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Microsoft Power BI: PL-300 Certification Prep (Data Analyst) (Udemy.com)

Complete guide to acing the PL-300 Power BI Exam and becoming a Microsoft Certified Data Analyst Associate

Created by: Maven Analytics

Last updated June 2026

Our take

Based on the ratings of 13,023 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in June 2026. No course pays to be reviewed.

Maven Analytics built this around a made-up cycling shop. Students play the lead BI analyst, and the project walks through the PL-300 skill areas in order: getting data, cleaning it in Power Query, modeling, DAX, reports, then publishing and security. It runs 8.6 hours over 127 lectures in 13 sections, with quizzes and one practice exam. About 81,500 students have enrolled. It is listed for all levels, but the requirements tell newcomers to take the Maven Desktop and Service courses first. Windows is required, and Power BI Service needs a work or school email.

Reviewers like the teaching. Words that keep coming up are clear, easy to follow and well structured, and the resources and links get thanks too. Of 13,023 ratings, 7,466 are five stars and 4,390 are four. The complaints are consistent, though. The footage dates from 2021, and several people say menus and options have moved, especially in the last two modules, with old DA-100 mentions still around. The loudest warning is about the exam. Two reviewers call it a good intro but say the real test is harder, and one barely passed after going through the course twice.

The last update was June 2026, so it is not abandoned, but the recorded video clearly lags behind the product. Treat it as a readable, clear walk through the exam topics, and plan on Microsoft Learn modules and extra practice tests alongside it. Reviewers also wanted more exercises than the quizzes provide. For someone who already uses Power BI, it is a solid structured review. A true beginner, or anyone hoping this alone gets a pass, is better served starting elsewhere.

Best forPeople who already use Power BI and want a clear, project-based tour of the PL-300 topics before the exam.
Skip it ifYou need this to be your only exam prep, or you want screens that match today's Power BI menus.

Pros

  • Reviewers call the explanations clear and easy to follow, especially Power Query and DAX
  • One cycling-shop project covers every PL-300 area, with downloadable project files
  • Includes a full practice exam plus 11 quizzes and a section on how the exam works
  • Short at 8.6 hours, so it works as a fast structured refresher

Cons

  • Much of the video dates from 2021, and reviewers say menus no longer match, mostly in the last two modules
  • Reviewers say it is not enough to pass PL-300 alone; one barely passed after taking it twice
  • Only one practice exam and few exercises beyond the quizzes, which two reviewers wanted more of
really clear and easy to understand. Really like the content. easy to follow along
Warrick Burrows, a student

Labeled All Levels, but it assumes some Power BI use. Newcomers are told to take the Desktop and Service courses first.

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What you will learn

  • Develop the exact skills you need to ace the PL-300 Power BI certification exam (formerly DA-100)
  • Extract, profile, clean, transform, and load data into Power BI from different sources
  • Build and optimize data models and DAX measures
  • Publish reports and dashboards to Power BI Service
  • Create and manage datasets & workspaces to deploy across your organization
  • Learn from a best-selling Power BI instructor and Microsoft Certified Data Analyst

Course content

13 sections · 127 lectures · 8.6 hours of video 11 quizzes, 1 practice test, 6 articles

  1. 1Getting Started 5 free previews6 lectures · 10 min
  2. 2Preparing for the PL-300 Exam 2 free previews11 lectures · 28 min
  3. 3Setting Up Power BI Desktop & Service4 lectures · 17 min
  4. 4Data Prep: Getting Data from Different Sources 1 free preview11 lectures · 1 quiz · 48 min
  5. 5Data Prep: Profiling 1 free preview5 lectures · 1 quiz · 13 min
  6. 6Data Prep: Cleaning, Transforming & Loading14 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.1 hours
  7. 7Data Modeling 101 1 free preview10 lectures · 1 quiz · 44 min
  8. 8Data Modeling: DAX Calculations16 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.3 hours
  9. 9Data Visualization: Creating Reports & Dashboards16 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.5 hours
  10. 10Data Analysis: Enhancing Reports10 lectures · 1 quiz · 40 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Microsoft Power BI users looking to sharpen and certify their skills
  • Aspiring analysts or business intelligence professionals seeking to add industry-recognized credentials to the resume
  • Anyone looking for a hands-on, comprehensive guide to clearing the Microsoft DA-100 Exam
  • Students who want a comprehensive, engaging, and highly interactive approach to training

What you need before you start

  • Power BI Desktop for PC/Windows (currently unavailable for Mac)
  • A work or school email address is required to sign up for a Power BI Service account (no gmail, aol, hotmail, etc.)
  • For new users, we recommend completing our Power BI Desktop and Service courses first

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Course Description

This course is designed to help you build the exact skills you need to ace the Microsoft PL-300 exam and become a certified Power BI Data Analyst Associate.


With hands-on projects, downloadable study guides, and a full-length practice exam, this is the ONLY course you'll need to prepare for your Power BI certification!


Throughout the course, you’ll play the role of Lead Business Intelligence Analyst for Maven Cycles, a boutique cycling shop. You’ll use Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service, along with the skills you learn throughout the course, to design and build an end-to-end business intelligence solution from the ground up. We'll guide you each step of the way, with crystal clear explanations and pro tips to help you build expert-level Power BI and DAX skills.


