How to use this guide
The final has two halves, and so does this guide. Topics 01 to 06 are Power BI in the order you actually use it: 01 the big picture (what Power BI is and what analytics is for), 02 getting data in from files, APIs and web pages, 03 cleaning and shaping it in Power Query, 04 building the data model, 05 the basics of DAX, and 06 CALCULATE and time intelligence. Do these in order, because each one assumes the one before.
Topics 07 to 10 are the information systems chapters: 07 how systems support processes and strategy, 08 data management and business intelligence, 09 e-business and cloud computing, 10 ethics, privacy and security. These stand on their own, so you can do them in any order.
Inside a topic: read the idea, look at the syntax or framework box, then open each worked example and follow every step. Close it and redo it on paper. Where there is a lab, change the inputs until the answers stop surprising you, then press Quiz me and fill in every value yourself. Finish with the traps.
Then practise. The Drill, the written questions, the multiple-choice bank and the flashcards are all levelled:
| Level | What it asks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | A definition, or one step: name the thing, or apply one rule once | Is a table of store addresses a fact or a dimension? |
| Intermediate | A standard task in a few steps | Work out a SUMX measure for the rows a slicer leaves |
| Exam level | A full exam-style question that strings several ideas together | Predict a CALCULATE measure under three slicers, or apply a framework to a short case |
| Hard | Twists: ideas combined, working backwards, and the traps that cost the most marks | Explain why a slicer does nothing, then fix the relationship that blocks it |
The calculation drill starts on Auto: it begins at Beginner and moves up a level after three correct answers in a row. You can pick a level yourself at any time. The written questions, the multiple-choice bank and the flashcards are ordered from easy to hard, so working through them in order builds each idea from the ground up.
Every company, dataset and number in this guide is made up for practice. The DAX and M code is real syntax you can type into Power BI Desktop.
Exam format, weight and allowed aids differ between sections and terms. Check your own course outline.
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This is the first section. The full guide has every topic, the labs and the practice questions.
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