Power BI Interview Questions and Answers

1. How can you create a relationship between tables in Power BI?

The relationships between tables are created in the “Model” view by dragging and dropping fields between tables. Relationships can be

one-to-one
one-to-many
many-to-many

2. What are the different types of refresh options available in Power BI?

Power BI offers several data refresh options, like:

On-demand refresh
Scheduled refresh
Automatic refresh
API refresh

3. State the ways to improve the performance of a Power BI report?

To improve the performance of a Power BI report, follow the below various methods, such as:

Optimizing DAX calculations and measures
Reducing the amount of data loaded by filtering and aggregating data
Using efficient data models, such as star schema
Avoiding complex and nested queries
Disabling unnecessary visualizations and interactions

4. How does Power BI integrate with other Microsoft products?

Power BI integrates with various Microsoft products such as:

Excel
Azure
Office 365
Dynamics 365

5. What is the difference between DirectQuery and Import modes in Power BI?

DirectQuery and Import are two modes for connecting to data sources. In import mode, data is imported into Power BI. It is stored in the .pbix file and refreshed periodically. Data remains in the source system in the DirectQuery mode. The queries are sent directly to the data source each time a user interacts with a report.

6. What is a measure in Power BI?

Power BI measure is a dynamic calculation which is used for data analysis. It is created using DAX formulas and used in aggregations, such as sums, averages, or ratios. Measures are calculated on the fly based on the context of the data.

7. What is a calculated column in Power BI?

A calculated column in Power BI is a column that is added to a table in the data model using a DAX formula. It is calculated row-by-row and stored in the model. Calculated columns are useful for adding new data points based on existing data.

8. What is the purpose of the Query Editor in Power BI?

The Query Editor in Power BI is used for:

Data transformation
Data cleansing

It allows users to connect to various data sources, shape and transform the data, and load it into Power BI. The common tasks are:

Removing duplicates
Filtering rows
Changing data types
Merging tables

9. Explain the term Power BI service.

Power BI service is a cloud-based service where users can publish, share, and collaborate on their Power BI reports and dashboards. It is also known as Power BI Online or Power BI Cloud.

10. What are Power BI templates?

Power BI templates (.pbit files) are files that store the structure of a Power BI report, including:

Data model
Queries
Visualizations

These templates are used to create consistent reports and dashboards across different datasets.

11. Specify the ways to secure data in Power BI?

Data security in Power BI can be achieved through several mechanisms:

Restricting data access for certain users by creating roles with DAX filters.
Mask sensitive data in visualizations.
Use azure active directory for user authentication and access control.
Control who can view, edit, or share reports and dashboards.

12. What are Power BI custom visuals?

Power BI custom visuals are visualizations that are created by developers using the Power BI Custom Visuals SDK. These visuals can be imported into Power BI reports and dashboards to extend the standard visual capabilities of Power BI.

13. Explain the difference between a report and a dashboard in Power BI.

Report is a multi-page document that contains various visualizations. It allows for detailed analysis and can include multiple Dashboards.

Dashboard is a single-page, consolidated view of key metrics and insights from multiple reports. They are interactive and provide a high-level overview.

14. What is the use of the Power BI Service ‘Power BI Embedded’?

Power BI Embedded is an Azure service that allows developers to embed Power BI reports and dashboards into custom applications. This service provides powerful analytics and visualization capabilities within applications.

15. How can you handle many-to-many relationships in Power BI?

Many-to-many relationships can be handled by creating a bridge table or a composite model. The bridge table contains unique keys from both related tables. The relationships are established between each table and the bridge table.

16. Explain the difference between calculated tables and calculated columns in Power BI.

Calculated tables and calculated columns are both created using DAX formulas.

Calculated Tables: Entire tables created using DAX expressions. They are calculated at the model level and recalculated during data refresh.

Calculated Columns: Individual columns added to existing tables using DAX formulas. They are calculated row-by-row and stored in the data model.

17. What is the Power BI Admin Portal?

The Power BI Admin Portal is a central hub for administrators to manage Power BI settings, monitor usage, and enforce governance policies across the organization. It includes tools for managing user licenses, setting up data governance policies, monitoring audit logs, and configuring tenant-wide settings.

18. How do you set up a drillthrough in Power BI?

Steps to set up a drillthrough in Power BI

Create a detailed report page with the necessary visuals.
Add a drillthrough field to the detailed page by dragging a field to the Drillthrough filters well.

19. How can you optimize the data model in Power BI?

To optimize a data model in Power BI, follow the below practices,

Reduce the data size by removing unnecessary columns and rows, and use appropriate data types.
Organize data into fact and dimension tables for better performance.
Write efficient DAX calculations and avoid complex and nested formulas.
Pre-aggregate data to reduce the volume of data processed during queries.

20. How does Power BI support collaboration and sharing?

Power BI supports collaboration and sharing through several features:

Shared environments where teams can collaborate on reports and dashboards.
Packages of related reports and datasets that can be shared across the organization.
Users can publish and share reports and dashboards via the cloud service.

21. What are KPIs in Power BI?

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are visualizations that show progress toward a measurable goal. They include:

Target value
Actual value
Status indicator

22. What is the purpose of Power BI ‘Usage Metrics’ reports?

Usage Metrics reports in Power BI provide insights into how users are interacting with reports and dashboards. These reports show metrics such as views, shares, and user activities. It helps the report owners to understand the reach and impact of their Power BI content and identify opportunities for improvement.

23. What is Power BI Q&A and how does it work?

Power BI Q&A is a natural language processing feature that allows users to ask questions about their data using conversational language. It interprets the questions, translates them into relevant DAX queries, and returns interactive visualizations as answers.

24. What is a Power BI dashboard?

A Power BI dashboard is a single-page that uses visualizations to tell a story. It is often called a canvas and contains multiple visualizations from different reports. Power BI dashboard provides a consolidated view of key metrics and insights.

25. What is the use of Power BI Gateway?

Power BI Gateway is used to connect Power BI services with on-premises data sources. It allows secure data transfer and ensures that the data remains up-to-date. There are two types of gateways:

Personal gateway
On-premises data gateway

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Power BI Interview Questions and Answers