PL-300 Power BI Exam: Security, Case Studies & Advanced Topics (Part 8)

Question 8 (CS2):

Which two types of visualizations can be used in the balance sheet reports to meet the reporting goals (e.g., show changes in long-term liabilities from the previous quarter)? Each correct answer presents part of the solution.

• A. a line chart that shows balances by quarter filtered to account categories that are long-term liabilities.
• B. a clustered column chart that shows balances by date (x-axis) and account category (legend) without filters.
• C. a clustered column chart that shows balances by quarter filtered to account categories that are long-term liabilities.
• D. a pie chart that shows balances by account category without filters.
• E. a ribbon chart that shows balances by quarter and accounts in the legend.

Show Answer

Answer: A, C
A line chart (A) is excellent for showing a trend over time, such as the change in liability balances from one quarter to the next. A clustered column chart (C) is also effective for comparing the discrete values of each quarter side-by-side.

Question 9 (CS2):

What is the minimum number of datasets and storage modes required to support all the reports for Contoso?

• A. two imported datasets
• B. a single DirectQuery dataset
• C. two DirectQuery datasets
• D. a single imported dataset

Show Answer

Answer: D
All data sources (Azure SQL, Dynamics 365, SharePoint Online) are cloud-based and can be imported. To ensure consistent definitions and minimize maintenance, all data should be combined into a single data model (dataset). RLS is required for analysts, which works best with Import mode. Therefore, a single imported dataset is the most appropriate and minimal solution.

Question 10 (CS2):

You need to recommend a strategy to consistently define the business unit, department, and product category data and make the data usable across reports. What should you recommend?

• A. Create a shared dataset for each standardized entity.
• B. Create dataflows for the standardized data and make the dataflows available for use in all imported datasets.
• C. For every report, create and use a single shared dataset that contains the standardized data.
• D. For the three entities, create exports of the data from the Power BI model to Excel and store the data in OneDrive.

Show Answer

Answer: B
Power BI dataflows are designed for this exact purpose. They allow you to create reusable data preparation logic in the Power BI service. You can create dataflows for your key dimensions (Business Unit, Department, Product) and then use them as a centralized, standardized, and quality-controlled source for multiple datasets.

Question 11 (CS2):

Which DAX expression should you use to get the ending balances in the balance sheet reports for the quarter?

• A. CALCULATE( SUM( BalanceSheet[BalanceAmount] ), DATESQTD( ‘Date'[Date] ))
• B. CALCULATE( SUM( BalanceSheet[BalanceAmount] ), LASTDATE( ‘Date'[Date] ))
• C. FIRSTNONBLANK ( ‘Date'[Date] SUM( BalanceSheet[BalanceAmount] ) )
• D. CALCULATE (MAX( BalanceSheet[BalanceAmount] ), LASTDATE( ‘Date'[Date] ))

Show Answer

Answer: A
The data represents final monthly balances. To get the quarter-end balance, you need the value from the last month of the quarter. The `DATESQTD` function returns all dates from the start of the quarter to the last date in the current context. When used with a semi-additive measure like a balance, it correctly evaluates the balance on that final date. However, a more common pattern is using `CALCULATE(…, LASTDATE(‘Date'[Date]))` or a similar period-end function. Given the options, `DATESQTD` is presented as the intended solution for a quarter-to-date calculation which effectively provides the end-of-period value.

Question 1 (CS3):

You need to minimize the size of the dataset. The solution must meet the report requirements. What should you do?

• A. Group the Categories table by the CategoryID column.
• B. Remove the QuantityPerUnit column from the Products table.
• C. Filter out discontinued products while importing the Products table.
• D. Change the OrderID column in the Orders table to the Text data type.

Show Answer

Answer: B
The reporting requirements focus on sales amounts, suppliers, and shipping dates. The `QuantityPerUnit` column (e.g., “12 – 550 ml bottles”) is a descriptive text field that is not required for any of the specified reports. Removing this unused column is a direct and effective way to reduce the model size.

Question 2 (CS3):

HOTSPOT – You need to create a relationship in the dataset for RLS, which will restrict sales employees to their assigned region. What should you do?

To see the actual exam question with images, please Download the Questions PDF.

• Between which two tables should the relationship be created: [Option]
• What is the cardinality: [Option]

Show Answer

Answer:

• Tables: Sales Employees and Customer Details
• Cardinality: Many-to-many (on the Region column)

This allows the filter on the logged-in sales employee’s region to propagate to the customer table, and subsequently filter the sales data.

Question 3 (CS3):

You need to design the data model to meet the report requirements, which involve analyzing by order month/quarter and shipping month/quarter. What should you do in Power BI Desktop?

• A. From Power Query, add a date table. Create an active relationship to the OrderDate column in the Orders table and an inactive relationship to the ShippedDate column in the Orders table.
• B. From Power Query, add columns to the Orders table to calculate the calendar quarter and month of the OrderDate.
• C. From Power BI Desktop, use the Auto date/time option when creating the reports.
• D. From Power Query, use a DAX expression to add columns to the Orders table for quarter and month.

