PL-300 Prepare the data Practice Question
You have a Power BI dataset that uses data from Microsoft Excel files stored in SharePoint Online. Users report that the data is not refreshing as scheduled. You verify that the gateway is installed and running. What is the most likely cause of the refresh failure?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume a running gateway automatically handles all data sources, but the gateway requires explicit credential configuration for each data source, including cloud-based ones like SharePoint Online.
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
✓
The data source credentials are not provided in the gateway.
Even when the gateway is installed and running, it must have valid data source credentials configured for the SharePoint Online Excel files. Without these credentials, the gateway cannot authenticate to SharePoint Online to retrieve the data, causing the scheduled refresh to fail. The gateway uses the stored credentials to connect to the data source during each refresh cycle.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The gateway is not running.
Why it's wrong here
The statement is factually incorrect because the scenario explicitly states the gateway is running. A running gateway service is a necessary precondition, but it does not eliminate the need for valid data source credentials to be stored in the gateway. Therefore, the failure is not tied to the gateway's operational state.
- ✗
The gateway does not support SharePoint Online data sources.
Why it's wrong here
The on-premises data gateway fully supports SharePoint Online as a data source; it can connect to both on-premises and cloud services, including SharePoint Online, Azure SQL, and Power BI datasets. Therefore, saying the gateway lacks this support is simply wrong. The actual problem lies in how the data source credentials are configured, not in the gateway's capabilities.
- ✗
The gateway is not configured to use the on-premises data source type.
Why it's wrong here
SharePoint Online is a cloud-based service, not an on-premises data source, so this option misunderstands the data source classification. The gateway allows you to add SharePoint Online as a "cloud" data source type, and it does not require a separate on-premises data source configuration. Hence, the failure is not due to a missing on-premises data source type, but rather due to missing or invalid credentials for the existing SharePoint Online data source.
- ✓
The data source credentials are not provided in the gateway.
Why this is correct
This is the correct diagnosis: the gateway is running, but the SharePoint Online data source lacks stored credentials in the gateway's data source management settings. Without those credentials, the gateway cannot authenticate to SharePoint Online during a scheduled refresh, resulting in a failure. You need to add the data source and fill in the appropriate authentication method (e.g., OAuth2) to resolve it.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.