Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Certification Companion Preparation for Exam PL-300 (Jessica Jolly)（Z-Library）
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Use this book to study for the PL-300 Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam. The book follows the “Skills Measured” outline provided by Microsoft to help focus your study. Each topic area from the outline corresponds to an area covered by the exam, and the book helps you build a good base of knowledge in each area. Each topic is presented with a blend of practical explanations, theory, and best practices. Power BI is more than just the Power BI Desktop or the Power BI Service. It is two distinct applications and an online service that, together, enable business users to gather, shape, and analyze data to generate and present insights. This book clearly delineates the purpose of each component and explains the key concepts necessary to use each component effectively. Each chapter provides best practices and tips to help an inexperienced Power BI practitioner develop good habits that will support larger or more complex analyses. Many business analysts come to Power BI with a wealth of experience in Excel and particularly with pivot tables. Some of this experience translates readily into Power BI concepts. This book leverages that overlap in skill sets to help seasoned Excel users overcome the initial learning curve in Power BI, but no prior knowledge of any kind is assumed, terminology is defined in non-technical language, and key concepts are explained using analogies and ideas from experiences common to any reader. After reading this book, you will have the background and capability to learn the skills and concepts necessary both to pass the PL-300 exam and become a confident Power BI practitioner. Who This Book Is For Power BI users who are planning to take the PL-300 exam, Power BI users who want help studying the topic areas listed in Microsoft’s outline for the PL-300 exam, and those who are not planning to take the exam but want to close any knowledge gaps they might have
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› Hands-on preparation and practice › Practical skills advancement for practitioners › Prescriptive guidance from expert voices Microsof t Power BI Data Analyst Certification Companion Preparation for Exam PL-300 › Jessica Jolly CERTIFICATION STUDY COMPANION SERIES
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The Apress Certification Study Companion Series offers guidance and hands-on practice to support technical and business professionals who are studying for an exam in the pursuit of an industry certification. Professionals worldwide seek to achieve certifications in order to advance in a career role, reinforce knowledge in a specific discipline, or to apply for or change jobs. This series focuses on the most widely taken certification exams in a given field. It is designed to be user friendly, tracking to topics as they appear in a given exam. Authors for this series are experts and instructors who not only possess a deep understanding of the content, but also have experience teaching the key concepts that support readers in the practical application of the skills learned in their day-to-day roles. More information about this series at https://link.springer.com/bookseries/17100
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Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Certification Companion: Preparation for Exam PL-300 ISBN-13 (pbk): 978-1-4842-9012-5 ISBN-13 (electronic): 978-1-4842-9013-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-9013-2 Copyright © 2023 by Jessica Jolly This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Trademarked names, logos, and images may appear in this book. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, logo, or image we use the names, logos, and images only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Managing Director, Apress Media LLC: Welmoed Spahr Acquisitions Editor: Jonathan Gennick Development Editor: Laura Berendson Coordinating Editor: Jill Balzano Cover designed by eStudioCalamar Distributed to the book trade worldwide by Springer Science+Business Media New York, 1 New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004-1562, USA. Phone 1-800-SPRINGER, fax (201) 348-4505, e-mail orders-ny@ springer-sbm.com, or visit www.springeronline.com. Apress Media, LLC is a California LLC and the sole member (owner) is Springer Science + Business Media Finance Inc (SSBM Finance Inc). SSBM Finance Inc is a Delaware corporation. For information on translations, please e-mail booktranslations@springernature.com; for reprint, paperback, or audio rights, please e-mail bookpermissions@springernature.com. Apress titles may be purchased in bulk for academic, corporate, or promotional use. eBook versions and licenses are also available for most titles. For more information, reference our Print and eBook Bulk Sales web page at http://www.apress.com/bulk-sales. Any source code or other supplementary material referenced by the author in this book is available to readers on GitHub via the book's product page, located at www.apress.com/. For more detailed information, please visit http://www.apress.com/source-code. Printed on acid-free paper Jessica Jolly Evanston, IL, USA
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xvii About the Author Jessica Jolly is a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) who helps businesses, nonprofits, and individuals improve their business intelligence skills, bit by byte. She runs her own business, ALT-Enter, LLC. Before her reinvention as an entrepreneur (after 50!), she worked for Unilever, a global consumer products company, for 27 years, in a variety of managerial roles. Her business practice focuses on data visualization tools, specifically Microsoft's Power BI platform. She is living proof that you could cry through every math class you ever had and still fashion a career that focuses on data, charts, visuals, and code. When she is not training other adults, she is knitting and quilting (a refuge from all of the technology!), reading about the Civil War, swimming, gardening, biking, hiking, and canoeing.
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xix About the Technical Reviewer Ginger Grant is a Data Platform MVP who provides consulting services in advanced analytic solutions, including machine learning, data warehousing, and Power BI. She is an author of articles and books and at DesertIsleSQL. com and uses her MCT to provide data platform training in topics such as Azure Synapse Analytics, Python, and Azure Machine Learning.
