Should you take PL-300? What the Power BI Data Analyst exam asks of you
The PL-300 exam is $165 in the US as of November 2026, and the Power BI Data Analyst Associate renews free each year. Self-study on Microsoft Learn keeps a first attempt at $165; a three-day class brings it to $1,960 to $2,460, with the low end at ONLC's price for classes still before their early-registration date. You get 100 minutes, and 700 passes. If you already build reports in Power BI or Excel, we estimate 4 to 8 weeks of part-time study, with most of it spent on modeling and DAX.
Key facts
- The PL-300 exam costs $165 in the US and lasts 100 minutes; it can include interactive components. (Microsoft Learn, checked November 5, 2026)
- The current PL-300 skills outline is dated April 20, 2026; Microsoft rates the changes from the previous version as minor. (Microsoft Learn study guide, checked November 5, 2026)
- Microsoft's list of certifications scheduled to retire in the next 12 months does not include the Power BI Data Analyst Associate. (Microsoft Learn, checked November 5, 2026)
- The certification renews every 12 months through a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. (Microsoft Learn, checked November 5, 2026)
What a Power BI data analyst does, in Microsoft's words
Microsoft describes the PL-300 candidate as someone who delivers “actionable insights by working with available data and applying domain expertise”: building visuals business people can read, and setting up data so others can do self-service analytics. The analyst works with business stakeholders on requirements and with data engineers to get the data, then uses Power BI to prepare, model, visualize and secure it. Microsoft expects you to be proficient in Power Query and DAX. The credential shows report and semantic-model skill inside Power BI; it does not cover building data pipelines or warehouses.
A good fit if
- You already build Power BI reports at work and want a credential that names the skill
- You are moving from Excel reporting to Power BI and can practice on real data most weeks
- Your team publishes reports in the Power BI service and you manage workspaces, sharing or row-level security
Think twice if
- You have not written DAX measures or shaped data in Power Query: Microsoft expects proficiency in both
- Your organization reports in Tableau, Looker or another tool, so the product skills will not carry over
- You want to learn data platform basics first rather than one reporting tool
Consider instead: DP-900 for core data concepts across Azure before you specialize, or AZ-900 if your role touches Azure more broadly.
Entry rules, format and the four weighted areas
There is no prerequisite certification and no required experience; proficiency in Power Query and DAX is Microsoft's recommendation, not an entry rule. The exam is proctored and booked through Pearson VUE, lasts 100 minutes and needs 700 to pass. It runs in 10 languages. As on other associate exams, you can open Microsoft Learn during the test. Microsoft has no announced retirement or new exam number for PL-300. Skills measured as of April 20, 2026:
| Area | Weight |
|---|---|
| Preparing data (connecting, cleaning, transforming, loading) | 25–30% |
| Modeling data (relationships, DAX, performance) | 25–30% |
| Visualizing and analyzing data | 25–30% |
| Managing and securing Power BI (workspaces, sharing, row-level security) | 15–20% |
The April 2026 outline asks you to choose between DirectLake, DirectQuery and Import storage, and includes Copilot tasks such as building a report page or summarizing a semantic model with Copilot. Older study material can miss both.
Self-study, practice tests or a three-day course
Microsoft's official course is PL-300T00, now titled Design and manage analytics solutions using Power BI and listed at 3 days; its learning paths are free on Microsoft Learn. Microsoft also offers a free Practice Assessment on AI Skills Navigator (sign-in required; the legacy version on Learn is no longer updated), an exam sandbox and PL-300 prep videos. MeasureUp sells the Microsoft Practice Test for PL-300; it says the test was last updated in February 2026, before the April outline. A class suits people who want an instructor to walk through DAX and modeling, or whose employer pays.
What PL-300 preparation costs
| Route | Provider and course | Published price | Exam fee | First attempt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free official training | Microsoft Learn, PL-300T00 learning paths, self-paced. Checked November 5, 2026. | $0 | + $165 exam | $165 |
| Practice test | MeasureUp, Microsoft Practice Test PL-300, 158 questions, 30-day access, list price (on sale for $59.40 when checked). Checked November 5, 2026. | $99 | + $165 exam | $264 |
| Live class, 3 days | ONLC Training Centers, PL-300 Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst, live online; $1,975 when you register on or after the early date; voucher not mentioned. Checked November 5, 2026. | $1,795 | + $165 exam | $1,960 |
| Live class, 3 days | Ascendient Learning, PL-300T00 Design and manage analytics solutions using Power BI, live virtual. Checked November 5, 2026. | $1,875 | + $165 exam | $2,040 |
| Live class, 3 days | Global Knowledge, M-PL300 Design and manage analytics solutions using Power BI, virtual; associate exam voucher sold separately. Checked November 5, 2026. | $2,295 | + $165 exam | $2,460 |
Extra costs to budget: a retake costs the full $165 again, after a 24-hour wait for the second try and 14 days between later attempts, with at most five in 12 months. Exam Replay bundles one retake with the exam; Microsoft did not show its price on the page we read. Renewal is free.
How to compare PL-300 classes
- Price depends on when you register at ONLC. It charges $1,795 before each class's early-registration date and $1,975 after it.
- Voucher. None of the classes in the table includes the exam. Global Knowledge sells a Microsoft associate exam voucher as a separate product.
- Does it teach the April 2026 outline? Ask whether the course covers DirectLake and the Copilot tasks added to the study guide.
- Will the class run? Global Knowledge marks its November 9 to 11 virtual class as guaranteed to run. Ask the others whether a date can be cancelled for low numbers.
- Lab workspace. Ask whether the class gives you a Power BI service workspace for labs, or expects you to bring your own.
Keeping the Power BI Data Analyst Associate
The certification expires 12 months after you earn it. Renewal is a free, unproctored, open-book assessment on Microsoft Learn that you can take during the six months before expiry, as many times as you need; passing extends the certification by a year.
Power BI certification for a reporting team
For a group, the cost is mostly study time, since the training and renewals are free. Ask whether your Microsoft agreement includes exam vouchers, and consider a private class only if several people need the same DAX and modeling coaching at once.
PL-300 questions
- Is PL-300 being retired?
- No. As of November 5, 2026, Microsoft lists no retirement for PL-300 or the Power BI Data Analyst Associate.
- How much does PL-300 cost?
- $165 in the US as of November 2026; prices vary by country.
- Do I need DP-900 or another exam first?
- No. PL-300 has no prerequisite.
- What score passes PL-300?
- 700 on Microsoft's scale.
Next step
If you are choosing between self-study and a class for yourself or a reporting team, send us your situation.
Ask for help choosing PL-300 training
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: Power BI Data Analyst Associate (price, length, audience, languages, Practice Assessment), checked November 5, 2026
- Microsoft Learn: PL-300 study guide (skills and weights, change log, passing score), checked November 5, 2026
- Microsoft Learn: course PL-300T00, checked November 5, 2026
- Microsoft Learn: credential retirement (scheduled retirements), checked November 5, 2026
- Microsoft Learn: certification renewal, checked November 5, 2026
- Microsoft Learn: exam retake policy, checked November 5, 2026
- Microsoft Learn: exam duration and experience, checked November 5, 2026
- Microsoft Learn: Exam Replay offer, checked November 5, 2026
- MeasureUp: Microsoft Practice Test PL-300, checked November 5, 2026
- ONLC: PL-300 course, checked November 5, 2026
- Ascendient Learning: PL-300T00 course, checked November 5, 2026
- Global Knowledge: M-PL300 course, checked November 5, 2026
Prices are published list prices we recorded on the dates shown, not quotes. How we research.