50 Power BI Interview
Questions and Answers
Khurshid Md Anwar
I assist students in achieving their academic goals in BCA
and B.Tech (CS) and transitioning into rewarding careers
within the field of data analytics.
For Training Requirement
WhatsApp: 91- 9143407019
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
Beginner-Level Questions (1-10)
1. What is Power BI in simple terms?
It’s a Microsoft tool that turns raw data into
interactive visuals, dashboards, and reports for
better decision-making.
2. Name the core Power BI tools and their
purposes.
Power BI Desktop builds reports, Power BI Service
shares them online, and Power BI Mobile lets you
view them anywhere.
3. How does Power BI Desktop differ from Power
BI Service?
Desktop is for designing reports locally; Service is
for publishing, managing, and collaborating on them
in the cloud.
4. What’s the file extension for Power BI Desktop
projects?
It’s .pbix—a compressed file holding your data
model, visuals, and queries.
5. What defines a Power BI dashboard?
A single-page overview of pinned visuals from
reports, built for quick insights.
6. How is a report distinct from a dashboard?
Reports are detailed, multi-page analyses with
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
editable visuals; dashboards are concise, static
summaries.
7. What does Power Query do in Power BI?
It’s the engine for cleaning, transforming, and
shaping data before it’s ready for visuals.
8. Which data sources can Power BI connect to?
Think Excel, SQL databases, cloud services like
Azure, web APIs, or even simple CSV files.
9. What’s DAX, and why does it matter?
DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) is Power BI’s
formula language for crafting custom metrics and
calculations.
10. Calculated column vs. measure—what’s the
key difference?
A calculated column computes per row and stays
static; a measure aggregates dynamically based on
context.
Intermediate-Level Questions (11-20)
11. How do you keep Power BI data up to date?
Manually refresh in Desktop or schedule automatic
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
refreshes in Service with a gateway for on-premises
data.
12. What’s a gateway, and when do you need it?
It bridges Power BI Service to on-premises sources,
enabling secure, scheduled data updates.
13. What’s the “Get Data” button for?
It’s your entry point to import or connect to data
from files, databases, or online services.
14. How does a slicer enhance a report?
It’s an interactive filter users click to slice data—like
picking a year or region—right on the canvas.
15. What’s the easiest way to share a Power BI
report?
Publish it to Power BI Service and share a link or
add it to a workspace for your team.
16. Why are relationships critical in Power BI?
They tie tables together, letting visuals pull insights
from multiple data sources seamlessly.
17. What’s DirectQuery, and when would you
use it?
It queries live data from the source—no import—
ideal for real-time or massive datasets.
18. Import mode vs. DirectQuery—break it
down.
Import pulls data in for speed but uses memory;
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
DirectQuery keeps it live at the source, trading
speed for freshness.
19. What’s Row-Level Security (RLS), and
how’s it useful?
RLS limits what users see based on their role—like
showing a manager only their team’s stats.
20. How do you build a drill-down hierarchy?
Stack related fields (e.g., Year > Month > Day) in
the data pane to enable layered exploration.
Advanced-Level Questions (21-30)
21. When would you pick SUMX over SUM in
DAX?
Use SUMX when you need row-by-row logic—like
multiplying price by quantity—before summing;
SUM just totals a column.
22. How do you tackle a many-to-many
relationship?
Add a bridge table with unique keys or use DAX
filters to simulate the connection cleanly.
23. What makes CALCULATE so powerful in
DAX?
It overrides filter contexts, letting you tweak
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
calculations with custom conditions—like sales for a
specific region.
24. What can bookmarks do for a report?
They save a report’s state—filters, visuals, and all—
so you can jump between views or guide a story.
25. How do you speed up a sluggish Power BI
report?
Trim unused data, simplify DAX, limit visuals per
page, and consider aggregations or DirectQuery.
26. What’s Power BI Embedded good for?
It embeds reports into custom apps or sites, perfect
for sharing analytics with clients or external users.
27. How does a “What If” parameter work?
It creates a slider or input for users to test
scenarios—like adjusting a growth rate to see its
impact.
28. Best way to deal with blanks or missing
data?
Filter them out in Power Query, fill with defaults, or
handle them in DAX with ISBLANK checks.
29. What transformations happen in Query
Editor?
You clean data—remove rows, split columns, pivot
tables—before it hits the model.
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
30. Filter vs. slicer—when do you use each?
Filters work quietly at the report or visual level;
slicers are upfront for users to play with.
Scenario-Based Questions (31-40)
31. How would you chart sales trends by
month?
Drop a line chart on the canvas, use a date field for
the x-axis, sales for the y-axis, and add a product
slicer.
32. Data refresh keeps failing—what’s your next
step?
Verify gateway health, check credentials, and peek
at the refresh error details in Power BI Service.
33. How do you merge data from Excel and
SQL?
In Power Query, use a common key to merge tables
with a join, or append them if they stack vertically.
34. How do you compute year-over-year
growth?
Write a DAX measure: YoY% =
DIVIDE(SUM(Sales) - CALCULATE(SUM(Sales),
PREVIOUSYEAR(Date)),
PREVIOUSYEAR(Sales)).
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
35. A user sees no data in a shared report—
why?
Likely RLS is filtering them out, or they lack dataset
access—check roles and permissions.
36. How do you set up a KPI visual?
Pick the KPI card, plug in your metric (e.g.,
revenue), target (e.g., goal), and trend (e.g., time).
37. Report’s running slow—how do you
diagnose it?
Fire up Performance Analyzer, spot slow visuals,
then tweak DAX or cut data bloat.
38. How do you compare multiple years in one
visual?
Use a date table, relate it to your data, and plot a
line chart with years as separate lines via the
legend.
39. How do you limit a report to a manager’s
team?
Set RLS with a DAX rule like Team[ManagerEmail]
= USERPRINCIPALNAME() to match their login.
40. Duplicate rows are messing up your sums—
what’s the fix?
In Power Query, hit “Remove Duplicates” on the key
column(s) to dedupe before loading.
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
Expert-Level Questions (41-50)
41. Why does the Data Model matter so much?
It’s the backbone—defines relationships,
compresses data, and powers fast, accurate
visuals.
42. What’s the ALL function unlocking in DAX?
It clears filters, letting you calculate totals or
percentages across all data, ignoring slicers.
43. How do you make a title change with filters?
Craft a DAX measure with SELECTEDVALUE (e.g.,
Title = "Sales for " & SELECTEDVALUE(Region)),
then tie it to a text box.
44. Why bother with a Star Schema?
It splits facts (numbers) from dimensions
(descriptions), making queries faster and models
cleaner.
45. How do you code a custom Power BI
visual?
Grab the Power BI SDK, write TypeScript with D3.js
for rendering, and package it for import.
46. What’s TREATAS bringing to the DAX table?
It fakes a relationship by applying filters from one
table to another—no physical link needed.
47. How do you tame a massive dataset?
Lean on incremental refresh, pre-aggregate in the
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
source, or switch to DirectQuery for less memory
strain.
48. Power BI app vs. workspace—what’s the
split?
Workspaces are for building and teamwork; apps
bundle finished reports for end-user consumption.
49. How do you roll out incremental refresh?
Filter your data by a date parameter in Power
Query, then set a refresh range in Service settings.
50. When’s CROSSFILTER a game-changer in
DAX?
When you need to flip relationship directions or turn
them off—like forcing a one-way filter for a tricky
calc.
Want Learn MS-Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, C, C++,
Java, DSA, RDBMS Contact at WhatsApp-9143407019