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xxi Acknowledgments I would like to thank Ginger Grant, my technical editor, for her kindness when correcting my errors. It takes tact and empathy to tell someone they are wrong, and she has both in spades.
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xxiii Introduction I cannot honestly say that I have always wanted to write a book. What I can say is that I have relied on books written by others throughout my learning journey with Power BI. Call me “old-school,” but having the physical document available to write notes on, refer to, and reread helps me master a concept, technique, or idea. When Apress approached me with the idea of writing a book about the PL-300, I was excited and nervous. Excited because it would give me a chance to “pay it forward”—to help others who want to pass the PL-300 and, more importantly, become skilled Power BI practitioners. Nervous because I worried that I wouldn’t be able to write cogently and succinctly about all the topics covered by the PL-300. In the process of writing, I had to research some topics further, because I realized that I didn’t fully understand them. I had to think deeply about each topic to come up with simple, clear language to explain complex elements. In other words, I had to really ensure that I understood each topic before I could write about it. This process has made me a better teacher and a better practitioner. Because teaching is my priority, I really hope that this book will reach folks who may feel intimidated by Power BI. I hope it will empower you, dear reader, to tackle the PL-300 exam. Even more importantly, I hope the book will encourage you to pick up other books written by other Power BI professionals. Apress publishes many of these titles, and they are all excellent. Finally, let me share with you my personal mantra: #showup. Do not be afraid to take the exam; so what if you fail? Failure is integral to learning. Do not be afraid to speak at a conference; there are always folks who know less than you do and folks who know more than you do. Do not be afraid to become active in the Power BI community. We are a very welcoming, inclusive group of people who want everyone to succeed, and that includes you!
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PART I Prepare to Study
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3 CHAPTER 1 Exam Overview Welcome, reader. I hope that this book will be informative and helpful as you prepare for the PL-300 exam. I am a big believer in certification and want to encourage as many people as possible to get certified. Why Certify? The very premise of this book begs a question: Why certify? Lots of very talented professionals in the Power BI community are not, and don’t feel the need to be, certified. You certainly can go this route if your “street cred” is high, that is, other professionals recognize your expertise. Building up your reputation over time is one way to accomplish professional recognition. But what if you are in a hurry? Or you don’t have an extensive network to leverage? This is where a certification is valuable. Any Microsoft certification test you take is rigorous and comprehensive—it is supposed to be! If you pass, that is a very good indicator to others (hiring managers, colleagues, your wider network) that you possess the minimum amount of expertise deemed necessary to be a competent Power BI practitioner. The PL-300 exam is what I call a “broad-spectrum” exam; it will test you on a wide range of concepts and techniques. To prepare for the exam, you need to make sure you are conversant with the full Power BI ecosystem. That’s what makes the PL-300 (and the DA-100 before it) such a good indicator of your competencies and why certification is a great way to advertise them. When Should You Take the Exam? I take exams as part of my job; I am a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) and am required to maintain active certifications to renew my MCT yearly. I was never terribly test-phobic and am certainly not now—I can’t afford to be! But I recognize that lots of people are © Jessica Jolly 2023 J. Jolly, Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Certification Companion, Certification Study Companion Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-9013-2_1
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4 terrified of taking a test. In my observation, there are two types of exam takers: (1) those who want to be completely prepared and won’t sit for an exam unless they are close to 100% confident in their knowledge and (2) those who take the exam as soon as they feel even slightly ready. (Full disclosure: I am firmly in the second camp.) If you are in the “completely prepared” camp, you are your own best judge of when to take the exam. But I can say don’t wait for the perfect moment. No such moment exists. I can’t honestly say that this book (or any study material) will completely prepare you for every question on the exam. There will be questions even a seasoned professional may not have encountered. Nor do I expect that you will want to take exams the way I do: on a wing and a prayer. I use exams as a gauge of how far I am from competency. Occasionally, my approach works, and I unexpectedly pass an exam. But more frequently, I fail. I have a high tolerance for failure, which is not the same as saying it doesn’t bother me. It does. But I work at taking it in stride. I respond to passing the same way I react to failing; it’s a milestone along the way. In this way, I normalize the taking of exams, without overvaluing either outcome. In this book though, I am trying to prepare you for a middle way: taking the exam once you are reasonably confident in your knowledge. What Is Reasonably Confident? Determining if you are reasonably confident is subjective, but there are objective measures you can use. The first, and most important, method is to follow the list provided by Microsoft that outlines each of the subject areas (also called domains). This book is organized using those domains. Don’t skip any chapters because you can be sure that some material from each domain will appear on the exam. Practice the techniques described as much as possible. Read or listen to other supplementary material, particularly on topics that you don’t understand. (I will provide well-reputed sources for additional content in Chapter 15.) Attend as many user group meetings as you can. Post-COVID, most of them have a virtual option, so attending is much easier than it used to be. To assess my understanding of a topic, I describe the concept using layman’s terms— no technical terms at all. If I can’t “translate” the idea into “plain English,” I know I am not quite there. I also perform “teach-back” to someone else. Almost anyone in the Power BI community is a likely audience for a “teach-back.” If the audience is more proficient than you are, they can give you feedback on aspects where you were unclear or, worse yet, incorrect. If your audience is not as knowledgeable as you are, they can tell you which parts you explained clearly and areas where your explanation was “muddied.” Chapter 1 exam Overview
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Whole-book reading guide from stratified index samples; jump to passages in the text
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【One-Line Pitch】
A structured study companion that maps directly to Microsoft's PL-300 "Skills Measured" outline, blending practical explanations, theory, and best practices to help you pass the Power BI Data Analyst exam and build durable, professional habits. Best for Excel-savvy analysts preparing for certification, and for anyone who wants to close gaps in their Power BI knowledge without exam pressure.
