POWER BI

Interview Questions
Part-2

Rama Gopala Krishna Masani

Data analyst
Power BI Interview
Questions & Insights

Master the
Questions, Crack
the Interview!
 51. How do you create a
calculated table in Power BI?

In Power BI, a calculated table is created using

DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) when you need
a new table based on existing data. You can
create it by going to the Modeling tab and
selecting New Table, then writing a DAX
expression.
 52. What is the difference
between DISTINCT() and
VALUES() in DAX?
Both DISTINCT() and VALUES() return unique
values from a column, but there are key
differences:
DISTINCT(column): Always returns unique
values from the column, ignoring blank rows
and not considering the current filter context
beyond the column.
VALUES(column): Returns unique values with
respect to the current filter context, and it
returns a blank row if the column has blank
values.
53. How do you create a dynamic
ranking in Power BI using DAX?
Dynamic ranking can be created using RANKX()
with DAX, allowing ranks to change based on
selected filters or categories.
 54. What is the purpose of the
VAR function in DAX?
The VAR function in DAX is used to define
intermediate variables within a measure or
calculated column. It helps improve readability,
performance, and reusability by avoiding
repetitive calculations.
Benefits of using VAR:
Improves readability of complex formulas
Reduces redundant calculations, enhancing
performance
Makes debugging and maintenance easier
Example without VAR (less efficient):

Example using VAR (optimized):DAX

55. How do you use the SWITCH()
function in DAX?
The SWITCH() function in DAX is a cleaner and
more readable alternative to nested IF
statements. It’s especially useful for categorical
mapping or assigning labels based on logic.
Purpose:
Simplifies multiple conditional branches
Improves readability
Suitable for scenarios like grading, labeling,
or bucketing
Assigning Sales Categories DAX
56. What are the different types
of charts available in Power BI?
Power BI offers a wide variety of built-in chart types to
visualize data effectively. These include:
Bar Chart / Column Chart
Line Chart / Area Chart
Pie Chart / Donut Chart
Scatter Plot / Bubble Chart
Treemap
Waterfall Chart
Funnel Chart
Gauge Chart
Card / Multi-Row Card
KPI Visual
Map Visuals (Filled Map, Shape Map, ArcGIS
Maps)
Table / Matrix
Slicer / Filter Panel
Combo Charts (Line and Column)
 57. What is the difference
between a Table and a Matrix in
Power BI?
Table:
Displays data in a flat, row-by-row format
similar to Excel. It’s ideal for listing detailed
data without hierarchy.

Matrix:

Functions like a pivot table in Excel. It

supports row and column groupings, drill-
down, and subtotaling, making it suitable
for hierarchical data analysis.

Example:

Use a table for listing transactions.

Use a matrix to compare sales by Region
(rows) and Year (columns).
58. How do you create a custom
visual in Power BI?
To create a custom visual in Power BI, you use the
Power BI Custom Visual SDK, which is based on
TypeScript and [Link].
Steps:
Install [Link] and Power BI tools:
npm install -g powerbi-visuals-tools
Create a new visual project:
pbiviz new MyCustomVisual
Develop the visual using TypeScript, HTML,
and CSS.
Package the visual:
pbiviz package
Import the
.pbiviz file into Power BI via Import a visual
from file.
Custom visuals are useful for highly specific
visual requirements not covered by
standard charts.
59. What is a KPI visual in Power
BI?
A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) visual is used
to track progress toward a measurable goal.
Key Features:
Displays actual vs. target values
Uses color indicators, arrows, and trends to
show performance
Helps in monitoring business metrics like
sales, profit, or customer satisfaction

Example:
A KPI visual could show:
Current Sales = $95K
Target = $100K
Visual will indicate how close actual sales
are to the target, and whether the trend is
improving or declining.
 60. How do you create a drill-
through report in Power BI?
A drill-through report allows users to navigate
from a summary view to a more detailed page
focused on a specific value (e.g., customer,
product, region).
Steps to create:
Create a new page in your report.
Drag a field (e.g., Customer Name, Region)
into the Drill-through section of the Filters
pane.
Build visuals and insights on that page
based on the selected value.
Add a Back button (Insert → Button → Back)
so users can return to the original page.

