-Premise Deployment: Qlik Sense offers flexible deployment options to suit various organisational needs. It can be deployed in the cloud, providing scalability and accessibility, or on-premise, offering greater control and security within an organisation’s own infrastructure.
Interactive Visualisations: Qlik Sense offers a wide array of visualisation options, including bar charts, pie charts, scatter plots, maps, and more. These visualisations are highly interactive, allowing users to drill down, filter, and explore data in real-time.
Data Storytelling: Qlik Sense enables users to create compelling data stories that combine visualisations, narratives, and interactive elements. These stories help communicate insights effectively and engage audiences in a more meaningful way.
Mobile-First Design: Qlik Sense is designed with a mobile-first approach, ensuring that applications and dashboards are optimised for viewing and interaction on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Augmented Intelligence: Qlik Sense incorporates augmented intelligence capabilities that assist users in data preparation, analysis, and insight generation. These features leverage machine learning algorithms to automate tasks and provide intelligent suggestions, enhancing user productivity and efficiency.
Applications in Industries
The versatility of Qlik Sense makes it applicable across a wide range of industries, helping organisations of all sizes and types gain valuable insights from their data. Here are a few examples of how Qlik Sense is being used in different sectors:
Finance: Financial institutions leverage Qlik Sense to analyse market trends, assess risk, manage investments, and detect fraud. Its ability to connect data from various sources provides a holistic view of financial performance, enabling better decision-making.
Healthcare: Qlik Sense is used in the healthcare industry to analyse patient data, track disease outbreaks, improve operational efficiency, and enhance the quality of care. Its interactive visualisations help healthcare professionals identify patterns and trends that can lead to improved patient outcomes.
Retail and E-commerce: Retailers utilise Qlik Sense to understand customer behaviour, optimise pricing strategies, manage inventory, and personalise marketing campaigns. By analysing sales data, customer demographics, and online behaviour, retailers can gain a deeper understanding of their target audience and tailor their offerings accordingly.
Manufacturing: Qlik Sense helps manufacturers monitor production processes, track key performance indicators (KPIs), optimise supply chains, and improve product quality. Its real-time data analysis capabilities enable manufacturers to identify and address production bottlenecks, ensuring efficient
operations.
Education: Educational institutions use Qlik Sense to analyse student performance, track enrollment trends, and allocate resources effectively. Its data visualisation tools help educators identify students who may need additional support and tailor their teaching strategies accordingly.
Now that you have a basic understanding of Qlik Sense, let’s move on to some common basic-level interview questions.
Qlik Sense Interview Questions: Basic-Level Questions
To start your Qlik Sense interview journey, prepare for these fundamental questions that test your core knowledge of the tool.
1) What is Qlik Sense?
Qlik Sense is a business intelligence (BI) and data visualisation platform developed by Qlik. It enables users to explore data, create interactive visualisations, and uncover insights that drive informed decision-making. Qlik Sense is known for its associative data model, which allows users to explore data freely and discover hidden relationships. It is designed to be user-friendly, with a drag-and-drop interface that makes it accessible to a wide range of users.
2) Explain the Associative Model.
The associative model is a key differentiator of Qlik Sense. Unlike traditional BI tools that rely on hierarchical data models, Qlik Sense connects all data points within an application. This means that any selection made in one part of the analysis instantly affects all other related data points, providing a dynamic and comprehensive view of the information. This allows users to explore data in any direction, revealing connections and patterns that might otherwise remain hidden.
3) What are Qlik Sense apps?
Qlik Sense apps are containers that hold all the components of a data analysis project. They typically consist of:
- Sheets: Sheets are like pages within an app, where you create and arrange visualisations.
- Stories: Stories allow you to present insights in a narrative format, combining visualisations with text and interactive elements.
- Visualisations: Visualisations are graphical representations of data, such as bar charts, pie charts, and scatter plots, that help users understand patterns and trends.
4) What are dimensions and measures?
- Dimensions: Dimensions are categorical fields that provide context to your data. Examples include product names, customer segments, and geographic locations.
