The answer is to create a one-to-many relationship from Customer (one side) to Sales (many side) based on CustomerID. This is correct because a star schema requires dimension tables to sit on the "one" side of a relationship with the fact table on the "many" side, ensuring filters from the Customer table propagate naturally down to the Sales table without ambiguity. On the PL-300 exam, this tests your understanding of star schema fundamentals and relationship cardinality—a common trap is choosing bidirectional filtering, which can create unpredictable filter flows and degrade performance, or selecting many-to-many, which breaks the simplicity of the star model. Remember that in a star schema, dimensions are always the filtering source, and facts are the filtered target. A quick memory tip: think of the dimension as the "parent" and the fact as the "child"—filters flow downhill from parent to child, never the other way around unless explicitly required.
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 designing a data model in Power BI that includes a fact table called 'Sales' and dimension tables 'Customer', 'Product', and 'Date'. The 'Sales' table contains columns: 'SalesID', 'CustomerID', 'ProductID', 'DateKey', 'Quantity', and 'Amount'. You need to ensure that the model follows star schema best practices and that filters from the 'Customer' table propagate correctly to the 'Sales' table. What should you do?
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a one-to-many relationship from Customer (one side) to Sales (many side) based on CustomerID.
Option B is correct because a star schema requires a one-to-many relationship from dimension tables to fact tables, with the dimension table on the one side. Option A is wrong because many-to-many relationships would break star schema simplicity. Option C is wrong because bidirectional filtering can cause ambiguity and is not recommended by default. Option D is wrong because merging tables into a single flat table is the opposite of star schema.
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.
✗
Merge the Customer and Sales tables into a single flat table.
Why it's wrong here
This would create a denormalized model, not a star schema.
✗
Set the cross-filter direction to Both on the relationship between Customer and Sales.
Why it's wrong here
Bidirectional filtering is not required and can lead to ambiguous filter propagation.
✗
Create a many-to-many relationship between Customer and Sales using SalesID.
Why it's wrong here
Many-to-many relationships complicate the model and are not typical in star schema.
✓
Create a one-to-many relationship from Customer (one side) to Sales (many side) based on CustomerID.
Why this is correct
This is the standard star schema pattern.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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: Create a one-to-many relationship from Customer (one side) to Sales (many side) based on CustomerID. — Option B is correct because a star schema requires a one-to-many relationship from dimension tables to fact tables, with the dimension table on the one side. Option A is wrong because many-to-many relationships would break star schema simplicity. Option C is wrong because bidirectional filtering can cause ambiguity and is not recommended by default. Option D is wrong because merging tables into a single flat table is the opposite of star schema.
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.
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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Question Discussion
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