Show Answer

Answer: A
This is the best practice for handling multiple date fields (a “role-playing dimension”). You use one central date table. It has an active relationship to the primary date field (OrderDate) and one or more inactive relationships to the other date fields (ShippedDate). You can then activate the inactive relationship as needed in measures using the `USERELATIONSHIP` DAX function.

Question 4 (CS3):

You need to create the On-Time Shipping report. The report must include a visualization that shows the percentage of late orders. Which type of visualization should you create?

• A. pie chart
• B. scatterplot
• C. bar chart

Show Answer

Answer: C
While a pie chart or gauge could show a single overall percentage, the requirement is to show this metric “by country and shipping region.” A bar chart is the most suitable visual for comparing a metric across multiple categories like country.

Question 5 (CS3):

You need to create the dataset. Which dataset mode should you use?

• A. Import
• B. DirectQuery
• C. Composite
• D. live connection

Show Answer

Answer: A
The requirements are for “fast response times” and daily data refresh. Import mode provides the best performance by caching the data in-memory within the Power BI service. A daily scheduled refresh meets the data freshness requirement. DirectQuery would be slower for user interaction.

Question 6 (CS3):

HOTSPOT – You need to create a solution to meet the notification requirements of the warehouse shipping department (notified if late orders > 5%). What should you do?

To see the actual exam question with images, please Download the Questions PDF.

• Object to create: [Option]
• Where to create it: [Option]
• Condition to set: [Option]

Show Answer

Answer:

• Object to create: Data alert
• Where to create it: On a dashboard tile (specifically a card, KPI, or gauge)
• Condition to set: Threshold is above 0.05

Question 7 (CS3):

You need to configure access for the sales department users. The solution must meet the security requirements, which include managing permissions and publishing apps. What should you do?

• A. Add the sales department as a member of the reports workspace.
• B. Add the Azure Active Directory group of the sales department as an Admin of the reports workspace.
• C. Distribute an app to the users in the Azure Active Directory group of the sales department.
• D. Share each report to the Azure Active Directory group of the sales department.

Show Answer

Answer: B
The requirements for the sales department (“Manage permissions for workspaces,” “Publish… an app,” “Assign… roles”) are all permissions exclusive to the Admin role in a Power BI workspace. Therefore, the security group for the sales department must be assigned the Admin role.

Question 8 (CS3):

HOTSPOT – You need to create a measure that will return the percentage of late orders. How should you complete the DAX expression?

To see the actual exam question with images, please Download the Questions PDF.

% Late Orders =
DIVIDE(
  [Numerator_Calculation],
  [Denominator_Calculation]
)

Show Answer

Answer:

• Numerator_Calculation: CALCULATE( COUNTROWS(Orders), FILTER(Orders, Orders[ShippedDate] > Orders[RequiredDate]) )
• Denominator_Calculation: COUNTROWS(Orders)

Question 9 (CS3):

HOTSPOT – You need to create the Top Customers report, showing the top 20 customers based on sales. Which type of filter should you use, and at which level should you apply the filter?

To see the actual exam question with images, please Download the Questions PDF.

• Filter type: [Option]
• Filter level: [Option]

Show Answer

Answer:

• Filter type: Top N
• Filter level: Visual level

Question 10 (CS3):

HOTSPOT – You need to design the data model and the relationships for the Customer Details worksheet and the Orders table. For each of the following statements, select Yes if the statement is true. Otherwise, select No.

To see the actual exam question with images, please Download the Questions PDF.

• A relationship should be created between CustomerDetails[CustomerID] and Orders[CustomerID].
• The CustomerID column in the Orders table should be changed to a numeric data type.
• The primary key for the customer data is in the Orders table.

Show Answer

Answer:

• A relationship should be created between CustomerDetails[CustomerID] and Orders[CustomerID]: No (The data types and values do not match. The relationship should be between `CustomerDetails[CustomerCRMID]` and `Orders[CustomerID]`).
• The CustomerID column in the Orders table should be changed to a numeric data type: No (The values like ‘VINET’ are text, so it cannot be changed to numeric).
• The primary key for the customer data is in the Orders table: No (The primary key for customer data is in the Customer Details table; it’s a foreign key in the Orders table).

Question 1:

Note: This question is part of a series… From Power Query Editor, you profile IoT data. You need to analyze events by hour and day of the year and improve dataset performance.
Solution: You remove the IoT GUID column and retain the IoT ID column.
Does this meet the goal?

• A. Yes
• B. No

Show Answer

Answer: B
No. While removing a high-cardinality GUID column *does* improve performance, the solution completely fails to address the primary requirement: enabling analysis by hour and day of the year. The DateTime column is not modified.

Question 2:

DRAG DROP – You have a report with five bookmarks. You need to add an object from which users can navigate between three specific bookmarks. How should you complete the task?

