Share via

Study guide for Exam PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst

  • Article

Purpose of this document

This study guide should help you understand what to expect on the exam and includes a summary of the topics the exam might cover and links to additional resources. The information and materials in this document should help you focus your studies as you prepare for the exam.

Useful links Description
How to earn the certification Some certifications only require passing one exam, while others require passing multiple exams.
Certification renewal Microsoft associate, expert, and specialty certifications expire annually. You can renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
Your Microsoft Learn profile Connecting your certification profile to Microsoft Learn allows you to schedule and renew exams and share and print certificates.
Exam scoring and score reports A score of 700 or greater is required to pass.
Exam sandbox You can explore the exam environment by visiting our exam sandbox.
Request accommodations If you use assistive devices, require extra time, or need modification to any part of the exam experience, you can request an accommodation.
Take a free Practice Assessment Test your skills with practice questions to help you prepare for the exam.

Updates to the exam

Our exams are updated periodically to reflect skills that are required to perform a role. We have included two versions of the Skills Measured objectives depending on when you are taking the exam.

We always update the English language version of the exam first. Some exams are localized into other languages, and those are updated approximately eight weeks after the English version is updated. Although Microsoft makes every effort to update localized versions as noted, there may be times when the localized versions of an exam are not updated on this schedule. Other available languages are listed in the Schedule Exam section of the Exam Details webpage. If the exam isn't available in your preferred language, you can request an additional 30 minutes to complete the exam.

Note

The bullets that follow each of the skills measured are intended to illustrate how we are assessing that skill. Related topics may be covered in the exam.

Note

Most questions cover features that are general availability (GA). The exam may contain questions on Preview features if those features are commonly used.

Skills measured as of October 21, 2024

Audience profile

As a candidate for this exam, you should deliver actionable insights by working with available data and applying domain expertise. You should:

  • Provide meaningful business value through easy-to-comprehend data visualizations.

  • Enable others to perform self-service analytics.

As a Power BI data analyst, you work closely with business stakeholders to identify business requirements. You collaborate with analytics engineers and data engineers to identify and acquire data. You use Power BI to:

  • Prepare the data

  • Model the data

  • Visualize and analyze data

  • Manage and secure Power BI

You should be proficient at using Power Query and Data Analysis Expressions (DAX).

Skills at a glance

  • Prepare the data (25–30%)

  • Model the data (25–30%)

  • Visualize and analyze the data (25–30%)

  • Manage and secure Power BI (15–20%)

Prepare the data (25–30%)

Get or connect to data

  • Identify and connect to data sources or a shared semantic model

  • Change data source settings, including credentials and privacy levels

  • Choose between DirectQuery and Import

  • Create and modify parameters

Profile and clean the data

  • Evaluate data, including data statistics and column properties

  • Resolve inconsistencies, unexpected or null values, and data quality issues

  • Resolve data import errors

Transform and load the data

  • Select appropriate column data types

  • Create and transform columns

  • Group and aggregate rows

  • Pivot, unpivot, and transpose data

  • Convert semi-structured data to a table

  • Create fact tables and dimension tables

  • Identify when to use reference or duplicate queries and the resulting impact

  • Merge and append queries

  • Identify and create appropriate keys for relationships

  • Configure data loading for queries

Model the data (25–30%)

Design and implement a data model

  • Configure table and column properties

  • Implement role-playing dimensions

  • Define a relationship's cardinality and cross-filter direction

  • Create a common date table

  • Identify use cases for calculated columns and calculated tables

Create model calculations by using DAX

  • Create single aggregation measures

  • Use the CALCULATE function

  • Implement time intelligence measures

  • Use basic statistical functions

  • Create semi-additive measures

  • Create a measure by using quick measures

  • Create calculated tables or columns

  • Create calculation groups

Optimize model performance

  • Improve performance by identifying and removing unnecessary rows and columns

  • Identify poorly performing measures, relationships, and visuals by using Performance Analyzer and DAX query view

  • Improve performance by reducing granularity

Visualize and analyze the data (25–30%)

Create reports

  • Select an appropriate visual

  • Format and configure visuals

  • Apply and customize a theme

  • Apply conditional formatting

  • Apply slicing and filtering

  • Configure the report page

  • Choose when to use a paginated report

  • Create visual calculations by using DAX

Enhance reports for usability and storytelling

  • Configure bookmarks

  • Create custom tooltips

  • Edit and configure interactions between visuals

  • Configure navigation for a report

  • Apply sorting to visuals

  • Configure sync slicers

  • Group and layer visuals by using the Selection pane

  • Configure drillthrough navigation

  • Configure export settings

  • Design reports for mobile devices

  • Enable personalized visuals in a report

  • Design and configure Power BI reports for accessibility

  • Configure automatic page refresh

  • Use the Analyze feature in Power BI

  • Use grouping, binning, and clustering

  • Use AI visuals

  • Use reference lines, error bars, and forecasting

  • Detect outliers and anomalies

Manage and secure Power BI (15–20%)

Create and manage workspaces and assets

  • Create and configure a workspace

  • Configure and update a workspace app

  • Publish, import, or update items in a workspace

  • Create dashboards

  • Choose a distribution method

  • Configure subscriptions and data alerts

  • Promote or certify Power BI content

  • Identify when a gateway is required

  • Configure a semantic model scheduled refresh

Secure and govern Power BI items

  • Assign workspace roles

  • Configure item-level access

  • Configure access to semantic models

  • Implement row-level security roles

  • Configure row-level security group membership

  • Apply sensitivity labels

Study resources

We recommend that you train and get hands-on experience before you take the exam. We offer self-study options and classroom training as well as links to documentation, community sites, and videos.

Study resources Links to learning and documentation
Get trained Choose from self-paced learning paths and modules or take an instructor-led course
Find documentation Power BI documentation
Microsoft Power Apps documentation
Ask a question Microsoft Q&A | Microsoft Docs
Get community support Power Apps - Power Platform Community
Power Query - Power Platform Community
Building Power Apps - Power Platform Community
Follow Microsoft Learn Microsoft Learn - Microsoft Tech Community
Find a video Exam Readiness Zone | Microsoft Learn
#LessCodeMorePower | Shows
Browse other Microsoft Learn shows

Change log

The table below summarizes the changes between the current and previous version of the skills measured. The functional groups are in bold typeface followed by the objectives within each group. The table is a comparison between the previous and current version of the exam skills measured and the third column describes the extent of the changes.

Skill area prior to October 21, 2024 Skill area as of October 21, 2024 Change
Audience profile Major
Prepare the data Prepare the data No change
Get data from data sources Get or connect to data Minor
Clean the data Profile and clean the data Minor
Transform and load the data Transform and load the data Major
Model the data Model the data No change
Design and implement a data model Design and implement a data model Major
Create model calculations by using DAX Create model calculations by using DAX Minor
Optimize model performance Optimize model performance Minor
Visualize and analyze the data Visualize and analyze the data No change
Create reports Create reports Major
Enhance reports for usability and storytelling Enhance reports for usability and storytelling Major
Identify patterns and trends Identify patterns and trends Major
Deploy and maintain items Manage and secure Power BI Minor
Create and manage workspaces and items Create and manage workspaces and assets Minor
Manage semantic models Deleted
Secure and govern Power BI items New