This enhances interactivity and allows for

focused analysis.
61. What is the use of a hierarchy
in Power BI?
A hierarchy in Power BI is a structured
arrangement of data fields from higher to lower
granularity.
Purpose:
Enables drill-down and drill-up in visuals
Improves data exploration by allowing users
to move across levels (e.g., Year → Quarter →
Month)

Examples:
Date Hierarchy: Year → Quarter → Month →
Day
Geographical Hierarchy: Country → State →
City

Hierarchies help users analyze trends and

patterns at various levels of detail.
62. What is a tooltip in Power BI?
A tooltip is a small pop-up box that appears
when hovering over a visual, showing additional
data context or details.
Key Points:
Shows extra information like totals,
percentages, or related metrics
You can create custom tooltips using a
separate report page (by enabling Tooltip in
Page Information)
Improves the storytelling and usability of
reports

Example:

Hovering over a bar in a sales chart might

show monthly sales, profit margin, and
comparison with previous year.
 [Link] do you create a
waterfall chart in Power BI?
A waterfall chart is used to show how an initial
value is influenced by a series of positive or
negative changes.
Steps:
Select Waterfall Chart from the
Visualizations pane.
Add a Category field (e.g., Month, Product
Category).
Add a Y-axis field (e.g., Revenue, Profit).
Use the Breakdown feature to see
intermediate changes.
Customize formatting for better clarity.

Example:
Visualizing how operating income changes
across revenue, expenses, and taxes.
64. What is a decomposition tree
visual?
A decomposition tree is an AI-powered visual
that breaks down a metric into its contributing
factors.
Features:
Interactive and drillable
Allows both manual and AI-suggested splits
Ideal for root cause analysis and
understanding contribution breakdowns

Example:
Breaking down total sales by Region → Product
→ Salesperson to identify top drivers.
65. How do you create a forecast
in Power BI?
Forecasting in Power BI helps predict future
trends based on historical data using the built-
in Analytics pane in a Line Chart.
Steps:

Create a Line Chart visual.

Add a date/time field to the X-axis and a
measure (e.g., Sales) to the Y-axis.
Go to the Analytics pane.
Select Forecast, then set:
Forecast length (e.g., 6 months)
Confidence interval (e.g., 95%)
Seasonality (optional)

Forecasting is great for trend analysis and

demand planning.
 66. What is a sync slicer in
Power BI?
A sync slicer allows the same slicer to control
multiple report pages, ensuring consistent
filtering across views.
Use Case:
Useful when users navigate across pages and
want filters (e.g., date, region) to stay
consistent.
How to use:
Add a slicer to a page.
Go to View → Sync slicers.
Choose which pages the slicer applies to
and whether it’s visible or just synced.

This improves user experience and consistency

in multi-page reports.
 67. What is a scatter plot and
when should you use it?
A scatter plot visualizes the relationship
between two numerical variables, where each
point represents a data pair.
Use Case:
Identifying correlations, clusters, and
outliers
Comparing measures like Sales vs. Profit, or
Cost vs. Revenue
Example:
Analyzing customer profitability (Profit vs.
Revenue) to find high-value customers.
Scatter plots are ideal for trend detection
and data pattern analysis.
 68. How do you add conditional
formatting to a Power BI table?
Conditional formatting helps highlight key data
patterns using color, icons, or data bars.
Steps:
Select a Table or Matrix visual.
In the Values section of the Fields pane, click
the dropdown on the field you want to
format.
Choose Conditional formatting → (Font color,
Background color, Data bars, or Icons).
Define rules based on values, percentages,
or text conditions.
Example
Color-code sales figures: red for low, green
for high.
This improves report readability and draws
attention to important values.
 69. What is an ArcGIS Map in
Power BI?
An ArcGIS Map is an advanced geographic
visual in Power BI powered by Esri, designed for
location intelligence.
Features:
Heat maps, clustering, spatial analysis
Layers for boundaries, demographics, and
reference maps
Advanced mapping capabilities beyond
standard map visuals
Use Cases:
Analyzing store performance by location
Visualizing sales territories
Identifying geographical trends

