Databricks-DA-Assoc Creating Dashboards and Visualizations Practice Question
A data analyst built a Databricks SQL dashboard with a chart showing monthly revenue. During a presentation, an executive asks to see only the months where revenue exceeded $100,000. The analyst wants to apply this condition directly in the visualization without rewriting the underlying query. Which Databricks SQL dashboard feature should the analyst use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that any change to the displayed data requires editing the underlying query, when Databricks SQL dashboard filters can apply conditions at view time without touching the SQL.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add a filter to the dashboard and set it to apply only to the revenue chart.
Dashboard filters in Databricks SQL let analysts apply conditions such as revenue greater than a threshold at view time and scope them to specific visualizations. This meets the need to show only high-revenue months without altering the query, and it supports interactive toggling during a presentation. The other approaches either modify the query, add unnecessary columns, or rely on manual steps that are not reproducible.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Edit the chart's query to include a WHERE clause filtering revenue greater than 100000.
Why it's wrong here
Editing the query would permanently change the dataset for all consumers of that query and violates the requirement to avoid rewriting the underlying query. It also removes the ability to toggle the condition during the presentation. The dashboard filter feature exists precisely to apply such ad hoc conditions without modifying the SQL.
- ✗
Create a new calculated column in the dataset that flags high-revenue months and sort by it.
Why it's wrong here
A calculated column that flags rows does not hide the low-revenue months; it merely adds a column. Sorting by that flag would group the high-revenue months but still display all months, so the executive would not see only the filtered subset. This approach also requires modifying the dataset definition, which the scenario seeks to avoid.
- ✓
Add a filter to the dashboard and set it to apply only to the revenue chart.
Why this is correct
Dashboard filters in Databricks SQL operate on the dataset's columns and can be scoped to individual visualizations, so the analyst can add a numeric filter on the revenue column with a condition such as greater than 100000 and apply it only to that chart. This changes the displayed data without editing the query, which is exactly what the scenario requires.
- ✗
Apply a visualization-level sort descending on revenue and manually deselect the bars below the threshold.
Why it's wrong here
Manual deselection is not a persistent filter and cannot be reliably reproduced during a live presentation. Sorting only reorders the bars; it does not remove those below $100,000. This approach is fragile and does not meet the requirement of applying a condition directly in the visualization without query changes.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Databricks exam blueprint
This Databricks-DA-Assoc practice question is part of Courseiva's free Databricks certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the Databricks-DA-Assoc exam.