Question 783 of 966

Prepare the data →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

How to Combine All Excel Sheets from a Workbook into One Table Efficiently

This PL-300 practice question tests your understanding of prepare the data. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.

You are loading data from an Excel workbook that has multiple sheets. Each sheet contains sales data for a different region. You need to combine all sheets into one table. What is the most efficient approach?

A
Use 'Append Queries' for each sheet individually.
Correct. The Append Queries feature can combine multiple queries (each representing a sheet) into one table. This is the most efficient method among the given options for combining sheets from a single workbook.
B
Use 'Merge Queries' to join all sheets into one.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Merge Queries are used for joining tables based on key columns, not for combining rows from multiple tables into one. Append is the correct operation for unioning rows.
C
Load each sheet as a separate table in the model and create a calculated table to union them.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Loading each sheet as a separate table and using DAX calculated tables to union them is inefficient and unnecessary. Power Query provides a better way to append data before loading into the model.
D
Use Power Query's 'From Folder' option to combine all Excel files in a folder, then select 'Combine & Transform' to use the workbook as a sample.
Why wrong: Incorrect. 'From Folder' is designed to combine multiple files in a folder, not multiple sheets within a single workbook. The correct approach for sheets is to use 'Get Data > From File > From Excel Workbook' and select multiple sheets.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Use 'Append Queries' for each sheet individually.

Option A is correct because using 'Append Queries' in Power Query allows you to combine multiple queries (one per sheet) into a single table. You can load all sheets as queries, then use the Append Queries feature to union them all at once, which is efficient and avoids manual repetition. Power Query's Append operation is designed for this purpose and is more efficient than loading separate tables into the model (C) or using Merge (B) which performs joins, not unions. 'From Folder' (D) is intended for combining multiple files, not sheets within a single workbook.

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.

✓
Use 'Append Queries' for each sheet individually.
Why this is correct
Correct. The Append Queries feature can combine multiple queries (each representing a sheet) into one table. This is the most efficient method among the given options for combining sheets from a single workbook.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use 'Merge Queries' to join all sheets into one.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Merge Queries are used for joining tables based on key columns, not for combining rows from multiple tables into one. Append is the correct operation for unioning rows.
✗
Load each sheet as a separate table in the model and create a calculated table to union them.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Loading each sheet as a separate table and using DAX calculated tables to union them is inefficient and unnecessary. Power Query provides a better way to append data before loading into the model.
✗
Use Power Query's 'From Folder' option to combine all Excel files in a folder, then select 'Combine & Transform' to use the workbook as a sample.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. 'From Folder' is designed to combine multiple files in a folder, not multiple sheets within a single workbook. The correct approach for sheets is to use 'Get Data > From File > From Excel Workbook' and select multiple sheets.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Append Queries' (union) with 'Merge Queries' (join), or think that loading separate tables and using DAX is more efficient, but Power Query's folder-based combination is the most efficient for multiple sheets in a single workbook.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, Power Query's 'From Folder' option uses the 'Combine Files' function, which reads each file in the folder and applies a transformation based on a sample file. For a single workbook with multiple sheets, Power Query treats each sheet as a separate 'file' and uses the 'Combine & Transform' dialog to union them into a single query, leveraging the 'Table.Combine' function in M language. This approach is particularly efficient when the sheets have identical column structures, as it avoids manual query duplication and reduces refresh time.

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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PL-300 question test?

Prepare the data — This question tests Prepare the data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Use 'Append Queries' for each sheet individually. — Option A is correct because using 'Append Queries' in Power Query allows you to combine multiple queries (one per sheet) into a single table. You can load all sheets as queries, then use the Append Queries feature to union them all at once, which is efficient and avoids manual repetition. Power Query's Append operation is designed for this purpose and is more efficient than loading separate tables into the model (C) or using Merge (B) which performs joins, not unions. 'From Folder' (D) is intended for combining multiple files, not sheets within a single workbook.

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.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on PL-300

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. You are importing data from an Excel workbook. The workbook has multiple sheets. You want to combine two sheets that have the same columns but different row data. Which TWO Power Query operations can you use?

easy

A.Merge Queries
B.Group By
✓ C.Append Queries
D.Pivot Column
✓ E.Append Queries as New

Why C: Append Queries and Append Queries as New are both correct because they combine rows from two or more tables with identical columns into a single table. In Power Query, 'Append' is the operation designed for stacking rows vertically, which matches the requirement of combining sheets with the same columns but different row data.

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