ArcGIS Maps are valuable when deeper spatial

insights are needed.
 70. What is a Ribbon Chart in
Power BI?
A Ribbon Chart in Power BI is used to visualize
ranking changes over time. It shows how
different categories move up or down in rank
across a timeline or sequential periods.
Key Features:
Highlights top-performing categories
Tracks position shifts over time
The ribbon represents the rank order and
connects categories across periods
Use Cases:
Visualizing best-selling products month by
month or tracking market share by
company over quarters.
Example

If Product A was the top seller in January but

dropped to 3rd in February, the ribbon will
visually trace that rank change, helping identify
trends and shifts in performance.
 71. How do you publish a Power
BI report to the Power BI
Service?
To publish a Power BI report from Power BI
Desktop to the Power BI Service:
Steps:
Click File → Publish → Power BI Service.
Sign in with your Power BI account.
Choose the workspace where you want to
publish.
After publishing, the report becomes
available at [Link], where it can
be viewed, shared, and scheduled for
refresh.

This process makes reports accessible online

for collaboration and distribution.
 72. What are Power BI
Workspaces?
Workspaces in Power BI are shared
environments used to organize, manage, and
collaborate on content like reports, dashboards,
and datasets.

Types

My Workspace: Private space for personal

development and testing.
App Workspaces: Team-based collaborative
spaces used to publish content and apps.

Workspaces help manage access control,

content lifecycle, and deployment across
environments (e.g., Dev, Test, Prod).
 73. What is a Power BI App?
A Power BI App is a packaged collection of
related dashboards, reports, and datasets
published from a workspace.
Types
Makes it easy to distribute read-only
content to large audiences.
Users access it through the Apps section in
the Power BI Service.
Ideal for departmental reporting (e.g., Sales
App, Finance App).

Apps ensure consistent access to curated,

centralized content with version control and
permission settings.
 74. How do you share reports in
Power BI?
Reports in Power BI can be shared in multiple
ways:
Types
Sharing Options:
Direct Share: Send a report link to users via
email (requires a Power BI Pro license).
Publish to Web: Generate a public link for
external sharing (not recommended for
confidential data).
Embed: Insert reports into SharePoint,
Microsoft Teams, or custom applications.
Power BI Apps: Share a group of reports and
dashboards via an app.
Export: Export reports as PDF, PowerPoint,
or Excel files for offline sharing.
Choose the method based on security,
audience, and collaboration needs.
 75. What is Row-Level Security
(RLS) in Power BI?
Row-Level Security (RLS) controls access to
data at the row level, ensuring users see only
the data relevant to them.
How to set it up:
In Power BI Desktop, define roles using DAX
filters (e.g., [Region] = West).
Publish the report to the Power BI Service.
In the service, assign users or groups to the
roles.
Example:

A regional manager sees only sales from

their region, not national or other regions'
data.
RLS is essential for data privacy,
governance, and tailored user experiences.
 76. How do you create
dashboards in Power BI Service?
A dashboard in Power BI Service is a single-page
canvas that displays visuals from one or more
reports.
Steps to Create a Dashboard:
Go to Power BI Service ([Link]).
Open a workspace and click New →
Dashboard.
Open any report and click Pin visual to add
it to the dashboard.
Arrange and resize tiles to customize the
layout.
Use Case:
Dashboards are ideal for high-level summaries
and executive overviews.
77. What is a Power BI Dataflow?
A Power BI Dataflow is a cloud-based ETL
(Extract, Transform, Load) tool used to prepare
and clean data independently of reports and
datasets.
Key Features:
Built using Power Query Online
Stores data in Azure Data Lake Storage
Promotes data reuse across multiple
datasets
Improves performance via pre-processed
transformations

