“The secret of acing a job interview is to stop believing in luck and start believing in

yourself”

Microsoft Power BI Interview Questions and Answers

Here are the best Power BI interview questions and answers to boost your interview
preparation:

Q.1. How would you define Power BI as a self-service solution?

Ans. Self-service business intelligence allows both technical as well as non-technical users to
work with data, create reports and analyze it to discover important information. Power BI is
also a self-service business intelligence solution. Business users can use Power BI to gather,
prepare, transform and analyze data in their own ways. Self-service solutions like Power BI
comes with tools for data designing, modeling, preparation, filtering, visualization, etc. A
business user does not need technical knowledge to work on such self-service software.
Moreover, Power BI is a very user-friendly tool with attractive UI to make intuitive
reports and shareable dashboards.

Q.2. Tell us about Microsoft self-service business intelligence solution. What are its parts?
Ans. Microsoft’s self-service business intelligence allows business users to create reports
and dashboard, cleanse/transform data (ETL), create data models, integrate data from
different sources, do statistical analysis, predictive analysis, geospatial data analysis, Big
Data analysis, etc. The self-service BI solution is for a range of users such as report
consumers, report designers, data analysts, and statisticians.
The Microsoft SSBI consists of two components:

 Power BI
 Excel BI Toolkit
Q.3. Explain the major concept of Power BI.
Ans. Power BI is a cloud-based, self-service business intelligence solution. It is popularly
used for data sharing and creating reports and dashboards. Power BI is a user-friendly
software that offers an attractive graphical user-interface with intuitive
visualizations. Business users can collect data from multiple data sources at a time and work
with it to create reports for analysis. Power BI has on-premise, web-based, cloud-based as
well as mobile platforms to share the reports created for other users. The users you share
these Power BI reports and dashboards with can interact with it by filtering and using slicers
according to their needs. Thus, in a nutshell, Power BI is a business intelligence platform
based on the Microsoft cloud to create and share reports for data analysis.
Q.4. What is Power BI Desktop?
Ans. Power BI Desktop is a Microsoft Windows desktop application for Power BI. It is free of
cost software which can be installed on any on-premise device like a laptop or PC. The
Power BI Desktop is loaded with tools and capabilities to import, cleanse, design and model
data. Also, it has many attractive as well as interactive visualizations to represent data
graphically in reports. The Power BI Desktop works in association with the Power BI Service.
You can save the reports/files that you create in Power BI or publish them on the Power BI
Workspace/site or with other business users.
Take a deep insight into Power BI Desktop
Q.5. What is Get Data in Power BI? Tell us about the data connections.
Ans. Get Data feature offers data connectivity to a number of different data sources. The
Get Data option is on the Menu bar of Power BI Desktop main page. We can click on this
option to connect our Power BI Desktop app with a preferred data source.
You can connect to data files on your local system, Excel files, Azure SQL Database,
Facebook, Google Analytics, Power BI datasets, etc. You can connect to cloud-based sources,
on-premises data sources using gateways, online services, direct connects, etc.
Some commonly used data sources are listed below:

File: Excel, Text/CSV, XML, PDF, JSON, Folder, SharePoint.

Database: SQL Server database, Access database, Oracle database, SAP HANA database,
IBM, MySQL, Teradata, Impala, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, etc.
Power BI: Power BI datasets, Power BI dataflows.
Azure: Azure SQL, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Analysis Services, Azure Data Lake,
Azure Cosmos DB, etc.
Online Services: Salesforce, Azure DevOps, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Dynamics
365, Facebook, GitHub, etc.
Others: Python script, R script, Web, Spark, Hadoop File (HDFS), ODBC, OLE DB, Active
Directory, etc.
Q.6. What are the building blocks of Power BI?
Ans. Power BI consists of some key components that can also be called its building blocks.
Five key components of Power BI are the Visualizations, Datasets, Reports, Dashboards, and
Tiles.
Visualizations: Visualization is the graphical way of representing the data. Power BI offers a
wide range of attractive visualizations. We can create reports and dashboards using both
simple or, complex visualizations as per our requirement. In this way, we represent our data
set graphically with charts, tables, and maps. There is also a library available in Power BI for
custom visualizations.
Datasets: A dataset is a collection or a set of data gathered from different data sources. In
Power BI, we can connect to different data sources via the Get Data feature and fetch data.
There are many data sources from which we can get data and create a dataset such
as Excel, SQL Server, MySQL database, Azure, Text/CSV, Oracle, PDF, Access, XML, JSON and
many more.
Reports: Reports in Power BI are a combination or collection of different kinds of
visualizations relevant to a particular business topic. A report is a graphical and structured
presentation of datasets having multiple pages. It used in the analysis. Reports are
informative and reveal important insights from the data. We can easily share and publish
reports created in Power BI with other users.
Dashboards: Dashboard is a collection of important visualizations taken from a report.
Dashboards are a single layer representation offering quick information or insights into data.
Typical dashboards in Power BI are composed of multiple visualizations as tiles. They are
single pages from reports (thus, single layer). Power BI dashboards are shareable as well as
printable.
Tiles: A tile is a single block containing a visualization in a Power BI dashboard/report. Tiles
segregate each informative visualization distinctively to provide a clear view. These tiles can
be adjusted as well as its size can be changed. Also, they can be placed anywhere on the
dashboard as per the user’s convenience.
Note – The above Power BI interview question is mostly asked by interviewers. Prepare it
well.
Q.7. What are the filters in Power BI?
Ans. Filters in Power BI sort data based on criterions set by us. We can select particular
fields or values in a visualization/page/report and view filtered information instantly. For
example – if we have a dataset regarding the sales of a clothing store. We can filter out the
unnecessary information and view only the data for the selected criterions. Like if we want
information on sales in India in the year 2019, we just need to put the filtering criterion as
2019 and India from their respective fields. Power BI will immediately make changes
accordingly and only show the graphs and visuals specific to sales statistics in India and in
the year 2019.
Filters in Power BI can be applied on three levels; visualization, page and report level.

