PL-300 exam measures your ability to accomplish the following technical tasks such as preparing the data, modeling the data, visualizing and analyzing the data, and deploying and maintaining assets.
The topics covered in this blog are:
- PL-300 Exam Overview
- PL-300 vs. DA-100 What’s changed?
- Who is Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst?
- Why You Should Learn Microsoft Power BI?
- Who This Certification is for?
- PL-300 Certification Benefits
- PL-300 Exam Details
- PL-300 Exam Skills Measured
- How to Register for Azure PL 300 Exam
- Prerequisites For The PL-300
- PL-300 Exam Study Guide
- PL-300 Exam Retake Policy
- Conclusion
- FAQs
PL-300 Exam Overview
PL-300 Analyze Data with Microsoft Power BI was formerly known as DA-100 Analyze Data with Microsoft Power BI Training.
During this Power BI Data Analyst Training, participants will learn how to build data models and how to leverage diverse data sources to create actionable insights. Those interested in taking the PL-300 exam should have knowledge of Power Query and DAX expression authoring.
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PL-300 vs. DA-100 What’s changed?
Getting an official Microsoft certification is essential for anyone who works with Microsoft Power BI.
Power BI is included in the more basic PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals exam, but the standard exam for Power BI users is the DA-100: Analyzing Data with Microsoft Power BI.
The DA-100 provides a much more comprehensive analysis of Power BI and requires you to understand how it works, as well as the techniques and tricks that separate novices from experienced users.
It replaces the 70-778: Analyzing and Visualizing Data with Microsoft Power BI exam in Microsoft’s overhaul of its exams, where the old suite of exams was scrapped in favor of role-based certifications.
Just over a year after DA-100 was introduced, it has been replaced by PL-300: Power BI Data Analyst.
A taker of the PL-300 exam will gain the “Power BI Data Analyst Associate” certification, while the DA-100 provided the “Data Analyst Associate” certification.
Who is Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst?
The Power BI data analyst provides actionable insights with the help of accessible data and domain experience. Moreover, this data analyst works with key stakeholders from various industries to identify business requirements, and clean and transform data. After that, they use Power BI to create and build data models.
Power BI data analysts create easy-to-understand data visuals and assist others with self-service analytics, deployment, and configuration.
It is important to know how to use Power Query and write DAX expressions for this test.
Why You Should Learn Microsoft Power BI?
Power BI is a simple tool that assists organizations in adopting a data-driven culture. It immediately gives insight and analyses. Due to robust self-service capabilities, business no longer needs to rely on IT to analyze the data.
Power BI is essential for many reasons such as automated dataset integration, ease of expansion into new data sources, quick visualization, and deployable Row Level Security.
In addition, a cloud-based environment with features like Natural Language Query makes easy Data governance.
Who This Certification is for?
PL 300 Certification is ideal for,
- Business Intelligence Professionals
- Data analysts
- IT Managers
- Professionals who use Power BI
- Data Scientists
- Professionals using Data for Decision-making
- Candidates who want to gain a clear understanding of the Microsoft Power BI Tool
- Candidates who want to clear the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst PL-300 examination
PL-300 Certification Benefits
- Confirms your data insights knowledge.
- Helps the company to stand out in this competitive profession.
- 26% of technical professionals say getting certified led to career promotion and 35% say it led to a compensation or wage boost.
- PL-300 certification increases career opportunities as well as earnings.
Check Out: Azure Data Factory Interview Questions
PL-300 Exam Details
Exam Name PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Passing Marks 700 Exam Fee $165 Exam Duration 180 Minutes Exam Validity 1 Year Exam Languages English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), and Korean Total Questions 40-60 Questions Exam Type Multiple-choice and Multiple response questions
PL-300 Exam Skills Measured
Prepare the data 15-20% Model the data 30-35% Visualize and analyze the data 25-30% Deploy and maintain assets 20-25%
How to Register for Azure PL 300 Exam
You can register for PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam by going to the Official Microsoft Page.
Prerequisites For The PL-300
- The AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals course should be taken by candidates who are unfamiliar with the cloud and Azure.
