Dashboards vs reports in Power BI - Interactive Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to create a Power BI report page showing sales data.

Power BI

ReportPage = PowerBI.CreatePage([1])

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AFilterPanel

BDashboardView

CSummaryTile

DSalesData

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using dashboard or tile names instead of dataset name.

Confusing report page with dashboard view.

The report page is created using the dataset name, here 'SalesData'.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the code to add a tile to a Power BI dashboard.

Power BI

Dashboard.AddTile([1])

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ACreateReport()

BCreatePage()

CCreateTile()

DCreateFilter()

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using CreatePage() which is for reports.

Using CreateReport() which is not a tile.

Dashboards are made of tiles, so you add a tile using CreateTile().

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the code to filter a report visual by region.

Power BI

ReportVisual.Filter = [1]('Region', 'East')

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AApplyFilter

BSetFilter

CAddFilter

DUseFilter

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using ApplyFilter which is not a valid method.

Using AddFilter which is incorrect here.

SetFilter is the correct method to filter visuals in Power BI reports.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to create a dashboard tile from a report visual.

Power BI

DashboardTile = Dashboard.CreateTile([1], [2])

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AReportVisual

BReportPage

CTileName

DDashboardName

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using ReportPage instead of ReportVisual.

Using DashboardName instead of TileName.

You create a tile from a report visual and give it a tile name.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to define a measure that sums sales and use it in a report visual.

Power BI

Measure = CALCULATE(SUM([1][[2]]))
ReportVisual.Value = [3]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ASalesData

BAmount

CMeasure

DRegion

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using wrong table or column names.

Assigning the wrong variable to the visual.

The measure sums the 'Amount' column from 'SalesData' and is assigned to the visual's value.

Practice

1. What is the main difference between a dashboard and a report in Power BI?

easy

A. Dashboards show key info on one page; reports have multiple pages with details.

B. Dashboards have multiple pages; reports show info on one page only.

C. Dashboards are only for printing; reports are interactive.

D. Dashboards contain raw data; reports contain only charts.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand dashboard purpose

   Dashboards provide a quick view of key information on a single page for fast understanding.

2. Step 2: Understand report purpose

   Reports contain multiple pages with detailed data and filters for deeper exploration.

3. Final Answer:

   Dashboards show key info on one page; reports have multiple pages with details. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Dashboard = summary, Report = detailed [OK]

Hint: Dashboards = one page summary, reports = detailed multi-page [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing dashboards as multi-page
• Thinking reports are only for printing
• Believing dashboards contain raw data

2. Which of the following is the correct way to create a dashboard in Power BI?

easy

A. Write DAX formulas to build a dashboard page.

B. Create a dashboard first, then add reports inside it.

C. Create a report and pin visuals to a dashboard.

D. Use Power Query to design the dashboard layout.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand dashboard creation process

   Dashboards are created by pinning visuals from reports to a single page.

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

   Dashboards are not created first, nor built with DAX or Power Query layouts.

3. Final Answer:

   Create a report and pin visuals to a dashboard. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Pin visuals from reports = dashboard creation [OK]

Hint: Pin report visuals to dashboard to create it [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to create dashboard before reports
• Using DAX or Power Query to build dashboard layout
• Confusing dashboard and report creation steps

3. You have a Power BI report with 5 pages and many filters. You pin 3 visuals from different pages to a dashboard. What will the dashboard show?

medium

A. Only the 3 pinned visuals on one page without filters.

B. All 5 pages with filters applied.

C. The entire report with interactive filters.

D. A summary table of all report data.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand dashboard content

   Dashboards show only pinned visuals on a single page, not full report pages or filters.

2. Step 2: Analyze filter behavior

   Filters on report pages do not carry over to dashboard visuals; dashboard visuals are snapshots.

3. Final Answer:

   Only the 3 pinned visuals on one page without filters. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Dashboard = pinned visuals only [OK]

Hint: Dashboard shows only pinned visuals, no full pages [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming dashboard shows all report pages
• Expecting filters to apply on dashboard visuals
• Thinking dashboard is interactive like report

4. You created a dashboard but notice some visuals do not update when report data changes. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. The report is not connected to any data source.

B. You forgot to refresh the Power BI Desktop file.

C. Dashboard visuals are snapshots and need to be repinned to update.

D. Dashboards cannot show visuals from reports.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand dashboard refresh behavior

   Dashboard visuals update automatically when the underlying report dataset refreshes in Power BI service.

2. Step 2: Identify likely cause

   If report data changed externally, you must refresh queries in Power BI Desktop before republishing to update the service dataset.

3. Final Answer:

   You forgot to refresh the Power BI Desktop file. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Refresh Desktop queries + republish [OK]

Hint: Refresh Power BI Desktop file and republish after data changes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Believing dashboard visuals need repinning for data updates
• Assuming report is disconnected from data source
• Believing dashboards cannot show report visuals

5. You want to share a summary of sales performance with executives who need quick insights, but also provide detailed data for analysts. How should you use dashboards and reports in Power BI?

hard

A. Create separate dashboards for executives and analysts with same visuals.

B. Create only a detailed report with all data for everyone.

C. Create only a dashboard with all data and filters for analysts.

D. Create a dashboard with key sales visuals for executives and a detailed report for analysts.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify needs of executives

   Executives need quick insights, best served by a dashboard with key visuals on one page.

2. Step 2: Identify needs of analysts

   Analysts require detailed data and filters, best provided by a multi-page report.

3. Step 3: Combine solution

   Create a dashboard for executives and a detailed report for analysts to meet both needs.

4. Final Answer:

   Create a dashboard with key sales visuals for executives and a detailed report for analysts. -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Dashboard = summary, Report = detailed [OK]

Hint: Dashboard for quick view, report for deep dive [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using only reports for all users
• Using dashboards for detailed data
• Creating duplicate dashboards for different roles