 Visualization-level filter: These filters are applied directly on individual

visualizations. We can apply them on both data and calculation conditions used
within a visualization.
 Page-level filter: Page-level filters are applied on a particular page within a
report. As we know, reports consist of more than one pages. We can apply
certain filter conditions on a selected page within a report. Each page in a report
can have a different set of filter conditions applied to it.
 Report-level filter: Such filters are applied to the entire report. They are applied
to every visualization and every page of a report.
Time to master the concept of Power BI Filters
Q.8. Discuss about the Content Packs in Power BI.
Ans. The Power BI content packs are packages or pre-build solutions that contain several
Power BI objects. The content packs might contain Power BI objects such as reports,
dashboards, datasets, Excel workbooks, etc. A user can deploy their data/objects to the
content packs and share them with others in an organization. Content packs are shared and
accessed via the Power BI site (Workspace). You can share them with individual users or a
whole group of users. Thus, content packs make a standardized way of reporting for an
organization. Business users can update the data in content packs by republishing them on-
site and view live dashboards and interactive reports.
Generally, there are two types of content packs; the service provider content
packs and user-created content packs. The service providers such as Google Analytics,
Marketo or Salesforce, etc. provide pre-built content packs. Whereas, the others are those
that the users create and share within an organization.
Q.9. What are the visualizations in Power BI?
Ans. Visualizations are the visual representation of data. Power BI offers a wide range of
attractive visualizations. We can create reports and dashboards using both simple as well as
complex visualizations to represent the data set. There is also a library available for custom
visualizations. We can format and customize the visualizations as per your liking and edit
every detail from the appearance to the data labels finely.
In Power BI, we can create visualizations such as, Bar charts, Column charts, Line chart, Area
chart, Stacked area chart, Ribbon chart, Waterfall chart, Scatter chart, Pie chart, Donut
chart, Treemap chart, Map, Funnel chart, Gauge chart, Cards, KPI, Slicer, Table, Matrix, R
script visual, Python visual, etc.
Q.10. What are reports in Power BI?
Ans. Reports in Power BI are a combination and collection of different kinds of visualizations
relevant to a particular business topic. A report is a graphical and structured presentation of
datasets used in the analysis. Reports are informative and reveal important insights from
the data. Users can easily share and publish reports created in Power BI with other users via
Power BI Desktop and Power BI website, cloud-based platforms and mobile platforms.
Learn to apply Filters in Power BI Reports
Q.11. What do you understand by dashboards in Power BI?
Ans. A Power BI dashboard is a canvas on which we can bring together different elements or
visualizations to represent datasets. A dashboard gives us a graphical overview of the story
that lies in the detailed BI report. It contains all the important elements from a report. A
dashboard is always a single page whereas a report can be many pages long. The designers
create a dashboard and publish it on Power BI sharing platforms and consumers use the
dashboards from there. A consumer cannot make changes in a dashboard. Rather, they use
the dashboard for analytical purposes like getting a quick insight into their business, making
an important decision based on the information given on a dashboard, etc.
Q.12. What do you understand by Power BI Service?
Ans. Power BI is a cloud-based business analytics solution and provides services regarding
the same. The cloud-based BI services include sharing and viewing Power BI reports and
dashboards on cloud-based platforms such as a Power BI website (Workspace). One can
access a Power BI report of their interest, for analysis on the Power BI site using a work
email.
Power BI Service is a web-based platform from where you can share reports made on Power
BI Desktop, collaborate with other users, and create dashboards. Power BI Service is
available in three versions; a free version, Pro version, and a Premium version. Power BI
Service is also referred by names such as, “Power BI.com”, “Power BI Workspace”, “Power
BI Site” and “Power BI Web Portal”.
Q.13. Tell us about the Excel BI Toolkit.
Ans. As we know, Excel BI toolkit is the other half of the Microsoft self-service BI (one half
