Tag: PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst

Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI January 17, 2026

Configure Drill-Through Navigation (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%)
   --> Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
      --> Configure Drill-Through Navigation

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

Drill-through navigation in Power BI allows users to move from a summary visual to a detail page while automatically passing filter context. It is a core storytelling and usability feature tested in the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam, especially in scenario-based questions.

What Is Drill-Through Navigation?

Drill-through enables users to:

Right-click a data point in a visual
Navigate to another report page
Automatically filter that page based on the selected value(s)

It answers questions like:

“Show me the details behind this number.”

Key Characteristics of Drill-Through

Works between report pages
Passes filter context automatically
Requires a dedicated drill-through page
Triggered via right-click, button, or visual interaction
Can be combined with buttons and bookmarks

How to Configure Drill-Through

Step-by-Step Setup

Create a new report page (often a detail page)
In the Drill-through section of the Filters pane:
- Drag one or more fields into the Drill-through filters
Add visuals that use the same fields
(Optional) Add a Back button for navigation

Once configured, users can right-click supported visuals and select Drill through → Page name.

Drill-Through Filters (Critical Exam Topic)

How They Work

Fields placed in the Drill-through filter area define:
- What values can be passed
- Which visuals can trigger the drill-through

Important Rules

The source visual must contain at least one matching field
Multiple fields can be used for compound filtering
Drill-through filters are applied in addition to page-level filters

Drill-Through vs Other Navigation Methods

Feature	Purpose
Page navigation	Move between pages (no context)
Bookmarks	Save visual states
Drill-through	Navigate with filter context
Tooltips	Show additional details inline

Exam insight:
Drill-through is the only navigation method that automatically passes filter context between pages.

Using Buttons for Drill-Through

Drill-through does not have to rely on right-click menus.

Button Configuration

Add a button
Set Action to Drill through
Choose the target page
(Optional) Enable Keep all filters

This creates a more intuitive and touch-friendly experience.

The Back Button

Power BI can automatically create a Back button on drill-through pages.

Returns users to the source page
Preserves filter context
Strongly recommended for usability

PL-300 best practice:
Always include a Back button on drill-through pages.

Passing All Filters

The Keep all filters option determines whether:

Only drill-through fields are passed
Or all active filters and slicers are passed

Exam scenario:
Use Keep all filters when full analytical context must be preserved.

Common Use Cases

Summary → transaction-level detail
KPI → supporting breakdowns
Regional overview → store-level performance
Product totals → individual sales records

Limitations and Rules (Exam-Relevant)

Drill-through works only within the same report
Does not work across datasets
Requires matching fields between visuals
Not supported directly on all visual types
Cannot drill-through from a Card visual

Common PL-300 Exam Pitfalls

Confusing drill-through with page navigation
Forgetting to add drill-through fields
Expecting drill-through to work without matching fields
Omitting the Back button
Assuming drill-through preserves all filters by default

Best Practices for PL-300

Clearly label drill-through pages
Use descriptive page names
Add instructional text (“Right-click to view details”)
Include a Back button
Limit drill-through fields to what’s necessary

PL-300 Key Takeaways

You should be able to:

Configure drill-through pages
Select appropriate drill-through fields
Explain how filter context is passed
Compare drill-through with other navigation methods
Apply drill-through to enhance storytelling

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI January 17, 2026

Group and Layer Visuals by Using the Selection Pane (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%)
   --> Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
      --> Group and Layer Visuals by Using the Selection Pane

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

The Selection pane in Power BI is a powerful report design tool that allows you to manage visual layering, visibility, and grouping on a report page. For the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam, you are expected to understand how to use the Selection pane to organize visuals, support interactive storytelling, and improve report usability.

This topic is part of:

Visualize and analyze the data (25–30%) → Enhance reports for usability and storytelling

What Is the Selection Pane?

