PL-300 Practice Test 24 — 15 Questions

Question 1

You are designing a star schema for a sales data model. Which table should be defined as a dimension table?

Accepted Answer

Date. Option D, Date, is correct because a dimension table stores descriptive attributes used to filter, group, and label facts, and a Date dimension provides calendar attributes such as year, quarter, month, and day for slicing sales measures. In a star schema, the fact table holds numeric measures and foreign keys, while dimensions like Date supply the context for analysis. TransactionID, OrderQuantity, and SalesAmount are not dimension tables: TransactionID is typically a fact table key or degenerate dimension, and OrderQuantity and SalesAmount are numeric measures that belong in the fact table. Therefore, Date is the only appropriate dimension table among the listed options.

Answer

TransactionID

Answer

OrderQuantity

Answer

SalesAmount

Question 2

Your Power BI dataset uses a SQL view that joins multiple tables. You notice that some columns have null values where you expect data. You suspect the view definition has a bug. How can you verify the view's output in Power Query?

Accepted Answer

Create a new query that runs the view's SQL directly against the source. Creating a new query that runs the view's SQL directly against the source in Power Query allows you to isolate and execute the exact SQL statement, bypassing any transformations or folding issues. This lets you compare the raw output from the source with the view's expected results, directly verifying if the view definition itself contains a bug. It is the most straightforward method to confirm whether the null values originate from the view or from subsequent Power Query steps.

Answer

Check the 'Table Preview' in the data model

Answer

Use 'View Native Query' in Power Query

Answer

Use 'Data Profiling' in Power Query

Question 3

Which THREE of the following are best practices for designing a Power BI data model?

Accepted Answer

Implement business logic in measures rather than calculated columns. Option C is correct because measures are evaluated at query time and do not consume memory or storage in the model, whereas calculated columns are materialized during refresh, increasing model size and refresh time; pushing business logic into measures therefore improves performance and flexibility. Option D is correct because a star schema with dimension and fact tables is the recommended Power BI modeling pattern: it produces simpler relationships, more efficient DAX and VertiPaq compression, and better query performance than snowflaked or flat designs. Option E is correct because surrogate keys (meaningless integer keys) in dimension tables keep relationships narrow and integer-based, which compresses better and performs faster than natural or string keys, and they insulate the model from changes in source business keys. Option A is not a best practice because composite keys in relationships are not supported for all cardinalities and generally add complexity and overhead; a single surrogate key is preferred. Option B is not a best practice because bidirectional cross-filtering by default can introduce ambiguous filter paths, degrade performance, and cause unexpected results; it should be enabled only when a specific requirement demands it.

Answer

Use composite keys in relationships for better performance

Answer

Enable bidirectional cross-filtering by default

Question 4

You want to create a report that allows users to select a product category and see the top 5 products by sales within that category. Which approach should you use?

Accepted Answer

Add a slicer for category and apply a Top N filter on product to the visual.. A slicer on category lets users interactively choose the category, while a Top N filter on the product field of the visual dynamically limits the display to the top 5 products by sales within the selected category. This combination directly satisfies the requirement for user-driven category selection and automatic top-5 ranking by the visual's sales measure. Option A does not fit because a waterfall chart with category on the breakdown axis shows contribution changes, not a top-5 product ranking. Option C is less appropriate because a ranking measure alone still requires a visual-level filter to restrict to top 5 and does not by itself provide the category slicer interaction. Option D is not suitable because a calculated column computes rank at data refresh time and cannot respond dynamically to slicer selections or the visual's filter context.

Answer

Use a waterfall chart with category on the breakdown axis.

Answer

Use a measure to rank products and filter visual to top 5.

Answer

Create a calculated column for rank and filter to top 5.

Question 5

You are a Power BI data analyst for a financial services company. You have a Power Query query that combines data from multiple Excel workbooks stored in a SharePoint folder. The workbooks have a consistent structure. You need to ensure that when new workbooks are added to the folder, the query automatically includes them upon refresh. You also need to minimize the risk of query failures due to schema changes. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Use the SharePoint Folder connector, filter to the relevant files, combine binaries, and then use a transformation that selects only the required columns and handles missing columns.. The most robust approach is to use the SharePoint Folder connector to automatically pick up new files, then combine the binaries. After combining, explicitly select only the columns needed and handle missing columns gracefully, for example by using Table.SelectColumns with MissingField.UseNull. This ensures that new files are included and that schema variations do not break the query. Simply combining without these safeguards leaves the query vulnerable to schema changes.

Answer

Use the SharePoint Folder connector, filter to the relevant files, combine binaries, and then remove the 'Changed Type' step.

Answer

Use the SharePoint Folder connector, filter to the relevant files, and then use the 'Combine Files' button without any further transformations.

Answer

Use the SharePoint Folder connector, filter to the relevant files, combine binaries, and then promote headers.

Question 6

Your organization uses Microsoft Intune to manage devices. You need to ensure that Power BI reports can only be viewed on managed devices that are compliant with company policies. What should you configure?

