Data and analytics 路 Free
Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep)
The general Power BI analyst course, organised around Microsoft's PL-300 skills: getting data and choosing a storage mode, profiling and cleaning in Power Query, merge, append and unpivot, star-schema modelling and relationships, DAX measures and CALCULATE, date tables and time intelligence, visuals and report design, bookmarks, drillthrough and tooltips, the Power BI service, row-level security, performance, a review of the PL-300 skill areas and a capstone. Preparation for the exam, not the Microsoft certification itself.
Inside the course
From the lessons
What a Power BI data analyst does, and your first report
Alex The Analyst
Profiling and cleaning data in Power Query
Alex The Analyst
Data modelling: star schema and relationships
Guy in a Cube
Date tables, time intelligence and calculation groups
Pragmatic Works
Interactive reports and finding patterns
Guy in a Cube
Row-level security and governance
Guy in a Cube
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.
What you will learn
Connect Power BI to files, databases and shared semantic models and choose Import, DirectQuery or Direct Lake with a reason; profile and clean data in Power Query with steps that rerun on refresh; merge, append, unpivot and group queries; build a star schema with correct cardinality, cross-filter direction and a role-playing date table; write DAX measures with CALCULATE, time intelligence, semi-additive logic and calculation groups; design report pages with suitable visuals, themes, conditional formatting, bookmarks, drillthrough and tooltips; publish, share and refresh in the Power BI service; secure data with static and dynamic row-level security; find and fix slow visuals with Performance Analyzer; and map all of it to the PL-300 skills measured before sitting Microsoft's exam.
- Choose Import, DirectQuery or Direct Lake for a table and give the reason
- Profile and clean data in Power Query with recorded steps that rerun on every refresh
- Merge, append, unpivot and group queries into long, narrow tables
- Build a star schema with the right cardinality, filter direction and a role-playing date table
- Write DAX measures with CALCULATE, fiscal year-to-date, prior year and semi-additive balances
- Design report pages with bookmarks, drillthrough and tooltips that answer real questions
- Publish, share through apps, schedule refresh and secure data with row-level security
- Find slow visuals with Performance Analyzer and map every skill to the PL-300 outline
For you
Taking Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep) from the United States
- Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
- The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$23.99. What you get for it
- Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
- See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
- EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.
The course project 路 about 14 hours
An executive sales report on AdventureWorks: from raw workbook to a secured, documented Power BI report
Build the reseller sales report a sales director asked for, end to end, on Microsoft's free AdventureWorks Sales sample: clean and shape the data in Power Query, add a quarterly targets sheet by unpivoting it, model a star schema with a role-playing date table, write and hand-check the measures, design a summary page and a drillthrough detail page, secure it by sales territory group, and document refresh and access. The sample pack shows each document an analyst hands over.
Sample document pack, 6 documents, filled in for the scenario
- URSReport requirements: reseller sales report
- RegisterModel register: tables, keys, relationships and storage
- RegisterMeasure register with hand checks
- Traceability matrixTraceability: requirements to measures, pages and tests
- Test reportValidation record before first release
- ProcedureProcedure: refresh, access and changes
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Course content
15 modules 路 38 lessons 路 8h 30m
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- 01What a Power BI data analyst does, and your first report2 lessons32m
- 02Getting data: sources, storage modes and parameters3 lessons24m
- 03Profiling and cleaning data in Power Query2 lessons48m
- 04Shaping and combining: merge, append, unpivot and group2 lessons29m
- 05Data modelling: star schema and relationships3 lessons42m
- 06DAX basics: measures, calculated columns and CALCULATE3 lessons36m
- 07Date tables, time intelligence and calculation groups3 lessons33m
- 08Visuals and report design3 lessons37m
Requirements
- Who it is for
- Beginner to intermediate. For engineers, analysts, MIS staff and students moving into data analysis. Comfort with Excel (tables, filters, simple formulas) is enough; no Power BI, SQL or coding experience is needed.
- Software
- Power BI Desktop, a free download from Microsoft that runs on Windows only (a Mac needs Windows in a virtual machine). Microsoft's free AdventureWorks Sales sample workbook. Publishing and sharing in the Power BI service need a work or school account and a Power BI licence or trial; those modules can be followed in Desktop without one. Copilot is not needed for any module. What to download, and how
- Hardware
- A Windows PC or laptop with 8 GB of memory or more.