The Selection pane provides a structured list of all visuals, images, shapes, buttons, and text boxes on a report page. It allows you to:

Show or hide visuals
Control visual layering (front/back)
Group and ungroup visuals
Rename visuals for clarity
Support bookmark-based interactions

You can access it from:

View tab → Selection

Why the Selection Pane Matters (Exam Perspective)

The Selection pane is essential for:

Building interactive reports
Managing complex layouts
Creating bookmark-driven navigation
Controlling which visuals appear in different report states

For PL-300, this topic often appears in scenario-based questions related to storytelling and usability.

Grouping Visuals

What Grouping Does

Grouping allows multiple visuals to behave as a single unit. When grouped, visuals can be:

Moved together
Shown or hidden together
Controlled by a single bookmark action

How to Group Visuals

Select multiple visuals (Ctrl + click)
Right-click and choose Group
- OR use the Selection pane options
Rename the group for clarity

Common Use Cases

Grouping a chart with its title and background shape
Grouping buttons and icons for a navigation panel
Grouping visuals that appear/disappear together

PL-300 insight:
Grouping is frequently used in combination with bookmarks to create toggle effects.

Layering Visuals (Z-Order Control)

Layering determines which visuals appear on top of others.

Layering Capabilities

Bring to front
Send to back
Reorder visuals in the Selection pane list

Why Layering Is Important

Overlaying buttons on shapes
Placing transparent visuals above others
Creating pop-up panels or tooltips
Preventing visuals from blocking interactions

Exam tip:
The order in the Selection pane reflects the visual stacking order on the page.

Showing and Hiding Visuals

Each visual and group has an eye icon in the Selection pane.

Eye open → visible
Eye closed → hidden

Key Behavior to Remember

Hidden visuals still exist on the page
Hidden visuals can still be controlled by bookmarks
Hidden visuals do not respond to user interaction

This behavior is commonly tested in bookmark-related scenarios.

Renaming Visuals (Highly Recommended)

Renaming visuals in the Selection pane:

Improves readability in complex reports
Makes bookmark configuration easier
Reduces errors during report maintenance

Best practice:
Rename visuals to describe function, not visual type (e.g., Sales_Popup_Panel).

Selection Pane and Bookmarks (Critical Exam Topic)

The Selection pane works closely with bookmarks by controlling:

Which visuals are visible
Which groups are active
The visual state captured by the bookmark

Important:
Bookmarks capture the visibility state of visuals as defined in the Selection pane.

Limitations and Rules (Exam-Relevant)

Selection pane changes apply only to the current page
Grouping does not change filter behavior
Hidden visuals can still affect layout spacing
Layering does not control filter interactions

Best Practices for PL-300

Use groups for visuals that toggle together
Rename visuals and groups consistently
Manage layering for pop-ups and overlays
Use the Selection pane when building bookmarks
Avoid leaving unnecessary hidden visuals

Common PL-300 Exam Pitfalls

Confusing the Selection pane with visual interactions
Forgetting to include groups in bookmarks
Misunderstanding that hidden visuals still exist
Ignoring layering order when buttons don’t work

PL-300 Key Takeaways

You should be able to:

Use the Selection pane to manage visual order
Group visuals for unified behavior
Show and hide visuals intentionally
Support interactive storytelling with bookmarks
Improve report usability and maintenance

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI January 17, 2026

Configure sync slicers (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%)
   --> Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
      --> Configure sync slicers

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

Sync slicers in Power BI allow report designers to apply the same slicer selection across multiple report pages, ensuring a consistent filtering experience as users navigate a report. For the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam, you are expected to understand when to use sync slicers, how to configure them, and how they impact report usability and storytelling.

Why Sync Slicers Are Important

Without synced slicers, users must repeatedly reapply the same filters on every page, which can lead to:

Confusion or inconsistent analysis
Frustration for business users
Misinterpretation of results across pages

Sync slicers help maintain context continuity, especially in multi-page analytical reports.

What Are Sync Slicers?