Accepted Answer

Conditional Access policy in Microsoft Entra ID requiring device compliance.. A Conditional Access policy in Microsoft Entra ID requiring device compliance. Conditional Access is the mechanism that evaluates signals such as Intune device compliance state and enforces access controls, so a policy targeting the Power BI cloud app with a 'Require device to be marked as compliant' grant control ensures reports can only be viewed from managed, compliant devices. Option A is not a real Power BI Premium capacity setting for this purpose, and Power BI capacity settings do not enforce device compliance. Option C only enforces Entra ID authentication for the tenant and does not check device compliance or management state. Option D, an Intune MAM policy, protects app data on mobile devices but does not gate access to Power BI reports based on device compliance.

Answer

Power BI Premium capacity setting 'Restrict access to mobile devices'.

Answer

Power BI tenant setting 'Require users to sign in with Microsoft Entra ID'.

Answer

Mobile app management (MAM) policy in Microsoft Intune.

Question 7

You need to design a report that allows users to drill from a yearly sales summary to quarterly details, then to monthly details, while maintaining the ability to go back. Which visual interaction should you enable?

Accepted Answer

Drill-down. Drill-down (option C) is correct because it lets users navigate a single visual's hierarchy from a yearly summary to quarterly and then monthly levels while preserving the ability to go back up the hierarchy. This matches the requirement of moving through levels of the same data rather than jumping to a separate page or filtering via saved states. Bookmarks (A) capture and restore view states but do not provide hierarchical level navigation. Tooltips (B) show supplementary detail on hover and do not change the visual's level. Drillthrough (D) navigates to a separate detail page filtered by a selected value, not down a hierarchy within the same visual.

Answer

Bookmarks

Answer

Tooltips

Answer

Drillthrough

Question 8

You are designing a Power BI report for a sales team. They need to see their individual performance compared to team averages. You have a table with columns: Salesperson, Region, SalesAmount. Which visual best allows each salesperson to see their own value alongside the average?

Accepted Answer

Combo chart (clustered column and line) with salesperson bars and average line. The combo chart (clustered column and line) with salesperson bars and average line is correct because it plots each salesperson's SalesAmount as a column while overlaying the team average as a line on the same axis, enabling direct individual-versus-average comparison. This dual-axis visual is the standard Power BI approach for comparing categorical values against a reference measure. A clustered bar chart with an average measure would show the average as another bar per salesperson rather than a single team reference, which is misleading. A waterfall chart shows cumulative contributions or changes, not comparisons to an average. A table with conditional formatting can display numbers and color scales but does not visually juxtapose each value against the average as clearly as a combo chart.

Answer

Clustered bar chart with a measure for average

Answer

Waterfall chart

Answer

Table with conditional formatting

Question 9

Which THREE of the following are best practices when designing a Power BI data model for performance?

Accepted Answer

Hide columns that are not needed in reports.. Option A is correct because hiding unused columns reduces the model's exposed surface and prevents report authors from accidentally dragging unnecessary fields into visuals, which keeps the VertiPaq engine from scanning and materializing columns that add no analytical value. Option B is correct because bi-directional cross-filtering forces the engine to propagate filter context in both directions, which can create ambiguous filter paths, increase query complexity, and degrade performance; single-direction relationships should be the default unless a specific requirement demands otherwise. Option C is correct because a star schema with dimension and fact tables minimizes relationship hops, keeps filter propagation simple, and lets the VertiPaq engine compress and scan narrow fact tables efficiently, which is the recommended modeling pattern for Power BI performance. Option D is not correct because many-to-many relationships without bridge tables introduce ambiguity and expensive filter propagation; the best practice is to resolve many-to-many with a bridge table and single-direction relationships. Option E is not correct because calculated columns are computed at refresh time and stored in the model, consuming memory and increasing refresh cost, whereas measures are evaluated at query time and are the preferred approach for aggregations in a performant model.

Answer

Use many-to-many relationships directly without bridge tables.

Answer

Use calculated columns instead of measures for aggregations.

Question 10

You are a Power BI administrator. A user in the Sales department needs to create reports using a shared dataset, but should not be able to modify the dataset or share it with others. What is the minimum permission level you should assign to the user on the dataset?

Accepted Answer

Build. The correct option is B, Build, because the Build permission on a shared dataset allows a user to create new reports and content based on that dataset without granting rights to edit the dataset itself or reshare it. This matches the requirement of report creation with no dataset modification or sharing capability. Reshare (A) would allow the user to share the dataset with others, which is explicitly prohibited. Write (C) grants broader editing rights over the dataset, and Read (D) only permits viewing existing content, not authoring new reports from the dataset.

Answer

Reshare

Answer

Write

Answer

Read

Question 11

Which THREE considerations are important when designing a dashboard for executive stakeholders?

Accepted Answer

Focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with business goals.. Option A is correct because executive dashboards must center on KPIs tied directly to strategic business objectives, so leadership can immediately gauge organizational performance against goals rather than sifting through operational noise. Option B is correct because consistent colors and fonts reduce cognitive load and reinforce a credible, professional presentation, which matters when executives make rapid decisions from visual cues. Option C is correct because executives need high-level summaries first, with drill-down capability available on demand, balancing at-a-glance insight with the ability to investigate anomalies. Option D does not belong because excessive interactive slicers add complexity and clutter, slowing comprehension rather than aiding executive decision-making. Option E does not belong because detailed tables of all underlying data overwhelm a strategic audience and belong in operational or analyst-level reports, not executive dashboards.