being Power BI). This toolkit is composed of Excel and a few more add-ins such as Power
Query, Power Pivot, Power View, Power Map. All the tools in the Excel BI toolkit serve a
special purpose like importing, modeling, preparing and visualizing data. Generally, the tools
are used to create reports by consolidating data from multiple data sources and to model
the datasets. Excel and other add-ins can be used independently or along with each other to
optimize BI capabilities of the toolkit.
Q.14. How many versions of Power BI are available as of now? How are they different?
Ans. There are presently (2019) three versions or editions of Power BI i.e. Power BI Desktop,
Power BI Pro and Power BI Premium.
Power BI Desktop: Power BI Desktop is a free of cost development, authoring and
publishing tool of Microsoft Power BI. It is a user interaction platform from where users
can connect to multiple data sources, transform and clean data, visualize and create reports.
Power BI Pro: Power BI Pro is a modern self-service BI having advanced features
for collaboration, publishing, report sharing, and ad hoc analysis. It costs $9.99 per
month per user.
Power BI Premium: Power BI Premium is an enterprise BI solution with features and tools
for advanced analytics, big data support, on-premises and cloud reporting, etc. It also
provides dedicated cloud computing and storage facilities. It costs $4,995 per month (per
instance of dedicated cloud compute and storage resource).
Note – The above question is the favorite Power BI interview question of most of the
interviewers. Learn it thoroughly.
Q.15. What are some of the key features and capabilities of Power BI?
Ans. The key features of Power BI are as follows:
 Customizable dashboards
 Datasets
 Reports
 Tiles
 Get Data
 Navigation pane
 Q&A Question Box
 Help & feedback buttons
 Ad Hoc reporting
 Ad Hoc analysis
 Row-level security
 Mobile device compatibility
 Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)
 Trend indicators
 Interactive reports authoring
 Complete reporting & data visualization tools
Dive deep into the Features of Power BI
Q.16. What are the key components of Power BI?
Ans. Power BI is a business suite that includes several technologies that work together to
deliver outstanding business intelligence solutions. Microsoft Power BI technology consists
of a group of components such as:
 Power Query (for data mash-up and transformation)
 Power BI Desktop (a companion development tool)
 Power BI Mobile (for Android, iOS, Windows phones)
 Power Pivot (for in-memory tabular data modeling)
 Power View (for viewing data visualizations)
 Power Map (for visualizing 3D geo-spatial data)
 Power Q&A (for natural language Q&A)
Q.17. What do you know about the views in Power BI Desktop?
Ans. In Power BI Desktop, you can view your dataset in three types of views. You will find
the three view options on the left vertical pane of the Power BI Desktop:
 Report view: In the report view, we have an empty canvas where we can create
a report using data from our datasets. We can make a report of multiple pages
and add visualizations in them. So, report view is all about designing your report
for data analysis.
 Data view: In the data view, we can view and format the data tables in our data
set.
 Model view: In the model view, we can make data models by establishing
relationships between data tables. These associations make the reports more
interactive and responsive.
Q.18. Where is the Power BI data stored?
Ans. All the data that we import in Power BI from different data sources get stored in either
of the two tables in a data warehouse; Fact tables and Dimension tables. The fact tables are
the central/main table of a start schema which contains all the measure (quantitative data)
values. It has primary keys and all the dimension tables are linked to the fact table. The fact
table is not usually normalized.
While a dimension table is a table in a database which contains all the attribute values
(information about data) for the data stored in fact table. Every dimension table in a star
schema is linked to a fact table.

Q.19. What is row-level security? How is it used in Power BI?

Ans. The row-level security is applied to the individual rows of a data table and restricts
users from viewing and accessing the entire dataset. With row-level security applied, users
can view only a selected section of data. We can apply row-level security by setting roles
and rules in Power BI Desktop or by using the username() function. The username() function
will only show the data to a particular user.
However, we need a Power BI Pro subscription to use the row-level security capabilities.

Q.20. Tell us about the Excel add-ins for Power BI.