A sync slicer ensures that:

The selection state of a slicer is shared across selected pages
The slicer can be visible or hidden independently on each page
Filter context remains consistent as users navigate the report

Sync slicers control slicer behavior across pages, not individual visuals.

How to Configure Sync Slicers

Step-by-Step Process

Create a slicer on one report page
Select the slicer
Open the View tab
Enable Sync slicers
In the Sync Slicers pane:
- Check Sync for pages that should share the selection
- Check Visible for pages where the slicer should appear

Sync vs Visible (Critical Exam Concept)

Each page has two independent settings for a slicer:

Setting	Purpose
Sync	Shares the slicer selection with that page
Visible	Controls whether the slicer is displayed

Key exam insight:
A slicer can be synced but hidden, meaning it still filters the page even though users cannot see it.

Common Use Cases

1. Global Filters

Date
Region
Business unit
Fiscal period

These slicers are often synced across all pages.

2. Context Preservation

Users select a customer on Page 1 and expect Page 2 to reflect the same customer automatically.

3. Cleaner Layouts

A slicer is visible on a landing page but hidden on detail pages while still filtering data.

Limitations and Rules (Exam-Relevant)

Sync slicers work only at the page level
They do not override visual-level filters
Slicers must be based on the same field
Syncing does not combine slicers — it links identical slicers
Sync slicers do not work across different reports

Sync Slicers vs Other Filtering Options

Feature	Scope
Visual-level filters	Single visual
Page-level filters	Single page
Report-level filters	All pages
Sync slicers	Selected pages, user-controlled

Exam angle:
Sync slicers are preferred when user-driven filtering is required across multiple pages.

Best Practices for PL-300

Use sync slicers for high-level context
Hide synced slicers to reduce clutter when needed
Label slicers clearly to avoid confusion
Avoid syncing highly granular slicers unless necessary
Test slicer behavior during page navigation

Common PL-300 Exam Traps

Confusing sync slicers with report-level filters
Forgetting that hidden slicers still filter data
Assuming slicers automatically sync across pages
Expecting sync slicers to work across reports

PL-300 Key Takeaways

You should be able to:

Configure slicer syncing and visibility
Explain when sync slicers are appropriate
Identify synced-but-hidden slicer behavior
Compare sync slicers with other filtering methods
Improve usability with consistent filter context

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI January 17, 2026

Apply sorting to visuals (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%)
   --> Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
      --> Apply sorting to visuals

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

Sorting visuals in Power BI is a key usability feature that helps users quickly identify patterns, trends, and outliers. For the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam, you are expected to understand how sorting works, where it can be applied, which limitations exist, and how sorting interacts with model design.

Why Sorting Matters in Power BI Reports

Effective sorting improves report clarity by:

Highlighting top and bottom performers
Making rankings and comparisons intuitive
Supporting storytelling and decision-making
Ensuring categorical data appears in meaningful business order

Poor or incorrect sorting can mislead users, which is why Power BI provides multiple sorting mechanisms.

Ways to Apply Sorting in Power BI

1. Sort by Value or Category (Visual-Level Sorting)

Most visuals support sorting directly from the visual itself.

How it works:

Select a visual
Click the More options (⋯) menu
Choose Sort by
Select a field or measure
Choose Ascending or Descending

Common exam scenario:

Sorting a bar chart by Total Sales instead of Product Name

Key point for PL-300:
You can sort by any field in the visual, not just the axis field.

2. Sort by a Different Column (Model-Level Sorting)

Used when text fields need a custom or logical order.

Typical examples:

Month Name sorted by Month Number
Priority labels (High, Medium, Low)
Weekday names sorted Monday–Sunday

How it works:

Select a column in Data view
Choose Sort by column
Select another column that defines the order

Exam tip:
This sorting applies globally to all visuals using that column.

3. Sorting in Tables and Matrix Visuals

Tables and matrices allow interactive column sorting.

Features:

Click column headers to sort
Toggle ascending/descending
Sort by measures or columns

Limitations to know:

Only one column can control sort order at a time
Some totals may not align with row-level sorting logic

4. Sorting with Measures

Measures are frequently used for ranking and ordering visuals.

