Design and Manage Analytics Solutions Using Power BI (PL-300)
This course covers the various methods and best practices that are in line with business and technical requirements for modeling, visualizing, and analyzing data with Power BI. The course will show how to access and process data from a range of data sources including both relational and non-relational sources. Finally, this course will also discuss how to manage and deploy reports and dashboards for sharing and content distribution.
Introduction to Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300)
Course Overview
- Microsoft course PL-300T00-A. This course covers the various methods and best practices that
- are in line with business and technical requirements for modeling, visualizing and analyzing
- data with Power BI. It shows how to access and process data from a range of data sources,
- including both relational and non-relational sources, and how to manage and deploy reports and
- dashboards for sharing and content distribution.
- Three days, intermediate level, aligned to the Data Analyst role and preparing for the
- Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate certification.
Course Outline
- Module 1: Get started with Microsoft data analytics
- An overview of data analysis, the roles in data and the tasks of a data analyst.
- The building blocks of Power BI, and a tour of the Power BI service.
- Module 2: Prepare the data (exam weighting 25-30%)
- Get or connect to data - identify and connect to data sources or a shared semantic model;
- change data source settings including credentials and privacy levels; choose between
- DirectLake, DirectQuery and Import; create and modify parameters.
- Profile and clean the data - evaluate data using data statistics and column properties;
- resolve inconsistencies, unexpected or null values and data quality issues; resolve import errors.
- Transform and load the data - select column data types; create and transform columns; group and
- aggregate rows; pivot, unpivot and transpose; convert semi-structured data to a table; create
- fact and dimension tables; reference versus duplicate queries; merge and append queries;
- create keys for relationships; configure data loading for queries.
- Module 3: Model the data (exam weighting 25-30%)
- Design and implement a data model - configure table and column properties; implement
- role-playing dimensions; define cardinality and cross-filter direction; create a common date
- table; identify use cases for calculated columns and calculated tables.
- Create model calculations by using DAX - single aggregation measures; the CALCULATE function;
- time intelligence measures; basic statistical functions; semi-additive measures; quick
- measures; calculated tables and columns; calculation groups.
- Optimize model performance - remove unnecessary rows and columns; identify poorly performing
- measures, relationships and visuals using Performance Analyzer and the DAX query view;
- improve performance by reducing granularity.
- Module 4: Visualize and analyze the data (exam weighting 25-30%)
- Create reports - select, format and configure visuals; create a narrative visual with Copilot;
- apply and customize a theme; apply conditional formatting, slicing and filtering; use Copilot to create a report page and suggest its content; configure the report page; choose when to use
- a paginated report; create visual calculations by using DAX.
- Enhance reports for usability and storytelling - bookmarks, custom tooltips, interactions
- between visuals, report navigation, sorting, sync slicers, grouping and layering with the
- Selection pane, drillthrough navigation, export settings, mobile layouts, personalization,
- accessibility and automatic page refresh.
- Identify patterns and trends - the Analyze feature; grouping, binning and clustering; AI
- visuals; reference lines, error bars and forecasting; outlier and anomaly detection; using
- Copilot to summarize the underlying semantic model.
- Module 5: Manage and secure Power BI (exam weighting 15-20%)
- Create and manage workspaces and assets - create and configure a workspace; configure and
- update an app; publish, import or update items; create dashboards; choose a distribution
- method; configure subscriptions and data alerts; promote or certify content; identify when a
- gateway is required; configure a semantic model scheduled refresh.
- Secure and govern Power BI items - assign workspace roles; configure item-level access and
- access to semantic models; implement row-level security roles and group membership; apply
- sensitivity labels.
- Exam weightings above follow Microsoft's skills-measured list for PL-300 as of April 20, 2026.
Intended Audience
- Data professionals and business intelligence professionals who want to learn how to accurately
- perform data analysis using Power BI.
- Individuals who develop reports that visualize data from data platform technologies that exist
- both in the cloud and on-premises.
- Analysts who work with business stakeholders to identify requirements, and alongside analytics
- engineers and data engineers to acquire data.
Prerequisites
- Understanding core data concepts
- Knowledge of working with relational data in the cloud
- Knowledge of working with non-relational data in the cloud
- Knowledge of data analysis and visualization concepts
- DP-900 Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals is recommended
- Proficiency with Power Query and Data Analysis Expressions (DAX)
Follow-On Courses
Related training topics
Justify your training
Use this sample request letter — copy it into an email to your manager and personalize the bracketed details to make the case for the time and budget.
Sample training request letter
Subject: Request for Data Analytics & Databases training from Applied Technology Academy
[Decision Maker Name],
I'm writing to request time and budget approval to complete Applied Technology Academy's course, Design and Manage Analytics Solutions Using Power BI (PL-300). The information below outlines how this training benefits our organization, the tasks I'll be able to perform after completing it, and relevant cost and funding details.
Course Description
This course covers the various methods and best practices that are in line with business and technical requirements for modeling, visualizing, and analyzing data with Power BI. The course will show how to access and process data from a range of data sources including both relational and non-relational sources. Finally, this course will also discuss how to manage and deploy reports and dashboards for sharing and content distribution. Applied Technology Academy is an award-winning, SBA-certified woman-owned training provider (est. 2019) whose instructors are active practitioners. The course combines instructor-led training with practical exercises, real-world examples, and computer-based activities designed to reinforce job-relevant skills. It also includes formal hands-on labs for applied, learn-by-doing practice in a live environment.
Course Objectives
Once I've completed the course, I'll have job-ready skills in Data Analytics & Databases that I can apply immediately to our work.
Expected Organizational Benefits
After completing this course, I will be better equipped to apply these skills directly to our projects, reduce our reliance on outside expertise, strengthen our team's capabilities, and share what I learn with colleagues.
Expected Cost & Funding
Course fee: [request an itemized quote at the link below]. Applied Technology Academy supports multiple funding paths that may reduce or cover this cost: GSA MAS purchasing and government purchase orders, military credentialing funding (Army CA, AF COOL, CG COOL), VA GI Bill and VR&E, ATA Flexible Spending, and student financing. Private team cohorts are available if colleagues should attend with me.
Conclusion
This training provides practical, hands-on experience I can apply immediately to strengthen our work in Data Analytics & Databases. Additional course information is available at https://appliedtechnologyacademy.com/microsoft-training/microsoft-power-bi-data-analyst-pl-300/.
Thank you for your consideration,
[Your Name]
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