PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Practice Exam

What the PL-300 exam covers

• Prepare the data197 questions
• Model the data188 questions
• Visualize and analyze the data186 questions
• Manage and secure Power BI135 questions

Free PL-300 practice test questions

A sample of 10 questions with answers and explanations. A free account includes a fixed set of 20 practice questions for this exam, retryable anytime. Paid access unlocks the full 706-question bank.

1. Question 1Prepare the data

   You are connecting to a SQL Server database using Power Query. You notice that some transformation steps have a green bar indicator in the Applied Steps pane. What does this indicate?

   • AThe step uses a native query that cannot be modified
   • BThe step contains an error
   • CThe step is being folded back to the data sourceCorrect
   • DThe step was automatically generated by Power Query
   ✓ Correct answer: C

   In the Applied Steps pane, Power Query indicates query folding capability for steps that it can translate into native source operations such as a SQL statement. When folding occurs, the transformation is executed by the SQL Server engine rather than locally in Power Query's mashup engine, which reduces the volume of data transferred and improves refresh performance. The indicator tells you the source is still doing the work, so keeping folding intact for as long as possible is a key optimization goal.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • AA native query that cannot be modified is not what the folding indicator represents; folding means the step is being translated to native operations, not that you are locked into a fixed native query.
   • BAn error in the step would surface as an error icon or warning, not as the green indicator that signals successful query folding.
   • DAutomatic generation by Power Query is unrelated to folding; the indicator reflects where the step executes (the source) rather than how the step was created.
2. Question 2Prepare the data

   Power Query's 'Choose Columns' transformation allows you to select which columns to keep and automatically removes all unselected columns.

   • ATrueCorrect
   • BFalse
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   Choose Columns generates Table.SelectColumns from the list you ticked, so the result is defined by what you KEEP rather than by what you drop. That distinction matters when the source schema changes: a column added upstream never reaches the model, whereas a Remove Columns step would have let it through. Against a relational source the step folds into the SELECT list, so the discarded columns are never read at all. Narrowing columns early is one of the cheapest model-size wins available, because VertiPaq stores, encodes and compresses every column that survives to load.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BFalse is incorrect. The statement is true. Power Query's 'Choose Columns' transformation allows you to select which columns you want to keep in your query result. When you use Choose Columns, you select the columns of interest, and Power Query automatically removes all unselected columns from the output.
3. Question 3Model the data

   Contoso has a data model where the Product table has a one-to-many relationship with the Sales table. The cross-filter direction is set to Single. In which direction do filters propagate?

   • AIn both directions
   • BNo filters propagate between the tables
   • CFrom Sales to Product only
   • DFrom Product to Sales onlyCorrect
   ✓ Correct answer: D

   In a one-to-many relationship with single-direction cross-filtering, filters flow only from the "one" side (Product) to the "many" side (Sales). When a report user selects a specific product, that filter automatically propagates to the Sales table, showing only sales for the selected product. However, selecting a specific sale does not automatically filter the Product dimension because the filter direction is restricted to one way.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • AIn both directions is incorrect because that would be bidirectional cross-filtering, which is not the case with single-direction configuration.
   • BNo filters propagate between the tables is incorrect because single-direction still allows filter propagation; it just restricts the direction.
   • CFrom Sales to Product only is incorrect because in a one-to-many relationship, the filter direction is from the one side (dimension) to the many side (fact), not the reverse.
4. Question 4Model the data

   An analyst creates a calculated table using DAX: TopProducts = TOPN(10, Products, Products[Revenue], DESC). True or False: This calculated table will update automatically when the underlying data refreshes.

   • AFalse
   • BTrueCorrect
   ✓ Correct answer: B

   TOPN is evaluated during the recalculation pass that follows each data load, so the ten rows it keeps are selected from the Revenue values just imported. The result is materialised and stored, which means the ranking is fixed between refreshes and no query-time work maintains it. Ties are returned in full, so the table can contain more than ten rows when several products share the cut-off value. Because the rows are frozen at refresh, a slicer cannot change which products the table contains; a ranking that has to respond to slicers belongs in a measure using TOPN or RANKX instead.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • AFalse is incorrect. The statement is true. Calculated tables in Power BI are recalculated at each refresh cycle, re-evaluating their defining DAX expression against the refreshed underlying data. The TOPN function will identify the new top 10 products based on updated Revenue values, ensuring the calculated table always reflects current rankings without manual intervention or stale data.
5. Question 5Visualize and analyze the data

   A user drills through from a summary page to a detail page in your report. The detail page should show data filtered to the context of what the user clicked. What must the detail page have configured?

