- A
Create two separate dimension tables: 'Origin' and 'Destination', each containing a copy of the City data. Then create active relationships from Shipments to each. Finally, create a new calculated table 'AllCities' that unions the city names and use that for the slicer, with measures that use USERELATIONSHIP to switch between relationships.
This allows filtering by either origin or destination by using the AllCities table and DAX measures that activate the appropriate relationship.
- B
Remove the relationship for DestinationCity and use a DAX measure with LOOKUPVALUE to get the destination state.
Why wrong: This would be inefficient and would not allow proper filtering.
- C
Create a new table 'Route' that contains all unique combinations of origin and destination cities, and use that as a filter table.
Why wrong: This is not standard; a better approach is to use a bridge table.
- D
Keep both relationships active and set the cross-filter direction to both.
Why wrong: You cannot have two active relationships to the same table in Power BI; only one can be active.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create two separate dimension tables for origin and destination, then build a union table for the slicer with measures using USERELATIONSHIP. This is correct because Power BI cannot resolve multiple active relationships from the same fact table to a single dimension—filter context becomes ambiguous, and only the first active relationship (typically the most recently created) is honored. On the PL-300 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of model design patterns for role-playing dimensions, a common trap where candidates mistakenly try to use CROSSFILTER or bidirectional filtering, which still cannot handle the logical OR condition across two active paths. The key insight is that a single slicer must filter on a unified city list, while measures dynamically switch relationship context. Memory tip: think "split the roles, unite the slicer" — separate dimension tables for each role, then a union table for the filter.
PL-300 Model the data Practice Question
This PL-300 practice question tests your understanding of model 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 building a Power BI model for a logistics company. You have a table named 'Shipments' with columns: ShipmentID, OriginCity, DestinationCity, Weight, Cost, ShipDate, DeliveryDate. You also have a 'City' table with columns: CityName, State, Region. You create relationships: Shipments[OriginCity] to City[CityName] and Shipments[DestinationCity] to City[CityName]. Both relationships are active and many-to-one. You create a measure to calculate total cost:
TotalCost = SUM(Shipments[Cost])
When you use a slicer on City[State], you expect to filter shipments where either the origin or destination city is in that state. However, the filter only applies to the origin city due to the active relationship. You need to modify the model so that a single slicer on City[State] filters shipments where either origin or destination is in the selected state. What is the best approach?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Create two separate dimension tables: 'Origin' and 'Destination', each containing a copy of the City data. Then create active relationships from Shipments to each. Finally, create a new calculated table 'AllCities' that unions the city names and use that for the slicer, with measures that use USERELATIONSHIP to switch between relationships.
Option A is correct because it resolves the ambiguity of having two active relationships from Shipments to City by creating separate dimension tables for origin and destination, each with an active relationship. A calculated 'AllCities' table unions all city names for the slicer, and measures use USERELATIONSHIP to activate the appropriate relationship context, enabling a single slicer to filter shipments where either origin or destination city matches the selected state.
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.
- ✓
Create two separate dimension tables: 'Origin' and 'Destination', each containing a copy of the City data. Then create active relationships from Shipments to each. Finally, create a new calculated table 'AllCities' that unions the city names and use that for the slicer, with measures that use USERELATIONSHIP to switch between relationships.
Why this is correct
This allows filtering by either origin or destination by using the AllCities table and DAX measures that activate the appropriate relationship.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Remove the relationship for DestinationCity and use a DAX measure with LOOKUPVALUE to get the destination state.
Why it's wrong here
This would be inefficient and would not allow proper filtering.
- ✗
Create a new table 'Route' that contains all unique combinations of origin and destination cities, and use that as a filter table.
Why it's wrong here
This is not standard; a better approach is to use a bridge table.
- ✗
Keep both relationships active and set the cross-filter direction to both.
Why it's wrong here
You cannot have two active relationships to the same table in Power BI; only one can be active.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume setting cross-filter direction to 'both' on both active relationships will solve the multi-role dimension filtering, but Power BI does not allow bidirectional filtering on multiple active relationships between the same two tables, leading to ambiguity or errors.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Power BI's relationship engine uses a single active path for filter propagation; with two active relationships from Shipments to City, only one (the first created or the one defined as active) is used for automatic filtering. USERELATIONSHIP temporarily activates an inactive relationship during measure evaluation, but it cannot be used to switch between two active relationships—hence the need to deactivate one relationship and create separate dimension tables. In a real-world logistics model, this pattern is essential for scenarios like 'shipments where either warehouse or delivery location is in a selected region' without duplicating fact data.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PL-300 question test?
Model the data — This question tests Model the data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create two separate dimension tables: 'Origin' and 'Destination', each containing a copy of the City data. Then create active relationships from Shipments to each. Finally, create a new calculated table 'AllCities' that unions the city names and use that for the slicer, with measures that use USERELATIONSHIP to switch between relationships. — Option A is correct because it resolves the ambiguity of having two active relationships from Shipments to City by creating separate dimension tables for origin and destination, each with an active relationship. A calculated 'AllCities' table unions all city names for the slicer, and measures use USERELATIONSHIP to activate the appropriate relationship context, enabling a single slicer to filter shipments where either origin or destination city matches the selected state.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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