Power BI Developer interview questions & mock practice
A Power BI Developer interview in 2026 runs across 4 rounds — dax & data modelling, power query / etl, dashboard / case round, behavioural / stakeholder. Below are the most-asked Power BI Developer interview questions and a focused prep plan. Rehearse every answer with OnJob's free AI mock interview and get instant, specific feedback before the real one.
Practise your Power BI Developer interview now — free
Step through the 14 most-asked Power BI Developer questions one at a time, under a timer, just like the real thing. Jot your answer, then reveal what a strong answer covers. No signup needed to practise.
What a strong answer covers
Nice work — you practised all questions
You have rehearsed the real Power BI Developer questions. The next step is feedback: let OnJob's AI score your spoken answers on structure, depth and confidence, and earn a verified skill badge recruiters trust — then apply to AI-matched jobs in one click.
The Power BI Developer interview process
DAX, data modelling and dashboard storytelling for the BI analyst role across IT services, consulting and product teams in India.
DAX & data modelling
Calculated columns vs measures, relationships, star schema and time-intelligence.
Power Query / ETL
Connecting sources, transformations, M language and refresh strategies.
Dashboard / case round
Building a report from a dataset, visual choice and performance tuning.
Behavioural / stakeholder
Gathering requirements and presenting insights to business users.
Most-asked Power BI Developer interview questions
14 of the questions Power BI Developer candidates are asked most often in India. Practise answering each one out loud in your AI mock interview.
- 1. What is the difference between a calculated column and a measure in Power BI?
- 2. Explain the difference between CALCULATE and FILTER in DAX.
- 3. What is row context versus filter context?
- 4. How do SUMX and SUM differ, and when would you use an iterator function?
- 5. Explain star schema versus snowflake schema and which you prefer for a Power BI model.
- 6. What is the difference between Import mode, DirectQuery and Live Connection?
- 7. How do you create a relationship between two tables, and what are active versus inactive relationships?
- 8. What does the RELATED function do and when do you use RELATEDTABLE instead?
- 9. How would you implement Row Level Security (RLS) in Power BI?
- 10. What is the difference between Power Query (M) and DAX, and when do you use each?
- 11. How do you handle slow report performance and reduce model size?
- 12. Explain time-intelligence functions like TOTALYTD or SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR.
- 13. How do you schedule data refresh and what is an on-premises data gateway?
- 14. Tell me about a dashboard you built and the business decision it influenced.
How to prepare for your Power BI Developer interview
Master DAX evaluation contexts: practise CALCULATE, row vs filter context and context transition until you can explain them with examples.
Build 2-3 end-to-end dashboards from public datasets (sales, HR, finance) and be ready to walk through your modelling choices.
Learn Power Query M transformations and the difference between Import, DirectQuery and composite models.
Practise data-modelling questions: star schema design, fact vs dimension tables and handling many-to-many relationships.
Be ready to discuss performance tuning: VertiPaq, reducing cardinality, aggregations and disabling auto date/time.
Practise other roles
- Software Engineer
- Frontend Developer
- Backend Developer
- Full Stack Developer
- Data Analyst
- Data Scientist
- Product Manager
- DevOps Engineer
- Java Developer
- Python Developer
- UI/UX Designer
- Sales / Business Development
- Digital Marketing
- HR / Recruiter
- Accountant
- Customer Support
- Data Engineer
- Machine Learning Engineer
- QA / Test Engineer
- Android Developer
- iOS Developer
- Business Analyst
- Project Manager
- Scrum Master
- SQL Developer
- React Developer
- Node.js Developer
- Cloud Engineer (AWS)
- Cybersecurity Analyst
- Network Engineer
- Database Administrator
- SEO Specialist
- Content Writer
- Graphic Designer
- Sales Executive
- Business Development Manager
- Operations Manager
- Financial Analyst
- Chartered Accountant
- Customer Success Manager
- Technical Support Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- PHP Developer
- .NET Developer
- Golang Developer
- Angular Developer
- Flutter Developer
- Salesforce Developer
- Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)
- Embedded Systems Engineer
- WordPress Developer
- AI Engineer
- Tableau Developer
- ETL Developer
- Big Data Engineer
- SAP Consultant
- Mechanical Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