Use Case:
Centralize business logic and reduce
redundancy in data preparation across teams.
 78. How do you schedule data
refresh in Power BI?
In Power BI Service, you can set up automatic
refreshes for datasets to keep reports up to
date.
Steps:
Go to the dataset settings in Power BI
Service.
Click on Scheduled refresh.
Set the refresh frequency (e.g., daily,
hourly).
Provide data source credentials if needed.
Optionally, configure failure notifications.
Tip:

Scheduled refreshes require Power BI Pro or

Premium depending on the dataset size and
frequency.
 79. How do you use Power
Automate with Power BI?
Power Automate allows you to create
automated workflows connected to Power BI
events.
Common Automations:

Send email notifications when KPIs are met

or thresholds are breached
Trigger flows when new data is added or
updated
Refresh datasets on-demand
Export reports and share as PDFs or emails
Example:
Notify a sales manager when daily sales drop
below target using a Power BI alert tied to a
Power Automate flow.
80. What is a Power BI Paginated
Report?
A Paginated Report is a pixel-perfect, printable
report format used for detailed and formatted
output.
Characteristics:

Supports multi-page, print-friendly layouts

Ideal for exporting to PDF, Excel, or Word
Created using Power BI Report Builder
Requires Power BI Premium or Report
Server
Use Case:

Invoices, financial statements, or government

forms where precise layout and page control
are essential.
81. How do you embed a Power BI
report in a website?
You can embed a Power BI report in two main
ways:
1. Publish to Web (Public):
In Power BI Service, open the report.
Click File → Embed Report → Publish to Web.
Copy the embed code and paste it into your
website's HTML.
Note: This method is public—do not use for
confidential data.
2. Power BI Embedded (Secure):
Requires Power BI Pro or Premium.
Use the Power BI REST API to embed
reports into web apps.
Supports row-level security and user
authentication.

Ideal for secure enterprise applications and

custom portals.
 82. How do you enable Q&A in
Power BI?
Q&A allows users to ask natural language
questions and get data-driven answers through
visuals.
Steps to Enable Q&A:
In Power BI Service, open a dashboard.
Go to Settings → Q&A and Cortana → Turn on
Q&A.
In Power BI Desktop, add the Q&A Visual
from the Visualizations pane.

You can also train Q&A to understand synonyms

and custom phrases via the Q&A setup.
 83. What are bookmarks in
Power BI?
Bookmarks capture the current state of a
report page, including filters, visuals, slicers,
and visibility settings.
Use Cases:
Interactive navigation
Report storytelling
Simulating drill-through and toggle views
How to Create:
Set your desired visual state.
Go to View → Bookmarks Pane → Add
Bookmark.
Use Buttons or Images to link to bookmarks
for smooth navigation.

Bookmarks improve user interactivity without

complex DAX.
84. What is Power BI Deployment
Pipeline?
The Deployment Pipeline is a lifecycle
management tool in Power BI for moving
content across Development → Test →
Production stages.
Key Benefits:
Reduces deployment errors
Enables version control
Supports structured and repeatable
releases
Requires Power BI Premium
Use Case:
Manage BI content changes in enterprise
environments while ensuring quality and
consistency across stages.
85. How do you collaborate with
team members in Power BI?
Power BI offers multiple collaboration tools:
Options:
Workspaces: Shared environment for teams
to co-author and manage reports.
Comments: Add contextual comments to
visuals for feedback and discussion.
Share Links: Securely share reports with
role-based access control.
Power BI Apps: Distribute curated
collections of dashboards and reports
across the organization.
Microsoft Teams & SharePoint: Embed
Power BI reports directly into collaborative
platforms.

