Power BI for Beginners - Hands-On with Real Datasets

In this lesson, you’ll explore the power of data connectors in Power BI and see how easily you can bring information from Excel, databases, and online apps straight into your dashboards. You’ll learn step by step how to set them up and decide which connector works best for your project.

By the end, you’ll be ready to connect your data with confidence and turn it into insights that really make an impact.

In this lesson, you’ll dive into one of the most common and useful skills in Power BI—importing Excel and CSV files. Using the provided Power BI template and sample Excel file, you’ll follow along step by step to bring data into your Power BI Desktop and see it come alive in your reports.

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to connect, clean, and prepare spreadsheets for analysis, giving you the confidence to transform raw files into powerful insights.

Please remember to download the resources including Power BI Template and data file to get started.

In this lesson, you’ll unlock the power of data transformation in Power BI and learn how to shape your data exactly the way you need it. From changing data types to splitting and merging columns, and removing the fields you don’t need, you’ll discover essential techniques to clean and organize your data for accurate analysis.

By the end, you’ll be able to transform messy raw data into a polished dataset that’s ready to drive powerful insights.

Resources include an Excel data file, a Power BI template without data for you to get along and a Power BI complete after data transformation applied in case you want to review. Please download materials and get started!

In demo lessons,  you’ll get hands-on practice bringing everything you’ve learned in Power BI together to build your own interactive dashboards. You’ll work through two demo lessons that guide you step by step in combining data, creating visuals, and designing reports that truly tell a story.

By the end, you’ll not only sharpen your skills but also gain the confidence to build professional-quality dashboards that turn raw data into powerful insights.

Resources: Please download Power BI file on this lesson to start follow along with Demo 1 and Demo 2.

In this demo No.1, you will practise building visualisations in Power BI, including:

1. Build a bar chart to show Sales by Regions

2. Build a line chart to show Sales over Time

3. Build a slicer (product slicer) to enable interactive filtering.

Resources: You can download plain BI file on the "Demo Introduction" lesson to start following along. A complete BI file is also provided in case you need in "Resources" area.

In this demo No.2, you will practise building visualisations in Power BI, including:

1. Build a donut chart to show proportion of Sales by Product Category

2. Build a card visual to show Total Sales, Total Customers

3. Build a card visual to show Average of Sales

4. Build a matrix visual to show the details of Country, Total Sales per Product Category

Resources: You can download blank BI file on the "Demo Introduction" lesson to start following along. A complete BI file Demo 2 is also provided in case you need in "Resources" area.

On this lesson, you will learn how to build a data model in Power BI, from creating relationships among tables to set up cross filter function.

Please download the Power BI file at "Resources" area to start follow the lesson.

In this lesson, you’ll discover the difference between calculated columns and measures in Power BI and learn how to use them to add powerful calculations to your reports. Step by step, you’ll see when to use each option, how to create them, and how they can transform the way you analyze your data.

By the end, you’ll be confident in building smarter reports with calculations that bring deeper insights to your dashboards.

In this lesson, you’ll dive into the fundamentals of writing aggregation DAX formulas in Power BI to unlock powerful ways of summarizing and analyzing your data. You’ll learn how to use functions like SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, and more to create calculations that bring real meaning to your reports.

By the end, you’ll have the skills to write your own DAX aggregations and transform raw numbers into actionable insights.

Resources: You can find the complete Demo file on Resources area.

In this lesson, you’ll explore the power of logical and filter DAX functions in Power BI, learning how to write expressions using CALCULATE, IF, and SWITCH. Through practical demos, you’ll see how these functions let you control context, apply conditions, and customize calculations to fit your analysis.

By the end, you’ll be confident in using logical and filtering DAX to build smarter, more dynamic reports that provide deeper business insights.

Resources: You can find the complete Demo file on Resources area.

In this lesson, you’ll discover how to leverage time intelligence DAX functions in Power BI to analyze data across different time periods. Through practical demos with functions like TOTALYTD and SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, you’ll learn how to track performance over time, compare results year-over-year, and generate insights for trends and growth. By the end, you’ll be equipped to use time-based calculations that make your reports more dynamic, insightful, and business-ready.

Resources: You can find the complete Demo file on Resources area.

Please find Power BI field challenge at "Resources" area and start to address the challenge.

The challenge may take about 30 minutes.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to set up and activate your own Power BI Pro account by registering for a Microsoft 365 Sales trial. Step by step, you’ll see how to create your account, get access to Pro features, and unlock the full potential of Power BI for sharing, collaboration, and advanced reporting.

By the end, you’ll be ready to start your Power BI journey with all the tools you need to build and publish professional dashboards.

In this lesson, you’ll take your Power BI reports beyond the desktop and learn how to share them with the world. You’ll see how to publish reports to the Power BI Service, collaborate by sharing with others, and even embed reports into your portfolio to showcase your work.

We’ll also explore how to edit reports directly in the Power BI Service and export them into different formats like PowerPoint and PDF. By the end, you’ll have the skills to confidently share and present your insights in a professional, impactful way.