The Work Gym

Courses / Data and analytics tools

Power BI

Build reports and write DAX in a practice workspace modeled on Power BI Desktop, with every answer checked.

Start lesson 1 Practice interview Take the assessmentPractice the first unit of every course. No account needed.

92lessons

596checked exercises

15projects, cases and exams

Prepares you for PL-300

Projects, case studies and mock exams

Project · BeginnerStore performance one-pager

A store performance report

8 steps · 40 min Project · IntermediateRegional sales report

Build the sales director's regional report from a brief: explicit measures, margin, year over year, a ranked store table and a year slicer.

9 steps · 35 min Project · IntermediateClean a supplier file

Clean a supplier's messy price list in Power Query, load it next to the Product table, and show where costs go up.

9 steps · 30 min Case study · IntermediateThe cost of discounts

Group orders by discount band and test whether discounts lift order size enough to pay for the margin they cost.

6 steps · 25 min Project · AdvancedExecutive dashboard

An interactive executive report

12 steps · 40 min Case study · AdvancedFix the product mix

Find which categories carry sales and which carry margin, then recommend where to grow.

5 steps · 20 min Case study · AdvancedWhere to open next

Compare regions on sales per store and growth, then pick the region with the strongest case for a new store.

6 steps · 25 min Project · ExpertBudget vs actual model

A mixed-grain budget report

10 steps · 40 min Case study · ExpertEarly signs of churn

Compare order counts by customer segment across years to find the group whose orders fell, and spot the data issue behind it.

5 steps · 22 min Project · ExpertCapstone: the full sales analytics report

A complete sales analytics report

15 steps · 40 min Mock exam · ExpertPL-300 practice exam 1

A timed, 24-question PL-300 style practice exam with hands-on report tasks.

24 questions · 50 min Mock exam · ExpertPL-300 practice exam 2

A timed, 60-question PL-300 style practice exam covering all four domains, with original scenarios and hands-on tasks.

60 questions · 100 min

Practice Power BI the way you use it at work, from your first visual to expert DAX. Select fields and drag them into wells, slice and filter, clean data in Power Query, model it, then write measures with CALCULATE, ALL, RANKX, variables and time intelligence. Projects build whole reports from a stakeholder's brief, step by step.

Every exercise runs in a report that looks and behaves like Power BI Desktop, on a sales model built as a star schema. Answers are checked from the report itself, so any correct route counts, and a wrong one gets a hint about what went wrong. The order follows the PL-300 exam outline.

Projects that use Power BI

Work one company brief through several tools. Your Power BI stage reads the tables from the stage before.

Project · Northstar Furnishings · OutlineProfit on paper, cash under pressureExcel → Power BI · 1 hr 40 min

See all projects

Beginner

Build your first report

Turn fields into visuals, choose the right chart, format it, and show headline numbers in cards.

4 lessons

1Your first visual: from fields to a chartSelect or drag fields from the Data pane and let Power BI build a column chart.4 exercises · 8 minFree

2Choose the right visual, then format itSwitch between column, bar, line and pie charts without losing fields, then add data labels and a clear title.5 exercises · 10 minFree

3Cards and aggregations: Sum, Average, CountShow headline numbers in cards and pick the right aggregation: Sum, Average, Count, Count (Distinct), Earliest or Latest.5 exercises · 9 minFree

Practice setA first reportEight report-building tasks with no steps: pick the visual, the fields and the aggregation yourself.Free

Slice and filter

Let readers filter with slicers, set rules in the Filters pane, and show exact numbers in tables and matrices.

5 lessons

5Slicers: let readers filter the pageAdd list, dropdown and tile slicers, select one or several values, and watch every visual on the page follow.4 exercises · 9 minWith a plan

6The Filters pane: visual, page and report filtersFilter one visual, a whole page or every page from the Filters pane, including Top N filters.4 exercises · 10 minWith a plan

7Tables and matricesShow exact numbers in a table, sort by a column, and pivot with a matrix of rows, columns and totals.4 exercises · 9 minWith a plan

8Conditional formattingDefine explicit boundaries and preserve the meaning of blanks.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

Practice setSlice and filterEight tasks mixing slicers, visual, page and report filters, Top N, tables and matrices.With a plan

Get and clean data

Bring files into Power Query, read the applied steps, fix types, clean values and shape columns before they reach the model.

4 lessons

10The Power Query EditorBring a file into Power Query, read its applied steps, set column types and load the result into the model.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

11Clean data in Power QueryFix the usual problems in a raw file: placeholder text in a number column, stray spaces, blank rows, values written once per block and a Total line.5 exercises · 14 minWith a plan

12Split, rename and add columnsGive every column one job and a clear name: split, rename, fix the case, and add columns with rules and formulas.5 exercises · 14 minWith a plan

Practice setClean a messy fileNine cleaning tasks on a supplier price list, a store report and a customer list, each starting from the file as it opened.With a plan

Model the data

Connect fact and dimension tables with relationships so filters flow the right way.

