PL-300 Practice Questions & Exam Prep — Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst
Get exam-ready for PL-300 (Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst) on iPhone or iPad. Azure Mastery uses on-device AI to predict your readiness score across all four PL-300 domains, build a personalised study plan from your weak spots, and surface topics you're forgetting. Core study stays on-device and works offline; optional sync uses your private iCloud account.
The exam
What is the PL-300 exam?
PL-300 is the Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate exam — the credential hiring managers expect when posting "Power BI Developer", "BI Analyst", "Reporting Analyst", or "Data Analyst (Power BI)" roles. It validates that you can deliver actionable insights end-to-end with Power BI: prepare and clean data, model relationships and DAX, build reports and dashboards, and manage governance, sharing, and row-level security in production. PL-300 is the natural pairing for DP-900 on the analyst track.
PL-300 is hands-on and tool-aware. It validates that you can use Power Query (M) to connect to and clean data from heterogeneous sources, design a star-schema model with DAX calculations and time intelligence, build effective visualisations with the right visual choices, drill paths, and AI visuals, and operate Power BI at scale via workspaces, deployment pipelines, gateways, refresh schedules, RLS / OLS, and Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels. Expect scenario questions that show a Power Query step or a DAX measure and ask you to predict the result.
Microsoft updated the PL-300 skills outline on 24 April 2026. Every question in Azure Mastery's PL-300 bank is mapped to the current outline — no leftover questions on retired features. Read the official outline at learn.microsoft.com.
Questions40–60 multiple choice
Duration100 minutes (120 min seat)
Pass score700 / 1000
CostUSD $165 (≈ £128 UK)
ValidityRenew annually (Associate)
FormatOnline or test centre
Skills measured · April 2026
PL-300 exam objectives
Four domains, with weights set by Microsoft's April 2026 update. Every domain summary below is paraphrased from the official skills outline; bullet-level objectives in Azure Mastery are tagged so you always know which domain you're being tested on and where your weak spots cluster.
Business solutions skill mapDataAutomateBuildAnalyse
Prepare the data25–30%
Explore key topics
The data-engineering layer of the exam. Connect to data sources (SQL Server, Excel, Microsoft Fabric, SharePoint, web, OData), choose between DirectLake, DirectQuery, and Import storage modes. Profile and clean with column statistics, quality, and distribution; resolve data quality issues. Transform in Power Query (M) — type conversions, splitting / merging / pivoting, JSON/XML to table, fact and dimension construction for star schemas. Reference vs Duplicate queries (and the performance impact), merge and append. Around 10–18 questions per sitting.
Model the data25–30%
Explore key topics
The semantic-modelling core. Designing a star schema — fact and dimension tables, relationships and cardinality, role-playing dimensions, calculated tables, hierarchies. DAX — calculated columns vs measures, time-intelligence functions, CALCULATE and filter context, semi-additive measures. Optimisation via Performance Analyzer and DAX Studio, semantic model performance, aggregation tables. Around 10–18 questions.
Visualize and analyze the data25–30%
Explore key topics
The reporting surface. Choose the right visual for the message; format reports for clarity (themes, conditional formatting, slicers, filters); design drill-through and drill-down navigation; bookmarks and tooltip pages; AI visuals (Decomposition Tree, Key Influencers, Q&A, Smart Narrative); paginated reports vs Power BI reports; mobile layouts and accessibility considerations. Around 10–18 questions.
Manage and secure Power BI15–20%
Explore key topics
Smallest domain by weight, but a frequent trap. Workspaces and roles (Admin, Member, Contributor, Viewer); content distribution via apps and direct sharing; deployment pipelines (Dev → Test → Prod); dataset refresh schedules and on-prem data gateways; row-level security (static and dynamic with USERPRINCIPALNAME), object-level security; sensitivity labels and Microsoft Purview integration; Power BI tenant settings and admin guardrails. Around 6–12 questions.
Designed for PL-300
How Azure Mastery helps you pass PL-300
Azure Mastery ships with 365 PL-300 practice questions, every one written specifically against the current (April 2026) skills outline. Each question carries a domain tag mapped to the official four domains (prepare, model, visualize, manage and secure), so you always know which area you're being tested on and where your weak spots are clustered. Power Query M snippets, DAX measures, and Power BI report configurations appear throughout — matching the format of the live exam.
The on-device Exam IQ engine predicts your PL-300 score before you sit the exam. After roughly 30 questions it has enough signal to give a confidence-scored prediction (e.g. "786 ±37, 68% confidence") — and tells you the specific topics that are dragging your readiness down. No vague "study more" advice; just a ranked list of objectives where improvement would move your score the furthest.
