Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate credential artwork

Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate (PL-300) Exam Guide

Validates skills in preparing, modeling and visualizing data with Power BI, and managing and securing reports and models.

PL-300 tests the whole Power BI workflow through scenarios, from connecting and cleaning data to securing what you publish. Build a real model yourself in Power BI Desktop, write your own DAX, publish to the service, then practise the scenario questions and the case study.

Understand the exam

Syllabus

Prepare the data25–30%
  1. Get or connect to data
  2. Profile and clean the data
  3. Transform and load the data

Example scenario: Sales data arrives with one column per month. What would you do in Power Query so the model can filter by month?

Model the data25–30%
  1. Design and implement a data model
  2. Create model calculations by using DAX
  3. Optimize model performance

Example scenario: A report needs sales this year next to sales for the same period last year. Which DAX pattern and supporting table would you use?

Visualize and analyze the data25–30%
  1. Create reports
  2. Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
  3. Identify patterns and trends

Example scenario: Managers want to click a region on a summary page and land on a detail page filtered to that region. What would you configure?

Manage and secure Power BI15–20%
  1. Create and manage workspaces and assets
  2. Secure and govern Power BI items

Example scenario: Each regional manager should see only their region's rows in the same report. What would you set up, and where do you assign people?

PL-300 study guide · Skills measured as of April 20, 2026

Format

Questions
40–60
Duration
100 min
Passing score
700 / 1000
Delivery
Test centre or online
Languages
English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (Traditional), Italian

Question types

Choose the best answer from the options, or the stated number of answers when a question asks for more than one.

CertUp example

A sales table has one column per month. What should you do in Power Query so the model can filter by month?

  1. Unpivot the month columns
  2. Pivot the month columns
  3. Merge the month columns into one text column
  4. Transpose the table
Show answer

A. Unpivoting turns the month columns into rows with a month column and a value column.

Eligibility and booking

Sign in to Microsoft Learn with a personal Microsoft account, complete your certification profile, then schedule PL-300 with Pearson VUE from the certification page.

Schedule PL-300Try the exam sandbox

Make a study plan

Take the free practice assessment once to see where you start. Then work through one course while building your own model from a real dataset.

Most candidates spend 40–80 hours. Plan for the low end if you already build Power BI reports with DAX; add time if you have not written DAX.

6 weeksto be ready
  1. 1Understand the examRead the syllabus and format, check you’re eligible and pick a target date.3 h
  2. 3Learn the core conceptsWork through one main course or book, topic by topic.36 h
  3. 4Practice with mock examsTake timed practice tests and review every mistake.18 h
  4. 5Prepare for exam dayBook the exam and check the ID and delivery rules.3 h

Learn the core concepts

Use the official learning paths or one video course, and build along in Power BI Desktop. Service topics such as workspaces, apps and security need time in the Power BI service as well.

Best free courseMicrosoft Learn: PL-300 courseMicrosoft · Free · self-paced learning pathsBest for Power BI beginnersPL-300 certification prep: Microsoft Power BI Data AnalystPhillip Burton · $130 · lifetime accessBest short video coursePL-300 | DA-100 Microsoft Power BI Certification - Exam PrepNikolai Schuler · $95 · lifetime access
See all 4 PL-300 courses →

Do not skip the service. General Power BI tutorials focus on Desktop. The exam also covers workspace roles, apps, gateways, refresh and row-level security in the Power BI service.

Practice with mock exams

Start with Microsoft's free practice assessment. MeasureUp's official practice test adds timed sets with explanations. Rebuild anything you miss in Power BI Desktop.

PL-300 Practice AssessmentMicrosoft · Free · unlimited attempts · Microsoft accountPractice Test PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data AnalystMeasureUp · $99 for 30 days · $109 for 60 days · $119 for 1 year · free demoPL-300 Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Practice Test w/ labsRavikiran Srinivasulu · $59.99 list, often on sale · lifetime access
See all 3 PL-300 practice tests →

Are you ready?

  • You can build a star schema with a date table and the right relationships without notes.
  • You can write CALCULATE and time intelligence measures and explain filter context.
  • You can set up row-level security and test it with View as.

Prepare for exam day

Choose the checklist for your test-centre or online appointment.

Before going to the test centre

  • Bring a current government-issued ID whose name matches your Microsoft certification profile exactly.
  • Arrive early enough to check in and store your belongings.
  • Allow about 120 minutes of seat time for 100 minutes of questions.
  • The case study can come as a separate section near the end. Once you leave it, you cannot go back.
  • You can take a break, but the clock keeps running and you cannot return to questions you saw before it.
  • You see your score and a skill-area chart within minutes. If you fail, you can retake after 24 hours.
Pearson VUE for Microsoft

Exam duration and exam experience

Advice from exam takers

Budget time for the case study.

A 2026 passer reported 54 to 56 questions, with five or six in a case study near the end, and suggested capping it at 20 to 25 minutes. They opened Microsoft Learn early to check terms quickly.

r/PowerBIReddit: passed PL-300, my tips for 2026