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PL-900 · topic practice

Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI practice questions

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19 questionsDomain: Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI

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What the exam tests

What to know about Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI

Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI questions test whether you can apply the concept in context, not just recognise a definition.

How the topic appears in realistic exam-style scenarios.

Which detail in the question changes the correct answer.

How to eliminate plausible but wrong options.

How to connect the question back to the wider exam objective.

Watch out for

Common Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI exam traps

▸Answering from memory before reading the full scenario.
▸Missing a constraint such as cost, availability, security, scope or command context.
▸Choosing a broad answer when the question asks for the most specific fix.
▸Ignoring why the wrong options are tempting.

Practice set

Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI questions

19 questions · select your answer, then reveal the explanation

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

A sales manager wants to create a Power BI report that shows monthly sales trends and allows drilling down from year to quarter to month. Which feature should they use?

Trap 1: Drill-through

Drill-through navigates to a different report page, not within a hierarchy.

Trap 2: Bookmarks

Bookmarks capture a specific view but do not enable hierarchical drill-down.

Trap 3: Slicers

Slicers filter data but do not provide drill-down between levels.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
Hierarchy
Hierarchy allows users to drill down from year to quarter to month in a visual.
B
Drill-through
Why wrong: Drill-through navigates to a different report page, not within a hierarchy.
C
Bookmarks
Why wrong: Bookmarks capture a specific view but do not enable hierarchical drill-down.
D
Slicers
Why wrong: Slicers filter data but do not provide drill-down between levels.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 2hardmultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

A company has a Power BI dataset that refreshes daily. Users report that the report shows stale data from two days ago. What is the most likely cause?

Trap 1: The dataset uses DirectQuery mode

DirectQuery queries the source live, so data is always current.

Trap 2: Incremental refresh is configured incorrectly

Incorrect incremental refresh might cause missing data but not overall staleness.

Trap 3: The on-premises data gateway is offline

If the gateway is offline, the refresh would fail, but the question says refresh occurs daily; the issue is stale data, not failure.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
The dataset uses DirectQuery mode
Why wrong: DirectQuery queries the source live, so data is always current.
B
Incremental refresh is configured incorrectly
Why wrong: Incorrect incremental refresh might cause missing data but not overall staleness.
C
The scheduled refresh has failed for the past two days
A failed refresh means the data remains from the last successful refresh, causing staleness.
D
The on-premises data gateway is offline
Why wrong: If the gateway is offline, the refresh would fail, but the question says refresh occurs daily; the issue is stale data, not failure.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 3easymultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

A marketing team wants to share a Power BI dashboard with external partners who do not have Power BI licenses. What is the recommended approach?

Trap 1: Give each partner a Power BI Pro license

This is costly and not necessary for external viewing.

Trap 2: Embed the dashboard in a SharePoint Online page

SharePoint embedding still requires licenses for external users.

Trap 3: Share the report link directly via email

Recipients need a license to view the report.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
Give each partner a Power BI Pro license
Why wrong: This is costly and not necessary for external viewing.
B
Use Publish to web (public embedding)
This creates a public embed code accessible to anyone without a license.
C
Embed the dashboard in a SharePoint Online page
Why wrong: SharePoint embedding still requires licenses for external users.
D
Share the report link directly via email
Why wrong: Recipients need a license to view the report.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 4mediummultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

A data analyst needs to combine data from two Excel tables that have a common column 'ProductID'. Which Power BI tool should they use?

Trap 1: Append Queries

Append adds rows from one table to another, not columns.

Trap 2: Pivot Column

Pivot Column pivots data, not combine tables.

Trap 3: Group By

Group By aggregates data, not combine tables.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
Append Queries
Why wrong: Append adds rows from one table to another, not columns.
B
Merge Queries
Merge Queries joins tables based on a common column, similar to SQL JOIN.
C
Pivot Column
Why wrong: Pivot Column pivots data, not combine tables.
D
Group By
Why wrong: Group By aggregates data, not combine tables.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 5hardmultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

A Power BI report uses a calculated column that shows [Sales Amount] * 1.1. Users notice the column shows incorrect values after a data refresh. What is the most likely cause?