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Power BI Desktop is free and covers every modelling, DAX and report module; it runs on Windows only. Publishing, sharing and scheduled refresh need a Power BI service account and licence, and those steps can be followed without one. Copilot is not needed.
Required
- 01Free
Power BI Desktop
Microsoft
- Runs on
- Windows 10, Windows 11 or Windows Server 2016 and later, 64-bit
- Account
- None needed
- Size
- about 662 MB download for the installer from the Download Center
Power BI Desktop is a free download for building data models and reports on your own PC. Sharing reports through the Power BI service needs a Power BI licence.
Steps
- 1.Open the Power BI Desktop page and select Download free.
- 2.Install it from the Microsoft Store, or download the installer from the Microsoft Download Center.
- 3.Start Power BI Desktop and close the sign-in prompt if you only work locally.
- 4.Select Get data to load the course's Excel or CSV file.
- 5.Save your report as a .pbix file.
- The Microsoft Store version updates itself and does not need administrator rights.
- On a Mac, run Windows in a virtual machine; there is no macOS version.
- At least 4 GB of RAM and a 1440x900 or larger screen are recommended.
Official download pagemicrosoft.com
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 02Free web version with limits
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft
- Runs on
- Excel for the web in any modern browser; desktop apps for Windows and macOS with a Microsoft 365 subscription
- Account
- A free Microsoft account
Excel for the web is free with a Microsoft account and 5 GB of cloud storage. The desktop app comes with a paid Microsoft 365 subscription, which offers a free trial. Python in Excel is not available on free licences, and fuller Copilot features need an eligible paid plan.
Steps
- 1.Open the Excel page on microsoft.com and select Sign up for free, or Sign in.
- 2.Create or sign in to your Microsoft account.
- 3.Select Open Excel to start Excel for the web.
- 4.Upload the course workbook to OneDrive and open it.
- 5.If a lesson needs a desktop-only feature, consider the Microsoft 365 free trial.
- Most formulas, tables and charts work in Excel for the web; some advanced tools, such as Power Pivot and many add-ins, need the desktop app.
- Check the Python in Excel availability page before a Python lesson.
Official download pagemicrosoft.comAlternatives
- LibreOffice Calc: Free desktop spreadsheet for Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Google Sheets: Free browser spreadsheet with a Google Account.
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep) at a glance
Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep) is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineers, analysts, MIS staff and students moving into data analysis with Power BI. It has 15 modules and 8h 30m of video lessons by Alex The Analyst, Pragmatic Works, Guy in a Cube and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
- Who it is for
- Engineers, analysts, MIS staff and students moving into data analysis with Power BI
- Format
- 15 self-paced modules, 8h 30m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. For engineers, analysts, MIS staff and students moving into data analysis. Comfort with Excel (tables, filters, simple formulas) is enough; no Power BI, SQL or coding experience is needed.
- Brand
- Vendor-neutral
- Software
- Power BI Desktop, a free download from Microsoft that runs on Windows only (a Mac needs Windows in a virtual machine). Microsoft's free AdventureWorks Sales sample workbook. Publishing and sharing in the Power BI service need a work or school account and a Power BI licence or trial; those modules can be followed in Desktop without one. Copilot is not needed for any module.
- Hardware
- A Windows PC or laptop with 8 GB of memory or more.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- Alex The Analyst, Pragmatic Works, Guy in a Cube, SQLBI, Chandoo, How to Power BI, Curbal, Goodly, Leila Gharani, Maven Analytics, RADACAD (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
A shareable EDWartens certificate
Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.
The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.
Stuck? Ask a practising engineer
A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.
Pairs well with
PLC programming 路 FreeSiemens TIA PortalFrom zero electrical knowledge to a working, simulated S7-1200 program, for nothing.
PLC programming 路 FreeSiemens TIA Portal in Three HoursThe first three hours of the Siemens TIA Portal course, cut to end on a win: what a PLC is, how it is wired, a project configured in TIA Portal, and your first ladder program running in simulation. Finish it in an evening or two, earn a certificate, and carry straight on into the full course.
