SUMX and iterators in Power BI - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

This table shows products with their unit prices and quantities sold.

Cell	Value
A1	Product
B1	Price
C1	Quantity
A2	Apple
B2	2
C2	5
A3	Banana
B3	1
C3	10
A4	Cherry
B4	3
C4	7

Formula Trace

SUMX(Table, Table[Price] * Table[Quantity])

Step 1: Table[Price] * Table[Quantity] for Apple

Step 2: Table[Price] * Table[Quantity] for Banana

Step 3: Table[Price] * Table[Quantity] for Cherry

Step 4: SUM of all row results: 10 + 10 + 21

Cell Reference Map

    A       B       C
1 Product  Price  Quantity
2 Apple      2       5
3 Banana     1      10
4 Cherry     3       7

Formula uses columns B and C for multiplication in each row.

The formula references Price (B2:B4) and Quantity (C2:C4) columns for each product row.

Result

    A       B       C       D
1 Product  Price  Quantity  Total
2 Apple      2       5       10
3 Banana     1      10       10
4 Cherry     3       7       21
5                         SUMX Result: 41

The Total column shows the multiplication per row. The final SUMX result is 41, the sum of all totals.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does SUMX do in this formula?

A It sums Price and Quantity columns separately.

B It multiplies Price and Quantity for each row and then sums the results.

C It multiplies all Prices together and all Quantities together.

D It returns the maximum Price multiplied by maximum Quantity.

Key Result

SUMX iterates over each row, evaluates an expression, then sums all results.

Practice

1. What does the SUMX function do in Power BI?

easy

A. It sums values after calculating an expression for each row in a table.

B. It counts the number of rows in a table.

C. It filters rows based on a condition.

D. It returns the maximum value from a column.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of SUMX

   SUMX iterates over each row of a table and evaluates an expression for that row.

2. Step 2: Summation after calculation

   It then sums all the results of these row-wise calculations to produce a total.

3. Final Answer:

   It sums values after calculating an expression for each row in a table. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   SUMX = sum after row calculation [OK]

Hint: Remember: SUMX sums after row-by-row math [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing SUMX with SUM which sums directly
• Thinking SUMX counts rows
• Assuming SUMX filters data

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax for using SUMX in DAX?

easy

A. SUMX(Table, Expression)

B. SUMX(Expression, Table)

C. SUMX(Table)

D. SUMX(Expression)

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify SUMX parameters

   SUMX requires two parameters: a table to iterate over and an expression to evaluate per row.

2. Step 2: Confirm correct order

   The correct order is SUMX(Table, Expression), where Table is first, then Expression.

3. Final Answer:

   SUMX(Table, Expression) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   SUMX syntax = SUMX(Table, Expression) [OK]

Hint: Table first, expression second in SUMX [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Swapping the order of parameters
• Providing only one argument
• Using incorrect parameter types

3. Given the table Sales with columns Quantity and Price, what is the result of this measure?

SUMX(Sales, Sales[Quantity] * Sales[Price])

medium

A. The maximum Quantity sold in any transaction

B. The total number of sales transactions

C. The average price of all sales

D. The sum of Quantity multiplied by Price for each row

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the expression inside SUMX

   For each row, it multiplies Quantity by Price, calculating the sales amount per transaction.

2. Step 2: SUMX sums all these calculated amounts

   It adds all these row-wise sales amounts to get the total sales value.

3. Final Answer:

   The sum of Quantity multiplied by Price for each row -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   SUMX = sum of (Quantity * Price) [OK]

Hint: SUMX sums after multiplying per row [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking it counts rows instead of summing
• Confusing sum with average or max
• Ignoring the multiplication inside SUMX

4. Identify the error in this DAX formula:

SUMX(Sales, Sales[Quantity] + )

medium

A. Table name is incorrect

B. Missing expression after the plus sign

C. SUMX cannot use addition inside expression

D. Quantity column does not exist

Solution

1. Step 1: Check the expression inside SUMX

   The expression ends with a plus sign but has no value after it, making it incomplete.

2. Step 2: Understand syntax requirements

   Every operator must have operands on both sides; missing operand causes syntax error.

3. Final Answer:

   Missing expression after the plus sign -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Incomplete expression causes syntax error [OK]

Hint: Check for incomplete expressions after operators [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring incomplete expressions
• Assuming SUMX disallows addition
• Mistaking table or column names

5. You want to calculate total profit where profit per sale is (Price - Cost) * Quantity. Which DAX formula using SUMX correctly calculates this?

hard

A. SUMX(Sales, Sales[Price] - Sales[Cost] * Sales[Quantity])

B. SUMX(Sales, Sales[Price] - (Sales[Cost] * Sales[Quantity]))

C. SUMX(Sales, (Sales[Price] - Sales[Cost]) * Sales[Quantity])

D. SUMX(Sales, Sales[Price] * Sales[Cost] * Sales[Quantity])

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the profit formula per row

   Profit per sale is (Price - Cost) multiplied by Quantity, so parentheses are needed to subtract before multiplying.

2. Step 2: Check each option's expression

   SUMX(Sales, (Sales[Price] - Sales[Cost]) * Sales[Quantity]) correctly uses parentheses to subtract Price and Cost first, then multiplies by Quantity.

3. Final Answer:

   SUMX(Sales, (Sales[Price] - Sales[Cost]) * Sales[Quantity]) -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Correct order of operations with parentheses [OK]

Hint: Use parentheses to ensure correct math order [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Missing parentheses causing wrong calculation
• Multiplying Cost by Quantity before subtracting
• Using addition instead of subtraction