Examples:

Sort products by SUM(Sales)
Sort customers by Average Order Value

Important behavior:

Sorting by a measure is evaluated within the current filter context
Slicers and filters dynamically change the sort order

PL-300 focus:
Understand that measure-based sorting is context-aware.

5. Sorting and Top N Scenarios

Sorting is often combined with Top N filters.

Typical pattern:

Apply a Top N filter (e.g., Top 10 Products by Sales)
Sort descending by the same measure

Exam warning:
Without sorting, Top N visuals may appear unordered or confusing.

Visuals That Commonly Use Sorting

Visual Type	Sorting Supported
Bar / Column charts	Yes
Line charts	Limited (axis-driven)
Tables	Yes
Matrix	Yes
Pie / Donut charts	Yes
Cards / KPIs	No (single value)

Common Limitations and Gotchas (Exam Favorites)

You cannot manually drag and reorder categories
Sort by Column requires a one-to-one mapping
Calculated columns can be used for sorting; measures cannot
Sorting does not override hierarchy levels
Some visuals default to alphabetical sorting unless changed

Best Practices for Sorting (Exam-Relevant)

Use model-level sorting for reusable business logic
Use visual-level sorting for report-specific needs
Always sort ranking visuals by a measure, not a label
Test sorting behavior with slicers applied
Avoid relying on alphabetical order for time-based data

PL-300 Exam Takeaways

You should be comfortable with:

Sorting visuals by fields vs. measures
Using Sort by Column for custom order
Recognizing when sorting is dynamic vs. static
Identifying sorting limitations across visuals
Applying sorting to improve report storytelling

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI January 17, 2026

Configure Navigation for a 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%)
   --> Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
      --> Configure Navigation for a 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.

Exam Context

This topic tests your ability to design intuitive, guided report experiences that help users move through insights efficiently and intentionally.

What Does “Configure Navigation for a Report” Mean?

Configuring navigation refers to controlling how users move between report pages, visuals, and insights within a Power BI report. Instead of relying on default page tabs, you create custom navigation flows that improve storytelling, usability, and user experience.

On the PL-300 exam, this often involves:

Buttons
Bookmarks
Page navigation
Drill-through
Hiding or showing pages
Creating guided or app-like report experiences

Why Navigation Matters (Exam Perspective)

Poor navigation can:

Confuse users
Break storytelling flow
Cause users to miss insights
Increase reliance on training or documentation

Well-designed navigation:

Guides users logically through insights
Reduces cognitive load
Makes reports feel like applications
Improves executive and self-service usability

Expect scenario-based questions where navigation design improves clarity or usability.

Key Navigation Methods in Power BI

1. Page Navigation Buttons

What they do:
Buttons allow users to move between report pages using clickable elements.

Common button actions:

Page navigation
Bookmark
Drill-through
Web URL

Exam tips:

Buttons are preferred over page tabs in executive reports
Often used for Back, Next, Overview, or Details

2. Bookmarks for Navigation

What they do:
Bookmarks capture the state of a report page, including:

Visible visuals
Filters
Slicers
Visual interactions

Navigation use cases:

Toggle between views (Summary vs Detail)
Show/hide panels (filters, help text)
Simulate multi-page experiences on one page

Exam tip:
If the question mentions showing or hiding content, bookmarks are almost always involved.

3. Drill-Through Navigation

What it does:
Drill-through allows users to right-click a data point and navigate to a detail page, passing filter context.

Key characteristics:

Requires a drill-through field
Preserves selected context
Commonly used for detail analysis

Exam tip:
Drill-through is ideal when:

Users need record-level or detailed views
Context must be preserved automatically

4. Report Page Tooltips as Navigation Aids

While not navigation themselves, tooltips:

Provide context before navigating
Reduce unnecessary page changes
Improve decision-making

They are often combined with navigation to guide users.