4 lessons

14Relationships and the star schemaCreate and fix relationships in Model view, so dimension tables filter the fact table the right way.4 exercises · 10 minWith a plan

15Facts, dimensions and keysDeclare the fact grain, then connect unique dimension keys.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

Practice setModel basicsRepair filters and grain before changing a correct measure.With a plan

ProjectStore performance one-pagerA store performance reportWith a plan

Intermediate

DAX measures

Write explicit measures: sums, counts, ratios, row-by-row calculations and labels with IF and SWITCH.

6 lessons

18Your first DAX measuresWrite explicit measures with SUM, COUNTROWS and arithmetic, then reuse them in other measures and visuals.4 exercises · 10 minWith a plan

19DIVIDE: ratios that don't breakBuild margins and averages with DIVIDE, format them as percentages, and avoid divide-by-zero errors.4 exercises · 10 minWith a plan

20Count rows, values and blanksCount orders, customers, products and blanks, and know which function counts what.5 exercises · 11 minWith a plan

21IF and SWITCHLabel rows and results with IF and SWITCH, in calculated columns and in measures, and get the boundaries right.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

22Row by row: calculated columns, SUMX and RELATEDCalculate per row with calculated columns and SUMX, and fetch values from a related table with RELATED.4 exercises · 11 minWith a plan

Practice setDAX basicsEight mixed measure tasks from the DAX unit, with no steps: SUM, counts, DIVIDE, SUMX, RELATED and IF.With a plan

CALCULATE and filter context

Change the filters a measure sees with CALCULATE, ALL, FILTER and SELECTEDVALUE.

5 lessons

24CALCULATE: change the filter contextUse CALCULATE to evaluate a measure with different filters: one channel, one category, a list of months, a condition.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

25ALL and percent of totalRemove filters with ALL, REMOVEFILTERS and ALLEXCEPT to build grand totals and percent-of-total measures that respect slicers.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

26FILTER with measuresKeep the rows that meet a condition with FILTER, including conditions on measures, and keep existing filters with KEEPFILTERS.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

27SELECTEDVALUE and dynamic labelsRead what the reader selected with SELECTEDVALUE, hide totals with HASONEVALUE, and write labels that follow the slicers.5 exercises · 11 minWith a plan

Practice setFilter contextEight mixed filter-context tasks: CALCULATE filters, removing filters, shares, FILTER and labels.With a plan

Dates and time intelligence

Build and mark date tables, then compare periods: to date, last year and rolling windows.

5 lessons

29Date tables and time intelligenceMark a date table, sort months in calendar order, and write year-to-date, last-year and year-over-year measures.5 exercises · 14 minWith a plan

30Build a date table with DAXCreate a calculated date table with CALENDAR and ADDCOLUMNS, then relate it to the sales dates.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

31Month to date and rolling periodsWrite month-to-date, quarter-to-date and rolling 3 and 12 month measures that cross year boundaries correctly.5 exercises · 13 minWith a plan

32Date hierarchies and drill downChoose the drill mode that preserves the comparison you need.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

Practice setDatesUse calendar periods and hierarchy labels consistently.With a plan

Combine and reshape data

Merge and append queries, unpivot wide sheets, group rows and read the M code behind every step.

6 lessons

34Merge queriesLook up columns from another query by a key, pick the right join kind, and catch duplicate keys before they multiply your rows.5 exercises · 15 minWith a plan

35Append queriesStack quarterly files into one table, fix a column that changed name, and keep the inputs out of the model.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

36Unpivot and pivotTurn a wide budget sheet, one column per month, into the long table a model needs.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

37Group by in Power QuerySummarize rows by one or more columns with counts and sums, and know when a DAX measure is the better place.4 exercises · 11 minWith a plan

38M language basicsRead the M code behind your steps, edit a step in the formula bar, and fix a step that broke after a rename.5 exercises · 13 minWith a plan

Practice setCombine and reshapeNine tasks that combine and reshape the order files, the store list, the budget and the web orders.With a plan

Intermediate projects

Build a full report from a stakeholder brief, clean a supplier file end to end, and answer a pricing question with evidence.

3 lessons

ProjectRegional sales reportBuild the sales director's regional report from a brief: explicit measures, margin, year over year, a ranked store table and a year slicer.With a plan

ProjectClean a supplier fileClean a supplier's messy price list in Power Query, load it next to the Product table, and show where costs go up.With a plan

Case studyThe cost of discountsGroup orders by discount band and test whether discounts lift order size enough to pay for the margin they cost.With a plan

Advanced

Advanced DAX

Variables, ranking, top N analysis and calculated tables.

6 lessons

43Variables in DAXName the parts of a measure with VAR, compute them once, and RETURN a readable result.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

44RANKX: rank stores and productsRank stores and products with RANKX, rank within a category, handle ties and hide the rank on the total row.5 exercises · 13 minWith a plan

45TOPN and top N analysisUse TOPN to sum the top products, build a top N table, and know why TOPN can return more than N rows.4 exercises · 11 minWith a plan

46Calculated tables: SUMMARIZE and ADDCOLUMNSBuild summary tables with SUMMARIZE, add calculated columns with ADDCOLUMNS and pick columns with SELECTCOLUMNS.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

47Running totals and ALLSELECTEDBuild running totals that keep growing across months and years, and ones that restart within what the reader selected.5 exercises · 13 minWith a plan

Practice setAdvanced DAXEight advanced measure and table tasks with no steps, each built around a common pitfall.With a plan

Advanced modeling

Role-playing dates, inactive relationships and calculation groups.

