The answer is to enable the 'Require certified data sources' tenant setting in the Power BI admin portal. This setting is the enforcement mechanism that works with Microsoft Purview’s data source certification: while Purview allows you to mark data sources as certified, it does not restrict usage on its own. Enabling this tenant setting blocks dataset creation or refresh if any source lacks certification, ensuring only certified data sources are used in Power BI datasets. On the PL-300 exam, this question tests your understanding of the distinction between enabling certification in Purview and enforcing it in Power BI—a common trap is assuming Purview alone is sufficient. Remember the key: Purview certifies, Power BI enforces. A helpful memory tip is to think of it as a two-step lock: Purview provides the key (certification), but the admin portal must turn the lock (require certified sources) to keep uncertified data out.
PL-300 Prepare the data Practice Question
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 a Power BI administrator at a large enterprise. You need to ensure that all Power BI datasets in your organization use certified data sources only, to maintain data quality. You have enabled data source certification in your Microsoft Purview governance portal. Which additional step must you take to enforce that only certified data sources are used in Power BI datasets?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
In the Power BI admin portal, enable the 'Require certified data sources' tenant setting.
Option A is correct because the 'Require certified data sources' tenant setting in the Power BI admin portal is the specific control that enforces datasets to use only data sources that have been certified in Microsoft Purview. Without this setting enabled, certification is merely informational and not enforced, allowing uncertified sources to be used. This setting works in conjunction with Purview's data source certification to block dataset creation or refresh if any source lacks certification.
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.
✓
In the Power BI admin portal, enable the 'Require certified data sources' tenant setting.
Why this is correct
Correct. This setting enforces the requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create dataflows that use only certified data sources and require report creators to use those dataflows.
Why it's wrong here
This is a workaround, not an enforced policy.
✗
Apply sensitivity labels to all certified data sources in Purview.
Why it's wrong here
Sensitivity labels do not enforce source usage.
✗
Configure workspace security to restrict dataset creation to administrators only.
Why it's wrong here
This does not enforce certified source usage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse data source certification with other governance features like sensitivity labels or dataflows, assuming those can enforce certification, when only the dedicated tenant setting in the Power BI admin portal provides enforcement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the 'Require certified data sources' setting leverages the Microsoft Purview Data Map to validate each data source's certification status at dataset creation and refresh time. When enabled, Power BI checks the source's certification tag via the Purview API; if the source is not certified, the dataset fails to save or refresh with an error message. This enforcement is granular to the source level, meaning a dataset with multiple sources will fail if any single source is uncertified.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: In the Power BI admin portal, enable the 'Require certified data sources' tenant setting. — Option A is correct because the 'Require certified data sources' tenant setting in the Power BI admin portal is the specific control that enforces datasets to use only data sources that have been certified in Microsoft Purview. Without this setting enabled, certification is merely informational and not enforced, allowing uncertified sources to be used. This setting works in conjunction with Purview's data source certification to block dataset creation or refresh if any source lacks certification.
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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Question Discussion
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