   • ADrillthrough filters that match the fields used on the summary page visualCorrect
   • BA slicer on the detail page matching the field on the summary page
   • CBookmarks that capture the filtered state of every visual on the summary page
   • DA page-level filter matching the fields on the summary page visual
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   For drillthrough to carry context, the destination page must declare drillthrough filters on the same fields the user clicked on the summary page. When the user drills, Power BI passes the clicked values into those drillthrough fields, filtering the detail page to that context. Without matching drillthrough fields, the detail page would not know what to filter to.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BA slicer is set by the person looking at the page and opens at its own default; nothing in a drillthrough writes the clicked value into a slicer, so the detail page would appear unfiltered.
   • CA bookmark stores a fixed snapshot of filter and slicer state chosen by the author and replays the same state every time, so it cannot vary with whichever data point the user right-clicked.
   • DA page-level filter applies a condition the author fixed at design time to every visual on that page; it receives no value passed from another page, so it cannot reflect the user's selection.
6. Question 6Manage and secure Power BISelect all that apply

   You need to schedule an automatic data refresh for a Power BI semantic model published to the Power BI Service. The semantic model uses Import mode and connects to an on-premises SQL Server. Which TWO components are required? (Choose two.)

   • AData source credentials configured in the semantic model settings in the Power BI ServiceCorrect
   • BPower BI Report Server installed on the on-premises network to relay the scheduled refresh
   • CAn on-premises data gateway installed and configuredCorrect
   • DPower BI Premium or Fabric capacity assigned to the workspace that hosts the semantic model
   • EA Power Automate flow that calls the refresh REST API on a daily recurrence trigger
   ✓ Correct answer: A, C

   For scheduled refresh of an Import mode semantic model connecting to on-premises SQL Server, both components are essential. The on-premises data gateway provides the network bridge from the cloud Power BI service to the on-premises server, and data source credentials must be configured in the Power BI Service to authenticate with SQL Server. These two components work together to enable the Power BI cloud service to access and refresh data from the on-premises source on a schedule.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BPower BI Report Server is a separate on-premises portal for hosting Power BI and paginated reports behind your own firewall; it plays no part in a model published to the Power BI service, which reaches on-premises sources through the on-premises data gateway.
   • DPremium or Fabric capacity raises the scheduled refresh limit to 48 per day and unlocks features such as large semantic models, but an Import model in a Pro workspace can already be scheduled up to eight times a day, so capacity is not required.
   • EPower Automate can call the refresh REST API to start a refresh on demand, but the service's own Scheduled refresh page performs the same job natively, so the flow is an optional alternative rather than a required component.
7. Question 7Prepare the data

   A query merges an HR extract whose source is classified Private with a table from a public web page. The refresh stops with 'Formula.Firewall: ... is accessing data sources that have privacy levels which cannot be used together.' Why?

   • AData from a Private source cannot be folded into another sourceCorrect
   • BA web source needs an on-premises data gateway before it can merge
   • CMerge Queries requires both tables to declare a primary key column
   • DPrivacy levels are enforced only after the model reaches the service
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   Power Query recognises four privacy classifications: None, Private, Organizational and Public. Private means the data is sensitive enough that it must never be passed to another source, including another private one, so the mashup engine refuses to build a combination that would send those values outward as part of a folded query. Organizational data folds into private and organizational sources but not public ones. The fix is either to reclassify the sources so the combination is permitted, or to accept the risk and turn on the file option that ignores privacy levels, which allows values to leak into a query sent to the other source.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BAn on-premises data gateway carries scheduled refresh for sources behind a corporate firewall; a public web page is reached directly and its availability is not what the firewall message reports.
   • CMerge Queries matches the column or columns you select in the dialog and never requires a declared primary key, so a missing key raises no error of this kind.
   • DPrivacy levels are evaluated by the mashup engine wherever it runs, so the block appears during evaluation in Power BI Desktop and not only once the model is published.
8. Question 8Model the data

   When configuring star schema design at Wide World Importers, administrators must also consider cardinality as part of the overall architecture.