5. Hiding and Organizing Pages

What you can do:

Hide pages from the page navigator
Use hidden pages for drill-through or bookmarks
Control which pages users see first

Exam tip:
Hidden pages are commonly used for:

Drill-through targets
Supporting detail pages
Navigation-only destinations

6. Page Navigator and Bookmark Navigator Visuals

Page Navigator

Automatically creates navigation based on report pages
Can be styled and filtered

Bookmark Navigator

Navigates between bookmarks instead of pages
Ideal for multi-view single-page designs

Exam tip:
If the scenario describes dynamic navigation menus, navigator visuals are likely the best answer.

When to Customize Navigation vs Use Defaults

Scenario	Best Choice
Executives consuming reports	Custom navigation
Guided storytelling	Buttons + bookmarks
Self-service exploration	Default tabs + slicers
Mobile-first reports	Buttons and minimal navigation
Complex multi-page reports	Page navigator

Common Exam Traps to Watch For

❌ Confusing navigation with filters or slicers
❌ Using drill-through when a simple button would suffice
❌ Forgetting bookmarks when visuals need to appear/disappear
❌ Leaving default page tabs visible in executive scenarios

PL-300 Exam Keywords to Watch For

If you see these phrases, think navigation:

“Guide users through insights”
“Improve report usability”
“Hide or reveal content”
“Create an app-like experience”
“Navigate without page tabs”
“Preserve context while navigating”

Exam Takeaway

For the PL-300 exam, remember:

Navigation is not about visuals — it’s about experience.

You should be able to:

Choose the right navigation method for the scenario
Combine buttons, bookmarks, and drill-through effectively
Improve clarity and storytelling through intentional design

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

Analytics, Business Intelligence, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI January 17, 2026

Edit and Configure Interactions Between Visuals (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%)
   --> Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
      --> Edit and Configure Interactions Between Visuals

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

Power BI reports are designed to be interactive by default. When users select data in one visual, other visuals on the page automatically respond. The ability to edit and configure interactions between visuals allows report authors to control how visuals affect one another, improving usability, clarity, and storytelling.

For the PL-300 exam, this topic tests your understanding of why, when, and how to manage visual interactions, not just that they exist.

What Are Visual Interactions?

Visual interactions define how one visual responds when a user interacts with another visual on the same report page.

By default, Power BI applies interactions such as:

Cross-filtering
Cross-highlighting

Editing interactions allows you to:

Enable or disable these behaviors
Prevent confusing or misleading visual responses
Guide users through a clearer analytical experience

Types of Visual Interactions

Understanding the difference between interaction types is critical for the exam.

Cross-Filtering

Filters data in the target visual
Only relevant data remains visible
Common with tables, matrices, and charts

Cross-Highlighting

Highlights the selected portion
Keeps the full context visible
Common with bar and column charts

No Interaction

The target visual does not respond
Useful when visuals should remain static

On the exam, identifying which interaction is appropriate is often more important than knowing how to enable it.

Why Configure Visual Interactions?

Configuring interactions improves both usability and storytelling.

Common reasons include:

Preventing irrelevant or confusing filtering
Keeping KPI visuals constant
Ensuring charts respond in a meaningful way
Avoiding misinterpretation of data relationships

If a scenario mentions confusion, misleading insights, or unwanted filtering, visual interaction configuration is usually the correct solution.

Common Use Cases

Protecting Summary or KPI Visuals

KPIs often represent overall performance and should not change when users select individual categories.

➡ Disable interactions for those visuals.

Improving Comparative Analysis

You may want one chart to highlight values instead of filtering them out.

➡ Use cross-highlighting instead of filtering.

Maintaining Context

Some visuals (such as explanatory text or benchmarks) should remain unchanged.

➡ Set interaction to none.

Visual Interactions vs. Filters and Slicers

The PL-300 exam may test your ability to choose the right feature.

