PL-300 certification: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst

Part 1 – Creating Visualizations (also known as Visualize and Analyze the Data)

We’ll download and install for free Power BI Desktop. We’ll start by creating our first visualizations (vizuals) and investigate the Power BI interface.

We’ll look at the various visualisations available, and go through their common properties. We’ll create maps, hierarchies, KPIs, gauges, and all sorts of chart types.

Part 2 – Get and Transform Data (also known as Prepare the Data)

We see how data can be transformed, saving you time in analysing the data. We’ll look at sorting and filtering, split columns, and other transform activities. We’ll merge, append and combine queries together. We’ll Pivot and Unpivot, and transform text, numbers, dates and times, and create custom columns using the M language.

Part 3 – Refining the model (also known as Model the Data)

We’ll see how relationships can be made through multiple tables, and refine the data with custom columns and measures using the DAX language.

Part 4 – Power BI Service

We’ll then publish our visualisations onto the Power BI Service (which you can sign up for free), and then from your reports create dashboards. With the Power BI Pro (for which you can get a free trial), you can also create workspaces and apps.

The course will take around 28 hours to complete, but completing this will enable you to create visuals, transform and refine the model, and use the Power BI Service.

The course increases in difficulty slowly, so you’ll create for instance a table or basic bar chart, then turn it into a stacked bar chart, and investigate more of their properties, step by step.

The course is fairly relaxed – there will be a few “wrong turns”, so you can see what problems might arise, but every lesson works towards an end goal at a relatively slow pace, so you can follow on your own computer easily. I assume that you know how to use a computer, including installing programs, but the actual analysis will be at a basic level, and I’ll introduce every component as we go on.

At the end of the course, you can download a certificate of completion, so you can show everyone your new-found skills, and be able to start creating analyses for yourselves. And with a bit of practice, you could also go for the official Microsoft PL-300 exam – wouldn’t that certificate look good on your CV or resume?