Ans. The Excel BI Toolkit for Microsoft self-service BI has got a number of add-ins:
 Power Query for data mash-up and transformation.
 Power View for viewing data visualizations.
 Power Pivot for in-memory tabular data modeling.
 Power Map for visualizing 3D geo-spatial data.
Q.21. What is the difference between Power BI Premium and Power BI Pro?
Ans. Both Power BI Pro and Power BI Premium are paid services providing advanced data
analysis capabilities. However, there are some basic differences between the two:
Features Power BI Pro Power BI Premium
On-premise reporting using Power BI Report Server No Yes
Compute processing environment Shared Dedicated
Incremental data refresh No Yes
Share published reports Yes No
Use paginated reports in Power BI No Yes
Data set size (max) 1GB 10GB
Maximum allowed storage 10 GB per user 100TB
Cloud service Yes Yes
Data security and encryption Yes Yes
Create visualizations, reports, dashboards Yes Yes
Big Data preparation and ETL Yes Yes
Power BI library access and custom visuals SDK Yes Yes
Data connectors for cloud and on-premise sources Yes Yes
Analyze data in Microsoft Excel Yes Yes
 Content embedding in SaaS apps like SharePoint,
Yes Yes
Teams, etc.
Mobile compatibility Yes Yes
$9.99 per month per $4,995 per month per
Pricing
user instance
Note – You can’t afford to miss the above question. It’s a very popular Power BI interview
question.
Q.22. In what ways and for what basic purposes can you use Power BI?
Ans. There are a number of ways and purposes by which you can utilize Power BI:
Connecting to data: The first thing to do when we start off with working on Power BI
Desktop is to connect to a data source and fetch data. With the Get Data option in Power BI
Desktop, we can select and connect to a data source from a long list of available data
sources.
Transform and clean data: As soon as we connect to a data source, we can transform and
clean the data. We can transform and clean our data with an in-built Power Query Editor. In
the Power Query Editor, we can rename the table, change the data type, removing or
adding columns, applying filters, and combining data from multiple sources.
Creating visualizations: Once our data is transformed and loaded into the Power BI Desktop,
we can create visualizations using the data model. We will get a set of visualizations in the
visualizations pane given on the top right.
Creating reports: Power BI Desktop offers the perfect set of tools to create informative and
attractive reports. A report is a collection of visualizations that together give an informative
account and insight on the imported data. A Power BI report can consist of one or more
than one pages.
Sharing reports: After creating a report in Power BI Desktop, we can use the Publish option
to share it with others. To Publish a report to Power BI Service having Power BI license is
necessary. We can share the report at any location of Power BI Service such as your
personal workspace, team workspace, or elsewhere.
Q.23. Can you briefly explain the working of Power BI?
Ans. To have a better understanding of Power BI, its working is divided into three parts or
phases.
1. Data Integration
In Power BI, data can be imported from different kinds of data sources in different formats.
In the data integration step, data is brought together (extracted) from different data sources
and converted into a standard format. After data is integrated, it is kept in a common
storage area known as the staging area.
2. Data Processing
Once the data is integrated and stored at a place, it requires some processing. The raw data
is transformed by performing several processing or cleansing operations on it such as
removing redundant values etc. Relevant business rules are applied to the processed data
transforming it according to the business needs. This transformed data is loaded into the
Data Warehouses. This completes a full process of ETL.

3. Data Presentation
In this final phase, the processed data is taken from the warehouse into the Power BI
platforms like Power BI Desktop to create reports, dashboards, and scorecards. Power BI
offers a wide range of visualizations. You can also import custom visualization from the
Marketplace. From the report development platforms, the reports are published on the web
or mobile apps to share it with other business users.
Q.24. What are Custom visuals in Power BI?
Ans. Custom visuals are customized visualizations like charts, KPIs, etc. that are created by
developers from scratch using custom visuals SDK. Power BI offers a rich library of custom
visuals which you can select, import and use in your Power BI report. Developers
use JavaScript libraries such as jQuery, D3, R-language scripts, etc. to create custom visuals.
Once a custom visual is ready, it is tested and debugged. Then they are packaged in a .pbiviz
file and shared within an organization or uploaded on AppSource as an open-source data
visualization. From the AppSource, any Power BI user (author) can import the custom visual
to use it in their report.
Generally, Power BI custom visuals are divided into three categories based on the way they
are deployed:

