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POWER BI INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

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BUSINESS & DATA ANALYST EASY TO LEARN
DAX
13. What is DAX, and How Does It Work in Power BI?
DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) is a formula language in Power BI, used to perform
calculations and aggregations on data models. It is similar to Excel formulas but optimized
for data modeling, relationships, and performance.

Key Features of DAX:

Calculated Columns – Row-wise calculations stored in tables.

Measures – Dynamic aggregations computed on demand.
Filtering & Context Manipulation – Controls how data is aggregated.
Powerful Functions – Includes time intelligence, statistical, and logical functions.
Example:

Total Sales = SUM(Sales[Amount])

This measure dynamically calculates the total sales amount in reports.

Result: DAX enables customized calculations and enhances data analysis in Power
BI.

14. Explain the Difference Between SUM(), SUMX(), and

CALCULATE().

Function Purpose Use Case Example

Aggregates a single column by

SUM() SUM(Sales[Amount])
summing its values

Iterates over a table, performing

SUMX(Sales, Sales[Quantity] *
SUMX() row-by-row calculations and
Sales[Price])
summing the results

Modifies the filter context of an

CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Amount
CALCULATE() expression (often used with
]), Sales[Region] = "West")
measures)

Example:
Total Revenue = SUMX(Sales, Sales[Quantity] * Sales[Unit Price])

This computes total revenue dynamically by multiplying each row’s quantity with the
unit price.

Result:
SUM() works on a column, SUMX() iterates row-wise, and CALCULATE() modifies
filtering behavior.

15. How Do You Create a Dynamic Measure in Power BI?

A dynamic measure changes based on slicers, filters, or user input.

Steps to Create a Dynamic Measure:

1️ .Create a table with different metric names (e.g., "Sales", "Profit", "Orders").
2️ .Use a slicer to let users select a metric.
3 .Write a DAX SWITCH() function to return the selected metric.

Example: Dynamic Sales Measure

Selected Measure =

SWITCH(

SELECTEDVALUE(MeasureTable[Metric]),

"Sales", SUM(Sales[Amount]),
"Profit", SUM(Sales[Profit]),

"Orders", COUNT(Sales[OrderID])

Now, selecting “Sales” will show total sales, while selecting “Profit” will display profit.

Result: This enables interactive dashboards where users can choose different KPIs
dynamically.

16. What is the Difference Between ALL(), ALLEXCEPT(), and

REMOVEFILTERS()?
Function Purpose Example

Removes all filters from a table ALL(Sales) removes all filters

ALL()
or column from the Sales table

Removes all filters except for the ALLEXCEPT(Sales, Sales[Region])

ALLEXCEPT()
specified column(s) keeps filter on Region

Removes filters selectively like

REMOVEFILTERS(Sales[Category]
REMOVEFILTERS() ALL(), but more readable and
) removes filter on Category only
focused

Example: Using ALL() in DAX Measure

Total Sales (Ignoring Filters) = CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Amount]), ALL(Sales))

This returns total sales for all data, ignoring filters applied in reports.

Result:
ALL() removes all filters.
ALLEXCEPT() removes all filters except specific columns.
REMOVEFILTERS() selectively removes filters from a column or table.

Visualization and Reporting

17. How Do You Create an Interactive Dashboard in Power BI?

An interactive dashboard in Power BI allows users to explore data dynamically using

filters, slicers, and visual interactions.

Steps to Create an Interactive Dashboard:

1️ .Import Data – Connect to a data source using Power Query and clean the data.
2️ .Create Relationships – Ensure correct relationships between tables in Model View.
3 .Build Visuals – Use bar charts, pie charts, KPIs, cards, and tables for insights.
4️ .Add Interactivity – Use slicers, filters, and cross-highlighting for dynamic exploration.
5 .Enable Drill-through and Drill-down – Allow users to go deeper into data.
6 .Use Bookmarks and Buttons – Save states for storytelling and easy navigation.
7️ .Optimize Performance – Reduce unnecessary visuals, enable query reduction in
slicers, and use aggregations for faster loading.
8️ .Publish and Share – Upload the report to Power BI Service and share it with
stakeholders.

Example:

• Sales Dashboard with slicers for Year, Region, and Product Category.
• Drill-through for deep analysis of specific regions.

• Bookmarks for toggling between different views.

Result: Users can click, filter, and drill-down into the data for deeper insights.

18. What Are Custom Visuals in Power BI, and How Do You Use
Them?
Custom visuals are additional Power BI visuals beyond the built-in options, used for
advanced reporting needs.

Types of Custom Visuals:

1️ .Certified Custom Visuals – Microsoft-approved, available in the Power BI store.

2️ .Third-party Custom Visuals – Created by developers for unique business needs.
3 .Custom Built Visuals – Developed using Power BI Developer Tools (TypeScript &
D3.js).

How to Use Custom Visuals?

1️ .Go to Visualizations Pane → Click "Get more visuals".

2️ .Search for the required visual (e.g., Sunburst Chart, Word Cloud).
3 .Click Add and use it in the report.

Example:

• Sankey Chart for visualizing flow between categories.

• Gantt Chart for project timelines.
•
Radar Chart for performance comparison.
Result: Custom visuals enhance data storytelling and make reports more engaging
and insightful.

19. How Do You Create Drill-through and Drill-down Reports?

Drill-down: Allows users to explore data hierarchically (e.g., Year → Month → Day).
Drill-through: Allows users to click a data point and open a detailed report on that
category.
🛠 Steps to Create Drill-down:
1️ .Create a hierarchy in Model View (e.g., Year > Quarter > Month > Day).
2️ .Add the hierarchy to a bar chart or line chart.
3 .Enable the drill-down button (downward arrow in the chart).
4️ .Click on data points to navigate deeper into details.

