This PL-300 practice question tests your understanding of prepare 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 loading data from an Excel workbook that has multiple sheets. Each sheet contains sales data for a different region. You need to combine all sheets into one table. What is the most efficient approach?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Power Query's 'From Folder' option to combine all Excel files in a folder, then select 'Combine & Transform' to use the workbook as a sample.
Option D is correct because the 'From Folder' option in Power Query is designed to combine multiple Excel files with the same structure into a single table. By pointing to a folder containing the workbook, Power Query automatically detects all sheets as separate files and uses the 'Combine & Transform' feature to union them, which is more efficient than manually appending each sheet individually.
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.
✗
Use 'Append Queries' for each sheet individually.
Why it's wrong here
This requires manual steps for each sheet.
✗
Use 'Merge Queries' to join all sheets into one.
Why it's wrong here
Merge is for combining columns, not rows.
✗
Load each sheet as a separate table in the model and create a calculated table to union them.
Why it's wrong here
This is inefficient and not recommended.
✓
Use Power Query's 'From Folder' option to combine all Excel files in a folder, then select 'Combine & Transform' to use the workbook as a sample.
Why this is correct
This automatically combines all sheets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Append Queries' (union) with 'Merge Queries' (join), or think that loading separate tables and using DAX is more efficient, but Power Query's folder-based combination is the most efficient for multiple sheets in a single workbook.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Power Query's 'From Folder' option uses the 'Combine Files' function, which reads each file in the folder and applies a transformation based on a sample file. For a single workbook with multiple sheets, Power Query treats each sheet as a separate 'file' and uses the 'Combine & Transform' dialog to union them into a single query, leveraging the 'Table.Combine' function in M language. This approach is particularly efficient when the sheets have identical column structures, as it avoids manual query duplication and reduces refresh time.
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 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Prepare the data — This question tests Prepare the data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Power Query's 'From Folder' option to combine all Excel files in a folder, then select 'Combine & Transform' to use the workbook as a sample. — Option D is correct because the 'From Folder' option in Power Query is designed to combine multiple Excel files with the same structure into a single table. By pointing to a folder containing the workbook, Power Query automatically detects all sheets as separate files and uses the 'Combine & Transform' feature to union them, which is more efficient than manually appending each sheet individually.
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.
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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