- Measures: Measures are numerical values that you want to analyse. Examples include sales revenue, profit margins, and customer counts.
5) Describe Qlik Sense’s architecture.
Qlik Sense follows a multi-tier architecture, consisting of:
- Frontend: This is the user interface where users interact with the application.
- Backend: This layer handles data management, security, and application deployment.
- Engine: The engine is responsible for data processing, calculations, and the associative logic that underpins Qlik Sense.
6) How is Qlik Sense different from QlikView?
While both Qlik Sense and QlikView are BI tools from Qlik, they have distinct differences:
- User Interface: Qlik Sense has a more modern and intuitive user interface, designed for a broader audience. QlikView has a more developer-centric interface.
- Data Modelling: Qlik Sense emphasises self-service data discovery, while QlikView is often used for more complex data modelling and application development.
- Deployment: Qlik Sense offers both cloud and on-premise deployment options, while QlikView is primarily an on-premise solution.
7) Explain what Data Load Editor is.
The Data Load Editor is a tool in Qlik Sense that allows you to connect to data sources, transform data, and prepare it for analysis. You can use it to:
- Connect to various data sources, including databases, spreadsheets, and cloud services.
- Cleanse and transform data, such as removing duplicates, handling missing values, and aggregating data.
- Load data into Qlik Sense apps for analysis and visualisation.
8) What are sheets in Qlik Sense?
Sheets are like pages within a Qlik Sense app. They serve as canvases for creating and arranging visualisations. You can have multiple sheets in an app, each focusing on a different aspect of your data or analysis.
9) What is a data story in Qlik Sense?
A data story is a way to present insights in a narrative format, combining visualisations with text and interactive elements. It allows you to guide your audience through your analysis, highlighting key findings and telling a compelling story with your data.
10) How do you share apps in Qlik Sense?
Qlik Sense offers various ways to share apps:
- Qlik Sense Hub: The Hub is a central repository where users can access and share apps within an organisation.
- Publishing: Apps can be published to a Qlik Sense server, making them accessible to a wider audience.
- Exporting: Apps can be exported as PDF files or images for sharing with those who don’t have access to Qlik Sense.
As you gain more experience with Qlik Sense, you may encounter more complex questions that require a deeper understanding of the tool’s capabilities. Let’s explore some intermediate-level questions.
Qlik Sense Interview Questions: Intermediate-Level Questions
Intermediate-level questions delve deeper into Qlik Sense’s functionalities and require a solid understanding of its features.
1) Explain the Data Manager.
The Data Manager is a tool in Qlik Sense that provides a visual interface for data preparation. It allows you to:
- Connect to various data sources.
- Profile data to understand its structure and quality.
- Transform data using a drag-and-drop interface.
- Create associations between tables.
- Load data into Qlik Sense apps.
2) What is a Master Item?
A Master Item is a reusable object in Qlik Sense that can be used across multiple visualisations and sheets. Master Items can be created for:
- Dimensions: This ensures consistency in the use of dimensions across your app.
- Measures: This helps maintain consistent calculations and aggregations.
- Visualisations: This allows you to reuse charts and graphs with predefined formatting and settings.
3) What are set expressions in Qlik Sense?
Set expressions are used to define subsets of data based on specific criteria. They provide a powerful way to filter and analyse data. Set expressions use a specific syntax and can include functions, operators, and set identifiers.
4) How does Qlik Sense handle security?
Qlik Sense offers a robust security framework that includes:
- Authentication: Verifying user identities to control access to the platform.
- Authorization: Defining user roles and permissions to restrict access to specific apps and data.
- Data security: Protecting data through encryption and access controls.
- Section Access: Implementing row-level security to restrict access to specific data records based on user roles.
5) What is a QVD file?
A QVD file (QlikView Data file) is a proprietary file format used by Qlik Sense and QlikView to store data. QVD files offer several advantages:
- Fast data loading: QVD files are optimised for fast loading into Qlik Sense apps.
- Data compression: QVD files often compress data, reducing storage space.
- Data reusability: QVD files can be used as a source for multiple Qlik Sense apps.
6) How does Qlik Sense support responsive design?
