7/15/2025 POWER BI
ASHISH KR YADAV
Top Power-BI interview
questions and answers
Q 1. What is Power BI?
ANS :- Power BI is a powerful data visualization and
business intelligence tool and provided by Microsoft
it helps converting row data into interactive
dashboard and reports I have used it to simply
complex data into interactive visualization.
Q 2. What are the key components of Power BI?
ANS :- The key components are Power BI Desktop,
Power BI Service, and Power BI Mobile.
Q 3. What is Power BI Desktop?
ANS :- Power BI Desktop is a desktop application
used for creating and publishing reports.
Q 4. What is the Power BI Service?
ANS :- Power BI Service is an online service for
sharing and collaborating on Power BI reports.
Difference between Calculated Column and
Measures and how they are helpful while
creating report?
ANS :- Calculated columns works on row
context, which means it performs the calculation
row by row, while Measures operate on filter
context, which means they offer the result on the
flyer, which means whatever filters are used, the
result will be generated. The Calculated
column takes up space in the model, but the
Measures do not. The calculated column is
physically present, which means you can establish
relationships with this column in the data model.
However, since measures do not exist, we cannot
create any type of relationship with them.
Q 5. What are Power BI dashboards?
ANS :- Dashboards are single-page, often called
canvases, that use visualizations to tell a story.
Q 6. What is a Power BI report?
ANS :- A report is a multi-perspective view into a
dataset, with visualizations representing different
insights from the dataset.
Q 7. What is DAX?
ANS :- DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) is a
formula language used in Power BI, Power Pivot,
and SSAS for creating custom calculations.
Q 8. What are some common data sources for
Power BI?
ANS :- Common data sources include Excel, SQL Server,
Azure, SharePoint, and web data.
Q 9. How do you refresh data in Power BI?
ANS :- Data can be refreshed manually in Power BI
Desktop or automatically scheduled in the Power BI
Service.
Q 10. What are Power BI visualizations?
ANS :- Visualizations are graphical representations of
data, such as charts, graphs, maps, etc.
Q 11. What is Power Query?
ANS :- Power Query is a data connection technology that
enables you to discover, connect, combine, and refine
data across a wide variety of sources.
Q 12. What is the use of the Power BI gateway?
ANS :- The gateway is used to securely connect on-
premises data sources to Power BI.
Q 13. What are calculated columns in Power BI?
ANS :- Calculated columns are new data columns
created using DAX formulas based on other columns in
the dataset.
Q 14. What are measures in Power BI?
ANS :- Measures are calculations used in data
analysis, such as sums, averages, or more complex
aggregations, created using DAX.
Q 15. What is a data model in Power BI?
ANS :- A data model is a collection of tables,
relationships, and calculations that underpin a Power
BI report.
Q 16. How do you create a relationship
between tables in Power BI?
ANS :- Relationships can be created by dragging and
dropping fields between tables in the relationship view.
Q 17. What is a slicer in Power BI?
ANS :- A slicer is a visual filter that allows users to
segment data in a report.
Q 18. What is a Power BI template?
ANS :- A template is a file that includes a Power BI
report definition and layout but not the data itself,
allowing users to create new reports based on a pre-
defined structure.
Q 19. What is the use of the 'Get Data' feature
in Power BI?
ANS :- The 'Get Data' feature is used to connect to and
import data from various sources into Power BI.
Q 20. What is drill through in Power BI?
ANS :- Drill through allows users to navigate to a different
report page that is filtered to display specific details.
Q 21. How can you share Power BI reports?
ANS :- Reports can be shared via the Power BI Service
by publishing them and sharing links or workspaces with
others.
Q 22. What is a custom visual in Power BI?
ANS :- Custom visuals are additional visual types that
can be imported into Power BI to extend its visualization
capabilities.
Q 23. What are Power BI apps?
ANS :- Power BI apps are collections of dashboards and
reports that are bundled together and can be shared with
other users.
Q 24. What is a KPI in Power BI?
ANS :- A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a visual
cue that communicates the amount of progress made
toward a measurable goal.
Q 25. How do you handle large datasets in
Power BI?
ANS :- Large datasets can be managed using data
reduction techniques, such as aggregations, filters, or
incremental data refresh.
Q 26. What is row-level security (RLS) in Power
BI?
