Tag: Paginated reports

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

Choose When to Use a Paginated Report (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:
Visualize and analyze the data (25–30%)
   --> Create reports
      --> Choose When to Use a Paginated Report

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, most analysts work primarily with interactive Power BI reports built in Power BI Desktop. However, the PL-300 exam also tests your understanding of paginated reports and—more importantly—when they are the appropriate choice.

This topic is not about building paginated reports in depth, but about recognizing the correct reporting tool for a given business requirement.

What Is a Paginated Report?

A paginated report is a pixel-perfect, page-based report designed for:

  • Printing
  • Exporting to PDF, Word, or Excel
  • Generating long, detailed tables that span multiple pages

Paginated reports are built using Power BI Report Builder, not Power BI Desktop, and are typically published to the Power BI Service (Premium capacity or Premium Per User).

The key characteristic is that paginated reports “paginate” automatically, meaning content flows across pages exactly like a traditional report.

Paginated Reports vs. Power BI Reports

Understanding the contrast is critical for the exam.

Power BI (Interactive) Reports

Best suited for:

  • Data exploration
  • Dashboards and analytics
  • Filtering, slicing, and cross-highlighting
  • Executive summaries and KPIs

Characteristics:

  • Highly interactive
  • Optimized for screen viewing
  • Limited control over printed layout
  • Visuals resize dynamically

Paginated Reports

Best suited for:

  • Operational and regulatory reporting
  • Invoices, statements, and formatted documents
  • Large tables with many rows and columns
  • Reports that must print cleanly

Characteristics:

  • Pixel-perfect layout
  • Strong control over headers, footers, margins, and page breaks
  • Designed for export and print
  • Minimal interactivity

When You Should Choose a Paginated Report

On the PL-300 exam, paginated reports are the correct answer when precision and print-readiness matter more than interactivity.

Common Scenarios That Favor Paginated Reports

You should choose a paginated report when:

  • The report must be printed or distributed as a PDF
  • Each page must have consistent headers and footers
  • The report contains large, detailed tables
  • The output must follow strict formatting rules
  • Users expect a fixed layout, not dynamic visuals
  • The report supports operational or compliance needs

Examples of Appropriate Use Cases

  • Monthly financial statements
  • Invoices or billing documents
  • Regulatory or audit reports
  • Employee rosters or schedules
  • Transaction-level sales reports
  • Reports sent to customers or external stakeholders

If a scenario mentions “pixel-perfect,” “print-ready,” “formatted tables,” or “multi-page output”, a paginated report is almost always the correct choice.

Data Sources for Paginated Reports

Paginated reports can connect to:

  • Power BI semantic models (datasets)
  • SQL Server
  • Azure SQL Database
  • Other relational data sources

On the exam, remember that paginated reports reuse Power BI datasets, enabling centralized data modeling with flexible report outputs.

Licensing and Capacity Considerations

For PL-300, you should know at a high level that:

  • Paginated reports require Power BI Premium capacity or Premium Per User (PPU)
  • Standard Power BI Pro alone is not sufficient for full paginated report distribution

You are not expected to memorize pricing, only to recognize that paginated reports are tied to Premium capabilities.

What Paginated Reports Are NOT Ideal For

Avoid paginated reports when:

  • Users need ad hoc exploration
  • Interactive visuals are required
  • Drill-down and cross-filtering are central
  • The report is meant for dashboards or storytelling

In these cases, standard Power BI reports are the better choice.

PL-300 Exam Tip

The exam often frames this topic as a decision-making question, not a technical one.

Ask yourself:

“Does this scenario prioritize interactivity or presentation precision?”

  • Interactivity → Power BI report
  • Precision and printing → Paginated report

Key Takeaways

  • Paginated reports are page-based, pixel-perfect, and print-optimized
  • They are built with Power BI Report Builder
  • They are ideal for detailed, formatted, multi-page reports
  • The PL-300 exam focuses on when to use them, not how to build them

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Exam Questions for this topic.