Example:

• A Sales Trend Chart where clicking on "2️02️4️" breaks down into quarters → months.

🛠 Steps to Create Drill-through:

1️ .Create a detailed report page (e.g., Regional Sales Detail).
2️ .Add a Drill-through filter (drag a field like Region to Drill-through pane).
3 .In the main report, right-click a visual → Drill-through → Select the detailed report.

Example:

• Right-clicking on a North America sales bar can navigate to a detailed "Regional

Sales Analysis" page.

Result: Users can interactively explore data at different levels, improving insights and
usability.

20. What Is the Use of Bookmarks in Power BI?

Bookmarks save the current state of a report, including:
Applied filters and slicers
Selected visuals and page layouts
Drill-through and expanded visuals

🛠 How to Use Bookmarks?

1️ .Navigate to the View tab → Click Bookmarks Pane.
2️ .Set the report view as desired (apply filters, slicers, etc.).
3 .Click “Add” in the Bookmark pane and rename it.
4️ .Use Buttons to navigate between bookmarks.

Example:

• A Sales Report with two bookmarks:

o Bookmark 1: Revenue by Region

o Bookmark 2: Product Performance

Result: Bookmarks create interactive storytelling and enhance user experience in

dashboards.

Performance Optimization

21. How Do You Optimize Power BI Reports for Performance?

Optimizing Power BI reports ensures faster loading, better responsiveness, and efficient
data processing.

Best Practices for Performance Optimization:

1️ .Reduce Data Model Size

• Remove unnecessary columns and rows.

• Use integer-based keys instead of text for relationships.

• Avoid using GUIDs (Globally Unique Identifiers) in joins.

2️ .Optimize DAX Measures

 • Use SUMX() and COUNTX() carefully, as they iterate row by row.
• Avoid unnecessary CALCULATE() statements.
•
Use variables (VAR) to store intermediate calculations.

3 .Use Proper Data Types

• Convert DateTime to Date if time is not required.

• Convert text columns to categorical when applicable.

4️ .Enable Query Reduction

• In slicer settings, enable “Apply changes” to reduce unnecessary recalculations.

• Use Aggregations to summarize data and reduce query complexity.

5 .Reduce Visual Overload

• Limit the number of visuals on a page (target 8-10 visuals).

• Use pre-filtered pages instead of loading all data in a single view.

6 .Use Star Schema Instead of Flat Tables

• Optimize the data model by using Fact & Dimension tables instead of a single large
table.

Result: Applying these techniques improves report responsiveness, reduces query

execution time, and enhances user experience.

22. What Is the Use of Aggregations in Power BI?

Aggregations precompute summarized data to reduce query time when working with
large datasets.

Types of Aggregations:

1️ .Implicit Aggregation:

• Power BI automatically sums, counts, or averages data in visuals.

2️ .Explicit Aggregation:

• Using DAX functions like SUM(), COUNT(), AVERAGE(), etc.

 3 .Pre-Aggregated Tables:

• Creating summary tables in Power BI or SQL before importing data.

How Aggregations Improve Performance?

✔ Queries fetch pre-aggregated data instead of scanning millions of rows.

✔ Reduces memory usage and speeds up visuals.
✔ Aggregated tables work well with DirectQuery mode, improving real-time reporting.
Example:

• Instead of querying 500M sales transactions, use an aggregated table with

SUM(SalesAmount) grouped by Region and Month.

Result: Aggregations reduce query execution time and improve dashboard

performance.

23. How Do You Handle Large Datasets in Power BI?

Power BI struggles with large datasets, but efficient modeling ensures smooth
performance.

Best Practices for Handling Large Datasets:

1️ .Use DirectQuery Mode Instead of Import

• DirectQuery fetches data on demand, reducing memory load.

• Works well when the dataset is over 10GB.

2️ .Implement Aggregations

• Store summary tables (e.g., Monthly Sales) instead of raw transactional data.

3 .Partition Data for Incremental Refresh

• Load only new data instead of reloading the entire dataset.

• Configure Incremental Refresh (e.g., load last 2 years of data).

4️ .Use Star Schema Instead of Snowflake

• Flatten complex joins to reduce relationships and query complexity.

5 .Optimize DAX Queries

• Avoid nested CALCULATE() functions and use SUMX() carefully.

Example:

• Instead of loading 50M sales records, aggregate data to "Sales by Region &
Month" for efficient analysis.

Result: Power BI handles billions of rows efficiently, ensuring faster dashboards and
reports.

24. How Do You Reduce Report Load Time in Power BI?

Slow Power BI reports can frustrate users. Optimize reports using these techniques:

Techniques to Improve Load Time:

1️ .Reduce Data Volume

• Remove unnecessary columns & rows before loading data.

• Use date filters to limit data (e.g., load only last 2️ years of sales).

2️ .Optimize Queries in Power Query

• Use native database queries (SQL statements) instead of Power Query

transformations.

• Disable auto-detect relationships in Power BI.

3 .Reduce Visual Complexity

• Reduce the number of visuals on a page (8-10 visuals max).

• Avoid heavy visuals like maps and tables with too many rows.

4️ .Use Measures Instead of Calculated Columns

• Measures are calculated on-demand while calculated columns increase data

model size.

5 .Enable Performance Analyzer

• Use Performance Analyzer to check slow queries and optimize them.

Example:

• A report showing global sales loads slowly → Apply a Region filter to show only one
continent at a time.

Result: Reports load faster, use fewer resources, and improve user experience.

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