The short version
PL-300 is Microsoft’s associate-level exam for people who build reports and models in Power BI. It tests whether you can prepare data in Power Query, build a model with DAX, create useful reports, and manage and secure content in the Power BI service. Passing it earns the Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate credential. This guide uses the study guide that Microsoft lists as “Skills measured as of April 20, 2026”.
What the exam is
The full name is Exam PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst. Microsoft labels the matching certification as intermediate level. The skills outline describes a data analyst who works with business stakeholders to find out what is needed, works with data engineers to get the data, and then uses Power BI to prepare it, model it, visualize it, and share it safely.
Unlike a fundamentals exam, PL-300 is about doing, not just describing. A typical question gives you a short business situation and asks which feature, setting, or DAX pattern fits. You are expected to choose between things that look alike: Reference or Duplicate, Import or DirectQuery, a calculated column or a measure, a workspace role or item-level access. Microsoft states that you should be proficient with Power Query and Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), and that is the best single clue about what to practice.
Who it is for
The skills outline names the candidate as someone who delivers actionable insight from data and applies domain knowledge. Two goals stand out: give the business value through visualizations that are easy to understand, and let other people do self-service analytics. In practice that means report developers, business analysts, Excel power users moving to Power BI, and IT staff who support Power BI. The prerequisites page lists what to be comfortable with before you start.
Format at a glance
| Item | What Microsoft says |
|---|---|
| Exam code | PL-300 |
| Level | Intermediate (certification level) |
| Time | 100 minutes of exam time |
| Passing score | 700 or higher on a scale of 1 to 1,000 |
| Delivery | Proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Traditional), Italian |
| Number of questions | Not published for this exam; Microsoft says most exams have 40 to 60 |
| Renewal | Every 12 months, free online assessment |
Details, including scoring, breaks, and retakes, are on the exam format page.
The four domains and their weightings
| Domain | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Prepare the data | 25-30% |
| Model the data | 25-30% |
| Visualize and analyze the data | 25-30% |
| Manage and secure Power BI | 15-20% |
The first three domains carry almost the same weight, so there is no domain you can skip. The last one is the smallest, but it is also the one that analysts who only build reports tend to neglect.
Prepare the data
Connecting to sources and shared semantic models, choosing between Direct Lake, DirectQuery, and Import, cleaning and profiling data, and shaping it in Power Query: merge and append, pivot and unpivot, group, data types, and fact and dimension tables.
Model the data
Relationships (cardinality and filter direction), a common date table, role-playing dimensions, DAX measures with CALCULATE and time intelligence, calculation groups, and performance tuning with Performance Analyzer and DAX query view.
Visualize and analyze the data
Choosing and formatting visuals, themes, conditional formatting, slicers and filters, visual calculations, Copilot features, bookmarks, tooltips, drillthrough, accessibility, mobile layouts, and AI visuals, forecasting, and anomaly detection.
Manage and secure Power BI
Workspaces, apps, subscriptions and alerts, endorsement (promote or certify), gateways, scheduled refresh, workspace roles, item-level access, row-level security, and sensitivity labels.
What changed recently
Microsoft keeps a change log in the study guide. The April 20, 2026 update was marked minor for three sub-areas: getting or connecting to data, enhancing reports for usability and storytelling, and creating and managing workspaces and assets. The domain weightings above are the ones in that guide. If you use older material, check it against the current outline, because topics are added and removed over time.
Official source
For the vendor’s own page, see the Microsoft Learn PL-300 study guide. It is the final authority if anything here differs.
More guides for PL-300
- PL-300 Study Plan: 4-Week and 8-Week
- PL-300 Sample Questions With Answers
- Is PL-300 Hard? An Honest Difficulty Check
- PL-300 Renewal and Retakes Explained
- Is PL-300 Worth It? An Honest Look
- PL-300 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- DP-600 vs PL-300: Which Exam First?
Next step
Read the domains explained page to see where your time should go. When you want to check yourself, our PL-300 practice tests are original practice sets built around these four domains.
Frequently asked questions
Does the PL-300 certification expire?
Yes. Microsoft says associate certifications are valid for 12 months. You renew with a free, unproctored, open-book online assessment on Microsoft Learn, during a six-month window before the expiry date.
Is the exam available in languages other than English?
Yes. Microsoft lists ten languages. The English exam is updated first, and Microsoft says other languages follow about eight weeks later.
Can I look things up during the exam?
Microsoft says role-based exams give you access to the Microsoft Learn site in a split screen, with no extra time and the clock still running. It is meant for the odd lookup, not for every question. Confirm the rules when you book, because they can change.