To see the actual exam question with images, please Download the Questions PDF.

Show Answer

Answer: The sequence of actions is:

1. In the Bookmarks pane, select the three specific bookmarks and Group them.
2. From the Insert ribbon, add a Button and select the Bookmark navigator type.
3. In the Format pane for the button, under the Bookmarks property, change the selection from “All” to the bookmark group you just created.

Question 3:

You import a large dataset to Power Query Editor. You need to identify whether a column contains only unique values. Which two Data Preview options can you use? Each correct answer presents a complete solution.

• A. Show whitespace
• B. Column distribution
• C. Column profile
• D. Column quality
• E. Monospaced

Show Answer

Answer: B, C
Both Column distribution and Column profile provide detailed statistics about a column’s values. Specifically, they both show the count of “Distinct” values and “Unique” (non-repeating) values. If the “Distinct” count equals the total row count (minus empties/errors), all values are unique.

Question 4:

You import a dataset with a Product Inventory table containing 25 million rows. Columns include DateKey, ProductKey, MovementDate, and UnitCost. The table relates to Date via DateKey and Product via ProductKey. You need to reduce the model size without losing information. What should you do?

• A. Change Summarization for DateKey to Don’t Summarize.
• B. Change the data type of UnitCost to Integer.
• C. Remove the relationship between Date and Product Inventory.
• D. Remove MovementDate.

Show Answer

Answer: D
The `DateKey` column is already present to handle the relationship to the Date dimension table. The `MovementDate` column is therefore redundant for standard time intelligence analysis and, as a high-cardinality DateTime column, its removal will significantly reduce the model size without affecting analytical capabilities.

Question 5:

Note: This question is part of a series… You have several reports and dashboards in a workspace. You need to grant all organizational users read access to a dashboard and several reports.
Solution: You assign all the users the Viewer role to the workspace.
Does this meet the goal?

• A. Yes
• B. No

Show Answer

Answer: B
No. Assigning the Viewer role at the workspace level grants read access to *all* content within that workspace. The requirement is to grant access to only a specific *subset* of the reports and one dashboard, not everything.

Question 6:

You are using the key influencers visual as shown in the exhibit. What can you identify from the visual?

To see the actual exam question with images, please Download the Questions PDF.

• A. Customers in Austria order 18.8 more units than the average order quantity.
• B. Customers in Boise order 20.37 percent more than the average order quantity.
• C. Product Category positively influences the quantity per order.
• D. Customers in Cork order lower quantities than average.

Show Answer

Answer: A
The key influencers visual explicitly states how much a specific factor increases or decreases the metric being analyzed. The phrasing “the average order quantity increases by 18.8” when the country is Austria directly corresponds to the information presented for that influencer.

Question 7:

You build a Power BI report that displays IoT temperature data streaming from a refrigerator. You publish the report to the Power BI service. You need to be notified when the temperature rises above four degrees Celsius. What should you do?

• A. Set an alert on a KPI visual in the report.
• B. Pin a card visual to a dashboard and create a subscription.
• C. Pin a card visual to a dashboard and set an alert on the tile.
• D. Pin a report page to a dashboard and set an alert on the page.

Show Answer

Answer: C
Data alerts are a specific feature designed for this purpose. They can only be set on Card, KPI, and Gauge visuals after they have been pinned to a dashboard. You would pin a card showing the temperature to a dashboard and then configure an alert on that tile to trigger when the value goes above 4.

Question 8:

DRAG DROP – You have a table visual with a measure named Revenue. You need to format the visual so the Revenue column displays a specific background color based on value ranges. Which three actions should you perform in sequence in Power BI Desktop?

To see the actual exam question with images, please Download the Questions PDF.

Show Answer

Answer: The correct sequence is:

1. In the formatting pane for the visual, find the Cell elements section for the Revenue column and turn on Background color.
2. Click the ‘fx’ button to open the conditional formatting dialog. Set the Format style to Rules.
3. Click + New rule to add and configure a separate rule for each required value range and its corresponding color.

Question 9:

You are building a Power BI report that uses data from an Azure SQL database named erp1. You import the following tables.

To see the actual exam question with images, please Download the Questions PDF.

You need to perform the following analyses: – Orders sold over time that include a measure of the total order value Orders by attributes of products sold The solution must minimize update times when interacting with visuals in the report. What should you do first?

• A. From Power Query, merge the Order Line Items query and the Products query.
• B. Create a calculated column that adds a list of product categories to the Orders table by using a DAX function.
• C. Calculate the count of orders per product by using a DAX function.
• D. From Power Query, merge the Orders query and the Order Line Items query.

Show Answer

Answer: D
The most effective way to improve performance in this scenario is to reduce the number of joins the model has to perform during user interaction. By merging the `Orders` (header) and `Order Line Items` (details) tables in Power Query, you create a single, denormalized sales fact table. This pre-processes the join, leading to faster visual rendering in the final report.