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Amazon Power BI Interview Questions: Real-World Scenarios and DAX Tips
When I first started working with Power BI, I quickly realized that mastering DAX formulas and creating dynamic reports was more than just a technical challenge—it was about thinking like a business analyst. Preparing for interviews at companies like Amazon taught me that understanding real-world business scenarios is just as important as knowing syntax.
Over time, I developed a structured approach to Power BI learning and consulting, which not only helped me succeed in interviews but also enabled me to assist clients in building insightful dashboards. Here’s a breakdown of key concepts and tasks that often come up in interviews, framed as actionable lessons.
1. Creating Dynamic Visuals for Business Insights
One common scenario is designing a dynamic visual to show total sales by product category while allowing users to filter by region.
This isn’t just about dragging fields onto a chart—it’s about understanding how users interact with data, what filters make sense, and how to ensure efficient performance in large datasets. Dynamic visuals allow decision-makers to explore insights intuitively.
2. Calculating Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth
Interviewers often ask you to write a DAX measure for year-over-year growth. This tests not only DAX knowledge but also your understanding of time intelligence and business performance metrics.
By practicing these measures, I’ve helped teams track monthly and quarterly revenue trends, making data-driven decisions easier and faster.
3. Measures vs. Calculated Columns
Many candidates stumble on the difference between calculated columns and measures.
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Calculated columns: store results at the row level; useful for filtering and creating relationships.
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Measures: calculate aggregated values dynamically; essential for KPIs and dashboards.
Using sales analysis examples helps make this distinction crystal clear during interviews and real projects.
4. Implementing Row-Level Security (RLS)
RLS is critical in scenarios where regional managers should only see data for their territories. Implementing RLS correctly demonstrates your understanding of data governance and ensures secure access without compromising reporting flexibility.
5. Calculating Cumulative Sales
Cumulative sales calculations are a common DAX challenge. They help businesses track progress over time, such as total product sales across months or years. Understanding this concept shows your ability to provide actionable insights beyond static reports.
6. Designing KPI Visuals
KPI visuals are about storytelling. A quarterly revenue growth KPI with targets helps executives see performance at a glance. Knowing how to design and implement KPIs in Power BI reflects both your technical expertise and business sense.
7. Custom Fiscal Date Tables
Many companies operate on non-calendar fiscal years. Creating a fiscal date table starting in July demonstrates your ability to adapt Power BI models to business requirements, a skill highly valued in interviews and consulting projects.
8. Highlighting Top Customers
Identifying the top 10 customers by purchase value using DAX measures or card visuals is a practical scenario often tested. This shows you can prioritize insights that drive revenue and support strategic decisions.
9. Analyzing Repeat Customer Revenue
Repeat customers are key to growth. Writing a DAX formula to calculate total revenue from customers ordering in multiple months demonstrates your ability to analyze customer behavior, which is crucial in retail analytics and consulting.
10. Data Cleaning and Preparation
Finally, data cleaning remains a foundational skill. Removing duplicates, splitting names into first and last, and preparing tables for reporting highlights your ability to deliver clean, reliable data for analysis—a skill every recruiter and client looks for.
Final Thoughts
Mastering Power BI and DAX is about more than syntax—it’s about understanding business scenarios, preparing for real-world interview questions, and delivering actionable insights.
For anyone looking to grow their Power BI skills or seeking guidance in data analytics projects, my approach combines hands-on learning, practical examples, and consulting experience to accelerate growth.
If you’re a student, professional, or recruiter looking for Power BI tutoring, freelance analytics support, or consulting, feel free to reach out. Sharing knowledge and guiding others has always been a cornerstone of my journey.
Stay connected,
Rakesh Men
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