There is a need to analyze the massive amount of data generated every day to categorize them better and make informed decisions. As a result, more than ever, skilled data analysts are in demand. Power BI, part of Microsoft Power Platform, leverages business intelligence to offer a set of analytics tools that help both businesses and individuals to make decisions backed by data through interactive visualizations and dashboards.
A Power BI certification is the accreditation of an individual’s Power BI skills acquired when passing the required certification exam. Power BI Certifications are highly recognized by the industry and can help professionals stand out in their pursuit of data engineering, analytics, or similar opportunities. This article will discuss Power BI, the Microsoft courses that help you prepare for the eventual Power BI certification exam, and other details like Power BI certification cost.
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI is the most used Business Intelligence and Data Visualization tool in the world today. Power BI, initially developed by Microsoft in 2011, has been available for the public since 2013. Part of Microsoft Power Platform, it is based on Excel elements. Power BI is a set of applications and services that help analyze unstructured and unrelated data.
There are three elements to Power BI, including:
- Power BI Desktop, a windows-based desktop
- Power BI Service, a Software as Service (SaaS) hosted on Azure
- Power BI mobile Applications, a suite of tools available for a wide variety of platforms like Windows, iOS, and Android
Apart from these core elements, there are two more ancillary Power BI services:
- Report Builder is used to create and share paginated, pixel perfect reports.
- Report Server is an on-premise server that helps the Power BI report to be published.
Power BI Certification:
Like other Microsoft certifications, Power BI Certification is awarded when someone passes the ‘DA-100: Analyzing Data with Microsoft Power BI exam. Organizations seeking data engineers, data scientists, or data mining experts often rely on this credential to differentiate candidates. Courses to train for this exam are available both online and offline and are offered in both free and paid options.
Microsoft courses include the free Microsoft Learn platform and instructor-led, paid Power BI training. In addition, many other third-party learning providers offer similar courses that help you prepare for the Microsoft Power BI certification exam.
DA-100 Exam, what to expect:
Though there aren’t any mandatory prerequisites for this exam, it is advantageous if the individual is familiar with Microsoft Azure cloud concepts. In addition, having basic data analytics and business intelligence knowledge is also recommended.
Microsoft Power BI Certification Exam pattern:
The DA-100 exam tests an individual’s ability to design and build data models, their ability to scrub and transform the data, and their advanced analytical capabilities. The exam is divided into 5 sections, including:
| Section | Weightage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare the Data | 20-25% | In this section, questions from CDS can be expected. The candidate will be asked to solve irregularities, apply transformations via data shapes to the table, combine the queries and apply user-friendly name conventions. In a gist, the candidate must procure the data, profile it, clean it, transform it and then load it. |
| Data Modeling | 25-30% | In this section, the candidate is tested on designing and developing data models, using DAX language and optimizing the performance. |
| Data Visualization | 20-25% | In this section, the candidate must prepare reports, prepare live dashboards, enrich the reports for usability, including configuring sync slicers |
| Data Analysis | 10-15% | This section covers the aspect of enhancing the reports to expose insights and perform advanced analysis |
| Deploy and Maintain Deliverables | 10-15% | Here the candidate is expected to manage datasheets, create, and manage workspaces |
DA-100 Exam details:
The details of the Power BI certification exam are as follows
- Duration: 180 minutes
- Difficulty Level: Average
- Number of Questions: 40-60
- Passing Marks: 70%
- Exam Type: MCQs, Self-Proctored or at certified center
- Validity: 1 year, renewable online for free at Microsoft learning
Power Bi Certification Cost
The cost of the certification is $165. However, in the wake of Covid-19, Microsoft is offering this certification at $15 to candidates who have been impacted by the pandemic.
Preparing for the exam:
Taking up proper Power BI courses to prepare for the exam is key. Several available learning paths guide the candidates with detailed reading and mock exams. Before the main exam, candidates can appear for as many mock tests as possible to further analyze their level of understanding and plug any gaps. As with any certification exam prep, practice is essential.
Conclusion:
Microsoft Power BI is now one of the de-facto clusters of tools for data analytics today. As a result, a Power BI certification ensures the growth of the individual professionally and of the organization he works for. Understand the DA-100 exam, the topics you will be tested on, and choose from various available training to select the one that fits you best and move ahead.