Visual Interactions

Control how visuals affect each other
Operate at the visual-to-visual level
Ideal for interaction tuning

Filters and Slicers

Control what data is shown
Operate at visual, page, or report level
Ideal for intentional user-driven filtering

If the goal is to change interaction behavior, not data selection, visual interactions are the correct answer.

Best Practices for Configuring Interactions

From an exam perspective, best practices help identify correct answers.

Disable interactions that add no analytical value
Keep KPI and summary visuals stable
Use highlighting when context matters
Test interactions from a user’s perspective
Avoid over-filtering complex pages

Limitations and Considerations

Visual interactions apply only within the same page
Not all visuals behave identically
Over-customization can reduce discoverability
Interactions do not replace security or data modeling logic

If a scenario requires security, data isolation, or page navigation, another feature is likely more appropriate.

PL-300 Exam Tip

Exam questions often describe unexpected or undesirable behavior between visuals.

Ask yourself:

“Should this visual respond to selections from another visual?”

Yes, but with context → Highlight
Yes, by narrowing data → Filter
No → Disable interaction

Key Takeaways

Visual interactions control how visuals respond to each other
You can enable filtering, highlighting, or no interaction
Proper configuration improves clarity and storytelling
PL-300 focuses on design intent, not UI steps

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Exam Questions for this topic.

Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI January 17, 2026

Configure Bookmarks (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%)
   --> Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
      --> Configure Bookmarks

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

Bookmarks in Power BI are a powerful feature used to capture and recall the state of a report page. For the PL-300 exam, this topic focuses on understanding what bookmarks store, how they are configured, and when they should be used to improve usability and storytelling.

Bookmarks are a core tool for creating guided analytics, interactive navigation, and dynamic report experiences—all without changing the underlying data model.

What Is a Bookmark in Power BI?

A bookmark captures a snapshot of a report page at a specific point in time, including selected visual states and settings. When a bookmark is applied, Power BI restores the report to that saved state.

A bookmark can store:

Filter and slicer selections
Visual visibility (shown or hidden)
Drill and sort states
Page-level settings

Bookmarks do not store the data itself—only how the report is presented.

What Can Be Configured in a Bookmark

Understanding bookmark configuration options is essential for the exam.

Key Bookmark Properties

When configuring a bookmark, you can choose whether it captures:

Data
Stores filter, slicer, and highlight states.
Display
Stores visual visibility, spotlighting, and focus mode.
Current Page
Applies the bookmark to the active page only.

These options allow report authors to control how much of the report state is restored when a bookmark is used.

Common Use Cases for Bookmarks

Bookmarks are primarily used to enhance usability and storytelling, not for data analysis itself.

Typical Scenarios

Creating navigation buttons (Next, Back, Reset)
Toggling between summary and detail views
Showing or hiding visuals based on user interaction
Building guided presentations or walkthroughs
Resetting filters to a default state

If a scenario describes interactive navigation or guided user flow, bookmarks are usually the correct feature.

Bookmarks and Buttons

Bookmarks are often paired with buttons to create an app-like experience.

Examples include:

Page navigation buttons
Toggle buttons to show/hide visuals
“Reset filters” buttons
Tab-style navigation within a page

On the PL-300 exam, questions frequently describe buttons triggering report behavior, which points directly to bookmarks.

Bookmarks vs. Drillthrough

It’s important to distinguish bookmarks from similar features.

Bookmarks

Preserve a report state
Enhance storytelling and usability
Do not require navigation to another page

Drillthrough

Navigates to a detail page
Passes filter context
Focused on deeper analysis

If the goal is presentation or interaction, bookmarks are preferred.
If the goal is data exploration, drillthrough is more appropriate.

Best Practices for Configuring Bookmarks

From an exam perspective, best practices help identify correct answers.

