Quick Answer
The answer is the 'Assume referential integrity' property. This setting tells Power BI that every date value in the fact table’s foreign key column exists in the date table’s primary key column, guaranteeing complete coverage of all fact table dates. By enabling this property, Power BI can use INNER JOIN semantics instead of a full OUTER JOIN, which significantly improves storage efficiency and query performance. On the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst PL-300 exam, this concept tests your understanding of relationship optimization and data integrity, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must balance performance with accuracy. A common trap is confusing this with enforcing referential integrity in a database; here, it is an assumption that speeds up queries, not a validation rule. Memory tip: think "Assume = INNER JOIN shortcut" — if you trust your data, Power BI can skip the extra work.
This PL-300 practice question tests your understanding of prepare the data. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 have a Power BI report that uses a date table connected to a fact table. You need to ensure that all dates in the fact table are covered by the date table. Which relationship property should you configure?
Make this relationship active
Why wrong: Only one active relationship per pair of tables.
Cardinality
Why wrong: Specifies one-to-many or many-to-one.
Assume referential integrity
Ensures all fact table dates exist in date table.
Cross filter direction
Why wrong: Controls how filters propagate.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Assume referential integrity
Option C is correct because the 'Assume referential integrity' property, when enabled, tells Power BI that every value in the foreign key column of the fact table exists in the primary key column of the date table. This ensures that all dates in the fact table are covered by the date table, allowing Power BI to use more efficient storage and query execution (e.g., INNER JOIN semantics) rather than a full OUTER JOIN.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Make this relationship active
Why it's wrong here
Only one active relationship per pair of tables.
Cardinality
Why it's wrong here
Specifies one-to-many or many-to-one.
Assume referential integrity
Why this is correct
Ensures all fact table dates exist in date table.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Cross filter direction
Why it's wrong here
Controls how filters propagate.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Assume referential integrity' with 'Make this relationship active' or 'Cross filter direction', thinking that activating a relationship or changing filter direction will enforce date coverage, when in fact only referential integrity guarantees that all fact table dates are present in the date table.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, enabling 'Assume referential integrity' allows Power BI to generate SQL queries with INNER JOINs instead of LEFT OUTER JOINs, which can significantly improve query performance, especially in DirectQuery mode. In real-world scenarios, if the date table is missing some dates present in the fact table, enabling this property can lead to incorrect results (e.g., missing rows) because Power BI will assume all fact dates exist and may silently drop unmatched rows. This property is only safe when you are certain the foreign key column contains no orphaned values.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Prepare the data — This question tests Prepare the data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Assume referential integrity — Option C is correct because the 'Assume referential integrity' property, when enabled, tells Power BI that every value in the foreign key column of the fact table exists in the primary key column of the date table. This ensures that all dates in the fact table are covered by the date table, allowing Power BI to use more efficient storage and query execution (e.g., INNER JOIN semantics) rather than a full OUTER JOIN.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This PL-300 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PL-300 exam.
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