6 lessons

49Role-playing dates: USERELATIONSHIPReport by ship date as well as order date with one date table, an inactive relationship and USERELATIONSHIP.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

50Cross-filter direction and many-to-manyTrace filter paths and protect the fact grain.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

51Hierarchies, groups and binsUse hierarchies for paths, groups for members and bins for intervals.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

52Calculation groupsUnderstand calculation groups: one set of time calculations that applies to every measure, and the rules that come with them.5 exercises · 9 minWith a plan

53Field parametersSwitch fields while keeping the visual and its filters.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

Practice setModelingCombine model choices without changing the meaning of the data.With a plan

Interactive reports

Build drill-through paths, bookmarks, tooltips, synchronized slicers and deliberate interactions.

6 lessons

55Drill-through pagesCarry the selected point to a reusable detail page.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

56Bookmarks, buttons and navigationCapture the intended state and connect it to a named action.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

57Report page tooltipsAdd contextual detail without crowding the overview.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

58Sync slicersShare selections deliberately and treat visibility separately.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

59Edit interactionsChoose the target response for each source selection.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

Practice setInteractive reportsCombine navigation and context without surprising the reader.With a plan

More visuals

Build indicators, point comparisons, contribution bridges, maps and repeated panels.

6 lessons

61KPI and gaugeMatch the indicator, time context and target grain.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

62Scatter chartsGive every point an identity and interpret unusual points in context.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

63Waterfall and combo chartsUse signed contributions for waterfalls and compatible categories for combos.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

64MapsChoose a geographic grain and preserve location context.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

65Small multiplesCompare repeated charts on a consistent scale.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

Practice setChoose and build visualsMatch each question to the chart that preserves its meaning.With a plan

Advanced case studies

Answer business questions with the measures and visuals you can build: product mix and where to open next.

3 lessons

ProjectExecutive dashboardAn interactive executive reportWith a plan

Case studyFix the product mixFind which categories carry sales and which carry margin, then recommend where to grow.With a plan

Case studyWhere to open nextCompare regions on sales per store and growth, then pick the region with the strongest case for a new store.With a plan

Expert

Security and performance

Define and test row-level access, capture query estimates and explain model storage choices.

5 lessons

70Row-level securitySecure model rows and test the role independently of slicers.5 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

71Dynamic row-level securityMap the current identity to every permitted region and deny unknown identities.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

72Performance AnalyzerRecord comparable work and distinguish estimates from measured Desktop timings.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

73Model size and optimizationReduce unused storage while preserving required detail and relationships.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

Practice setSecurity and performanceTest access and efficiency without changing the report question.With a plan

Expert patterns

Budget vs actual at mixed grain, stock levels, new and returning customers, and Pareto classes.

6 lessons

75Budget vs actual at different grainsCompare daily sales with monthly regional targets: bring the targets into the right filter context with TREATAS, then report variance.5 exercises · 14 minWith a plan

76Semi-additive measures: stock levelsReport stock levels that add up across products but not across time: closing, latest, opening and average stock.5 exercises · 13 minWith a plan

77New and returning customersFind each customer's first purchase, then count new and returning customers and their sales in any period.5 exercises · 14 minWith a plan

78Pareto and ABC classificationRank products by their cumulative share of sales and sort them into A, B and C classes for range decisions.5 exercises · 14 minWith a plan

79What-if parametersGenerate permitted inputs and use the selected value in an explicit scenario measure.4 exercises · 12 minWith a plan

Practice setExpert patternsEight expert tasks mixing budget vs actual, semi-additive stock, new customers, running totals and ABC classes.With a plan

Expert case studies

Find the customers who are slipping and what the data says about them.

3 lessons

ProjectBudget vs actual modelA mixed-grain budget reportWith a plan

Case studyEarly signs of churnCompare order counts by customer segment across years to find the group whose orders fell, and spot the data issue behind it.With a plan

ProjectCapstone: the full sales analytics reportA complete sales analytics reportWith a plan

Interviews and PL-300

Interview questions at three levels and timed PL-300 style practice exams.

5 lessons

Interview setEasyEight questions a junior analyst interview asks, half to explain and half to do in the report.With a plan

Interview setMediumEight mid-level questions on filter context, CALCULATE, time intelligence and ranking, explained and built.With a plan

Interview setHardEight senior-level questions: running totals in a selection, new customers, budgets at another grain, stock, totals and performance.With a plan

Mock examPL-300 practice exam 1A timed, 24-question PL-300 style practice exam with hands-on report tasks.With a plan

Mock examPL-300 practice exam 2A timed, 60-question PL-300 style practice exam covering all four domains, with original scenarios and hands-on tasks.With a plan