   • TrueTrueCorrect
   • FalseFalse
   ✓ Correct answer: True

   A star schema is defined by its relationships: each dimension holds one row per business key and the fact table holds many rows referencing it, so every relationship is one-to-many from dimension to fact with single-direction filtering. That shape gives the engine a simple, unambiguous propagation path from any slicer to the fact table, and it is the case the storage and formula engines are optimised for. Cardinality is where the design is enforced or lost: a dimension key with duplicates cannot be the one side, so Power BI downgrades the relationship to many-to-many, which introduces a hidden bridge, a limited relationship and different blank-member behaviour. Checking distinct count against row count on each dimension key before creating relationships is the practical step.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • FalseFalse is incorrect. The statement is true. Star schema design and cardinality are fundamentally interconnected architectural concepts in Power BI data modeling. In a star schema, a central fact table connects to multiple dimension tables through relationships, and cardinality settings on these relationships are critical to the design's effectiveness.
9. Question 9Manage and secure Power BISelect all that apply

   A consultant is reviewing the workspace management configuration at Adventure Works. Which two actions should be performed to optimize the implementation? (Choose two.)

   • APowerShell cmdlets
   • BDisable workspace management monitoring
   • CSensitivity labels
   • DApp distributionCorrect
   • EObject-level securityCorrect
   ✓ Correct answer: D, E

   Optimizing workspace management configuration requires controlling application sharing and protecting objects within those shared workspaces. App distribution ensures that applications created within managed workspaces are shared with appropriate users in a controlled manner, maintaining the governance benefits of workspace management even as applications are shared broadly. Object-level security provides granular access controls within those distributed applications, ensuring that users who receive shared applications can only access objects they are authorized to view. Together, these components extend workspace governance beyond the workspace container itself, protecting applications and their underlying data throughout the distribution process.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • APowerShell cmdlets is incorrect because while cmdlets automate workspace operations, they are administration tools rather than configuration components for application distribution or object-level security within workspaces.
   • BDisable workspace management monitoring is incorrect because monitoring workspace activities and adherence to governance policies is essential for optimization, not something to disable.
   • CSensitivity labels is incorrect because while they protect sensitive data, they do not directly configure application distribution or object-level security controls within workspaces.
10. Question 10Visualize and analyze the dataSelect all that apply

    You want to use the Performance Analyzer in Power BI Desktop to diagnose a slow report page and act on the results. Which TWO statements are accurate? (Choose two.)

    • APerformance Analyzer breaks each visual's load time into DAX query, Visual display, and Other, and lets you copy the generated DAX query for further analysisCorrect
    • BClicking 'Refresh visuals' re-runs the visuals so you can capture timings after a clean startCorrect
    • CPerformance Analyzer inspects the model after recording and automatically builds aggregation tables for the slowest DAX queries so the next run is faster
    • DPerformance Analyzer reports rendering time only for reports already published to the Power BI service, and the pane is unavailable in Power BI Desktop
    ✓ Correct answer: A, B

    Performance Analyzer in Desktop records how long each visual takes, decomposing the time into DAX query, Visual display, and Other (such as cross-visual wait), and exposes a 'Copy query' link so you can run the DAX in DAX Studio. The 'Refresh visuals' button forces a fresh execution so you capture cold timings rather than cached ones. These two facts are core to using the tool for diagnosis.

    Why the other options are wrong

    • CBuilding aggregations is a manual modelling task performed in the Manage aggregations dialog; Performance Analyzer only records per-visual timings and the DAX each visual issues, and it never alters the model.
    • DPerformance Analyzer is a Power BI Desktop pane on the View ribbon and is the place authors record visual timings while authoring; the service offers no equivalent pane, so the claim is reversed.

Who this PL-300 practice exam is for

This practice set is for anyone preparing for the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam at the intermediate level - from first-time candidates building a foundation to experienced Microsoft practitioners doing a final review before test day. If you learn best by working through realistic questions and reading why each answer is right or wrong, it is built for you.

How to use this PL-300 practice exam

1. Start with the free sample questions above to gauge your current baseline.
2. Read the full explanation on every question, including why each wrong option is wrong.
3. Track your weak domains and focus your study where you are losing the most marks.
4. Once you are scoring consistently well, take a timed, full-length mock exam.
5. Use your readiness score to decide when you are ready to book the real PL-300 exam.

Related Microsoft resources

• PL-300 study guideKey concepts
• Microsoft practice examsAll Microsoft
• Certification pathWhere this fits
• Prepare the data practice questions197 questions
• Model the data practice questions188 questions
• Visualize and analyze the data practice questions186 questions
• Manage and secure Power BI practice questions135 questions
• Certification exam guides & tipsBlog
• Plans & pricingFree & paid
• How these questions are written and reviewedMethodology
• Report a problem with a questionCorrections
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