Course Overview
TOPHow much more could you do with Power BI if you could create your own custom calculations?DAX is considered a foundational skill for unlocking advanced analytics and custom reporting in Power BI, according to Microsoft and industry experts. Mastering DAX lets you move beyond basic visuals and deliver data-driven insights your organization can rely on.
Introduction to DAX for Power BI is a two-day, instructor-led course for business users ready to unleash the full power of their data models. You ll learn practical DAX skills to solve real business problems: write your own calculated columns, measures, and tables; visualize how Power BI computes DAX; and confidently troubleshoot and refine your calculations. The course blends essential theory with hands-on practice, so you ll understand not just the "how," but the "why" behind every calculation.
Scheduled Classes
TOP| 08/24/26 - NT1 - Virtual Instructor-Led - Virtual Instructor-Led | (click to enroll)
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| 11/24/26 - NT1 - Virtual Instructor-Led - Virtual Instructor-Led | (click to enroll)
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What You'll Learn
TOP- Describe DAX syntax, data types, and errors
- Use DAX to create calculated columns, measures, and tables
- Explain how DAX calculations are evaluated, along with the differences between row context and filter context
- Configure and use Time Intelligence to perform common time-based calculations, for example to-date calculations, year-over-year analysis, moving averages, etc.
- Create calculated columns and measures that use data from multiple tables in the data model
- Write measures that handle error conditions gracefully
- Use DAX to enhance the Power BI user experience
- Use DAX Studio to connect to a Power BI data model and execute simple queries
Outline
TOPModule 1 – Getting started with DAX
- Introduction to DAX
- Creating objects with DAX
- Context and rules of evaluation
- Variables, comments, and testing
Module 2 – Performing basic calculations
- Getting started with calculations
- Implicit measures and adding quick measures
- Working with DAX data types and basic math
- Using logic in calculations: IF(), nested IF(), SWITCH(), advanced SWITCH(), logical operators and functions (OR(), AND(), NOT())
- Aggregating and summarizing data with the SUM() function
Module 3 – Working with context in the data model
- Understanding context, data modeling basics, and dimensional modeling
- Relationships and their effect on the evaluation context
- Getting data from other tables: using RELATED(), RELATEDTABLE(), and looking up data without relationships
- Modifying context using CALCULATE()
Module 4 – Performing more advanced calculations
- DAX iterator functions
- Table manipulation functions
Module 5 – Working with time
- Performing date calculations and working with date tables
- Generating a date table with CALENDAR()
- Defining custom operating periods
- YTD, QTD, MTD, and custom to-date calculations
- Finding year-over-year change and moving averages
Module 6 – Enhancing the user experience
- Controlling measure visibility
- Using what-if parameters and adding banding
- Providing row-level security using DAX
