PL-900 Demonstrate the capabilities of Power Apps Practice Question
A business analyst wants to create a Power Apps canvas app that connects to a Microsoft Excel workbook stored in OneDrive for Business. The analyst needs to display data from a table in the workbook and allow users to update records directly from the app. Which statement is true about using Excel as a data source in a canvas app?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that Excel is read-only or requires Dataverse; in fact, Excel tables can be used directly and support updates in canvas apps.
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
✓
Canvas apps can connect to Excel tables stored in OneDrive for Business and allow updates to the data.
The Excel connector in Power Apps allows canvas apps to connect to Excel tables stored in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint. It supports both reading and writing data, enabling users to view and update records directly from the app. The workbook must contain a formatted table, and the user must have access to the file. This makes Excel a convenient data source for simple business apps.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Excel can only be used as a read-only data source in canvas apps; updates are not supported.
Why it's wrong here
The Excel connector in Power Apps supports both reading and writing data. Users can create, update, and delete records in an Excel table from a canvas app. However, there are limitations, such as the need for the file to be in a supported location and the table to be properly formatted. Updates are indeed supported, so this statement is incorrect.
- ✗
Excel data must be imported into Microsoft Dataverse before it can be used in a canvas app.
Why it's wrong here
Excel workbooks can be used directly as a data source in canvas apps without importing into Dataverse. Power Apps provides a native Excel connector that can read and write data to tables in the workbook. Importing into Dataverse is not required, although it may be beneficial for advanced scenarios. For simple data storage and updates, direct connection is sufficient.
- ✓
Canvas apps can connect to Excel tables stored in OneDrive for Business and allow updates to the data.
Why this is correct
Power Apps includes an Excel connector that can connect to tables in Excel workbooks stored in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint. The app can read data and write back changes, such as adding or updating rows, as long as the data is formatted as a table. This allows business users to leverage existing Excel files as a lightweight data source.
- ✗
To use Excel as a data source, the workbook must be stored in a SharePoint document library, not OneDrive.
Why it's wrong here
Excel workbooks can be stored in either OneDrive for Business or SharePoint document libraries. Both locations are supported by the Excel connector. The requirement is that the workbook contains a table and that the user has appropriate permissions. Storing in OneDrive is perfectly valid, so this statement is false.
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Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
This PL-900 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-900 exam.