Our project will incorporate all of the skills covered on the Power BI PL-300 exam, including data prep, data modeling, data analysis and visualization, along with deploying and maintaining reports and dashboards:


  • Data Prep: Getting Data From Different Sources

    • Connect to data sources, choose a storage mode & define data source parameters


  • Data Prep: Basic Profiling

    • Explore the view menu & data profiling tools like column quality and distribution


  • Data Prep: Data Cleaning, Transforming & Loading

    • Clean data, apply table transformations, merge & append queries, and modify custom M code


  • Data Modeling 101

    • Design data models, identify keys, establish table relationships, and review model optimization tips


  • Data Modeling: DAX Calculations

    • Create calculated columns & measures with DAX, including aggregation, table, and time intelligence functions


  • Data Visualization: Creating Reports & Dashboards

    • Insert & format visuals, edit report interactions, add filters & tooltips, and create reports and dashboards

  • Data Analysis: Enhancing Reports

    • Review chart analytics options, natural language queries, filtering options, and AI visuals

  • Deploying & Maintaining Deliverables

    • Implement scheduled & incremental refresh, configure row level security, explore sharing options, and more


We’ll also walk through everything you need to know about the PL-300 certification process itself, including:


  • Exam structure & details

  • Question Types & examples

  • Measured skills

  • Exam rules & results

  • Tips for success


Finally, we'll wrap things up with a full-length practice exam, with knowledge-based and case study questions designed to mirror the actual exam experience and make sure you're ready for the real deal.


If you're ready to level-up your Power BI skills, increase your earning potential, and become a Microsoft Certified Data Analyst, this is the course for you!


__________

Join today and get immediate, lifetime access to the following:

  • 7.5 hours of high-quality video

  • PL-300 Certification Prep study guide

  • Downloadable Power BI project files & solutions

  • Quizzes + full-length Practice Exam

  • Course Q&A forum

  • 30-day money-back guarantee


See you in the course!

-Aaron (Power BI Instructor, Maven Analytics)


__________

Looking for our full course library? Search "Maven Analytics" to browse our full collection of Excel, Power BI, SQL, Tableau, Python, Alteryx & Machine Learning courses!


See why Maven Analytics courses are among the TOP-RATED and BEST-SELLING courses on Udemy:


"Some of the BEST courses I've ever taken. I've studied several programming languages, Excel, VBA and web dev, and Maven is among the very best I've seen!" Russ C.


"This is my fourth course from Maven Analytics and my fourth 5-star review, so I'm running out of things to say. I wish Maven was in my life earlier!" Tatsiana M.


"Excellent from start to finish. I picked up a bunch of techniques that will be useful in the workplace, from new chart templates to some very cool advanced visualizations. I loved all of it!" Robert C.


"Maven Analytics should become the new standard for all courses taught on Udemy!" Jonah M.

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Instructor Details

Maven Analytics

Maven Analytics is an award-winning platform where individuals and teams build new skills, showcase work, and connect with experts around the world.

We've helped more than 2,000,000 learners around the world build job-ready data & AI skills, master tools like Excel, SQL, Power BI, Tableau and Python, and build the foundation for successful careers.

Start learning for free!

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Reviews

4.6

13,023 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Nomsa Hlatshwayo on 5/27/2026

Thank you, I am new on the course, and I am very interested as I want to change my career path, I will concentrate, listen and enjoy once I am completed the course. Thanks

By Martin Belak on 5/22/2026

This course was very useful and helped me better connect the bigger picture around Power BI. It fits very well into the overall learning journey and adds valuable context to the topic. Thank you for the well-structured and practical explanations.

By Deborah Malsagov on 4/28/2026

Excellent course. The resources and links are helpful. Additionally, I took some time to look at the Announcement section and appreciate that there were interesting topics there.

By Zareena Banu on 3/9/2026

The course content really helped clarify and strengthen my understanding. Though it does require an update to reflect the changes in Power BI. Consideration - few more practice tests would be super helpful to prepare for the certification exam

By Adam Roberson on 3/7/2026

This is a well-organized course and presents the material in a way easily consumed. The concern I have (having not taken / passed the certification yet) is that the material is too shallow. The practice exam through Microsoft is certainly more difficult than the practice exam here.

By Vincent Penninckx on 2/26/2026

This course helps you to understand where we should focus our attention to succeed in the PL-300 exam. However, I would advise to follow more basic course, should you lack experience with Power BI. It could have been perfect to share more examples of practical questions for the exam though.

By Ahmed Samir Mohamed on 2/14/2026

very good and interactive course with enough explanation for each concept, very good instructor, this feedback is based on this course and other power bi courses from Maven analytics (power bi desktop, power bi services).

By Angel Oti on 2/12/2026

A very good Power BI course. Plenty of helpful pro tips, as well as important Power BI knowledge, key to your professional development and for the PL-300 exam.

By Dean Robinson on 2/9/2026

Well paced. Easy to understand. clearly articulated. This may vary with students whose primary language is not English. Well organized and paced. One quiz question was worded oddly and confusing. Semantics. Question asking for "which tool" (singular), expected answer was two tools (plural) with and & which should have been an OR. A OR B not A & B.

By Jana-Rose McAllister on 1/14/2026

I enjoyed this course the content was professional and easy to follow. It provided enough detail and step by step guidance at a good pace. Although I am not sure the practice test will be enough for me to pass the PL300 exam. Compared to the real practice tests on Measure Up the practice tests and case studies seemed too easy. Although I must note, I've not yet sat the exam and I know this course has improved my knowledge a lot.

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Overall Score : 92 / 100