These features help teams align on data-driven

decisions.
 86. How do you improve Power
BI report performance?
To improve Power BI report performance, focus
on optimizing both the data model and visual
layer:
Best Practices:
Use a Star Schema instead of a Snowflake
schema.
Remove unnecessary columns/rows from
your tables.
Avoid complex DAX in visuals; use
measures instead.
Limit the number of visuals per page to
reduce rendering time.
Use Aggregations to pre-summarize large
datasets.
Disable auto date/time for unnecessary
tables.
Optimize relationships and avoid many-to-
many joins.
 87. How do you optimize DAX
queries?
Optimizing DAX ensures faster query execution
and better performance, especially on large
datasets.
Techniques:
Use VAR to store intermediate results and
avoid repeated calculations.
Replace expensive patterns like
FILTER(ALL(...)) with KEEPFILTERS() when
appropriate.
Use SUMX() for row-by-row calculations
instead of nested CALCULATE().
Avoid unnecessary use of
DISTINCTCOUNT() on large columns.
Optimize context transitions and limit
heavy calculated columns or tables.

Goal: Make DAX efficient, readable, and

scalable.
88. What is lazy loading in Power
BI?
Lazy loading is a performance optimization
technique in Power BI that loads data and
visuals only when needed.
Benefits:
Only visible visuals load initially, reducing
wait time.
Processes data in batches, not all at once.
Improves memory usage by not loading
unused visuals or pages.

This enhances user experience, especially in

reports with multiple pages or tabs.
 89. How do you reduce the size
of a Power BI file (.PBIX)?
Reducing file size helps improve report
performance and reduces publishing time.
Strategies:
Remove unused columns and tables from
your model.
Use appropriate data types (e.g., integers
instead of text).
Disable Auto Date/Time to avoid extra
hidden date tables.
Use aggregated/summarized data instead of
raw transactional data.
Filter rows at the query level to only load
necessary data.
Limit unnecessary visuals and avoid large
background images.
A smaller file = faster performance, lower
memory consumption, and quicker sharing.
90. How do you use Aggregations
in Power BI?
Aggregations help improve report performance
by summarizing detailed data and reducing the
amount of data queried.
Steps to Use Aggregations:
Create an aggregated table (e.g., sales per
month per region).
Define relationships between aggregated
and detailed tables.
Go to Manage Aggregations in Power BI to
map fields and measures to detailed tables.
Power BI will use the aggregated table by
default and fallback to detailed data only
when necessary.
Benefits:
Reduces query load on large datasets.
Improves performance in visuals.
Enables near real-time interaction without
querying the entire dataset.
91. What is the impact of too many
visuals on report performance?
Having too many visuals on a report page can
significantly degrade performance.
Performance Issues:
Increased load time: Each visual executes a
separate DAX query.
Higher memory consumption: More visuals
use more resources.
Longer refresh/render time: Especially with
complex visuals or large datasets.
Poor user experience: Laggy interaction can
frustrate users.
Best Practices:
Limit visuals per page (focus on key
insights).
Use aggregated data to reduce processing.
Use the Performance Analyzer in Power BI
Desktop to identify slow visuals.
Focus on clean design with meaningful,
optimized visuals.
 92. How do you use composite
models in Power BI?
Composite models allow you to combine different
storage modes—Import, DirectQuery, and Dual—in a
single dataset.
How to Use:
Enable Composite Models in Power BI
Options.
Connect to multiple sources like SQL Server
(DirectQuery) and Excel (Import).
Assign Import mode to frequently used,
stable data (for performance).
Assign DirectQuery to real-time data
sources.
Use Dual mode for shared tables that can
act as Import or DirectQuery, depending on
Benefits: the context.
Combines real-time access with high
performance.
Offers flexibility in data modeling and
optimization.
93. What is Query Folding in Power
BI?
Query folding is the process where Power Query
pushes transformations (such as filters, joins,
groupings) back to the data source, allowing the
database to perform the heavy lifting.
Example:

Filtering a SQL Server table in Power Query

generates a SQL query like:

This reduces the amount of data loaded into

Power BI.
 Benefits:
Improves performance by reducing the data
transferred.
Minimizes memory usage in Power BI.
Reduces processing time in the query editor.
Note:
Works best with relational sources like SQL
Server, Oracle.
May not apply to flat files (Excel, CSV)

