PracticeVideosBlogFlashcards
All Practice Exams

Free Practice Questions for QSDA

Exam-style questions and explanations by OpenExamPrep.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card
130+ Questions
100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More Qlik Certifications

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

QCAD Qlik Cloud Analytics Developer

Practice Questions100 questionsFree CE

QCOM Qlik Compose Certification

Practice Questions100 questionsFree CE

Qlik AI Specialist Certification

Practice Questions100 questionsFree CE

QREP Qlik Replicate Certification

Practice Questions100 questionsFree CE

QSBA Qlik Sense Business Analyst

Practice Questions100 questionsFree CE

QSSA Qlik Sense System Administrator

Practice Questions100 questionsFree CE
Exam Review

Key Facts: QSDA Exam

45

Questions

Qlik Learning

120 min

Time Limit

Qlik Learning

60%

Passing Score

Qlik Learning

$250

Exam Fee

Qlik Learning store

5 domains, 19 objectives

Content Areas

Qlik Learning exam page

Online

Proctored Delivery

Qlik Learning (Webassessor)

As of October 15, 2026, Qlik's Qlik Sense Data Architect exam has 45 multiple-choice questions, a 120-minute limit, and a 60% passing score. It is purchased and taken online through Qlik Learning, proctored through Kryterion Webassessor, open book with AI tools prohibited, and costs US$250 per attempt. Qlik lists five domains and 19 objectives (Identify Requirements, Data Connectivity, Data Model Design, Data Transformations, and Validation) without publishing weights. Certifications are valid for two years.

