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.
Which THREE actions in Power Query Editor can improve the performance of data refresh? (Select three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Remove columns that are not used in the report.
Option C is correct because removing unused columns reduces the amount of data loaded into the Power Query engine and the data model, directly decreasing memory usage and refresh time. Power Query processes all columns in a query step, so eliminating unnecessary columns early minimizes the data footprint for subsequent transformations and the final load.
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.
✗
Sort data in ascending order to improve compression.
Why it's wrong here
Sorting does not significantly improve performance and may add overhead.
✗
Merge queries before filtering.
Why it's wrong here
Merging large tables first may cause slow performance; filter first if possible.
✓
Remove columns that are not used in the report.
Why this is correct
Reduces data size.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Disable the 'Enable load' option for intermediate tables that are not needed in the model.
Why this is correct
Prevents unnecessary data loading.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Filter rows as early as possible in the query.
Why this is correct
Minimizes data processing downstream.
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 often think sorting improves compression (a common misconception from database indexing), but in Power BI, compression is handled by the VertiPaq engine and is not influenced by the order of data in Power Query.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Power Query uses a lazy evaluation model, but the order of steps still impacts performance because each step materializes intermediate results in memory. Filtering early reduces the number of rows flowing into downstream steps, while disabling 'Enable load' prevents intermediate tables from being loaded into the VertiPaq storage engine, saving both memory and refresh time. In real-world scenarios, a common mistake is to merge large tables without first filtering, causing excessive memory pressure and slower refresh cycles.
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: Remove columns that are not used in the report. — Option C is correct because removing unused columns reduces the amount of data loaded into the Power Query engine and the data model, directly decreasing memory usage and refresh time. Power Query processes all columns in a query step, so eliminating unnecessary columns early minimizes the data footprint for subsequent transformations and the final load.
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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