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 preparing data for a star schema. Which THREE types of tables are typically included in a star schema?
Staging tables
Why wrong: Intermediate tables for ETL.
Bridge tables
Why wrong: Used for many-to-many relationships.
Dimension tables
Store descriptive attributes.
Date tables
Special dimension for time intelligence.
Fact tables
Store quantitative data.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Dimension tables
In a star schema, dimension tables (C) provide descriptive attributes for the measures stored in fact tables. They are denormalized to optimize query performance in tools like Power BI, enabling fast slicing and dicing of data without complex joins.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Staging tables
Why it's wrong here
Intermediate tables for ETL.
Bridge tables
Why it's wrong here
Used for many-to-many relationships.
Dimension tables
Why this is correct
Store descriptive attributes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Date tables
Why this is correct
Special dimension for time intelligence.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Fact tables
Why this is correct
Store quantitative data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse staging tables or bridge tables as core star schema components, but Microsoft explicitly tests that only fact, dimension, and date tables are the three standard table types in a star schema.
Detailed technical explanation
In a star schema, fact tables store quantitative measures (e.g., sales amount) and foreign keys to dimension tables, while dimension tables contain descriptive attributes (e.g., product name, category). This design minimizes data redundancy and supports fast aggregation queries in Power BI by leveraging columnstore indexes and query folding. A real-world scenario is a sales star schema where the fact table links to Date, Customer, and Product dimensions, allowing drill-downs without additional joins.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Prepare the data — This question tests Prepare the data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Dimension tables — In a star schema, dimension tables (C) provide descriptive attributes for the measures stored in fact tables. They are denormalized to optimize query performance in tools like Power BI, enabling fast slicing and dicing of data without complex joins.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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