The correct answer is product category, because it is a descriptive attribute that belongs in a dimension table within a star schema. In a properly designed star schema, dimension tables store the “who, what, where, when” context—such as product names, categories, or customer regions—while fact tables store quantitative measures like sales amount. For the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst PL-300 exam, this question tests your understanding of star schema fundamentals and the separation of descriptive attributes from numeric measures. A common trap is confusing foreign keys, like customer ID, which reside in the fact table as links, with the descriptive attributes that populate dimension tables. Remember the memory tip: “Facts are numbers, dimensions are descriptors”—if it describes a business entity, it belongs in a dimension.
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 star schema in Power BI. The fact table contains sales transactions. Which of the following should be stored in a dimension table?
Product category is a descriptive attribute that should reside in a product dimension table.
B
Sales amount
Why wrong: Sales amount is a numeric measure and belongs in the fact table.
C
Customer ID
Why wrong: Customer ID is a foreign key in the fact table, not a descriptive attribute stored in a dimension.
D
Transaction date
Why wrong: Transaction date can be part of a date dimension, but the question asks for a typical dimension attribute; product category is a better example.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Product category
Option C is correct because product category is a descriptive attribute that should be in a product dimension. Option A is wrong because sales amount is a measure in the fact table. Option B is wrong because transaction date can be in a date dimension but is not strictly required to be in a dimension; however, the question asks for what should be stored in a dimension table, and product category is a clear dimension attribute. Option D is wrong because customer ID is a foreign key that links to a dimension, but it is stored in the fact table as a key, not as a descriptive attribute.
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.
✓
Product category
Why this is correct
Product category is a descriptive attribute that should reside in a product dimension table.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Sales amount
Why it's wrong here
Sales amount is a numeric measure and belongs in the fact table.
✗
Customer ID
Why it's wrong here
Customer ID is a foreign key in the fact table, not a descriptive attribute stored in a dimension.
✗
Transaction date
Why it's wrong here
Transaction date can be part of a date dimension, but the question asks for a typical dimension attribute; product category is a better example.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 PL-300 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Product category — Option C is correct because product category is a descriptive attribute that should be in a product dimension. Option A is wrong because sales amount is a measure in the fact table. Option B is wrong because transaction date can be in a date dimension but is not strictly required to be in a dimension; however, the question asks for what should be stored in a dimension table, and product category is a clear dimension attribute. Option D is wrong because customer ID is a foreign key that links to a dimension, but it is stored in the fact table as a key, not as a descriptive attribute.
What should I do if I get this PL-300 question wrong?
Identify which PL-300 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You are building a Power BI model that includes a table 'Orders' with columns: OrderID, CustomerID, OrderDate, and TotalAmount. You also have a table 'Customers' with columns: CustomerID, CustomerName, and Segment. You need to create a relationship between Orders and Customers on CustomerID. Which relationship configuration should you choose to ensure that filtering Customers by Segment correctly filters Orders?
hard
✓ A.One-to-many relationship from Customers to Orders
B.Many-to-one relationship from Orders to Customers
C.Many-to-many relationship with a bridge table
D.One-to-one relationship
Why A: Option B is correct because a one-to-many relationship from Customers (one side) to Orders (many side) with Customers filtering Orders is the standard star schema design. Option A is wrong because many-to-one would reverse the direction. Option C is wrong because many-to-many is unnecessary and can cause ambiguity. Option D is wrong because a one-to-one relationship is not appropriate as one customer can have many orders.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
Question Discussion
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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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