 Custom visual files

 Organizational visuals
 Marketplace visuals
Get a thorough understanding of Custom Visuals in Power BI
Q.25. What are the KPIs in Power BI?
Ans. KPIs are the Key Performance Indicators. The KPIs evaluates an organization’s
performance in different areas by evaluating values and measurable goals. A KPI always has
a base value or measure which is evaluated against a target value. That is, comparing the
actual performance with the target. You can evaluate the performances in an analysis just
by seeing the KPI as they graphically represent the evaluation. Thus, KPIs will show whether
the goals you have set are met or not.
Don’t forget to check the Power BI KPI
Q.26. What are Slicers in Power BI?
Ans. Slicers in Power BI are visual filters that are present in the report page. The slicers let
us sort and filter information on a packed report. Unlike filters, slicers are present as a visual
on the report and we can select values on it while we are analyzing the data in the report.
For instance, if we have a sales analysis report, you can make a slicer for years. From that
slicer, we can select the year for which we want to see the sales metrics such as 2017, 2018,
2019, etc. The report visuals will automatically and instantly change to show the information
for the selected year.
Take a deep dive into Power BI Slicers
Q.27. How is the pricing scheme of Power BI laid out?
Ans. Microsoft has put out three pricing plans for Power BI.
For the basic version, Power BI Desktop is free of cost and includes tools for data
visualization, data preparation, data modeling, data cleansing and publishing reports to
Power BI Service.
Power BI Pro is available at a subscription price of $9.99 per user per month. You can try 60
days free trial before purchasing the subscription. This plan for Power BI Pro includes tools
for data collaboration, a 360 real-time view for dashboards, data governance, and freedom
to publish reports anywhere.
The Power BI Premium is available at a price of $4,995 per month for one dedicated storage
resource and cloud computing facility.
Q.28. What is Power BI Q&A?
Ans. Using Power Q&A option, you can search for your data or discover insights by entering
queries in natural language. It instantly understands your query and returns relevant results.
Q.29. How can we categorize the users in Power BI?
Ans. There are mainly four types of users as per their purpose of usage of Power BI. These
four types of users are Analysts, Business users, IT professionals and Developers. Let’s learn
some more about them.
Analysts: Analysts use Power BI to develop reports, dashboards, data models and study
them to discover valuable insights in the data. Power BI offers a wide range of data sources
from which an analyst can extract data, make a common dataset, cleanse and prepare that
data to make reports and conduct analysis.
Business users: The business users are the common users who study the reports and
dashboards shared with them on Power BI website or mobile app. Business users remain
updated with the latest information which helps in taking an important decision in time.
IT professionals: The IT professionals are mainly concerned with the technical and
managerial aspects like scalability, availability, and security of data. They also centrally
manage all the Power BI services and users.
Developers: Developers are involved in technical work. Their key roles are to create custom
visuals to be used in Power BI, embedding Power BI into other applications, creating reports,
etc.
Note – The interviewers can frame the above-mentioned Power BI interview question in a
tricky manner. So, answer it smartly.
Q.30. How are a Power BI dashboard and a report different from each other?
Ans. Let us run through some quick points to make the difference

Advanced Power BI Interview Questions and Answers [2019]

After completing the first part of Power BI interview questions, let’s move ahead with the
advanced Power BI interview questions and answers. This Power BI interview preparation
guide covers a bit complex interview questions and answers of Power BI.
I assure you that after the completion of both parts of Power BI interview questions and
answers, you will not require any other kind of preparation material. So, let’s quickly wrap
up your interview preparation with some Microsoft Power BI Interview Questions and
Answers.

Q.1. What is SSRS? How is it different from Power BI?

Ans. SSRS stands for SQL Service Reporting Service. It is a server-based reporting generating
platform. SSRS is a part of Microsoft’s SQL Server suite. It is similar to Power BI in a lot of
ways, but it is more of a conventional tool. SSRS is mainly used for enterprise visualization of
data and generating, viewing and sharing reports. It has a programming interface with an
integrated set of processing components. SSRS has less graphical, drag and drop features
and more programming-based tools for the report making. Due to this, users need to put in
more manual efforts.
Here are some basic differences between Power BI and SSRS:

