PL-300 Prepare the data Practice Question
You are a Power BI data analyst for a logistics company. You connect to an Excel workbook stored on a SharePoint Online site. The workbook contains a table named Shipments. You need to load only the rows where the ShipmentDate is in the current year. Which Power Query transformation should you apply?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is using a static date filter or manual selection, which does not automatically update when the year changes, leading to stale data in the report.
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 the 'Filter Rows' option on the ShipmentDate column and select 'Date Filters' > 'In the Current Year'.
Power Query provides dynamic date filters such as 'In the Current Year' that automatically adjust based on the current date. Applying this filter to the ShipmentDate column ensures that only rows from the current year are loaded, and the filter remains correct as time passes without manual intervention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Add a custom column with the formula Date.Year([ShipmentDate]) = Date.Year(DateTime.LocalNow()) and then filter that column to TRUE.
Why it's wrong here
While this formula evaluates correctly, it requires two steps: adding a custom column and then filtering it. The built-in 'In the Current Year' filter achieves the same result in a single step and is the recommended approach. The custom column also adds an extra column to the model, which is unnecessary.
- ✗
Use the 'Filter Rows' option on the ShipmentDate column and select 'Date Filters' > 'Is After' and enter the first day of the current year.
Why it's wrong here
Entering a static date like January 1 of the current year creates a filter that does not automatically advance. Next year, the filter would still use the old date, requiring manual updates. The 'In the Current Year' filter is dynamic and avoids this maintenance.
- ✓
Use the 'Filter Rows' option on the ShipmentDate column and select 'Date Filters' > 'In the Current Year'.
Why this is correct
The 'In the Current Year' filter is a dynamic date filter that automatically updates based on the current date. When the report refreshes, it will include only rows where ShipmentDate falls within the current calendar year, satisfying the requirement without manual intervention.
- ✗
Use the 'Filter Rows' option on the ShipmentDate column and manually select the checkboxes for all dates in the current year.
Why it's wrong here
Manually selecting dates creates a static filter that will not update when the year changes. The report would continue to show the originally selected year's data, and you would need to manually update the filter each year, which is not maintainable.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.