Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI

Create Dashboards (PL-300 Exam Prep)

 
This post is a part of the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Exam Prep Hub; and this topic falls under these sections:
Manage and secure Power BI (15–20%)
   --> Create and manage workspaces and assets
      --> Create Dashboards

Note that there are 10 practice questions (with answers and explanations) at the end of each topic. Also, there are 2 practice tests with 60 questions each available on the hub below all the exam topics.

Overview

In Power BI, dashboards provide a high-level, consolidated view of key metrics by displaying visuals from one or more reports on a single canvas. Unlike reports, dashboards are created only in the Power BI Service and are primarily designed for executive and operational monitoring.

For the PL-300 exam, you are expected to understand what dashboards are, how they are created, how they differ from reports, and how they are managed and shared within workspaces.

What Is a Power BI Dashboard?

A Power BI dashboard is:

  • A single-page canvas
  • Composed of tiles
  • Created by pinning visuals from reports or Q&A
  • Can display visuals from multiple datasets and reports

Dashboards are optimized for at-a-glance insights, not detailed analysis.

Dashboards vs Reports (Key Exam Distinction)

FeatureDashboardReport
PagesSingle pageMultiple pages
CreationPower BI Service onlyDesktop or Service
Data sourcesMultiple datasetsOne dataset
InteractivityLimitedFull
EditingPin/remove tilesFull design control

Exam tip:
If a question mentions multiple datasets on one page, the answer is almost always Dashboard.

Creating a Dashboard

Step 1: Publish a Report

Before creating a dashboard:

  • A report must be published to the Power BI Service
  • Dashboards cannot exist without reports

Step 2: Pin Visuals to a Dashboard

You can pin:

  • Individual visuals
  • Entire report pages (as a single tile)
  • Q&A results
  • Live pages (depending on visual type)

Pinned visuals become tiles on the dashboard.

Step 3: Arrange and Configure Tiles

On the dashboard canvas, you can:

  • Resize tiles
  • Reposition tiles
  • Set custom titles and subtitles
  • Add links to reports
  • Configure alerts (for supported visuals)

Types of Dashboard Tiles

Common tile types include:

  • Visual tiles (charts, tables, KPIs)
  • Text boxes
  • Images
  • Web content
  • Q&A tiles

Dashboards can combine data-driven visuals and static informational content.

Dashboard Data Behavior

Important behaviors to remember for the exam:

  • Dashboards do not store data
  • Data comes from the underlying datasets
  • Tile data updates when datasets refresh
  • Clicking a tile opens the source report

Dashboards reflect the current state of the data, not a snapshot.

Sharing and Accessing Dashboards

Dashboards can be:

  • Shared directly with users
  • Included in a workspace app
  • Viewed by users with appropriate permissions

Key exam concept:

  • Users need access to the underlying dataset to see dashboard data
  • Sharing a dashboard does not bypass security

Alerts and Monitoring

Dashboards support data alerts on certain tile types, such as:

  • KPI tiles
  • Card visuals
  • Gauge visuals

Alerts notify users when a value:

  • Exceeds
  • Falls below
  • Reaches a defined threshold

This makes dashboards ideal for operational monitoring scenarios.

Limitations of Dashboards

Dashboards:

  • Cannot be created in Power BI Desktop
  • Do not support drill-through
  • Have limited filtering and slicing
  • Cannot be versioned like reports

These limitations are often tested through scenario-based questions.

Common Exam Scenarios

You may see questions asking:

  • When to use a dashboard vs a report
  • How to display metrics from multiple datasets
  • How to create a single monitoring page
  • How dashboards behave when data changes
  • How dashboards are shared or included in apps

Best Practices to Remember for PL-300

  • Use dashboards for high-level summaries
  • Use reports for detailed analysis
  • Pin only important KPIs
  • Keep dashboards clean and minimal
  • Combine dashboards with workspace apps for distribution
  • Remember dashboards are Service-only

Summary

Creating dashboards is a core Power BI skill focused on monitoring, visibility, and executive reporting. For the PL-300 exam, ensure you understand:

  • How dashboards are created
  • How they differ from reports
  • How they interact with datasets
  • How they are shared and managed in workspaces

Mastering dashboards helps demonstrate your ability to deliver business-ready Power BI solutions.

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

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