 Power BI is free, SSRS requires SQL Server license. However, you require
purchasing Power BI Premium license for Power BI Report Server.
 Power BI cloud-based while SSRS is server-based.
 Power BI is more modern and graphical whereas, SSRS is conventional and
programming based. SSRS requires manual effort and time to create reports and
do analysis.
 We can use data from the cloud in Power BI. With SSRS, we can only use on-
premise data.
 Power BI now has Cortana integrated for AI-based natural language, Q&A about
your data and reports in Power BI. SSRS does not have this feature.
 In SSRS, you need to purchase a license, define requirements and scope,
customize your software, deploy, develop reports in a coding interface, schedule
data refreshes, etc.
 Power BI has a graphical interface with the drag-and-drop capability to create
reports. You can work with unstructured data, use modern rendering, publish,
integrate and collaborate easily across platforms.
Q.2. What are paginated reports?
Ans. A paginated report is an organized, document style page to page report. Paginated
reports are saved as paged documents where we can expand the document vertically and
horizontally to view the complete data. These reports are pixel-perfect with a fixed layout.
They can be the best options when we want to print a report from a PDF or Word file. The
extension used for paginated files are .RDL.
Q.3. What are ‘Measures’ in Power BI? How can we create them?
Ans. Measures are formulas that are calculated to yield results of complex queries (specific
to the purpose and values it is used for). Generally, measures are used in aggregational
calculations such as sum, average, minimum value, maximum value, counts, etc. The
resultant values are in RAM storage because measures are used relatively and may have
different values when used in different scenarios and contexts.
Measures in Power BI are used to create advanced solutions and models for data analysis
and reporting. They perform real-time calculations based on your interactions with data on
your report.
We can create new measure fields for analyzing in Power BI Desktop easily. We can also
create a new measure field using New measure option and select this option in two ways:
 One, by right-clicking on the table’s name in which we wish to add the measure
field and select New measure.
 Second, by going to the Modeling tab and clicking on New measure option.
Then in the formula bar, we need to enter the name of our measure and write the
expression for the measure.

Q.4. What do you understand by the Power BI Gateway?

Ans. Power BI Gateway is a software that is used to access data situated in an on-premises
network from the cloud. Gateways act as a gatekeeper for the on-premises data source. If
anyone needs to access on-premises data from a cloud or web-based app, the request goes
through the gateway. All the connection requests are attended by the gateway and access is
granted based on the user’s authentication and requirements.
Gateways do not transfer data from the on-premises source to the client platform. It only
connects that platform directly to the on-premises data source for the clients to directly
access data from it. Gateways are used to facilitate connections between a single data
source or multiple data source to the on-premises data source.

Don’t forget to check – Types and Working of Power BI Gateway

Q.5. What is Bidirectional cross-filtering in Power BI?
Ans. The bidirectional cross-filtering feature enables a free flow of filtering conditions
between data tables. In Power BI, some data models are simple, with a star schema type
association. Whereas some data models are complex having tables with many to many
relationships. Thus, by using the bidirectional cross-filtering feature, a modeler can let the
filtering conditions be applied on both sides of a relationship or association. The filters have
a certain direction and can be applied to values in different tables according to the
relationship that the tables share with each other. Bidirectional cross-filtering gives a lot of
flexibility to the data modelers to create models and apply filtering conditions on data tables
with many to many relationships.
Q.6. What is Power BI Designer?
Ans. Power BI Designer is a stand-alone companion application of Power BI. It consists
of Power Query, Power Pivot and Power View, all together in one application. Power BI
Designer is used to create Power BI reports and other elements and to work with data. We
can download Power BI Designer from the Power BI Site. The reports created in Power BI
Designer can be later published on the Power BI Service.
Q.7. What is DAX in Power BI?
Ans. DAX stands for Data Analysis Expressions. It is a formula language with such
expressions or formulas that are used for data analysis and calculations. These expressions
are a combination of functions, operators, and constants. The expression is evaluated as one
formula that yields appropriate results (value or values). With the help of the DAX language,
analysts can discover new ways to calculate data values they have and come up with fresh
insights. Power BI Desktop offers a library having about 200 DAX functions to perform
complex calculations.
DAX formula syntax and sample formula:

A. Name of the new measure

B. An operator indicating the start of the DAX formula and equating the two sides
C. DAX function
D. The parenthesis (). Used to enclose and define arguments.
E. Reference table name
F. Reference column name
G. Another operator

A sample DAX formula is:

ProjectedSales2019=SUM(Sales[TotalSales2018])*1.08
This DAX formula commands the system to calculate the product of the sum of
TotalSales2018 and 1.08 (8% increase) and store the value in a new field or column known
as ProjectedSales2019.