- A participant in the DP-900: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals program will gain knowledge and expertise in managing data solutions and in Azure
PL-300 Exam Study Guide
Prepare the Data (15-20%)
Get data from different data sources
- Identify and connect to a data source
- Change data source settings
- Select a shared dataset or create a local dataset
- Select a storage mode
- Use Microsoft Dataverse
- Change the value in a parameter
- Connect to a data flow
Clean, transform, and load the data
- Profile the data
- Resolve inconsistencies, unexpected or null values, and data quality issues
- Identify and create appropriate keys for joins
- Evaluate and transform column data types
- Shape and transform tables
- Combine queries
- Apply user-friendly naming conventions to columns and queries
- Configure data loading
- Resolve data import errors
Model the Data (30—35%)
Design a data model
- Define the tables
- Configure table and column properties
- Design and implement role-playing dimensions
- Define a relationship’s cardinality and cross-filter direction
- Design a data model that uses a star schema
- Create a common date table
Develop a data model
- Create calculated tables
- Create hierarchies
- Create calculated columns
- Implement row-level security roles
- Use the Q&A feature
Create model calculations by using DAX
- Create basic measures by using DAX
- Use CALCULATE to manipulate filters
- Implement Time Intelligence using DAX
- Replace implicit measures with explicit measures
- Use basic statistical functions
- Create semi-additive measures
- Use quick measures
Optimize model performance
- Remove unnecessary rows and columns
- Identify poorly performing measures, relationships, and visuals
- Reduce cardinality levels to improve performance
Visualize and Analyze the Data (25—30%)
Create reports
- Add visualization items to reports
- Choose an appropriate visualization type
- Format and configure visualizations
- Use a custom visual
- Apply and customize a theme
- Configure conditional formatting
- Apply slicing and filtering
- Configure the report page
- Use the Analyze in Excel feature
- Choose when to use a paginated report
Create dashboards
- Manage tiles on a dashboard
- Configure mobile view
- Use the Q&A feature
- Add a Quick Insights result to a dashboard
- Apply a dashboard theme
- Pin a live report page to a dashboard
Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
- Configure bookmarks
- Create custom tooltips
- Edit and configure interactions between visuals
- Configure navigation for a report
- Apply sorting
- Configure Sync Slicers
- Group and layer visuals by using the selection pane
- Drilldown into data using interactive visuals
- Export report data
- Design reports for mobile devices
Identify patterns and trends
- Use the Analyze feature in Power BI
- Identify outliers
- Choose between continuous and categorical axes
- Use groupings, binnings, and clustering
- Use AI visuals
- Use the Forecast feature
- Create reference lines by using the Analytics pane
Deploy and Maintain Assets (20—25%)
Manage files and datasets
- Identify when a gateway is required
- Configure a dataset scheduled refresh
- Configure row-level security group membership
- Provide access to datasets
- Manage global options for files
Manage workspaces
- Create and configure a workspace
- Assign workspace roles
- Configure and update a workspace app
- Publish, import, or update assets in a workspace
- Apply sensitivity labels to workspace content
- Configure subscriptions and data alerts
- Promote or certify Power BI content
PL-300 Exam Retake Policy
The PL-300 exam retake policy is as follows:
- If a candidate fails on the first attempt, they must wait for 24 hours before retaking the exam.
- If a candidate again fails on the second attempt, then the candidate will have to wait for 14 days.
- A candidate will be given a maximum of five attempts to retake an exam in a year.
Conclusion
If you are interested in taking the PL-300 exam, these are the main takeaway points regarding the Change from DA-100:
- The Microsoft Learn pathway is the best source of information – and you should do the labs
- For an accurate idea of what the exam covers, use the skills outline document – third-party resources may not be as accurate.
- Do not neglect the “Deploy and Maintain Assets” material as it is more prominent now.
FAQs
Q1. Is PL-300 exam hard?
The difficulty of the Microsoft PL-300 exam depends on your prior knowledge and experience with Power Platform concepts. With proper preparation and study of the exam objectives and relevant study materials, you can increase your chances of passing the exam and achieving the Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Solution Architect certification.
Q2. How long is PL300 valid?
PL-300 certifications will remain valid for one year.
Q3. How long is the Pl-300 exam?
PL-300 exam is 180 minutes long.
Q4. How many questions are there in the PL-300 exam?
The Microsoft PL-300 exam has 40-60 questions.
Q5. What is passing score for PL 300?
The pass mark for the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Exam is 700 out of 1000 points.
Q6. How much does PL 300 cost?
The PL-300 exam costs $165 USD.
Thank you very much for writing this article. Before it, I thought that I had to pass the PL-900 because both that and the PL-300. However, since this is aligned with data, I feel that I have the background (I’ve passed AZ-900 and DP-900) to pass PL-300.