PL-300 certification prep: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst

Our take

Key Exam Domains & Weighting 1. Prepare the Data (25–30%): Connecting to data sources, profiling, cleaning, transforming (Power Query, M, pivoting, merging), and selecting storage modes (Import vs. DirectQuery / Direct Lake). 2. Model the Data: Designing a star schema (fact and dimension tables), establishing relationships, and writing Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) calculations, time intelligence, and calculation groups. 3. Visualize and Analyze Data: Designing effective reports, enhancing user experience (drill-downs, conditional formatting), and applying advanced visual calculations. 4. Manage and Secure Power BI: Administering workspaces, deploying semantic models, configuring Row-Level Security (RLS), sensitivity labels, and utilizing Copilot features. ecommended Preparation Steps • Official Study Path: Use the free, structured Microsoft Learn PL-300 Study Guide. • Practice Assessments: Take the official practice assessment available via Microsoft AI Skills Navigator / Microsoft Learn Certification Page. • Interactive Sandbox: Explore the live UI using the Microsoft Exam Sandbox to familiarize yourself with the testing interface. • Third-Party Deep Dives: Supplement with hands-on bootcamps or structured courses such as Phillip Burton’s Udemy Power BI Bootcamp

Best for: all level learners who want one guided path through IT Certifications. Skip it if: You already work professionally in IT Certifications and need advanced architecture patterns.

📘 What you will learn

• Download for free and install and run the full version of Power BI Desktop, the BI and analysis software.
• Be able to create analyses, such as line charts, stacked bar charts, or geographic analyses using maps.
• You will be able to format numbers and dates, and add labels, tooltips and animation.
• You will be able to Get and Transform multiple sources of data, including merging multiple files from a folder, pivoting and unpivotting.
• Building and refine models, including adding calculated columns and measures.
• You will learn the important M and DAX functions, to enable you to build your own formulas.

📑 Course content

49 sections · 326 lectures · 30 hours of video · updated 11/2026

1. Getting started — 49 lectures · 4.5h
2. Core foundations — 40 lectures · 3.7h
3. Building real projects — 56 lectures · 5.1h
4. Intermediate techniques — 38 lectures · 3.5h
5. Deep dive & best practices — 51 lectures · 4.7h
6. Capstone project — 36 lectures · 3.3h
7. Next steps — 56 lectures · 5.2h

🎯 Who it is for

Suits: Complete beginners, career switchers, and self-taught devs who want structure.

Needs: Before you begin this course, you should have a computer with access to the internet, and be able to install Windows programs. You will need Windows 8.1, 10 or 11 or Windows Server 2012 R2 or later, to install the Power BI Desktop program. That's it! The more experience in reporting using other packages including Excel, the better, but it is not essential. If you have a Mac, then you will need to be able to either dual-boot into Windows, or use Parallel Desktop boot into Windows. However, Mac users can use the Power BI Service, and be able to do most of Part 1 and Part 4 of this course.

👤 Instructor

Phillip Burton - over one million students so far — Hi. I'm Phillip, and I'm proud to Teach with Udemy as a Udemy Instructor Partner. I have been teaching on Udemy since 2015, and I have over 1,000,000 students and more than 70 video courses, including over a dozen Bestseller courses. My courses include Microsoft Power BI and Fabric, Tableau, SQL Server, Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, etc.), Azure, Microsoft Office, AI and more. The majority of my courses align with the requirements for official certifications from Microsoft, Oracle, and Tableau - so with a bit of practice, you could enter the exam or assessment and put it on your CV or resume. I have been a Computing Consultant providing expert services in the development of computer systems and data analysis. I am one of 9 award winning Experts for Experts Exchange's 11th Annual Expert Awards. My interests are working with data, including Microsoft Power BI, Excel, Access, SQL Server, and the Power Platform.

❓ FAQ

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