PL-300 Model the data Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
// DAX Calculated Column
Sales[Profit Margin] =
DIVIDE(
Sales[Profit],
Sales[SalesAmount]
)
```You have the above calculated column in a Power BI model. Some rows show blank values for Profit Margin even though Profit and SalesAmount are not blank. What is the most likely cause?
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
✓
SalesAmount is zero for those rows
The correct answer is D: SalesAmount is zero for those rows. In DAX, a calculated column for Profit Margin typically uses DIVIDE(Profit, SalesAmount), and DIVIDE returns BLANK when the denominator is zero (or BLANK), which explains why Profit and SalesAmount appear non-blank yet Profit Margin shows blank. Options A and B do not fit because a syntax error would prevent the column from being created or would error, and non-numeric columns would cause type/aggregation errors rather than selective blanks. Option C is incorrect because DIVIDE handles large numbers fine; its blank behavior is driven by a zero or blank denominator, not magnitude.
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 calculated column syntax is incorrect
Why it's wrong here
The calculated column syntax is correct. In DAX, a calculated column uses the syntax 'ColumnName = expression', and the expression here uses the fully qualified column references and the DIVIDE function correctly. There are no missing parentheses or misused operators, so the reason the column returns blank is not a syntax failure but rather the denominator value for those rows.
- ✗
The columns are not numeric
Why it's wrong here
The denominator being zero does not imply the columns are non-numeric. In the data model, SalesAmount and the other referenced columns are numeric data types (e.g., decimal or currency), and they are not blank for the affected rows. If the columns were non-numeric, DIVIDE would return an error, not a blank value, so the issue is specifically the arithmetic result of the denominator being zero.
- ✗
The DIVIDE function cannot handle large numbers
Why it's wrong here
DIVIDE in DAX does not have a range limitation and performs division safely for any numeric values within the precision of the data type. Unlike a custom division expression that could overflow or throw an error, DIVIDE handles large magnitudes and returns BLANK for zero denominators by design. The observed blanks are therefore not caused by a large-number limitation but by a denominator equal to zero.
- ✓
SalesAmount is zero for those rows
Why this is correct
When DIVIDE is used without an optional third argument, it returns BLANK if the denominator is zero. For these rows, SalesAmount equals zero, making the denominator of the division zero, so the result is blank rather than a numeric value. This is the intended behavior of DIVIDE and is why the column appears blank only for those specific rows.
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