ANS :- RLS allows you to restrict data access for certain
users based on roles defined within Power BI
Q 27. What is a calculated table in Power BI?
ANS :- A calculated table is a new table created in Power
BI using DAX expressions.
Q 28. How do you optimize Power BI reports for
performance?
ANS :- Optimize reports by reducing the data model size,
using efficient DAX calculations, minimizing visuals, and
optimizing queries.
Q 29. What are Power BI workspaces?
ANS :- Workspaces are collaborative environments where
users can create, share, and manage reports and
dashboards.
Q 30. What is Power BI Embedded?
ANS :- Power BI Embedded is a service that allows you
to embed Power BI reports and dashboards into your
custom applications.
Q 31. What is the purpose of the Power BI REST
API?
ANS :- The REST API allows developers to
programmatically interact with Power BI service,
automating tasks like embedding reports, creating
datasets, and refreshing data.
Q 32. How do you create a custom date table in
Power BI?
ANS :- A custom date table can be created using DAX
or imported from a source, providing a dedicated
table for date-related calculations.
Q 33. Explain the use of the CALCULATE
function in DAX.
ANS :- CALCULATE changes the context in which data is
evaluated, allowing for advanced filtering and
manipulation of measures and calculated columns.
Q 34. What are hierarchies in Power BI?
ANS :- Hierarchies allow you to organize data into levels,
such as year, quarter, month, enabling drill-down
capabilities in visualizations.
Q 35. What is a dataflow in Power BI?
ANS :- A dataflow is a collection of tables created and
managed in the Power BI Service, used to streamline data
preparation and ETL processes.
Q 36. Explain the use of the FILTER function in
DAX?
ANS :- FILTER returns a table that includes only rows that
meet the specified criteria, often used in combination with
CALCULATE.
Q 37. What are the benefits of using Power BI
Premium?
ANS :- Power BI Premium offers dedicated capacity,
larger dataset sizes, more frequent data refreshes, and
advanced AI capabilities.
Q 38. Explain the use of the CALCULATE
function in DAX ?
ANS :- CALCULATE changes the context in which data is
evaluated, allowing for advanced filtering and
manipulation of measures and calculated columns.
Q 39. What is incremental refresh in Power BI?
ANS :- Incremental refresh allows you to update only the
data that has changed, rather than refreshing the entire
dataset, improving performance and efficiency.
Q 40. How do you create a measure to calculate
year-over-year growth in Power BI?
ANS :- Use DAX functions like CALCULATE,
SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, and DIVIDE to create measures
that compare current and previous year values and
calculate growth.
Q 41. What is Power BI Report Server?
ANS :- Power BI Report Server is an on-premises
report server that allows you to create, publish, and
manage Power BI reports and paginated reports.
Q 42. Explain the use of the RELATED function
in DAX.
ANS :- RELATED returns a value from a related table,
allowing you to use columns from related tables in your
calculations.
Q 43. How do you implement dynamic titles in
Power BI visuals?
ANS :- Use measures and conditional formatting to create
titles that change based on slicer selections or other user
inputs.
Q 44. What is the purpose of the VALUES
function in DAX?
ANS :- VALUES returns a one-column table of
unique values from a specified column, often used
to create dynamic calculations.
Q 45. What are parameters in Power BI?
ANS :- Parameters are used to create dynamic reports
by allowing users to input values that filter or change
data in the report.
Q 46. How do you use the SWITCH function in
DAX?
ANS :- SWITCH evaluates an expression against a list
of values and returns the corresponding result, similar
to a case statement in programming.
Q 47. Explain the concept of context transition
in DAX.
ANS :- Context transition occurs when row context is
converted to filter context, typically when using
CALCULATE or certain iterators in DAX.
Q 48. What is the purpose of the ALLEXCEPT
function in DAX?
ANS :- ALLEXCEPT removes all filters from a table
except for the specified columns, useful for calculating
values in a specific context.
Q 49. How do you handle circular
dependencies in DAX?
ANS :- Avoid circular dependencies by restructuring
calculations, ensuring no measure or calculated column
depends on itself directly or indirectly.
Q 50. Explain the difference between
DirectQuery and Import mode in Power BI.
ANS :- Import mode imports data into Power BI,
providing fast performance and full functionality.
DirectQuery queries data directly from the source,
allowing for real- time data access but with some
limitations on features and performance.