The adaptive study plan rebuilds itself from your answer history. Get a CALCULATE filter-context question wrong? You'll see another DAX context-modifier scenario in the next session. Master "DirectQuery vs Import vs DirectLake" three sessions running and the engine backs off, surfacing fresh row-level security or deployment-pipeline scenarios. The plan optimises for the gap between where you are and the 700 pass score, not for blind volume.
Knowledge decay tracking matters more for PL-300 than for foundational exams — four data-analyst domains span Power Query, DAX, visuals, and governance, and the DAX you mastered three weeks into your study window is the DAX you'll forget by exam day if you stop revising. Azure Mastery tracks every topic's decay curve and flags topics approaching expiry. The padlock icon on the Today screen is your "revisit before you forget" cue, and weak-spot drills automatically pull from decayed topics first.
Real exam simulation mode runs at PL-300's actual length and time pressure: a randomised 40–60-question set drawn from the full 365-question bank, weighted by domain percentages from the April 2026 outline, with the 100-minute timer running and no jumping back to flag-and-review. It's the closest you can get to the live Pearson VUE / online-proctored experience without sitting the exam.
Answer Coach turns each missed answer into a private, grounded lesson: the misconception, key distinction, and rule to remember. It always uses authored certification guidance; on supported devices, an optional on-device model may rewrite the note only when it passes grounding checks.
During your first week, Aura adapts the next step as you go. Every session ends with a concise recap of what changed, what to focus on, and the best follow-up.
Everything essential runs on-device. Your answer history, readiness gauge, and coaching stay private. Optional sync uses your private iCloud account; there is no Azure Mastery account, tracking, or external processing server.
6-week study plan
Suggested PL-300 study plan
Most candidates pass PL-300 after four to eight weeks of focused study, depending on prior Power BI / DAX experience. The six-week plan below maps onto the four PL-300 domains, Azure Mastery's adaptive sessions, and the in-app exam simulator. Adjust pace to taste — the readiness gauge tells you when you're done, not the calendar.
Prepare and model the data
Days 1–3: Connecting to data sources (SQL Server, Excel, Microsoft Fabric, OData), DirectLake vs DirectQuery vs Import storage modes, parameters, Power Query Editor basics.
Days 4–6: Power Query M language — column statistics, profiling, type conversions, splitting/merging/pivoting, JSON/XML to table, fact and dimension construction.
Days 7–9: Reference vs Duplicate queries (and the impact), merge and append, Formula.Firewall, query folding.
Days 10–14: Star-schema design — relationships, cardinality, role-playing dimensions, calculated columns vs measures, DAX time intelligence (CALCULATE, SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, DATEADD), USERELATIONSHIP for inactive joins.
Visualize and analyze
Days 15–17: Visual selection — bar/column/line/area, scatter and bubble, KPIs, gauges, maps, treemap, decomposition tree, key influencers.
Days 18–20: Drill-through and drill-down, bookmarks, tooltip pages, slicers and sync, page-level filters, what-if parameters.
Days 21–24: AI visuals (Decomposition Tree, Key Influencers, Q&A, Smart Narrative), Custom Format Strings, conditional formatting, themes, accessibility considerations.
Days 25–28: Paginated reports vs Power BI reports, mobile layouts, Performance Analyzer, DAX Studio, model and visual optimisation.
Manage, secure, sharpen, simulate
Days 29–32: Workspaces and roles (Admin, Member, Contributor, Viewer), apps and direct sharing, deployment pipelines (Dev → Test → Prod), gateways and dataset refresh.
Days 33–36: Row-level security (static and dynamic with USERPRINCIPALNAME), object-level security, sensitivity labels, Microsoft Purview integration, tenant settings.
Days 37–40: Run Focus Weak Spots every morning. Three of the four domains are 25–30% — give them roughly equal time and prioritise weakest.
Days 41–42: Two end-to-end Exam Simulator runs at full 100-minute length. Review carefully. If readiness gauge is 750+ with reasonable confidence, schedule the exam.
Inside the app
Every Microsoft question type, on iPhone
PL-300's question bank uses the same formats Microsoft puts on the live exam — not just multiple choice. Each visualisation below is a faithful mock of how the type renders inside Azure Mastery on iPhone and iPad. Exam-simulator mode runs all of them at full 100-minute length with no flag-and-review jumps, mirroring Pearson VUE.
Which visual is best suited to show a trend over time?
Treemap
Line chart
Pie chart
Donut chart
Multiple choice
A real PL-300 question-bank example with one correct answer. The app explains every option after you answer.
