Date table creation in Power BI - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a Date Table in Power BI?

A Date Table is a table that contains a list of dates and related columns like year, month, day, and quarter. It helps organize and analyze data by time periods.

beginner

Why do we need a Date Table in Power BI reports?

A Date Table allows you to create time-based calculations like year-to-date or month-to-date. It also helps with filtering and grouping data by dates correctly.

beginner

Which DAX function can create a list of dates for a Date Table?

The DAX function CALENDAR(StartDate, EndDate) creates a continuous list of dates between two dates.

intermediate

How do you add Year and Month columns to a Date Table in Power BI?

You can add calculated columns using DAX like Year = YEAR([Date]) and Month = FORMAT([Date], "MMMM") to show the year and month names.

intermediate

What is the benefit of marking a table as a Date Table in Power BI?

Marking a table as a Date Table tells Power BI to use it for time intelligence calculations, improving performance and accuracy in date-based analysis.

Which DAX function creates a continuous list of dates for a Date Table?

A SUMMARIZE()

B CALENDAR(StartDate, EndDate)

C FILTER()

D RELATED()

CALENDAR(StartDate, EndDate) creates a list of dates between the start and end dates.

Why should you mark a table as a Date Table in Power BI?

A To enable time intelligence functions

B To change the table color

C To delete duplicate dates

D To add more columns automatically

Marking a table as a Date Table enables Power BI to use it for time intelligence calculations.

Which column would you add to a Date Table to show the month name?

A Month = MONTH([Date])

B Month = YEAR([Date])

C Month = DAY([Date])

D Month = FORMAT([Date], "MMMM")

FORMAT([Date], "MMMM") returns the full month name like January, February.

What is the main purpose of a Date Table?

A To create charts automatically

B To store customer names

C To organize data by dates for analysis

D To calculate sales totals only

A Date Table organizes dates and related info to help analyze data over time.

Which DAX function would NOT be used to create a Date Table?

A SUM()

B CALENDARAUTO()

C CALENDAR()

D ADDCOLUMNS()

SUM() is for adding numbers, not creating date lists.

Explain how to create a basic Date Table in Power BI using DAX.

Think about generating dates and adding useful date parts.

Describe why a Date Table is important for time intelligence in Power BI.

Consider how dates help analyze data over time.