Sample QSDA Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the QSDA exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 130+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A QVD reload finishes in 2 seconds for 10 million rows from a 'Sales.qvd' file using 'LOAD * FROM Sales.qvd (qvd);'. What term describes this load?
A.Optimized QVD load
B.Unoptimized QVD load with row-by-row transformations applied
C.Buffered QVD load using automatic cache prefix
D.Resident QVD load from an in-memory table
Explanation: An optimized QVD load happens when Qlik reads a QVD file directly into memory without applying transformations. Using 'LOAD * FROM file.qvd (qvd);' with no WHERE clause, no calculated fields, and no renaming triggers optimized mode, which is roughly 10x faster than unoptimized.
2In a Qlik Sense data model, the system field $Syn1 appears. What does this indicate?
A.Synthetic key from two or more shared fields between tables
B.Circular reference flagged as a loosely coupled yellow link
C.Subset ratio mismatch on a key field between tables
D.Loosely coupled table created with the QUALIFY statement
Explanation: Qlik creates synthetic keys ($Syn) when two tables share more than one field with the same name. The engine builds a hidden composite key table to link them. Synthetic keys are usually a sign of a modeling problem and should be resolved by qualifying, renaming, or concatenating the tables.
3What is the recommended data model pattern in Qlik Sense for performance?
A.Star schema with one fact and denormalized dimensions
B.Snowflake schema with normalized dimension hierarchies
C.Single flat table with all fields in one wide table
D.Circular reference model with bidirectional associations
Explanation: Qlik Sense's associative engine performs best with a star schema: one central fact table linked to denormalized dimension tables by single key fields. This minimizes table joins, reduces synthetic-key risk, and keeps RAM usage predictable for large datasets.
4Which function returns the value of a field from the prior input record during a sequential LOAD?
A.Peek()
B.Previous()
C.Lookup()
D.Exists()
Explanation: Previous() returns the value of an expression evaluated against the prior input record while a LOAD is still reading the source. It is commonly used for delta calculations, running totals, and detecting changes between consecutive rows.
5A data architect needs to apply row-level security so each user only sees their own region. Which Qlik feature should they use?
A.Section Access with USERID and a reduction field
B.User filter object applied on the sheet at runtime
C.Conditional show rule hiding master measures from users
D.Per-user bookmark locking the current selection state
Explanation: Section Access is Qlik Sense's built-in row-level security mechanism. It loads an authorization table during reload, matches USERID (or NTNAME/USER.NAME) to data values, and reduces the data each user can see based on the reduction field, such as REGION or COUNTRY.
6What is the correct syntax to create a mapping table named CountryMap and apply it to a Country field with a fallback of 'Unknown'?
A.MAPPING LOAD ... ; APPLYMAP('CountryMap', Country, 'Unknown') AS CountryName
B.MAP LOAD ... ; LOOKUP('CountryMap', Country, 'Unknown') in the fact table
C.MAPPING LOAD ... ; MAP Country USING CountryMap without a fallback value
D.JOIN LOAD ... ; APPLYMAP(CountryMap, Country) merging mapping inline
Explanation: A mapping table is created with the MAPPING LOAD prefix and must contain exactly two columns. ApplyMap('CountryMap', Country, 'Unknown') replaces the Country value with the mapped name, returning 'Unknown' when no match is found.
7In a Qlik Sense incremental load pattern, which sequence is correct for refreshing a sales QVD with only new and changed records?
A.Watermark from QVD max date, delta source pull, merge, store QVD
B.Reload all source rows, concatenate with QVD, and store back
C.Drop the QVD, reload all source data, and recreate the QVD file
D.Load QVD as RESIDENT, append source data, and reload daily
Explanation: The standard incremental load pattern reads max(ModifiedDate) from the existing QVD as the watermark, loads only new and changed source rows where ModifiedDate >= the watermark, concatenates with the historical QVD using a Where Not Exists or full inner exclusion to handle updates, then stores the merged set back to the QVD.
8Which prefix is used to compare a transactional date range with a dimension date range, such as assigning a Sales date to its FX-rate validity window?
A.IntervalMatch
B.Hierarchy prefix expanding parent-child ancestor levels
C.Generic prefix splitting attribute key/value tables
D.Crosstable prefix unpivoting wide year columns to rows
Explanation: IntervalMatch links a discrete value (such as a transaction date) to a range of values (such as a from/to validity period). It is the canonical Qlik pattern for slowly-changing dimensions, FX rates, and price-list versioning.
9A wide CSV has columns Year2023, Year2024, Year2025 with sales values. Which load prefix unpivots them into a Year/Sales pair?
A.Crosstable
B.Generic load splitting sparse attribute columns
C.Hierarchy load for parent-child employee trees
D.IntervalMatch linking dates to validity ranges
Explanation: The Crosstable prefix unpivots wide columns into long key/value rows. Crosstable(Year, Sales) before LOAD melts Year2023, Year2024, Year2025 into a single Year column and a single Sales column, producing one row per year per dimension key.
10What does the Resident keyword do in a Qlik Sense LOAD statement?
A.Loads from a previously loaded table in the data model
B.Loads from a QVD file with optimized binary read
C.Loads from an active ODBC database connection
D.Loads inline literal rows without any source file
Explanation: Resident loads read from a table already loaded into the Qlik data model in the same script run. They are commonly used to create aggregated tables, link tables, or transformations on data that has been pulled from source.

About the QSDA Exam

The Qlik Sense Data Architect certification validates that you can identify requirements for data models, connect to data sources, design and build Qlik Sense data models, and validate the data. The exam is platform-neutral, covering both Qlik Cloud and client-managed deployments, and focuses on how architects translate stakeholder needs into star schemas, link tables, QVD layers, incremental loads, and Section Access reduction.

Exam sponsor: Qlik. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

45 multiple-choice questions

Time Limit

120 minutes

Passing Score

60%

Exam / Certification Fees

US$250

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

Not published

Identify Requirements

Translate business and security requirements into Qlik Sense data architecture: stakeholder roles, KPIs, dimensions, and Section Access reduction strategy on Qlik Cloud and client-managed deployments.

Not published

Data Connectivity

Select data sources and connection strategies: ODBC and native database connectors, REST connector for APIs, lib:// managed connections, Qlik Cloud data files, and file connections including web files.