Qlik Sense apps are designed to be responsive, meaning they adapt to different screen sizes and devices. This ensures that visualisations and dashboards are displayed correctly on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
7) What are alternate states in Qlik Sense?
Alternate states allow you to create different selections within your data and compare them side-by-side. This is useful for what-if analysis and scenario planning.
8) How do you create a pivot table?
You can create a pivot table in Qlik Sense by dragging and dropping dimensions and measures onto the sheet. You can then customise the pivot table by:
- Rearranging rows and columns.
- Adding subtotals and grand totals.
- Applying conditional formatting.
- Sorting and filtering data.
9) What are extensions in Qlik Sense?
Extensions are add-ons that provide additional functionality to Qlik Sense. They can be custom visualisations, connectors to external data sources, or utilities that enhance the platform’s capabilities.
10) Explain the concept of scripting in Qlik Sense.
Scripting in Qlik Sense involves using a scripting language (typically Qlik Sense script) to load and transform data. Scripting allows you to:
- Connect to various data sources.
- Cleanse and transform data.
- Define data models and associations.
- Create custom calculations and variables.
To truly impress your interviewer, you should be prepared to answer advanced-level questions that test your problem-solving and analytical skills. Let’s explore some of these questions.
Qlik Sense Interview Questions: Advanced-Level Questions
Advanced-level questions are designed to assess your expertise in Qlik Sense and your ability to tackle complex data challenges.
1) What is Incremental Load in Qlik Sense?
Incremental load is a technique used to load only new or updated data into a Qlik Sense app. This is beneficial for large datasets as it reduces data loading time and resource consumption. You can implement incremental load by using timestamps, change data capture (CDC) techniques, or other methods to identify new data.
2) How do you handle Section Access?
Section Access is a powerful security feature in Qlik Sense that allows you to implement row-level security. This means you can restrict access to specific data records based on user roles or other criteria. You define Section Access rules in the load script, which control which data each user can see.
3) Explain ODAG (On-Demand App Generation).
ODAG (On-Demand App Generation) is a feature that allows you to create personalised Qlik Sense apps for individual users based on their specific data needs and access rights. This is useful when you have a large number of users with varying data requirements. ODAG dynamically generates apps with the appropriate data and security settings for each user.
4) What are circular references?
Circular references occur when two or more fields in your data model depend on each other, creating a loop in the calculation logic. This can lead to unexpected results or errors in your analysis. You need to identify and resolve circular references to ensure data integrity and accurate calculations.
5) How do you optimise Qlik Sense performance?
Optimising Qlik Sense performance involves various techniques:
- Efficient Data Modelling: Design your data model to minimise data redundancy and complexity.
- Data Load Optimization: Use efficient data sources, optimise your load script, and leverage incremental load techniques.
- Expression Optimization: Write efficient expressions and use appropriate functions to avoid unnecessary calculations.
- Visualisation Optimization: Reduce the number of objects on a sheet, use appropriate visualisation types, and optimise rendering settings.
- Server Optimization: Configure your Qlik Sense server for optimal performance, including memory allocation, CPU utilisation, and network settings.
6) How do you troubleshoot data load issues?
Troubleshooting data load issues in Qlik Sense involves:
- Checking the Script Log: The script log provides detailed information about the data loading process, including any errors encountered.
- Previewing Data: Use the Data Load Editor to preview your data at various stages of the loading process to identify potential issues.
- Using the Debugger: The debugger allows you to step through your script line by line, inspect variables, and identify the source of errors.
- Analysing Data Sources: Verify the data quality and structure in your source systems to ensure they are compatible with Qlik Sense.
7) Explain GeoAnalytics in Qlik Sense.
GeoAnalytics in Qlik Sense allows you to analyse and visualise location-based data. You can:
- Create maps with different layers and visualisations.
- Use location-based filters to analyse data for specific regions.
- Integrate with mapping services like Google Maps for enhanced visualisation.
- Perform spatial analysis, such as calculating distances and identifying clusters.
8) What is Direct Discovery?
