PL-300 Prepare the data Practice Question
You are a data analyst for a utility company. You import a table named MeterReadings from an OData feed. The table contains a column named ReadingTimestamp that includes date and time. You need to create two new columns: one that contains only the date and one that contains only the hour of the day as a number (0–23). You want to use built-in Power Query transformations from the Add Column tab without writing custom formulas. Which two transformations should you use? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is choosing transformations that extract a single component, such as Year or Month, when the scenario asks for a full date-only column and an hour column.
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
✓
Select ReadingTimestamp, then on the Add Column tab choose Time and select Hour.
To create a date-only column and an hour column from a timestamp, you use the Date Only transformation and the Hour transformation, both available on the Add Column tab. These are built-in, code-free operations that add new columns while keeping the original timestamp. Other date or time transformations extract different components and do not meet the stated requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Select ReadingTimestamp, then on the Add Column tab choose Time and select Hour.
Why this is correct
The Hour transformation from the Add Column tab creates a new column containing the hour of the day as a number from 0 to 23. This matches the requirement for an hour column and is a built-in operation. Using the Add Column tab preserves the original column and allows both derived columns to coexist.
- ✗
Select ReadingTimestamp, then on the Add Column tab choose Date and select Year.
Why it's wrong here
The Year transformation extracts only the calendar year as a number, such as 2024. It does not produce a date-only column or an hour column, so it fails both requirements. Using it would leave the needed date and hour information absent from the new columns.
- ✓
Select ReadingTimestamp, then on the Add Column tab choose Date and select Date Only.
Why this is correct
The Date Only transformation from the Add Column tab creates a new column containing only the date portion of the timestamp. It satisfies the requirement for a date-only column and is a built-in operation that does not require custom code. Using the Add Column tab ensures the original ReadingTimestamp column remains intact, which is desirable when adding two derived columns.
- ✗
Select ReadingTimestamp, then on the Add Column tab choose Time and select Duration.
Why it's wrong here
The Duration transformation creates a duration value representing elapsed time, not a date-only or hour value. It is used for differences between timestamps, not for extracting components. It does not satisfy either of the two required columns in the scenario.
- ✗
Select ReadingTimestamp, then on the Add Column tab choose Date and select Month.
Why it's wrong here
The Month transformation extracts the month number, such as 1 for January, as a number. It does not produce a date-only column or an hour column. While month can be useful, it is not one of the two transformations required to create the date-only and hour columns described.
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Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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