【Book Arc】
- **Opening (~0%–10%)**: Orients you to what Power BI actually is — two distinct applications plus an online service — and clarifies the separate roles of Power BI Desktop and the Power BI Service. Solves the confusion beginners face when they treat "Power BI" as a single tool.
- **Early (~10%–30%)**: Builds foundational vocabulary and concepts in non-technical language, deliberately leveraging the reader's Excel and pivot-table experience as a bridge. Solves the initial learning-curve problem for seasoned spreadsheet users.
- **Middle (~30%–70%)**: Works through the topic areas of Microsoft's exam outline one by one, pairing each with practical explanations, underlying theory, and best practices. Solves the "what do I actually need to know for this domain" problem.
- **Late (~70%–90%)**: Reinforces good habits and tips that scale from small analyses to larger, more complex ones, so exam knowledge translates into real practitioner skill. Solves the gap between passing a test and doing the job.
- **Ending (~90%–100%)**: Consolidates the reader's readiness — the stated outcome is both PL-300 exam capability and confidence as a working Power BI practitioner. Solves the final "am I prepared?" question.
【Key Takeaways】
- **The exam outline is the book's spine** (Opening): Each topic area in Microsoft's "Skills Measured" outline corresponds to a covered area, so the book doubles as a study plan and a reference. This makes it easy to align reading order with exam weighting.
- **Power BI is a system, not one app** (Opening): Desktop, a second application, and an online service each have distinct purposes. Understanding the division of labor prevents the common mistake of expecting one component to do everything.
- **Excel experience is an asset, not a prerequisite** (Early): Pivot-table thinking transfers readily to Power BI concepts, and the book explicitly uses that overlap to shorten the learning curve — while still assuming no prior knowledge.
- **Terminology is taught in plain language** (Early): Concepts are explained with analogies drawn from everyday experience, which matters for readers who find official documentation too terse or jargon-heavy.
- **Theory and practice are deliberately blended** (Middle): Each topic pairs practical explanation with underlying theory and best practices, so you learn not just the steps but why they work — useful for exam scenario questions.
- **Habits matter more than tricks** (Late): Chapters emphasize best practices and tips aimed at forming good habits that hold up as analyses grow larger or more complex, rather than one-off shortcuts.
- **The book serves two audiences at once** (Ending): Exam candidates and non-candidates closing knowledge gaps use the same material; the difference is only in how you pace and prioritize it.
【Reading Tips】
- **Deep-read the outline-mapped chapters; skim the orientation material** if you already use Power BI Desktop daily — the early conceptual framing is most valuable to newcomers.
- **Use the "Skills Measured" mapping as a checklist**: track which exam domains you've covered and revisit weak ones rather than reading strictly front to back.
- **Lean into the Excel analogies** if you come from pivot tables — they're the fastest route past the initial conceptual friction, but verify where the analogy breaks down.
- **Treat best-practice callouts as the real long-term value**: exam knowledge fades, but the habits for scaling analyses are what you'll keep.
- **Pair the book with hands-on practice** in Desktop and the Service; the text explains purpose and concepts, but fluency comes from applying them.
【Coverage Limits】
The available excerpts cover only the book's front matter and stated audience — they do not detail individual chapters, specific exam domains, or technical procedures. This guide therefore describes the book's structure and intent rather than its step-by-step content.
Passage locations
Excerpt 1
书名: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Certification Companion Preparation for Exam PL-300 (Jessica Jolly) (z-library.sk, 1lib.sk, z-lib.sk) 作者: Jessica Jolly U...
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Excerpt 2
e a confident Power BI practitioner. Who This Book Is For Power BI users who are planning to take the PL-300 exam, Power BI users who want help studying the...
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