hardMultiple Choice
PL-900 Practice Question: A Power Apps app uses a canvas and connects to…
A Power Apps app uses a canvas and connects to multiple data sources. Users complain that the app loads slowly. What is the best practice to improve performance?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates think adding more screens distributes the workload, but in Power Apps, each screen loads independently and can trigger separate data source calls, worsening performance rather than improving it.
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
✓
Use the 'ClearCollect' function to cache data in a collection
The ClearCollect function allows you to cache data from external sources into a local collection within the app. This reduces the number of round trips to the data source during user interactions, significantly improving load and response times by minimizing network latency and data source throttling.
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 the 'ClearCollect' function to cache data in a collection
Why this is correct
ClearCollect pulls data into a local collection once, so subsequent control references read from memory rather than re-querying each connected source. This directly addresses the slow canvas load caused by repeated delegation and network round-trips across multiple data sources, cutting per-control fetch overhead during rendering.
- ✗
Add more screens to distribute the load
Why it's wrong here
Adding screens increases the number of controls and OnVisible data calls the app must load, worsening startup time rather than reducing it. It is tempting because distributing work across screens sounds like load balancing, and extra screens would be correct when separating distinct workflows for navigation clarity.
- ✗
Increase the timeout settings
Why it's wrong here
Raising timeout settings only lets slow queries run longer before failing; it does not reduce the delegation or query volume causing the delay. It is tempting because timeouts are the visible symptom, and increasing them would be correct when a genuinely long-running operation is being cut off prematurely.
- ✗
Use a single data source
Why it's wrong here
Consolidating to one source does not address delegation, N+1 queries or delegation warnings that actually slow a canvas app; the fix is reducing or delegating those calls. It is tempting because fewer connections sound lighter, and a single source would suit an app whose data genuinely lives in one system.
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