You must definitely complete the Power BI DAX before proceeding ahead
Q.8. What is Power Query? Which language is used in the Power Query?
Ans. Power Query is an Excel add-on. It is a self-service ETL tool (Extract, Transform and
Load) which is used to import data, transform, shape/clean data and load it for
analysis. Power Query provides an interactive user interface to manage and work with data.
We can import data from multiple data sources such as Big Data, files, databases, social
media, etc. We can join data from different sources and make one single dataset. Also, we
can transform the data by adding, removing and shaping our datasets as per our
requirement.
The programming language used in Power Query Editor is known as M-code. It is easy to
learn case sensitive language.
Q.9. What are some key points about DAX usage in Power BI?
Ans. Some key points about DAX:
 DAX is a functional language. That means, its complete code is always a
function.
 An executable DAX expression generally contains conditional statements, nested
functions, value references, etc.
 DAX formulas have two primary data types; Numeric and Non-numeric or
Others. The numeric data type includes integers, decimals, currency, etc. And,
the non-numeric consists of strings and binary objects.
 DAX expressions are evaluated in an inward to outward fashion. That is, it starts
from the innermost function going to the outermost one at the very last. We
should formulate our DAX expressions in proper order so that the system reads
it properly.
 We can use values of mixed data types as inputs in a DAX formula. Data type
conversion will take place automatically during execution of the formula.
Q.10. Which table functions will you use to group data in Power BI?
Ans. There are two main DAX functions which we can use to group data in Power
BI; SUMMARIZE() and SUMMARIZECOLUMNS:
 The SUMMARIZE function is used to group data by columns.
 The SUMMARIZECOLUMNS function is generally used in Power BI to group data
by columns, expressions, and tables.
Q.11. What are query parameters? What are Power BI Templates?
Ans. Query parameters are the parameters which we can use as/in queries in Power BI
query editor. We can create new parameters in Power BI Desktop and later use them
in queries, data models and reports. Query parameters contain a selected set of data values
from the entire dataset.
Power BI Templates are data-less PBIX files, that is, empty Power BI templates in which we
can use our data. Such PBIX files are exported as template files (PBIT) via share options or
emails so that others can import their data into them without having to create a template.
Q.12. Explain the Power Pivot. How is it useful for Power BI?
Ans. Power Pivot is an Excel add-in which is used to collect data from multiple data sources,
create datasets and use that data for analysis and drawing insights for business and decision
making. We can perform a lot of activities in Power Pivot:
 Import millions of rows of data into a single Excel workbook.
 Create relationships between heterogeneous data tables and rows.
 Create calculated columns and measures by using queries and formula.
 Build PivotCharts and PivotTables.
The charts and tables created in Power Pivot can be used in Power BI for further analysis
and report making.