Trap 1: The dataset was refreshed in Import mode instead of DirectQuery

Refresh mode does not affect the calculation logic.

Trap 2: The data type of 'Sales Amount' changed from decimal to integer

This would cause a type conversion error, not incorrect values.

Trap 3: The source column name changed from 'Sales Amount' to 'SalesAmt'

This would break the formula, causing an error, not incorrect values.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
The DAX formula was edited to multiply by 1.2 instead of 1.1
Changing the multiplier would produce different results.
B
The dataset was refreshed in Import mode instead of DirectQuery
Why wrong: Refresh mode does not affect the calculation logic.
C
The data type of 'Sales Amount' changed from decimal to integer
Why wrong: This would cause a type conversion error, not incorrect values.
D
The source column name changed from 'Sales Amount' to 'SalesAmt'
Why wrong: This would break the formula, causing an error, not incorrect values.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 6easymultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

A manager wants to see a Power BI report on their mobile phone while offline. What should they do?

Trap 1: Export the report to PDF on a desktop computer

Exporting requires online access, and PDF is not interactive.

Trap 2: Share the report via email

Email sharing requires online access to view.

Trap 3: Subscribe to the report to receive email updates

Subscription sends snapshots, but offline viewing requires the app.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
Export the report to PDF on a desktop computer
Why wrong: Exporting requires online access, and PDF is not interactive.
B
Use the Power BI mobile app and download the report for offline viewing
The mobile app supports offline access by downloading reports.
C
Share the report via email
Why wrong: Email sharing requires online access to view.
D
Subscribe to the report to receive email updates
Why wrong: Subscription sends snapshots, but offline viewing requires the app.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 7mediummultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

A company has a Power BI dashboard that displays real-time data from Azure Stream Analytics. Which connection type should they use?

Trap 1: Import

Import mode loads data on a schedule, not real-time.

Trap 2: DirectQuery

DirectQuery queries the source but is not designed for high-frequency streaming.

Trap 3: Composite model

Composite models mix import and DirectQuery, not real-time.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
Import
Why wrong: Import mode loads data on a schedule, not real-time.
B
DirectQuery
Why wrong: DirectQuery queries the source but is not designed for high-frequency streaming.
C
Composite model
Why wrong: Composite models mix import and DirectQuery, not real-time.
D
Push dataset
Push datasets allow real-time data ingestion via API.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 8hardmultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

A Power BI report contains a measure that calculates year-over-year growth. The measure works correctly in Power BI Desktop but shows blank values after publishing to the service. What is the most likely cause?

Trap 1: The dataset was deleted from the service

If deleted, the report would not open at all.

Trap 2: The user does not have permission to view the measure

Permissions control access, not calculation.

Trap 3: The scheduled refresh is not configured

Scheduled refresh does not affect measure calculation; it only updates data.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
The dataset was deleted from the service
Why wrong: If deleted, the report would not open at all.
B
The user does not have permission to view the measure
Why wrong: Permissions control access, not calculation.
C
The time zone settings in the service differ from Desktop
Year-over-year calculations often depend on date functions that are sensitive to time zone.
D
The scheduled refresh is not configured
Why wrong: Scheduled refresh does not affect measure calculation; it only updates data.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 9mediummulti select

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

Which TWO features can be used to secure data in Power BI?

Trap 1: Q&A visuals

Q&A allows natural language queries, not security.

Trap 2: Bookmarks

Bookmarks are for saving views, not security.

Trap 3: Drill-through

Drill-through navigates to other pages, not security.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
Q&A visuals
Why wrong: Q&A allows natural language queries, not security.
B
Bookmarks
Why wrong: Bookmarks are for saving views, not security.
C
Drill-through
Why wrong: Drill-through navigates to other pages, not security.
D
Row-level security (RLS)
RLS restricts data access based on user roles.
E
Sensitivity labels
Sensitivity labels classify and protect data.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 10hardmulti select

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

Which THREE components are required to create a Power BI dashboard?

Trap 1: An on-premises data gateway

A gateway is only needed for on-premises data sources.