Answer

Include as many interactive slicers as possible for flexibility.

Answer

Use detailed tables to show all underlying data.

Question 12

You are reviewing a Power BI dataset schema. The Date column is used in time intelligence measures. What is missing from this schema?

Accepted Answer

There is no separate date table marked as a date table.. The correct answer is A: there is no separate date table marked as a date table. Time intelligence functions in DAX (such as TOTALYTD, SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, and DATEADD) require a dedicated date table that is marked as a date table and has a continuous, unbroken range of dates at the day level, which a transactional fact table's Date column cannot reliably provide. Without this marked date table, the time intelligence measures will either fail or return incorrect results. Option B is irrelevant because the schema version number has no bearing on time intelligence functionality. Option C is incorrect because the Amount column's data type does not affect time intelligence calculations. Option D is incorrect because changing the Date column's data type from dateTime to date does not satisfy the requirement for a separate, marked date table.

Answer

The version should be 2.0.

Answer

The Amount column should be a decimal.

Answer

The data type for Date should be date instead of dateTime.

Question 13

You are building a Power BI report for a multinational corporation. The data model includes a fact table named Orders with columns: OrderID, CustomerID, OrderDate, ProductID, Quantity, UnitPrice, and Discount. The Customer dimension contains columns: CustomerID, CustomerName, Country, and Segment. The Product dimension contains: ProductID, ProductName, Category, Subcategory, and Price. You need to create a calculated column in the Orders table that calculates the net amount after discount for each order line (Quantity * UnitPrice * (1 - Discount)). You also need to ensure that the column is stored in the model for high-performance filtering. Which DAX expression should you use?

Accepted Answer

NetAmount = Orders[Quantity] * Orders[UnitPrice] * (1 - Orders[Discount]). Option B is correct because a calculated column in the Orders table must use row context, and the expression Orders[Quantity] * Orders[UnitPrice] * (1 - Orders[Discount]) evaluates row by row and is stored in the model for high-performance filtering. Option A is wrong because SUMX is an iterator that returns a scalar aggregate, not a row-level calculated column, and it would not produce a per-order-line value. Option C is wrong because CALCULATE with SUM aggregates the entire table and also misapplies the discount logic, rather than computing each row's net amount. Option D is wrong because it subtracts the discount value directly instead of applying the percentage discount to Quantity * UnitPrice.

Answer

NetAmount = SUMX(Orders, Orders[Quantity] * Orders[UnitPrice] * (1 - Orders[Discount]))

Answer

NetAmount = CALCULATE(SUM(Orders[Quantity]) * SUM(Orders[UnitPrice]) * (1 - SUM(Orders[Discount])))

Answer

NetAmount = Orders[Quantity] * Orders[UnitPrice] - Orders[Discount]

Question 14

You are designing a Power BI semantic model for a retail company. The model includes a Sales table (50 million rows) and a Product table (10,000 rows). You need to create a measure that calculates the average sales amount per product category. The Product table has a column 'Category' with 20 distinct values. To optimize performance, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

Create a relationship between Sales and Product on ProductID, and use Product[Category] in the measure.. Option D is correct because creating a relationship between Sales and Product on ProductID and then using Product[Category] in the measure lets the VertiPaq engine aggregate the 50 million Sales rows through the dimension, which is the standard star-schema approach and performs best. The relationship filters Sales by category at query time, so no row-level lookups or duplicated category values are stored in the large fact table. Option A is wrong because a calculated column using RELATED materializes the category on all 50 million Sales rows, increasing model size and refresh time. Option B is wrong because summarizing Sales to category level in Power Query destroys the detail needed for other measures and prevents dynamic slicing. Option C is wrong because a separate calculated table would not be related to Sales on ProductID and would not correctly filter the fact table.

Answer

Add a calculated column to Sales that looks up the category using RELATED.

Answer

Summarize the Sales table to the category level in Power Query.

Answer

Create a separate calculated table for categories and link it to Sales.

Question 15

You have a Power BI report that includes a slicer for product category. Users want to select multiple categories and see the combined data. The slicer currently allows only single selection. What should you change?

Accepted Answer

Enable multi-select in the slicer formatting options.. The correct option is D: enable multi-select in the slicer formatting options. In Power BI, the Selection Controls section of the slicer's formatting pane includes a Multi-select toggle (on by default for most slicers), and turning it on lets users Ctrl-click or check multiple product categories so the visual aggregates combined data. Changing the slicer style to dropdown (A) only alters the display, not the selection cardinality, and sync slicers (B) merely propagate an existing slicer's state across pages. Adding a second slicer (C) creates two independent filters that intersect rather than combine categories, so it does not achieve multi-selection.

Answer

Change the slicer style to dropdown.

Answer

Use the sync slicer pane to replicate the slicer on other pages.

Answer

Add a second slicer for product category.