Direct Discovery is a feature in Qlik Sense that allows you to connect to large datasets in external data sources and query them in real-time. This is useful for analysing very large datasets that cannot be fully loaded into memory. Direct Discovery bypasses the need to load all data into Qlik Sense, instead querying the source database directly when needed.
9) How do you configure a Qlik Sense server?
Configuring a Qlik Sense server involves:
- Installing the server software on a suitable machine.
- Configuring network settings, including ports and security protocols.
- Setting up authentication and authorization mechanisms.
- Configuring data connections and storage options.
- Deploying Qlik Sense apps to the server.
- Monitoring server performance and resource utilisation.
10) Explain managing large datasets in Qlik Sense.
Managing large datasets in Qlik Sense requires careful consideration of data modelling, data loading techniques, and server resources. Some strategies include:
- Data Partitioning: Divide large datasets into smaller, more manageable chunks.
- Incremental Loading: Load only new or updated data to reduce processing time.
- Data Compression: Use QVD files or other compression techniques to reduce storage space.
- Server Optimization: Ensure your Qlik Sense server has sufficient resources (CPU, memory, disk space) to handle large datasets.
- Data Governance: Implement data quality checks and data lineage tracking to ensure data accuracy and reliability.
Qlik Sense Interview Practical Tips
To stand out from other candidates, focus on these practical tips to enhance your interview performance:
A) How to Prepare Effectively
- Research the Company: Understand the company’s business, industry, and how they might be using Qlik Sense. Tailor your answers to demonstrate how your skills and experience align with their needs.
- Practise Your Skills: Work with sample datasets to build dashboards, create visualisations, and practise your analytical skills. This will help you showcase your abilities during the interview.
- Use Online Resources: Leverage online platforms like iScalePro to access practice tests, simulations, and interview preparation materials specifically designed for Qlik Sense.
- Review Key Concepts: Refresh your knowledge of core Qlik Sense concepts, including the associative data model, data loading, data transformation, and visualisation techniques.
- Prepare for Behavioral Questions: Be ready to answer behavioural questions, such as “Tell me about a time you faced a challenge in a data analysis project and how you overcame it.” These questions assess your problem-solving skills, teamwork abilities, and communication skills.
- Practise your communication skills: Clearly articulate your thoughts and explain technical concepts in a concise and understandable manner. Practise answering interview questions out loud to gain confidence and fluency.
B) Showcase of Hands-on Skills
- Portfolio Preparation: Compile a portfolio of your Qlik Sense projects that demonstrate your skills and experience. Include examples of dashboards, visualisations, and data analysis reports.
- Live Demonstrations: Be prepared to showcase your skills through live demonstrations during the interview. The interviewer may provide you with a dataset and ask you to create visualisations or perform analysis in real-time.
- Code Samples: If you have experience with Qlik Sense scripting, be prepared to share code samples that highlight your proficiency in data transformation and loading.
C) Key Documentation to Review
- Qlik Sense Official Documentation: The official Qlik Sense documentation is a comprehensive resource that covers all aspects of the platform, from basic concepts to advanced features.
- Qlik Sense Community Forums: Engage with the Qlik Sense community forums to learn from other users, ask questions, and stay updated on the latest developments.
- Online Tutorials and Courses: Utilise online tutorials and courses to enhance your Qlik Sense skills and knowledge. Many platforms offer free and paid resources that cater to different learning styles and skill levels.
By following these tips and preparing thoroughly, you can confidently face any Qlik Sense interview challenge.
Conclusion
Acing your Qlik Sense interview requires a combination of technical knowledge, practical skills, and effective communication. By thoroughly preparing for the interview, showcasing your hands-on abilities, and demonstrating your passion for data analysis, you can increase your chances of success and secure your dream role in the exciting field of business intelligence.
This comprehensive guide has provided you with the knowledge, insights, and practical tips needed to confidently navigate your Qlik Sense interview. Remember to research the company, practise your skills, and review key documentation. Most importantly, approach the interview with confidence and enthusiasm, showcasing your passion for data and your ability to leverage Qlik Sense to unlock its full potential. Good luck!