Name bookmarks clearly based on purpose
Decide whether to include data, display, or both
Avoid capturing unnecessary filters
Use bookmarks sparingly to reduce confusion
Test bookmarks with slicers and interactions

Limitations of Bookmarks

Bookmarks have some important limitations that may appear in exam questions:

They do not refresh dynamically with new data
They are static snapshots of report state
They can become outdated if visuals change
They do not replace security or filtering logic

If a scenario requires dynamic or data-driven behavior, bookmarks alone may not be sufficient.

PL-300 Exam Tip

Bookmark questions are usually framed as user experience problems, not technical challenges.

Ask yourself:

“Does the user need to navigate, toggle views, or return to a saved state?”

If yes, the correct answer is almost always bookmarks.

Key Takeaways

Bookmarks capture and restore report states
They enhance storytelling, navigation, and usability
They can store data state, display state, or both
They are often triggered by buttons
PL-300 focuses on when and why to use bookmarks

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

Business Intelligence, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI January 17, 2026

Create Custom Tooltips (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%)
   --> Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
      --> Create Custom Tooltips

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

Custom tooltips in Power BI allow report authors to provide rich, contextual insights when users hover over visuals. For the PL-300 exam, this topic evaluates your understanding of why custom tooltips are useful, when to use them, and how they enhance report usability and storytelling.

Rather than cluttering a report page with extra visuals, custom tooltips deliver on-demand detail in a clean, intuitive way.

What Is a Custom Tooltip?

A custom tooltip is a specially designed report page that appears when a user hovers over a data point in a visual.

Unlike default tooltips, custom tooltips can include:

Multiple visuals
Charts and KPIs
Text and formatted measures
Context-aware filtering

Custom tooltips are created as dedicated report pages and then assigned to visuals.

Default Tooltips vs. Custom Tooltips

Understanding the difference is essential for the exam.

Default Tooltips

Automatically generated by Power BI
Display basic field values
Limited customization
Quick but minimal insight

Custom Tooltips

Built as report pages
Fully customizable layout
Can include multiple visuals
Provide deeper, contextual insight

If an exam question mentions rich hover details, additional context without clutter, or enhanced storytelling, custom tooltips are likely the correct answer.

How Custom Tooltips Work (Conceptually)

From a high-level perspective:

A report page is designated as a tooltip page
The page is sized appropriately for tooltip display
The tooltip page inherits the filter context of the hovered data point
The tooltip is assigned to one or more visuals

The PL-300 exam focuses on this concept, not the exact UI steps.

Common Use Cases for Custom Tooltips

Custom tooltips are especially useful when:

You want to show supporting metrics on hover
Additional context is needed without adding visuals to the page
Users need explanations for KPIs or anomalies
You want consistent hover behavior across visuals

Examples of Effective Custom Tooltips

Typical scenarios include:

Showing trend lines when hovering over a single data point
Displaying breakdowns (e.g., category, region) on hover
Providing definitions or explanations for metrics
Showing comparisons such as prior period values

On the exam, these scenarios often appear as design or usability problems.

Custom Tooltips and Filter Context

A critical concept tested in PL-300:

Custom tooltips respect the filter context of the visual
Slicers, filters, and row context are passed to the tooltip page
This makes tooltips dynamic and context-aware

If a question mentions context-sensitive hover behavior, it is pointing to custom tooltips.

Best Practices for Custom Tooltips

While not deeply technical, the exam expects awareness of good design practices:

Keep tooltips concise and focused
Avoid overcrowding with too many visuals
Use clear titles and labels
Ensure readability at small sizes
Reuse tooltip pages when appropriate

Limitations of Custom Tooltips

Understanding limitations helps eliminate incorrect answers.

Tooltips are view-only (no interaction)
Not all visuals support report page tooltips
They are not a replacement for drillthrough
Overuse can negatively impact performance or clarity

If a scenario requires navigation or deeper exploration, drillthrough is more appropriate.

Custom Tooltips vs. Drillthrough

This distinction is commonly tested.

