Visual Types and Selection

Quick Answer: Choose visuals based on what you are analyzing: bar/column charts for comparison, line charts for trends, pie/donut for composition, scatter for relationships, cards for KPIs, and tables/matrices for detailed data. The PL-300 tests your ability to select the most appropriate visual for a given business scenario.

Choosing the Right Visual

Core Visual Types

Bar and Column Charts

When to use: Comparing values across categories

Tip: Use horizontal bars when category labels are long (e.g., product names). Use vertical columns when categories are few and labels are short.

Line and Area Charts

When to use: Showing trends over time (continuous data)

Pie and Donut Charts

When to use: Showing proportions of a whole (composition)

Best practices:

• Limit to 5-7 categories (too many slices become unreadable)
• Use when values sum to a meaningful total (100%)
• Consider a treemap or stacked bar as alternatives for many categories

Tables and Matrices

Matrix features:

• Row and column hierarchies with expand/collapse
• Subtotals and grand totals
• Stepped layout for hierarchy readability
• Conditional formatting for data bars, color scales, icons

Cards

Maps

Other Important Visuals

Visual Calculations (DAX in Visuals)

Visual calculations are a new feature allowing DAX expressions evaluated within the context of a visual, without creating model-level measures.

// Running total within a visual
Running Total = RUNNINGSUM([Revenue])

// Difference from previous
Vs Previous = [Revenue] - PREVIOUS([Revenue])

// Percentage of grand total
% of Total = DIVIDE([Revenue], COLLAPSE([Revenue], ROWS))

Key functions for visual calculations:

• RUNNINGSUM() — Cumulative total
• PREVIOUS() / NEXT() — Adjacent values
• FIRST() / LAST() — First/last in the visual
• COLLAPSE() — Aggregate to parent level
• EXPAND() — Drill to child level

When to Use Visual Calculations vs. Measures

Paginated Reports

Paginated reports are pixel-perfect, print-ready reports for scenarios where Power BI interactive reports are not suitable:

When to choose paginated reports:

• Invoices, statements, or receipts
• Reports that must fit specific page dimensions
• Reports requiring all rows (not aggregated)
• Reports destined for printing or PDF distribution

On the Exam

The PL-300 frequently tests:

• Selecting the appropriate visual for a business scenario
• Understanding when to use tables vs. matrices
• Knowing when paginated reports are appropriate
• Visual calculations vs. model measures
• Map visual requirements (data categories for geocoding)