Exam-specific sample
Which workspace roles can publish or update a Power BI app? (Select all that apply.)
Admin
Member
Contributor
Viewer
Multi-select
A real PL-300 multi-select item. Every required selection must be correct to earn the mark.
All-or-nothing
Order the steps to prepare a raw table in Power Query before loading it to the model.
⋮⋮1Connect to the data source and preview the table
⋮⋮2Remove errors, blanks, and unneeded columns
⋮⋮3Set each column to the correct data type
⋮⋮4Apply the query so the cleaned table loads to the model
Drag-and-drop
A real PL-300 interactive-format prompt, rendered for touch on iPhone and iPad.
Interactive item
In Power BI Desktop, from which Modeling option do you create row-level security roles and their DAX filters?
Hotspot
A real PL-300 prompt that tests recognition inside a visual or contextual interface.
Tap target
Tailwind Toys — Building a sales analytics report Tailwind Toys wants a sales report over a large, frequently updated sales table joined to product and date dimensions. Regional managers should see only their own…
1Which storage mode gives the fastest, most responsive visuals when the data fits…
2How should the relationship between the sales fact table and the product…
3How should the analyst create a year-to-date sales measure?
4Which visual best shows the sales trend over time?
Case studies
A real PL-300 case-study scenario with linked questions that share the same requirements and environment.
Multi-question
✕Your answer: Treemap
✨ Answer Coach:A Treemap encodes hierarchical or categorical composition as nested rectangles sized by value; it shows magnitude at a point in time rather than trend across multiple periods.
— grounded in authored certification guidance
Answer Coach
Answer Coach uses the bank's authored rationale to explain the misconception, key distinction, and rule to remember. On supported devices, an optional on-device model may rewrite the note only when it passes grounding checks.
App exclusive
Frequently asked
PL-300 FAQs
How much does the PL-300 exam cost?
The PL-300 voucher is USD $165 in the United States. Pricing varies by region — in the UK it's typically around £128. Microsoft sometimes runs free-voucher promotions during events such as Microsoft Build or Microsoft Ignite, so check your Microsoft Learn profile for any active offers before booking. PL-300 also requires annual renewal (free, online), so factor that into long-term cost planning.
Does the PL-300 certification expire?
Yes. Microsoft Associate certifications including PL-300 expire annually. Renewal is free — a 25–30 question online assessment on Microsoft Learn within the six-month window before your expiration date. The renewal targets recent skills outline updates, so staying current is straightforward if you remain broadly active in the role. (Fundamentals certifications such as AZ-900 are different — those don't expire.)
What is the PL-300 retake policy if I fail?
The first retake is allowed after 24 hours. Second and third retakes each require a 14-day wait. Microsoft caps retakes at five attempts per 12-month rolling period. Each attempt requires a new voucher purchase.
How long should I study for PL-300?
Most candidates plan four to eight weeks with regular Power BI practice. Spend hands-on time in Power Query, semantic modelling, DAX, report design, analysis, sharing, and workspace security; the exam rewards choosing the right modelling and visualisation approach for a scenario. Azure Mastery's readiness gauge tells you when you're exam-ready.
PL-300 vs DP-900 — which should I take first?
DP-900 first if you don't have a working understanding of relational vs non-relational data, transactional vs analytical workloads, or the SQL family on Azure. DP-900 (Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals) builds that grounding. PL-300 assumes you already know the difference when it asks scenario questions about DirectLake vs DirectQuery vs Import, or about Microsoft Fabric semantic models. If you already do data-analyst work day-to-day, you can skip DP-900 and go straight to PL-300.
PL-300 vs DP-300 — different roles?
Different angles on the data stack. PL-300 is the analyst-side cert — it focuses on building Power BI reports from data: Power Query M, DAX, visualisations, governance and sharing. DP-300 is the operational DBA cert — it focuses on running Azure SQL workloads: HA/DR, performance tuning, security, automation. The two complement each other in larger BI teams; small teams often have one person doing both.
Where PL-300 fits
Certification paths that include PL-300
PL-300 is the Power BI Data Analyst Associate cert. It pairs with DP-900 as the recommended fundamentals, and is the only Microsoft Associate cert dedicated to Power BI. Tap any linked exam below to see its dedicated study app page.
PL-300 sits at the analyst-side Associate tier. DP-900 builds the data fundamentals it leans on; many candidates also hold DP-300 (Database Administrator) for adjacent role coverage in smaller BI teams.
Ready to pass PL-300?
Download Azure Mastery free. 365 PL-300 practice questions across all four domains, AI score prediction, full-length exam simulator, adaptive study plan. iPhone & iPad.
