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Top Power BI Interview Questions and Answers to Practice for Your Tech Interview

by Interview Kickstart Team in Interview Questions
September 25, 2024

Top Power BI Interview Questions and Answers to Practice for Your Tech Interview

Last updated by Swaminathan Iyer on Sep 25, 2024 at 10:45 PM | Reading time: 6 minutes

You can download a PDF version of  
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Power BI interview questions often feature in technical interviews for data-related positions. These interview questions test your knowledge of the tool and your ability to leverage the tool for business intelligence purposes. Power BI interview questions asked in technical interviews are primarily around the tool’s built-in features.

Power BI is a data visualization software developed by Microsoft. It is available as a product in Microsoft’s power platform and was primarily developed for business intelligence. Power BI includes many in-built features in the form of software services, connectors, and apps, to turn data into visually immersive, coherent, and interactive insights.

Data on Power BI can be inputted through structured files, web pages, or databases. If you’re a developer or analyst who mainly deals with data, knowing how to leverage Power BI to generate insights from unrelated data sources is crucial to meet the responsibilities of your role.

This article will look at some common Power BI interview questions and answers, sample interview questions, Power BI developer interview questions, and advanced Power BI interview questions.

If you’re preparing for your next software developer interview, we’ll help you understand some commonly asked Power BI interview questions that feature in programming interviews, specifically Java interviews, as Power BI is a tool that supports Java.

Having trained over 11,000 software engineers, we know what it takes to crack the toughest tech interviews. Our alums consistently land offers from FAANG+ companies. The highest ever offer received by an IK alum is a whopping $1.267 Million!

At IK, you get the unique opportunity to learn from expert instructors who are hiring managers and tech leads at Google, Facebook, Apple, and other top Silicon Valley tech companies.

Want to nail your next tech interview? Sign up for our FREE Webinar.

Let’s go ahead and look at some common Power BI interview questions and answers.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

  • Common Power BI Interview Questions and Answers
  • Basic and Intermediate Power BI Interview Questions    
  • Advanced Power BI Interview Questions
  • FAQs on Power BI Interview Questions

Common Power BI Interview Questions and Answers

In this section, we’ll look at some common Power BI interview questions and answers to help you prepare for your next interview.

Q1. What are some refresh options available in Power BI?

The refresh options available with Power BI are:

  • Data Model Refresh - This option is used to schedule data import based on what is currently in demand.
  • Package One Drive Refresh - This refresh option synchronizes Power BI excel files and other Power BI desktops with Power BI OneDrive.  
  • Visual Container Refresh - This updates visual features based on changes made to the data.
  • Tile Refresh - This option refreshes the tile’s cache on the dashboard when changes occur in the data.

Q2. Which are the three main connectivity modes in Power BI?

The three main connectivity modes in Power BI are:

  • Direct Query
  • Live Connection and
  • Import Data

Q3. How does Power BI store data?

Power BI uses two main components to store data.

  • Azure Blob Storage - data uploaded by users is stored in the Azure Blob Storage.
  • Azure SQL Database - System artifacts and metadata are stored in the Azure SQL Database.

Q4. What should be the input sources to perform data visualization in Power BI?

The input sources for Power BI can be via three sources:

  • Databases
  • Structured files - XML, CSV, JSON
  • Web Pages

This is a common Power BI interview question asked in technical interviews. Input

Q5. Which are the main Power BI formats that are available in the market.

The main formats or versions available in Power BI include:

  • Power BI Desktop - if you’re using Power BI on a desktop
  • Power BI Mobile - if you're using mobile operating systems
  • Power BI Services - specifically for SaaS

The main versions in Power BI are - Power BI Pro, Power BI Premium, and Power BI Desktop

Intermediate Power BI Interview Questions

In this section, we’ll look at some intermediate Power BI interview questions to give you an idea about what to expect at your interview.

  1. What are the main building blocks in Power BI?
  2. What do you understand about the Power BI dashboard?
  3. Mention the popular content packs in Power BI
  4. What do you understand by DAX?
  5. What is a Power Pivot?
  6. What is a Power Query?
  7. Which are the main filters in Power BI?
  8. What are some differences between Tableau and Power BI?
  9. What do you understand by Getdata in Power BI?
  10. What are some benefits of using the DAX function?