PLC programming 路 FreeTIA Portal: Build a MachineOne machine, start to finish. Take a bottle filling line from a written specification and an I/O list to a structured S7-1200 program with a fill station, a capper, a reject sorter and an operator screen with alarms, then test it against a written record and archive it for hand-over. The lessons are the reference; the machine is yours, and it is what you submit.
Instrumentation 路 FreeInstrumentation for PLC EngineersThe half of the loop that is not code. Follow one measurement from the transmitter in the field, down the 4-20 mA loop, into the analog card, through NORM_X and SCALE_X into engineering units, out again to a valve, and back to the control room when the reading is wrong.More free courses: Free Industry 4.0 and IIoT courses
Learner reviews
No reviews yet
Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep), and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.
Common questions
Is this the Microsoft PL-300 certification?
No. It is preparation for Microsoft's PL-300 exam, organised around the skills measured that Microsoft publishes on Microsoft Learn (the outline dated 20 April 2026, checked on 1 October 2026). The Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate certification is awarded only by Microsoft after you pass its exam. EDWartens is not affiliated with Microsoft.
What certificate does the Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep) course give?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you finish the modules and pass the final assessment, with a number anyone can verify on our site. It is not a Microsoft certification and is never described as one.
Is the Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep) course really free?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the practice tasks, the project and the final assessment are free. The only paid item is the certificate, if you want it.
Who made the video lessons in the Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep) course?
Alex The Analyst, Pragmatic Works, Guy in a Cube, SQLBI, Chandoo and other named educators, on their own YouTube channels, credited on each module. None is affiliated with EDWartens. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, worked problems, practice tasks, question bank and project.
Do I need to buy Power BI?
No. Power BI Desktop is a free download from Microsoft and every modelling, DAX and report module can be done on it. It runs on Windows only. Publishing and sharing through the Power BI service need a work or school account and a licence, which many employers already have; those modules explain each step and can be followed without one.
How is this different from the Power BI OEE course?
This is the general analyst course, on sales data, covering every PL-300 skill area including the service, security and performance. Power BI for Manufacturing: OEE and Production Dashboards is the follow-on for engineers who want the same skills applied to downtime, production and quality data.
How long does the Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep) course take?
About 13 hours of video lessons, notes and practice, at your own pace; the videos alone are about 8.5 hours. The optional project takes about 14 hours more.
What is the project in the Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep) course?
You build a sales director's report on Microsoft's AdventureWorks Sales sample from start to finish: Power Query, an unpivoted targets sheet, a star schema with a role-playing date table, hand-checked measures, a drillthrough detail page, row-level security by territory group, and the refresh and access procedure. A complete sample pack shows the requirements, model and measure registers, traceability matrix, validation record and procedure.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep)
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.
Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- Alex The Analystinstalling Power BI and a first visual, Power Query in Power BI, relationships, DAX for beginners, conditional formatting, and the full guided project used as the capstone
- Pragmatic Worksthe top five areas to study for PL-300, creating dimension tables for a star schema, the ultimate guide to date tables, visual data analysis for PL-300, and the PL-300 practice exam questions and answers
- Guy in a Cubechoosing Import, DirectQuery or a live connection, Direct Lake in Microsoft Fabric, why Power BI loves a star schema, report design, bookmarks, anomaly detection, org apps, setting up row-level security, row-level and object-level security together, the performance troubleshooting checklist and debugging a slow report with Phil Seamark
- SQLBIImport versus DirectQuery, measures versus calculated columns, introducing CALCULATE, and introducing Performance Analyzer
- Chandoothe Power Query beginner to pro masterclass, calculation groups in DAX, and learning the Power BI service in fifteen minutes
- How to Power BIcombining data with merge and append, and five design tricks for report pages
- Curbalwhen to transpose, pivot or unpivot in Power Query
- Goodlya year-to-date calculation in Power BI
- Leila Gharanidrillthrough from a chart to a detail page
- Maven Analyticsdesigning custom report-page tooltips
- RADACADdynamic row-level security, and the best ways to share reports with apps, licensing and good practice
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.