Custom Tooltips

Hover-based
Lightweight detail
No navigation
Focused on context

Drillthrough

Click-based navigation
Deep analysis
Full report pages

Hover for insight → Custom tooltip
Click to explore → Drillthrough

PL-300 Exam Tip

Custom tooltips appear in exam questions framed around:

Reducing visual clutter
Providing additional insight on hover
Improving report usability
Enhancing storytelling without navigation

If those phrases appear, custom tooltips are almost always the correct choice.

Key Takeaways

Custom tooltips are report pages shown on hover
They provide rich, contextual insight
They improve usability without cluttering reports
They inherit filter context from visuals
PL-300 focuses on when and why to use them

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Exam Questions for this topic.

Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI January 17, 2026

Create Visual Calculations by Using DAX (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
      --> Create Visual Calculations by Using DAX

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

Visual calculations are a relatively new Power BI capability that allow report authors to create DAX-based calculations directly on visuals, rather than in the data model. For the PL-300 exam, this topic tests your understanding of when and why visual calculations should be used, how they differ from traditional DAX measures, and what problems they are designed to solve.

This topic is about report-level analytics, not data modeling.

What Are Visual Calculations?

Visual calculations are DAX expressions created within a visual that operate on the data already displayed in that visual.

Key characteristics:

Defined at the visual level
Do not create reusable model measures
Respect the visual’s existing context (rows, columns, and filters)
Designed for quick, lightweight calculations

Visual calculations help reduce model complexity while enabling fast analytical insights.

How Visual Calculations Differ from Measures

Understanding this distinction is critical for the exam.

Traditional DAX Measures

Created in the data model
Reusable across multiple visuals
Evaluated in filter context
Best for standardized business logic

Visual Calculations

Created inside a single visual
Not reusable outside that visual
Evaluated based on the visual’s layout
Best for ad hoc analysis and comparisons

On the exam, if a scenario mentions temporary analysis, visual-only logic, or reducing model clutter, visual calculations are likely the correct approach.

Common Use Cases for Visual Calculations

Visual calculations are ideal when:

You need a quick comparison within a visual
The calculation is not needed elsewhere
You want to avoid adding many measures to the model
The calculation depends on visual ordering or grouping

Examples of Visual Calculations

While you are not required to write complex syntax on the PL-300 exam, you should recognize common patterns.

Running Totals

Calculating cumulative values across rows displayed in a table or matrix.

Percent of Total

Showing each row’s contribution relative to the total visible in the visual.

Difference from Previous Value

Comparing values between consecutive rows, such as month-over-month changes.

Ranking

Ranking items based on the values displayed in the visual.

These calculations operate within the visual’s data scope, not across the entire dataset.

Why Visual Calculations Matter for Report Design

Visual calculations support better report design by:

Keeping the semantic model clean
Allowing report authors to experiment quickly
Making visuals easier to maintain
Reducing the need for complex DAX measures

For PL-300, this aligns with the broader goal of creating efficient, user-friendly reports.

Limitations of Visual Calculations

The exam may test awareness of what visual calculations cannot do.

Limitations include:

Not reusable across visuals
Not available for report-level KPIs
Not intended for enterprise-wide business logic
Not suitable for calculations needed in multiple reports

If a calculation must be consistent, governed, or reused, a traditional DAX measure is the better choice.

When to Use Visual Calculations vs. Measures

Use Visual Calculations When:

The logic is visual-specific
The calculation is exploratory
You want quick insights
Reuse is not required

Use Measures When:

The logic is business-critical
The calculation must be reused
The model must remain consistent
Multiple visuals depend on the same logic

PL-300 Exam Tip

Exam questions often frame this topic as a design decision.

Ask yourself:

“Does this calculation belong only to this visual, or does it belong in the model?”

Only this visual → Visual calculation
Reusable logic → Measure

Key Takeaways

Visual calculations use DAX at the visual level
They simplify report development and reduce model complexity
They are ideal for quick, visual-specific analysis
PL-300 focuses on when to use them, not advanced syntax

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Exam Questions for this topic.

Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI, Reporting January 17, 2026

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.