Q.13. What is a Power Pivot data model? Which analytics engine used in Power Pivot?
Ans. The data models are the relationships formed between different data tables to
structure the information properly. A data model will have defined data types, columns,
associations, tables, relations, etc. The data models in the Power Pivot only support single
direction relationships that are one-to-many and calculated columns rather than calculated
tables in Power BI.
Power Pivot currently uses the SSAS in-memory Vertipaq compression engine. The data
models are stored in the in-memory of the client computer.
Q.14. How many active relationships can we have between two tables in Power Pivot data
model?
Ans. We can have more than one relationship between tables in a Power Pivot data model.
But there can be only one active relationship at a time in the data model between two
tables. While one of the many relationships are active, the other relationships remain in an
inactive state. In the Power Pivot data model, active relationships are indicated by a
continuous line and inactive relationships by dotted lines.
Q.15. Tell us about “Query folding” in Power Query.
Ans. Query folding is the process of converting or translating the code in Power Query
Editor into SQL. Query folding is needed when codes or queries are getting executed by the
source database instead of the client machine. This happens when there are limited
resources on the client machine. It also helps in performance optimization and scaling.
Q.16. What do you know about the transformation in Power Query Editor?
Ans. The Power Query Editor enables us to import data from multiple sources and transform
it in many ways as per our requirements. Some general data transformation practices in
Power Query Editor are:
 Change data types of columns.
 Rename columns.
  Replace values.
 Fix errors in Any Column group.
 Working with the nested data in Structured Column groups.
 Add custom columns, conditional columns, add measures, etc.
 Run R Queries directly on Power BI Query Editor by using Run R Script function.
Q.17. Why should we use SQL code in Power Query editor?
Ans. It is good to use SQL codes in Power Query editor along with M-code when we need to
explain complex logic or want to add some additional processes in the query. SQL
statements simplify the M function and pass on a bug-free, an easy-to-read query to the
source database from the client machine.
Q.18. Can you tell us why do we need Power Query when we already have Power Pivot to
import data?
Ans. Power Query is a self-service Excel add-in, which is used to import data from different
sources, transform or manipulate it and then load it into Excel. It is a typical ETL tool which is
loaded with functionalities and tools to extract, transform and load data from different
kinds of data sources to create single datasets. Whereas Power Pivot is also an Excel add-in,
but it does not focus on data transformation and preparation. Rather, Power Pivot is more
about loading data, creating data models and visualizing the data to gain important
business insights. In Power Query, you can connect to many different data sources and
manipulate the data instantly before loading it to any other platform.
Q.19. What do you know about the Power Map?
Ans. Power Map is also an Excel add-in whose outputs we can use in Power BI. Power Map
has the tools to visualize geo-coded data in maps. We can create 3-D visuals with heat
maps, bubbles, columns on Bing maps. We can also use time-stamped data points on the
map.
Q.20. What are the different types of data refreshes in Power BI?
In Power BI, data of published reports can be refreshed in four ways; Package refresh,
Model refresh, Tile refresh, and Visual container refresh.
 Package refresh – The package refresh will refresh the report by updating the
data from SharePoint Online or OneDrive. Package refreshing does not refresh
data from the source but from its cloud location.
 Model or Data refresh – This type of refreshing refreshes data in a report from
its original data source. Model or data refresh is done within the Power BI
Service with the help of gateway permission for on-premises data sources. This
method uses Refresh now, or Schedule refresh options.
  Tile refresh – Tile refresh refreshes the cache data of all the tiles on a
dashboard. It occurs in every 15 minutes automatically. If it does not happen,
we can select the Refresh dashboard tiles option from the ellipses(…) icon on
the dashboard.
 Visual container refresh – This refresh refreshes the cache of all the visuals
containers of a Power BI report.
Wait a minute! Have you checked – Power BI Dashboard Tutorial
Q.21. What are the calculated columns in Power BI?
Ans. A calculated column is a query or DAX formula generated column in a data table. Each
value in a calculated column is calculated while the code is computed by the system. The
values are a result of the evaluated and calculated DAX formula. The values of a calculated
column are not compressed and hence take up more space in memory than other data
values.
Q.22. How can we use a gateway for Power BI?
Ans. You will be ready to use the data gateway in Power BI by following the four steps given
below:
1. Install a gateway in your system.
2. Add users to the gateway who need to access data from on-premises data
sources.
3. Connect to on-premises data sources. This step is important because this is how
users can use data from on-premises data sources for data analysis and report
generation.
4. Refresh on-premises data to keep the data in reports and dashboards up to
date.
Q.23. What is an Advanced editor in Power BI?
Ans. An Advanced Editor is an editor within the Power Query Editor. It is used to view the
M-code for any query. The Advanced Editor is generally used to check the syntax of a query
that will be run in the editor.
We can access the Advanced Editor from the Home or View tab in Power Query Editor. We
can select a query from the list of queries and work with it in the Advanced editor window
and analyze the code step by step.
Q.24. In what ways can you shape or organize data in Power BI?
Ans. There are three common data shaping techniques in Power BI:
 Removing the columns and rows from a data table.
 Adding indexes for the data tables.
 Applying a Sort Order on the values of a data table.
Q.25. How can we refresh Power BI reports after publishing them to the cloud?
Ans. We can refresh the Power BI reports after they are published on the cloud using
gateways. If we want to refresh the data of a report published on SharePoint, then Data
Management Gateway is used. And if the report is published on the Power BI website then
Power BI Personal Gateway is used for data refreshing.
Q.26. Can we map geographic data into Power BI Reports? If yes, then how?
Ans. Yes, we can map the geographic data into Power BI reports in several ways. Power BI
has integration with Bing Maps which provides the coordinates of locations on the map by
default. This process is known as geocoding and the users don’t need to manually provide
longitude and latitude coordinates. You can use the map charts and filled map charts in
Power BI to use the geographic data in Power BI reports and dashboards.
Do you know – How to apply Filters in Power BI Reports
Q.27. What is z-order in Power BI?
Ans. The z-order in Power BI is referred to the strategy or order of arrangement of different
elements on a Power BI report. The z-order helps us in properly arranging all the elements
in a report such as visualizations, tables, slicers, etc. The Arrange option in Power BI helps us
arrange or place report elements in z-order. Using that option, we can bring objects on
front, send them to back, and layer the visualizations, according to our need. So, in a
nutshell, z-order is the order of arranging or layering multiple objects and visual elements in
a report on top of each other. Z-order is also applied when we are using shapes to enhance
the design of a report.
Q.28. What are the important prerequisites for connecting Power BI to a database in
Azure SQL Database?
Ans. In order to establish a secure connection of Power BI and Azure SQL Database, there is
one important prerequisite. Before we make an attempt to connect to an Azure SQL
Database, we should configure the firewall settings to allow remote connections. If firewall
settings are not set up, we cannot have a stable and secure connection to Azure SQL
Database.
Q.29. What are the prerequisites of installing a gateway in your system?
Ans. The following requirements are necessary for installing a gateway in our systems:
 .NET 4.5 Framework
 Windows 7 (64-bit version)/ Windows Server 2008 R2 or later
 8 core CPU
 8 GB memory
 Windows 2012 R2 (64-bit)
Q.30. Can we use Power BI on mobile devices?
Ans. Yes, we can use Power BI on mobile devices. Power BI has mobile compatible apps
for Android devices, iOS devices, and Windows 10 devices. We can download the Power BI
app for a preferred device from app stores such as Google Play, Microsoft Store or Apple
App Store.