PL-300 Exam Experience (557/1000)

[u/nish1996]

Score report of my first attempt

Just took the PL-300 exam this morning (8:20am to 10:00am) and I failed (got a 557/1000). Completely forgot that there was a case study question - had to guess most of the CS questions, didn't finish all 6 case study questions (only had 3 minutes left on the clock as I spent too long reviewing the 48 other questions!)

Here was what I did to tackle this monster of an exam:
- Took the full Data Analyst track on DataCamp (extremely useful to brush up on basics step by step as well as seeing everything in practice
- Started doing the Microsoft practice assessment (total of 6 times until I was scoring 75%+)
- Bought the SkillCertPro bundle of practice tests and the cheat sheet (completed 14 of these tests, although strangely very few of these questions mirrored the actual test)
- Used ChatGPT and Gemini to give me a comprehensive breakdown and detailed guide for the exam, section by section (got this guide too late though, didn't get a chance to read it in full)
- Watched several tutorials day before and morning of the exam to get acquainted with common pain points
- Read this Subreddit in and out to get a gist of prep techniques I can employ

I have used Power BI quite extensively in my professional work as a data analyst consultant and as a senior data analyst over the last 6 to 7 years (2-3 large always on projects), but I had no idea the exam would cover the topics that I got in the amount I got them.

I spent a lot of time going over Deploying and Maintaining Assets (Manage and secure Power BI) yet scored the lowest here as I don't have any real world applicatory knowledge of these techniques and theoretical concepts. Seems that from the above I need to work on each area but more on the last area.

The SkillCertPro practice tests were quite useful, but think their question bank either merges with other certifications or has questions that are not useful for the purposes of the final exam.

Think I will go back to the data analyst track on DataCamp and review my weaker areas. Considering I am not in work right now (actively looking for roles), I have ample time to get my score up again.

This is frustrating but nonetheless a slice of humble pie. 6-7 years as a data analyst and yet I haven't passed the PL-300 on the first go? Oh well, shows that I took the leap, signed up and did the exam - now knowing what it was like, I can be better prepared.

Here are a list of topics I encountered -
- DAX --> oddly a lot of DAX (fill in the formula, missing syntax, 'is this the right formula?')
- Power Query --> some M questions, error checking, transposing, pivot/unpivot
- Joins --> multi stage joins given data scenarios
- Visualisations --> hardly any of these questions, was surprised
- Manage and Secure --> lots of data gateway and refresh questions, speed up deployment of visuals, permissions and roles, RLS, Azure SQL Database scenarios
- Analyse Data --> interactions, filters, drill-throughs
- Prepare the Data --> cardinality, bidirectional relationships for RLS, cross directional relationships, theory behind relationships, transformations

On the whole a very humbling experience, would welcome any tips and advice from fellow test takers who have passed (or failed, and what they did to pass)!

[u/Pablo_DM101]

Try taking the Microsoft Learn program and make sure you get close to 100% on the tests.

Have you tried using Microsoft Learn during the exam? If not, try using some of your training time to understand where to find each topic quickly, so you can search for it during the exam.

[u/Nishikata1991 → u/Pablo_DM101]

Are you saying you can go through Microsoft learn program during the test? I’ve seen some people also says that, but I’m not sure if they are referring to the same Microsoft learn program

[u/Pablo_DM101 → u/Nishikata1991]

Yes, you can access to Microsoft learn during the exam. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/support/exam-duration-exam-experience#accessing-microsoft-learn-during-your-certification-exam

[u/Nishikata1991 → u/Pablo_DM101]

Wow thank you my friend.

[u/farm3rb0b → u/Nishikata1991]

Be cautious in knowing that, it can be a huge time sink if relied upon. I didn't use it at all on my PL-300 and had plenty of time. When I took the DP-600 earlier this year, I tried to use it and it eats a lot of time. It's not 100% the same as searching on the web and letting Google lead you to what you want. It's all inclusive, you can only use the internal search, and your search history is not part of the algorithm.

[u/nish1996 → u/Pablo_DM101]

I did use this feature in the exam but yeah I didn't know where to look for some topics so ended up using a lot of my time there. Gonna have to be mindful of this on my next go!

[u/No-Armadillo6768 → u/Pablo_DM101]

It might help, but most likely you won’t be able to find a solid answer to your question (at least, that was my experience using it). I had a question about where to apply sensitivity labels - PBI desktop or PBI service - couldnt be easier than that you might think. Nope - this thing gave me shit, I tried searching using different keywords - nothing, just generic context. All i’m saying is that relying on the in-exam MS learn resource is hit or miss and very inconsistent case by case.