Trap 2: A dataflow

Dataflows are optional for data transformation.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
An on-premises data gateway
Why wrong: A gateway is only needed for on-premises data sources.
B
A dataset
A dataset is the source of data for the dashboard.
C
A report
Visuals from a report are pinned to the dashboard.
D
A dataflow
Why wrong: Dataflows are optional for data transformation.
E
A dashboard canvas
The dashboard canvas holds pinned visuals.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 11easymulti select

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

Which TWO are valid Power BI visualization types?

Trap 1: Waterfall chart

Waterfall chart is built-in, but we need exactly two correct; Funnel and Treemap are the ones.

Trap 2: Gantt chart

Gantt chart is a custom visual, not built-in.

Trap 3: Scatter map

Power BI has 'Map' and 'Filled map', not 'Scatter map'.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
Waterfall chart
Why wrong: Waterfall chart is built-in, but we need exactly two correct; Funnel and Treemap are the ones.
B
Gantt chart
Why wrong: Gantt chart is a custom visual, not built-in.
C
Scatter map
Why wrong: Power BI has 'Map' and 'Filled map', not 'Scatter map'.
D
Funnel chart
Funnel chart is a standard visual for stages.
E
Treemap
Treemap is a standard visual for hierarchical data.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 12mediummulti select

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

Which THREE actions can be performed in the Power Query Editor?

Trap 1: Create measures

Measures are created in the report view using DAX.

Trap 2: Create relationships between tables

Relationships are created in the model view.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
Create measures
Why wrong: Measures are created in the report view using DAX.
B
Change data types
Power Query Editor allows changing data types.
C
Merge queries
Power Query Editor can merge queries.
D
Remove columns
Power Query Editor can remove columns.
E
Create relationships between tables
Why wrong: Relationships are created in the model view.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 13hardmultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

A user sees the exhibit error when opening a Power BI report in the service. What is the most likely cause?

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

Error: "The data source for the report has been removed or changed. Please refresh the report to get the latest data."

Trap 1: The scheduled refresh failed due to credentials

Credential failure would show a specific credential error.

Trap 2: The on-premises data gateway is offline

Gateway offline would show a gateway error, not this message.

Trap 3: The dataset was deleted from the workspace

If deleted, the report would not open at all.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
The scheduled refresh failed due to credentials
Why wrong: Credential failure would show a specific credential error.
B
The on-premises data gateway is offline
Why wrong: Gateway offline would show a gateway error, not this message.
C
The dataset was deleted from the workspace
Why wrong: If deleted, the report would not open at all.
D
The data source connection in the service was modified
This error indicates the dataset cannot find the data source.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 14mediummultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

Based on the exhibit, what is the result of the TotalQuantity measure?

Network Topology

Trap 1: 15

15 is the quantity for OrderID 3 only.

Trap 2: 50

50 is not the sum of the quantities.

Trap 3: 30

30 is the sum of OrderID 1 and 2 only.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
15
Why wrong: 15 is the quantity for OrderID 3 only.
B
50
Why wrong: 50 is not the sum of the quantities.
C
30
Why wrong: 30 is the sum of OrderID 1 and 2 only.
D
45
10+20+15 = 45.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 15hardmultiple choice

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

You are a Power BI administrator for a large retail company. The company has a Power BI workspace that contains a dashboard named 'Sales Overview'. The dashboard is shared with the sales team. Recently, users have reported that the dashboard is loading slowly, and some visuals show 'Data is not available' errors. The dashboard uses a DirectQuery connection to an on-premises SQL Server database. The database team confirms that the server is not under heavy load. You need to troubleshoot and resolve the issue. What should you do first?

Trap 1: Replace the DirectQuery connection with an Import connection

This would require a full data load and might not address the immediate issue.

Trap 2: Ask the database team to add more indexes to the SQL Server tables

The database team confirmed the server is not under load, so indexing may not be the issue.

Trap 3: Increase the scheduled refresh frequency to every 15 minutes

DirectQuery does not use scheduled refresh; it queries live.

