PL-300
PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst
Everything for Microsoft exam PL-300: format, passing score, the four skill areas, DAX and Power Query topics, a four-week study plan and free questions.
- Duration
- 100 min
- Passing score
- 700 / 1000
- Level
- Associate
- Languages
- 10
PL-300, Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst, is Microsoft’s exam for the people who turn raw data into reports other people can use: connecting to sources, cleaning data in Power Query, building a data model with DAX measures, designing the report, and then publishing and securing it in the Power BI service. Passing it earns the Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate credential.
The exam is built around one working loop. You prepare the data, model it, visualise and analyse it, and then manage and secure what you published. Microsoft’s own audience profile says you should be proficient with Power Query and Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), and the questions bear that out: you read M-based transformations in the Power Query editor, you read and choose DAX expressions, and you decide how a model should be shaped before a single visual is drawn.
PL-300 is a hands-on analyst exam, not a Microsoft Fabric engineering exam. If your work is closer to lakehouses, warehouses and enterprise semantic models, read PL-300 vs DP-600 before you choose.
What the exam covers
| Skill area | Weight |
|---|---|
| Prepare the data | 25–30% |
| Model the data | 25–30% |
| Visualize and analyze the data | 25–30% |
| Manage and secure Power BI | 15–20% |
Three areas carry roughly equal weight, and the fourth is smaller but not optional. Most candidates are strong in report design and weaker on modelling and on the service side: relationships, calculation context, workspace roles and row-level security.
Where to start
Read the exam format for the mechanics and the current outline, then PL-300 vs DP-600 if you are unsure whether the analyst exam or the Fabric analytics engineer exam suits you. The study plan fits in four weeks if you already use Power BI Desktop. When you want to test yourself, start with the five free sample questions and then the 20-question practice test.
PL-300 guides
- PL-300 exam format: questions, score and costThe PL-300 format: 100 minutes, passing score 700, 10 languages, question types, pricing and what the four domain weights mean for your revision.
- PL-300 vs DP-600: which exam first?PL-300 vs DP-600: the Power BI analyst exam builds reports and models in Power BI, the Fabric analytics engineer exam works with lakehouses and warehouses.
- PL-300 study plan: pass in 4 weeksA four-week PL-300 study plan: Power Query, data modelling and DAX, report design, then workspaces and security, with a hands-on project each week.
- Free PL-300 sample questions with answersFive free PL-300 practice questions on Power Query, relationships, DAX, drillthrough and row-level security, each with an explained answer.
- PL-300 prepare the data explainedThe PL-300 prepare the data domain explained: connecting to sources, storage modes, profiling, cleaning, merge versus append and reference versus duplicate.
- PL-300 model the data explainedPL-300 model the data explained: star schema, relationships, date tables, DAX with CALCULATE, time intelligence, calculation groups and model performance.
- PL-300 visualize and analyze explainedPL-300 visualize and analyze explained: choosing visuals, drillthrough, bookmarks, tooltips, accessibility, mobile layouts, Copilot and the Analyze feature.
- PL-300 manage and secure Power BI explainedPL-300 manage and secure explained: workspace roles, apps, gateways, scheduled refresh, endorsement, sensitivity labels and row-level security.
- PL-300 exam tips: how to pass first timePL-300 exam tips: how to read DAX and Power Query questions, handle case studies, pace the 100 minutes and avoid the traps that cost the most marks.
- Free PL-300 practice test: 20 questionsA free 20-question PL-300 practice test on Power Query, data modelling, DAX, report design, workspaces and row-level security, with explained answers.
- PL-300 study resourcesWhat to study for PL-300: the official skills outline and practice assessment, the Power BI documentation, and four hands-on labs that cover most of the exam.
- PL-300 cheat sheetA one-page PL-300 reference: the four skill areas, which Power BI feature answers each requirement, key DAX patterns, workspace roles and common traps.
- Is PL-300 hard? Exam difficulty explainedHow hard PL-300 really is: why DAX filter context, data modelling and role boundaries matter more than learning every Power BI visual.
- Is PL-300 worth it? Who should take itIs PL-300 worth taking? Who benefits, what it costs, and how it compares with the Fabric analytics engineer route for people who work with Power BI.
- PL-300 career: BI analyst roles and next stepsJobs that fit the Power BI Data Analyst Associate, the report developer versus BI analyst split, what PL-300 does not prove, and when DP-600 is the next step.
- PL-300 renewal and retake rulesPL-300 stays valid 12 months, renews free through a Learn assessment in a six-month window, and has a 24-hour then 14-day retake rule capped at five tries.
- PL-300 study scenarios: three profilesHow to plan PL-300 from where you start: the Excel power user, the report builder and the SQL developer, with domain order, risks and time budgets.