- Electronics & Communication Engineer
- Automobile Engineer
- Chemical Engineer
- Relationship Manager (Banking)
- Branch Manager
- Area Sales Manager
- Investment Banking Analyst
- Tax Consultant
- Supply Chain Manager
- Executive Assistant
- Data Entry Operator
- Telecaller / Telesales Executive
- Retail Store Manager
- Vue.js Developer
- Ruby on Rails Developer
- Kotlin Developer
- iOS Swift Developer
- React Native Developer
- Azure Cloud Engineer
- GCP Cloud Engineer
- DevSecOps Engineer
- Platform Engineer
- MLOps Engineer
- Data Warehouse Engineer
- Solution Architect
- Automation Test Engineer (Selenium)
- Manual Test Engineer
- Performance Test Engineer
- IT Support Engineer
- System Administrator
- Cloud Security Engineer
- Penetration Tester (Ethical Hacker)
- SOC Analyst
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- QA Lead
- Informatica Developer
- Mainframe Developer
- Production Engineer
- Quality Engineer (QA/QC)
- Design Engineer (Mechanical)
- Maintenance Engineer
- Instrumentation Engineer
- Piping Engineer
- HVAC Engineer
- Structural Engineer
- Site Engineer (Civil)
- Safety Officer (HSE)
- CNC Programmer
- Quantity Surveyor
- Staff Nurse
- Pharmacist
- Medical Representative
- Lab Technician
- Physiotherapist
- Radiology Technician
- Dietitian / Nutritionist
- Clinical Research Associate
- Hospital Administrator
- Medical Coder
- Biomedical Engineer
- Microbiologist
- Business Development Executive
- Key Account Manager
- Marketing Manager
- Brand Manager
- Product Marketing Manager
- Content Marketing Manager
- Social Media Manager
- Performance Marketing Specialist
- Financial Advisor
- Credit Analyst
- Auditor (Statutory/Internal)
- Company Secretary (CS)
- School Teacher
- College Professor / Lecturer
- Primary School Teacher
- Customer Service Representative
- Back Office Executive
- Operations Executive
- Logistics Coordinator
- Procurement Executive
- HR Manager
- Recruiter / Talent Acquisition
- Training Manager
- UI Designer
Interview prep guides
Power BI Developer interview — FAQs
What questions are asked in a Power BI Developer interview?
Common Power BI Developer interview questions include: What is the difference between a calculated column and a measure in Power BI? Explain the difference between CALCULATE and FILTER in DAX. What is row context versus filter context? How do SUMX and SUM differ, and when would you use an iterator function? Interviews usually run across 4 rounds — DAX & data modelling, Power Query / ETL, Dashboard / case round, Behavioural / stakeholder. Practice all of them with instant AI feedback using OnJob's free mock interview.
How many rounds are in a Power BI Developer interview?
A typical Power BI Developer interview has 4 rounds: DAX & data modelling (Calculated columns vs measures, relationships, star schema and time-intelligence.); Power Query / ETL (Connecting sources, transformations, M language and refresh strategies.); Dashboard / case round (Building a report from a dataset, visual choice and performance tuning.); Behavioural / stakeholder (Gathering requirements and presenting insights to business users.).
How do I prepare for a Power BI Developer interview?
To prepare for a Power BI Developer interview: Master DAX evaluation contexts: practise CALCULATE, row vs filter context and context transition until you can explain them with examples. Build 2-3 end-to-end dashboards from public datasets (sales, HR, finance) and be ready to walk through your modelling choices. Learn Power Query M transformations and the difference between Import, DirectQuery and composite models. Then run a full AI mock interview on OnJob to rehearse out loud and get instant, specific feedback before the real thing.
What skills do I need for a Power BI Developer role?
Core Power BI Developer skills tested in interviews include DAX, Power Query (M), Data Modelling, SQL, Data Visualisation, Power BI Service, ETL, Business Communication. OnJob shows you exactly which of these skills stand between you and a 100% match on every live Power BI Developer job.
Is OnJob's Power BI Developer mock interview free?
Yes. OnJob's AI mock interview is free to start (₹0) and gives you instant feedback on your answers. Pro (₹99/month) adds unlimited interview-prep AI alongside recruiter tracking and unlimited applications.
Ace your Power BI Developer interview
Rehearse every Power BI Developer question out loud with OnJob's AI mock interview and get instant, specific feedback. Then apply to AI-matched jobs in one click — free to start.
Everything about Power BI Developer on OnJob
Move across the whole Power BI Developer topic — live openings, real salary data, the job description, interview prep, and early-career routes — all in one place.