Advanced Power BI Interview Questions

In this section, we’ll look at some advanced Power BI interview questions to help you prepare for your next interview.

  1. Explain the different types of visualization in Power BI.
  2. Explain your understanding of Power BI services.
  3. Which are the three main steps in Power BI’s workflow?
  4. How would you go about reshaping data in Power BI?
  5. How would you go about refreshing data in Power BI?
  6. What are custom visuals in Power BI?
  7. Which are the types of views available on Power BI Desktop?
  8. How would you go about consolidating inquiries in Power BI?
  9. Mention the important components of the Power BI toolkit
  10. How would you use the Filter function in Power BI?
  11. Explain the CALCULATE() and CALCULATABLE() functions in Power BI.

FAQs on Power BI Interview Questions

Q1. What is Power BI primarily used for?

Power BI is a data visualization tool that converts data into visual, interactive insights.

Q2. What are the input sources for data in Power BI?

Data in Power BI can be imputed through structured files such as CSV and XML, web pages, and databases.

Q3. What types of Power BI interview questions to expect in technical interviews?

Power BI interview questions are typically around Power BI’s core features, different versions and formats, refresh options, libraries, and interactive dashboards, among other concepts.

Q4. Which company developed the Power BI tool?

Microsoft developed the Power BI tool. The tool is an integral part of Microsoft’s Power platform.

Q5. In what type of interviews can you expect Power BI interview questions?

You can expect Power BI interview questions in data engineering, data science, software developer, R programmer, and data analyst interviews.

Get Ready for Your Next Technical Interview

If you want to crack your next software developer interview, register for our free technical interview webinar to find out how we can help you. Interview Kickstart is the gold standard in tech interview prep. Our programs include a comprehensive curriculum, unmatched teaching methods, FAANG+ instructors, and career coaching to help you nail your next tech interview.

Check out some reviews from our students to understand how we’ve shaped the careers of thousands of engineers by helping them land high-paying offers from the biggest tech companies.

Sign up now to uplevel your career!

Author
Swaminathan Iyer
Product @ Interview Kickstart | Ex Media.net | Business Management - XLRI Jamshedpur. Loves building things and burning pizzas!
The fast well prepared banner

Power BI interview questions often feature in technical interviews for data-related positions. These interview questions test your knowledge of the tool and your ability to leverage the tool for business intelligence purposes. Power BI interview questions asked in technical interviews are primarily around the tool’s built-in features.

Power BI is a data visualization software developed by Microsoft. It is available as a product in Microsoft’s power platform and was primarily developed for business intelligence. Power BI includes many in-built features in the form of software services, connectors, and apps, to turn data into visually immersive, coherent, and interactive insights.

Data on Power BI can be inputted through structured files, web pages, or databases. If you’re a developer or analyst who mainly deals with data, knowing how to leverage Power BI to generate insights from unrelated data sources is crucial to meet the responsibilities of your role.

This article will look at some common Power BI interview questions and answers, sample interview questions, Power BI developer interview questions, and advanced Power BI interview questions.

If you’re preparing for your next software developer interview, we’ll help you understand some commonly asked Power BI interview questions that feature in programming interviews, specifically Java interviews, as Power BI is a tool that supports Java.

Having trained over 11,000 software engineers, we know what it takes to crack the toughest tech interviews. Our alums consistently land offers from FAANG+ companies. The highest ever offer received by an IK alum is a whopping $1.267 Million!

At IK, you get the unique opportunity to learn from expert instructors who are hiring managers and tech leads at Google, Facebook, Apple, and other top Silicon Valley tech companies.

Want to nail your next tech interview? Sign up for our FREE Webinar.

Let’s go ahead and look at some common Power BI interview questions and answers.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

  • Common Power BI Interview Questions and Answers
  • Basic and Intermediate Power BI Interview Questions    
  • Advanced Power BI Interview Questions
  • FAQs on Power BI Interview Questions

Common Power BI Interview Questions and Answers

In this section, we’ll look at some common Power BI interview questions and answers to help you prepare for your next interview.

Q1. What are some refresh options available in Power BI?

The refresh options available with Power BI are:

  • Data Model Refresh - This option is used to schedule data import based on what is currently in demand.
  • Package One Drive Refresh - This refresh option synchronizes Power BI excel files and other Power BI desktops with Power BI OneDrive.  
  • Visual Container Refresh - This updates visual features based on changes made to the data.
  • Tile Refresh - This option refreshes the tile’s cache on the dashboard when changes occur in the data.

