PL-300 Deploy and maintain assets Practice Question
This PL-300 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and maintain assets. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A user reports that a Power BI report is not refreshing data from a SQL Server database. The dataset uses Import mode. The gateway cluster shows all gateways are online. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The data source credentials are incorrect or expired.
Option D is correct because in Import mode, Power BI caches data and refreshes it on a schedule using stored credentials. If those credentials expire or become invalid, the refresh fails even though the gateway cluster shows as online. The gateway being online only indicates network connectivity, not that the stored credentials are still valid for the SQL Server database.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The report is using a scheduled refresh with a conflicting time.
Why it's wrong here
Scheduled refresh conflicts may cause delays but not outright failure with no error.
✗
The gateway version is incompatible with the SQL Server version.
Why it's wrong here
Gateway version incompatibility is rare and usually causes a different error.
✗
The dataset uses DirectQuery mode which requires a live connection.
Why it's wrong here
The dataset uses Import mode, not DirectQuery.
✓
The data source credentials are incorrect or expired.
Why this is correct
Correct. Expired or incorrect credentials are a common cause of refresh failures.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates see 'gateway cluster shows all gateways are online' and assume the issue must be elsewhere, but gateway online status does not validate the stored data source credentials, which are a separate authentication layer that can expire or become invalid independently.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Import mode, Power BI uses the Power Query M engine to execute a SELECT * FROM query against the SQL Server database during refresh. The gateway authenticates using the stored credentials (typically SQL Server Authentication or Windows credentials) and if the password has changed or the account has been disabled, the gateway returns an 'Invalid connection string' or 'Login failed' error. The gateway cluster health check only verifies that the gateway service is running and can reach the Power BI service, not that the data source credentials are valid.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Deploy and maintain assets — This question tests Deploy and maintain assets — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The data source credentials are incorrect or expired. — Option D is correct because in Import mode, Power BI caches data and refreshes it on a schedule using stored credentials. If those credentials expire or become invalid, the refresh fails even though the gateway cluster shows as online. The gateway being online only indicates network connectivity, not that the stored credentials are still valid for the SQL Server database.
What should I do if I get this PL-300 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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