Best Practice: Apply filters and transformations

early in Power Query to take advantage of query
folding.
 94. What is the difference
between Import Mode and
DirectQuery Mode in terms of
performance?
Feature Import Mode DirectQuery Mode

Performance
✅ Fast (data ⚠️ Slower (queries
preloaded) run in real-time)

Requires
Always up-to-date
Data Refresh scheduled/manual
with source
refresh

Data is stored in No data stored;

Data Storage
Power BI queries source live

Small/Medium Large datasets /

Best For
datasets Real-time needs

File size grows with Depends on source

Limitations
data volume performance

Use Import Mode when performance is critical.

Use DirectQuery for real-time dashboards or
when data size is too large to import.
 95. How do you handle large
datasets in Power BI?
Managing large datasets requires a strategic mix
of modeling, transformation, and query
optimization.
Strategies:
Use aggregations: Create summary tables (e.g.,
sales by month) instead of querying raw data.
Limit columns and rows: Load only the data
that’s required for analysis.
Apply query folding: Push data
transformations to the source using Power
Query.
Use DirectQuery or Composite Models: Avoid
importing huge datasets.
Partition data: Split large tables by time (e.g.,
year/month) to improve refresh performance.
Optimize DAX measures: Use VAR, avoid
unnecessary CALCULATE() nesting.
Use incremental refresh: Load only
new/changed data.
 96. How do you integrate Power BI
with SQL Server?

To connect Power BI with SQL Server:

Open Power BI Desktop.
Click Get Data → SQL Server.
Enter Server Name and Database Name.
Choose the connection type:
Import – for better performance.
DirectQuery – for real-time data.
Click OK, select tables or use a SQL query.

You can also write custom SQL queries in the

Advanced options to limit data.
 97. How do you integrate Power BI
with Python?
Power BI supports Python scripting for data
import and custom visuals.
Steps:
Install Python and required libraries (e.g.,
pandas, matplotlib).
In Power BI:
File → Options → Python scripting → Set Python
home directory.
Use:
Home → Get Data → Python script (for data
transformation).
Python Visual (from Visualizations pane) for
custom charts.

Best for: Machine learning, statistical analysis,

web scraping, and custom charts.
 98. What is Power BI AI Insights?

AI Insights brings built-in machine learning

capabilities into Power BI, allowing users to run
predictive models and extract insights without
code.
Features:

Text Analytics – Extract sentiment, key

phrases.
Vision AI – Image recognition, tagging.
AutoML – Train models on your data (available
in Premium).
Azure ML Integration – Use pre-trained models
from Azure.

Use AI Insights in Power Query Editor under the

AI Insights tab.
 99. How do you create a Power BI
report using R?

Power BI integrates with R scripting for

statistical and predictive analysis.
Steps:
Install R and libraries (e.g., ggplot2, dplyr).

In Power BI:
File → Options → R scripting → Set R installation
path.
Use:

Get Data → R Script to load/transform data.

R Visual to create advanced visualizations.

Best for regression, clustering, and other

statistical modeling.
100. What is the difference between
Power BI and Tableau?
Feature Power BI Tableau

More affordable;
Expensive;
Cost Free version
Enterprise license
available

Easier for business Steeper learning

Ease of Use
users, intuitive UI curve

Strong visuals, but Highly customizable

Visualization
less customizable and dynamic visuals

Best for Optimized for large

Performance
small/medium data datasets

Strong Azure ML,

AI & ML Features Limited built-in AI
AutoML integration

Strong with Strong with various

Data Connectivity Microsoft tools enterprise data
(Excel, Azure) sources

Scripting Support Python, R, DAX Python, R

Did I miss any important questions?

Feel free to drop a comment on this post or

DM me directly — I’d love to hear your
suggestions and keep this resource even
better for everyone.

Let’s keep learning and growing together!

I hope you find this helpful
and valuable.
Feel free to like, comment, or
share if you found this valuable.

Rama Gopala Krishna Masani

Data analyst & Scientist