Q2. Which are the three main connectivity modes in Power BI?

The three main connectivity modes in Power BI are:

  • Direct Query
  • Live Connection and
  • Import Data

Q3. How does Power BI store data?

Power BI uses two main components to store data.

  • Azure Blob Storage - data uploaded by users is stored in the Azure Blob Storage.
  • Azure SQL Database - System artifacts and metadata are stored in the Azure SQL Database.

Q4. What should be the input sources to perform data visualization in Power BI?

The input sources for Power BI can be via three sources:

  • Databases
  • Structured files - XML, CSV, JSON
  • Web Pages

This is a common Power BI interview question asked in technical interviews. Input

Q5. Which are the main Power BI formats that are available in the market.

The main formats or versions available in Power BI include:

  • Power BI Desktop - if you’re using Power BI on a desktop
  • Power BI Mobile - if you're using mobile operating systems
  • Power BI Services - specifically for SaaS

The main versions in Power BI are - Power BI Pro, Power BI Premium, and Power BI Desktop

Intermediate Power BI Interview Questions

In this section, we’ll look at some intermediate Power BI interview questions to give you an idea about what to expect at your interview.

  1. What are the main building blocks in Power BI?
  2. What do you understand about the Power BI dashboard?
  3. Mention the popular content packs in Power BI
  4. What do you understand by DAX?
  5. What is a Power Pivot?
  6. What is a Power Query?
  7. Which are the main filters in Power BI?
  8. What are some differences between Tableau and Power BI?
  9. What do you understand by Getdata in Power BI?
  10. What are some benefits of using the DAX function?

Advanced Power BI Interview Questions

In this section, we’ll look at some advanced Power BI interview questions to help you prepare for your next interview.

  1. Explain the different types of visualization in Power BI.
  2. Explain your understanding of Power BI services.
  3. Which are the three main steps in Power BI’s workflow?
  4. How would you go about reshaping data in Power BI?
  5. How would you go about refreshing data in Power BI?
  6. What are custom visuals in Power BI?
  7. Which are the types of views available on Power BI Desktop?
  8. How would you go about consolidating inquiries in Power BI?
  9. Mention the important components of the Power BI toolkit
  10. How would you use the Filter function in Power BI?
  11. Explain the CALCULATE() and CALCULATABLE() functions in Power BI.

FAQs on Power BI Interview Questions

Q1. What is Power BI primarily used for?

Power BI is a data visualization tool that converts data into visual, interactive insights.

Q2. What are the input sources for data in Power BI?

Data in Power BI can be imputed through structured files such as CSV and XML, web pages, and databases.

Q3. What types of Power BI interview questions to expect in technical interviews?

Power BI interview questions are typically around Power BI’s core features, different versions and formats, refresh options, libraries, and interactive dashboards, among other concepts.

Q4. Which company developed the Power BI tool?

Microsoft developed the Power BI tool. The tool is an integral part of Microsoft’s Power platform.

Q5. In what type of interviews can you expect Power BI interview questions?

You can expect Power BI interview questions in data engineering, data science, software developer, R programmer, and data analyst interviews.

Get Ready for Your Next Technical Interview

If you want to crack your next software developer interview, register for our free technical interview webinar to find out how we can help you. Interview Kickstart is the gold standard in tech interview prep. Our programs include a comprehensive curriculum, unmatched teaching methods, FAANG+ instructors, and career coaching to help you nail your next tech interview.

Check out some reviews from our students to understand how we’ve shaped the careers of thousands of engineers by helping them land high-paying offers from the biggest tech companies.

Sign up now to uplevel your career!

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Recession-proof your Software Engineering Career

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Register for Webinar

Recession-proof your Career

Recession-proof your Software Engineering Career

Attend our free webinar to amp up your career and get the salary you deserve.

Ryan-image
Hosted By
Ryan Valles
Founder, Interview Kickstart
blue tick
Accelerate your Interview prep with Tier-1 tech instructors
blue tick
360° courses that have helped 14,000+ tech professionals
blue tick
57% average salary hike received by alums in 2022
blue tick
100% money-back guarantee*
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