Power BI Interview Q and A Guide for 2025 | iCert Global

Power BI is a common tool for data analysis and creating visual reports. It assists individuals in transforming intricate data into understandable and actionable insights in the form of dashboards and reports. As more businesses are reliant on data for making effective decisions, demand for Power BI experts is rising.

Basic Power BI Interview Questions

1. What is Power BI?

Power BI is a tool created by Microsoft that helps you work with data. You can bring in data from a large number of sources, clean it up, and build charts, graphs, and dashboards. You can use the visuals to uncover insights and make informed decisions. Access Power BI on your computer (Desktop), online via the cloud (Service), or through your smartphone (Mobile app).

2. What are the key components of Power BI?

Power BI has numerous tools by which you can work with data at ease. These are the primary components:

• Power Query: It assists you in retrieving data from various sources such as Excel, databases, or text files. You can also clean and shape the data to make it more usable.

• Power View: This enables you to create charts, tables, and graphs. It presents your data in a clear and fun manner, and you can filter to emphasize certain sections of the data.

• Power BI Desktop: It is a desktop tool where you can combine Power Query, Power View, and other features. It assists you in making reports and dashboards to better understand your data.

• Power BI Mobile: This is a mobile app available for Android, iOS, and Windows devices. It enables you to browse and share your reports and dashboards wherever you are.

• Power Map: This data visualization tool displays your data on a 3D map. You can see where the data is coming from, using locations like cities, states, or countries.

•  Power Q&A: This feature lets you ask questions in simple English and receive answers instantly. It also gives you your replies in graphs or chart form, which is easier to understand.

3. What are the advantages of Power BI?

Power BI has numerous advantages:

• It is able to process a lot of data.

• You can create images, graphs, and charts from data using pre-formatted templates.

• It incorporates intelligent technology that gets better with frequent updates.

• You can even create your own dashboards to read and use.

• You can ask questions or do math in a unique language known as DAX.

4. What are the key differences between Power BI and Tableau?

Feature       Power BI abd Tableau

Ease of Use

• Simpler to learn, particularly if you're used to Excel. Drag-and-drop functionality.
• Slightly harder to master, but gives more control over appearance.

Pricing

• Lower. Power BI Desktop is free; Pro is ~$10/month.
• Higher. Tableau Creator is ~$70/month.
• Power BI connects smoothly with Microsoft applications like Excel, Teams, and SharePoint. It integrates with most tools, but not as well with Microsoft.

Visuals

• Good visuals with interaction possibilities; there are also custom visuals.
• Better for intricate, custom, and high-end visuals.
• Performance is good with small and medium-sized data. It is able to process large data sets if configured properly.

Deployment

• Cloud-first, but you can host on your own servers too.
• Can be hosted on the cloud, on your servers, or online.
• Backed by an active Microsoft community and frequent feature updates. Also has a long-standing and active user base.

5. What is Power Query?

Power Query is something that assists you:

• Collect data from different sources

• Sanitize and update the data

• Integrate information from various places.

• Import the data into Power BI to visualize.

6. What is DAX?

DAX stands for Data Analysis Expressions. It is a formula language that is proprietary to Power BI. DAX enables you to:

• Learn complex math.

• Create your own tables and columns

• Formulate special reports using math and logic.

7. How is the attitude of people towards Power BI Desktop?

Power BI Desktop has four main views:

• Report View: Create reports and charts with graphics.

• Table View: View your data in a table (rows and columns) to sort, filter, or edit.

• Data View: Look at your real data carefully.

• Model View: Join different tables, calculate fields, and organize your data model.

8. In what way is a calculated column different from a measure?

• Calculated Column: This adds a new column to your table. It is calculated for each row when the data loads.

• Measure: A calculation only made when required, usually presented in charts or graphs. It is faster for large amounts or averages.

9. What is a Power BI dashboard?

A dashboard is a single page holding charts and graphics of multiple reports. It is a snapshot of key numbers (KPIs) and can be viewed only in Power BI Service (web version).

10. What are the filter types in Power BI?

• Visual-level filter: Changes a single chart or graph.

• Page-level filter: Modifies all the charts on one page.

• Report-level filter: Modifies every page within the report.

• Slicer: A graphical element that people can click to narrow down data.

• Drillthrough filter: Enables you to proceed to a different page with more details.

• Cross filter/highlight: Highlights data on clicking on visuals

11. What are the various methods of connecting in Power BI?

• Import: Data is duplicated and stored in Power BI.

• DirectQuery: Data does not move and is used right away.

• Live Connection: Analysis Services (SSAS) data is not cached in Power BI.

• Composite Model: Import and DirectQuery Integration.

12. Does Power BI accommodate Excel files?

Yes. You can connect Power BI to Excel files and bring in tables, named ranges, and even data models.

13. Can Power BI display data in real-time?

Yes. Power BI can present live updates through tools such as Azure Stream Analytics, streaming data, or REST APIs.

14. What is the Power BI Service?

It is Power BI in the cloud. You can use it to browse, share, and collaborate on reports and dashboards through a web browser.

15. Why is Power BI Desktop used?

Power BI Desktop is a free computer software. You may use it to make reports and dashboards. Developers and analysts use it before they publish their work on the internet.

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CONCLUSION

Power BI is a potent device in data conversion into insights through the use of reports and dashboards. Preparation of interviews through the study of key concepts, tools, and features may assist you in securing employment in the data sector. With growing demand and decent salary, Power BI is a great career choice.

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