Not published

Data Model Design

Design star schemas (preferred), evaluate snowflake and concatenated-fact patterns, resolve synthetic keys and circular references with link tables, qualify/unqualify, and AutoNumber composite keys; manage memory, cardinality, and the associative engine.

Not published

Data Transformations

Author load scripts that handle optimized and unoptimized QVD loads, incremental load patterns, mapping tables with ApplyMap, IntervalMatch, Hierarchy, HierarchyBelongsTo, Generic, Crosstable, set analysis, variables and dollar-sign expansion, master calendar derivation, and tiered Extract-Transform-Load architectures.

Not published

Validation

Validate scripts and reconcile data: Data Model Viewer for synthetic keys and subset ratios, source-system reconciliation by record count and aggregate sums, orphan-key checks, and Section Access user-by-user verification.

Preparing for the QSDA Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 60%
  • Assessment: 45 multiple-choice questions
  • Time limit: 120 minutes
  • Exam / certification fees: US$250 Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 130 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

QSDA: Suggested Study Strategy

1Memorize what keeps a QVD load optimized: a direct file read with no transformations and only a single-field Exists() WHERE clause.
2Practice the canonical incremental load pattern: max(ModifiedDate) watermark, delta pull, Where Not Exists merge, store back.
3Build at least one tiered architecture (Extract -> Transform -> Front-end) end to end so QVD layering feels natural.
4Diagnose synthetic keys, circular references, and orphan keys in the Data Model Viewer until the fixes (rename, qualify, link table, composite key) feel automatic.
5Set up Section Access with USERID, ACCESS (ADMIN/USER), and a reduction field; remember INTERNAL\SA_SCHEDULER for unattended reloads on client-managed Qlik Sense.
6Drill set analysis with variables and dollar-sign expansion: Sum({<Year={$(=Max(Year)-1)}>} Sales) should feel automatic.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the Qlik Sense Data Architect exam?

Qlik's current Qlik Sense Data Architect exam page lists 45 multiple-choice questions in a 120-minute window, with a 60% passing score. Qlik notes that the number and difficulty of questions may change as the exam is updated, so confirm the details on the official exam page before you buy.

What score do you need to pass the QSDA exam?

The current passing score is 60%. Qlik adjusts the passing score to keep a consistent standard as exam content is updated, and it awards no partial credit: on a multiple-answer question you must select exactly the number of answers requested.

Does Qlik publish domain weights for the QSDA exam?

No. Qlik's current exam page lists five domains (Identify Requirements, Data Connectivity, Data Model Design, Data Transformations, and Validation) and 19 objectives, but no percentage weights. Earlier versions of the page showed weights, so treat any weighting in third-party material as unofficial and study every objective.

Is QSDA for Qlik Cloud or client-managed Qlik Sense?

Qlik describes the Data Architect exam as platform-neutral: the content applies to both client-managed Qlik Sense and Qlik Cloud. Expect questions on load scripting, QVDs, data modeling, Section Access, and validation that apply in either deployment.

How much does the QSDA exam cost and how is it delivered?

Qlik certification exams cost US$250 each, paid by card or voucher when you register through Qlik Learning. The exam is taken online only and is proctored; since July 2026 Qlik uses Kryterion Webassessor for proctoring. Exams are open book, but AI tools are prohibited.

What is the QSDA retake policy and how long is the certification valid?

Qlik allows three attempts per exam. You must wait 48 hours after a first failed attempt and 14 calendar days after a second, and each attempt requires full payment or a new voucher. Qlik certifications are valid for two years from the date you pass.

How long should I study for the QSDA exam?

Qlik recommends practical experience building several production-quality Qlik Sense apps and, in general, about six months of on-the-job experience. On top of that experience, the OpenExamPrep study path budgets about 60 hours across requirements, modeling, load scripting, and validation, including hands-on practice with QVD pipelines, incremental loads, and Section Access.