MICROSOFT CERTIFICATION • PL-300 • POWER BI DATA ANALYST
Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Associate
Study Guide: Prepare for the PL-300 Exam
and Use Power BI Successfully 1st Edition A+
2026/2027 Official Exam
2026/2027 Update • 100% Verified Questions & Answers • Grade A
A+ 5 100%
QUESTIONS EXAM DOMAINS RATIONALES
VERIFIED COVERED INCLUDED
CATEGORIES
■ Get & Transform Data (Power Query)
■ Data Modeling & Relationships
■ DAX Calculations & Measures
■ Visualization & Report Design
■ Deploy, Secure & Maintain
Exam Parameters
Difficulty: Intermediate Power BI / PL-300 | Question Type: Multiple Choice (A–D)
Marks: 1 per question | Passing Score: 75%
Bloom’s Level: Application / Analysis
Instructions
Select the single best answer for each question. Rationales follow each item. Content is original and aligned to the PL-300 skill outline: prepare data, model
data, visualize and analyze, and deploy & maintain assets.
STUVIAACTUALEXAM
STUVIAACTUALEXAM Page 1
, SECTION 1 — Get & Transform Data (Power Query)
Q1. A data analyst imports a CSV file into Power Query and notices that the first row contains column headers, but Power Query treated
them as data. The analyst should:
A. Use the “Use First Row as Headers” transformation on the Home or Transform tab
B. Delete the first row and rename columns manually one by one
C. Close and reopen the file without any change
D. Convert the entire table to a list
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: “Use First Row as Headers” promotes the first row into column names. This is the standard first step when headers are present but not
automatically detected.
Q2. An analyst needs to combine twelve monthly Excel files that share the same structure from a folder. The most efficient Power Query
approach is to:
A. Use Get Data > From Folder, combine the files, and apply transformations to the sample file so they apply to all
B. Open each file separately and copy-paste into one workbook
C. Manually append each table in the Power BI Desktop report view
D. Import only the newest file and ignore the rest
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Folder connector with Combine Files creates a single query that applies the same transformations to every file in the folder, which is ideal for
identically structured monthly extracts.
Q3. A column contains dates stored as text in the format “2024-03-15”. After import, the data type is Text. To enable time-intelligence
functions later, the analyst should:
A. Leave the type as Text and use SEARCH in DAX
B. Change the column data type to Date (or Date/Time) in Power Query
C. Split the column into three separate Year, Month, Day text columns only
D. Replace all hyphens with slashes and keep the type as Text
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Time-intelligence and proper date filtering require a true Date or Date/Time data type. Changing the type in Power Query is the preferred place to
fix it.
Q4. While profiling data in Power Query, the analyst sees that a column has several nulls and a few error values. The best practice before
loading is to:
A. Ignore errors and nulls completely
B. Decide how to handle nulls and errors (replace, remove, or keep) based on business rules and document the choice
C. Delete the entire column
D. Convert errors to the text “Error” and leave nulls unchanged without review
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Data quality decisions belong in Power Query. Explicitly handling nulls and errors according to requirements produces a reliable model and avoids
silent issues downstream.
Q5. An analyst needs to unpivot several monthly sales columns (Jan, Feb, Mar…) into attribute-value pairs so that the model can filter by
month easily. In Power Query the analyst should:
A. Select the month columns and choose Transform > Unpivot Columns
B. Use Group By on each month column
C. Transpose the entire table and then filter
D. Create a new column with a long DAX formula instead
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Unpivot Columns turns multiple value columns into two columns (Attribute and Value), which is the standard shape for analysis by month or
category.
STUVIAACTUALEXAM Page 2
Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Associate
Study Guide: Prepare for the PL-300 Exam
and Use Power BI Successfully 1st Edition A+
2026/2027 Official Exam
2026/2027 Update • 100% Verified Questions & Answers • Grade A
A+ 5 100%
QUESTIONS EXAM DOMAINS RATIONALES
VERIFIED COVERED INCLUDED
CATEGORIES
■ Get & Transform Data (Power Query)
■ Data Modeling & Relationships
■ DAX Calculations & Measures
■ Visualization & Report Design
■ Deploy, Secure & Maintain
Exam Parameters
Difficulty: Intermediate Power BI / PL-300 | Question Type: Multiple Choice (A–D)
Marks: 1 per question | Passing Score: 75%
Bloom’s Level: Application / Analysis
Instructions
Select the single best answer for each question. Rationales follow each item. Content is original and aligned to the PL-300 skill outline: prepare data, model
data, visualize and analyze, and deploy & maintain assets.
STUVIAACTUALEXAM
STUVIAACTUALEXAM Page 1
, SECTION 1 — Get & Transform Data (Power Query)
Q1. A data analyst imports a CSV file into Power Query and notices that the first row contains column headers, but Power Query treated
them as data. The analyst should:
A. Use the “Use First Row as Headers” transformation on the Home or Transform tab
B. Delete the first row and rename columns manually one by one
C. Close and reopen the file without any change
D. Convert the entire table to a list
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: “Use First Row as Headers” promotes the first row into column names. This is the standard first step when headers are present but not
automatically detected.
Q2. An analyst needs to combine twelve monthly Excel files that share the same structure from a folder. The most efficient Power Query
approach is to:
A. Use Get Data > From Folder, combine the files, and apply transformations to the sample file so they apply to all
B. Open each file separately and copy-paste into one workbook
C. Manually append each table in the Power BI Desktop report view
D. Import only the newest file and ignore the rest
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Folder connector with Combine Files creates a single query that applies the same transformations to every file in the folder, which is ideal for
identically structured monthly extracts.
Q3. A column contains dates stored as text in the format “2024-03-15”. After import, the data type is Text. To enable time-intelligence
functions later, the analyst should:
A. Leave the type as Text and use SEARCH in DAX
B. Change the column data type to Date (or Date/Time) in Power Query
C. Split the column into three separate Year, Month, Day text columns only
D. Replace all hyphens with slashes and keep the type as Text
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Time-intelligence and proper date filtering require a true Date or Date/Time data type. Changing the type in Power Query is the preferred place to
fix it.
Q4. While profiling data in Power Query, the analyst sees that a column has several nulls and a few error values. The best practice before
loading is to:
A. Ignore errors and nulls completely
B. Decide how to handle nulls and errors (replace, remove, or keep) based on business rules and document the choice
C. Delete the entire column
D. Convert errors to the text “Error” and leave nulls unchanged without review
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Data quality decisions belong in Power Query. Explicitly handling nulls and errors according to requirements produces a reliable model and avoids
silent issues downstream.
Q5. An analyst needs to unpivot several monthly sales columns (Jan, Feb, Mar…) into attribute-value pairs so that the model can filter by
month easily. In Power Query the analyst should:
A. Select the month columns and choose Transform > Unpivot Columns
B. Use Group By on each month column
C. Transpose the entire table and then filter
D. Create a new column with a long DAX formula instead
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Unpivot Columns turns multiple value columns into two columns (Attribute and Value), which is the standard shape for analysis by month or
category.
STUVIAACTUALEXAM Page 2