Study all Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI common traps →

A
Check the on-premises data gateway performance and logs for errors
Slow load and data errors often indicate gateway issues.
B
Replace the DirectQuery connection with an Import connection
Why wrong: This would require a full data load and might not address the immediate issue.
C
Ask the database team to add more indexes to the SQL Server tables
Why wrong: The database team confirmed the server is not under load, so indexing may not be the issue.
D
Increase the scheduled refresh frequency to every 15 minutes
Why wrong: DirectQuery does not use scheduled refresh; it queries live.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 16mediumdrag order

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

Drag and drop the steps to build a model-driven app in Power Apps in the correct order.

Drag steps to the numbered slots on the right, or tap a step then tap a slot.

Steps

Order

1Step 1

2Step 2

3Step 3

4Step 4

5Step 5

Question 17mediumdrag order

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

Drag and drop the steps to create a custom connector in Power Automate in the correct order.

Drag steps to the numbered slots on the right, or tap a step then tap a slot.

Steps

Order

1Step 1

2Step 2

3Step 3

4Step 4

5Step 5

Question 18mediummatching

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

Match each Common Data Service (Dataverse) term to its description.

Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.

Concepts

Matches

Logical structure that stores data

Field that holds a specific type of data

Individual record in a table

Link between tables

Container for apps, flows, and data

Question 19mediummatching

Read the full Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI explanation →

Match each AI Builder model type to its use case.

Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.

Concepts

Matches

Extract text from forms

Identify objects in images

Categorize text into predefined classes

Extract specific data from text

Classify text into categories

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Frequently asked questions

What does the PL-900 exam test about Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI?: Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI questions test whether you can apply the concept in context, not just recognise a definition.
How should I use these practice questions?: Select your answer before revealing the explanation. Then read why each option is right or wrong — this active recall approach builds retention far faster than re-reading notes.
Can I practise just Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI questions in a focused session?: Yes — the session launcher on this page draws every question from the Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI domain. Use a 10-question session first to gauge your baseline, then move to 20 or 30 once the weak spots are clear.
Where can I practise other PL-900 topics?: Use the topic links above to move to related areas, or go back to the PL-900 question bank to see all topics.
Are these real exam questions or dumps?: These are original practice questions written to test the same concepts the PL-900 exam covers. They are not copied from any real exam or dump site.

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All PL-900 questions Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI domain overview PL-900 exam guide

Exam traps to avoid

▸Answering from memory before reading the full scenario.
▸Missing a constraint such as cost, availability, security, scope or command context.
▸Choosing a broad answer when the question asks for the most specific fix.
▸Ignoring why the wrong options are tempting.

Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI practice questions

What to know about Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI

Common Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI exam traps

Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI questions

A sales manager wants to create a Power BI report that shows monthly sales trends and allows drilling down from year to quarter to month. Which feature should they use?

A company has a Power BI dataset that refreshes daily. Users report that the report shows stale data from two days ago. What is the most likely cause?

A marketing team wants to share a Power BI dashboard with external partners who do not have Power BI licenses. What is the recommended approach?

A data analyst needs to combine data from two Excel tables that have a common column 'ProductID'. Which Power BI tool should they use?

A Power BI report uses a calculated column that shows [Sales Amount] * 1.1. Users notice the column shows incorrect values after a data refresh. What is the most likely cause?

A manager wants to see a Power BI report on their mobile phone while offline. What should they do?

A company has a Power BI dashboard that displays real-time data from Azure Stream Analytics. Which connection type should they use?

A Power BI report contains a measure that calculates year-over-year growth. The measure works correctly in Power BI Desktop but shows blank values after publishing to the service. What is the most likely cause?

Which TWO features can be used to secure data in Power BI?

Which THREE components are required to create a Power BI dashboard?

Which TWO are valid Power BI visualization types?

Which THREE actions can be performed in the Power Query Editor?

A user sees the exhibit error when opening a Power BI report in the service. What is the most likely cause?

Exhibit

Based on the exhibit, what is the result of the TotalQuantity measure?

Drag and drop the steps to build a model-driven app in Power Apps in the correct order.

Drag and drop the steps to create a custom connector in Power Automate in the correct order.

Match each Common Data Service (Dataverse) term to its description.

Match each AI Builder model type to its use case.

Track your progress over time

Start a Demonstrate capabilities of Power BI only practice session

Related PL-900 topic practice pages

Identify foundational components of Power Platform practice questions