Power BI Interview Questions and Answers [UPDATED 2024]

Microsoft Power BI is well-known for a reason.

This self-service business intelligence cloud solution is not only well-rated, but it is also free. Power BI, according to PCMag reviewer Pam Baker, “does a wonderful job of integrating power analytics with a user-friendly user interface (UI) and outstanding data visualization capabilities,” and it is “one of the top BI products on the market and is one of our three Editors’ Choice recipients.”

Retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, and professional services are some industries that make up the economy. The service is revolutionary because it enables non-technical individuals to quickly produce graphical summaries of data, filter data, share it with others, and much more—all without the need for an IT department, allowing even tiny businesses to benefit.

Whether you’ve already started a career in business intelligence, data analysis, ETL (extract, transform, load), data warehousing, or another data-driven field, or you just want to improve your work abilities and marketability in the business world, earning a Power BI certification is a wise step. And, while you prepare for a job interview, keep these answers to Top Power BI interview questions in mind. This post includes Power BI interview questions and answers for both experienced and inexperienced candidates. But the question that repeats itself is what is Power Bi?

Power BI is a set of software services, applications, and connections that work together to convert disparate data sources into logical, visually engaging, and interactive insights. Your data may be in the form of an Excel spreadsheet or a hybrid data warehouse that combines cloud and on-premises storage. Power BI makes it simple to connect to your data sources, visualize and uncover what’s essential, and share your findings with whomever you choose.

Power Bi Interview Questions & Answers In 2024

It would be worthwhile to take into consideration the fact that these Power Bi interview questions and answers were carefully hand-picked by professional hiring managers who have been in the field for years.

Define Power Bi?

Answer: Microsoft’s Power BI is a business analytics application that allows you to transform a lot of unconnected sources of data into useful and interactive insights. Excel spreadsheets include this Data. Or hybrid cloud/on-premises data warehouses. You can connect to all of your data sources with ease and share your findings with anybody.

What are the benefits of using Power BI?

Answer: The following are some advantages of utilizing Power Bi:

• It aids in the creation of interactive data visualization in data centers.
• It gives users the ability to turn data into images and share them with others.
• It creates a link between Excel queries and dashboards for quick analysis.
• It delivers rapid and precise results.
• It allows users to run reporting queries using basic English phrases.

Give me some of the differences in data modelling between Power BI Desktop and Power Pivot for Excel?

Answer: Power Pivot for Excel supports only single directional relationships (one to many), computed columns, and one import mode. Also, Power Bi Desktop supports Bi-directional cross-filtering relationships, security, computed tables, and various import choices.

Name the different connectivity modes available in Power BI?

Answer: There are three fundamental connectivity modes inside Power Bi, which are as follows:

• Import from SQL Server: The default and most frequent connectivity type in Power BI is an SQL Server Import. It enables you to use all the Power BI Desktop features.

• Direct Query: When connecting to specific data sources, the Direct Query connection type is only accessible. Power BI will only save the metadata of the underlying data in this connection type, not the actual data.

• live Connection: Power Bi model does not keep data when using this connection type. When you use a Live Connection to engage with a report, it will query the Analysis Services model. SQL Server Analysis Services (Tabular models and Multidimensional Cubes), Azure Analysis Services (Tabular Models), and Power BI Datasets housed in the Power BI Service are the only data sources that support the live connection technique.

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

Answer: In Power BI, there are four different sorts of refresh options:

• Package refresh synchronizes your Power BI Desktop or Excel file with OneDrive or SharePoint Online.
• Model or data refresh or data refresh refers to refreshing the dataset within the Power BI service with data from the original data source.
• Tile refresh – When data changes, this refreshes the cache for tile graphics on the dashboard every 15 minutes.
• When the data in a report changes, this refreshes the visual container and updates the cached report graphics within the report.

Can we have more than one active relationship between two tables in a Power Pivot data model?

Answer: The answer is NO. In a Power Pivot data model, there can be a lot of inactive relationships between two tables, but only one active relationship. Dotted lines present inactive relationships, whereas continuous lines represent active relationships.

Define what is the CALCULATE function in DAX?

Answer: In a changed filter context, the CALCULATE function calculates the total of the Sales table’s Sales Amount column. It’s also the sole way for users to change the filter context of measurements or tables. Learn more.

List the main components of the Power BI toolkit, and what do they do?

Answer:

• Power Query: is a tool that allows you to find, retrieve, and combine data from many sources.
• Power Pivot: A modeling tool.
• Power View: is a presentation program that allows you to make charts, tables, and other graphics.
• Power Map: This allows you to visualize your data in a geographical format.
• Power Q&A: This allows you to ask inquiries using natural language, such as “What were the overall sales last week?”

What is a content pack, and why would you use one?

Answer: A content pack is a pre-built, pre-defined set of visualizations and reports that you may use with your selected service (for example, Salesforce). Instead of producing a report from scratch, you’d use one when you need to get up and going quickly.

In a few words describe what is DAX?

Answer: DAX is a set of functions, operators, and constants that we use to compute and return one or more values in a formula, or expression. Simply said, DAX allows you to produce new information from existing data in your model. Learn more.

Power Bi Interview Question #11: Define what are the three fundamental concepts of DAX?

Answer:

1. Syntax: This is how the formula—that is, the parts that make it up—is written. SUM is one of the functions included in the Syntax (used when you want to add figures). An error notice will seem if the syntax is wrong.
2. Functions: These are formulas that, like Excel’s functions, use specified values (also known as arguments) in a certain sequence to complete a computation. Date/time, time intelligence, information, logical, mathematical, statistical, text, parent/child, and other functions are among the types of functions.
3. Context: Row context and filter context are the two categories. Row context comes into play whenever a formula contains a function that applies filters to identify a single row in a table. We use the filter context when one or more filters are useful in a calculation to determine a result or value.

What information do we need to create a map in Power Map?

Answer: Visualizations that are geographical in nature can be displayed with Power Map. As a result, some type of location information is necessary, such as city, state, nation, or latitude and longitude.Why and how would you use a custom visual file?

Answer: If the prepackaged files don’t meet your needs, you’ll need to create a new visual file. Developers generate custom visual files, which you may import and use in the same manner that pre-packaged assets.

What is grouping, and how would you use it?

Answer: Power BI Desktop divides the data in your visualization into pieces. However, you may create your own groups and bins. Use Ctrl + click to pick several components in the graphic for grouping. Choose Group from the menu that comes when you right-click one of those components. You may set up new groups or edit existing ones in the Groups box.

Explain what responsive slicers are.

Answer: You may adjust a responsive slicer on a report page to different widths and shapes, and the data within it will be rearranged to match. When a visual grows too tiny to be usable, a symbol representing the visual replaces it on the report page, conserving space.

With all actuality, there are hundreds of Power BI interview questions to add, but within this article, we have only mentioned the most frequently asked questions that you, as a candidate, will be asked during the Power Bi interview. However, it would be worthwhile to conduct more researches for the sake of increasing your chances of getting the interview aced.

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