There are lots of great reasons why you should learn Microsoft Power BI. Adding Power BI to your resume is a powerful boost to your employability—pun fully intended!

But once you’ve decided you want to learn Power BI, what’s the best way to actually do it? This question matters more than you might think. With so many learning options available—from expensive bootcamps to free YouTube tutorials—choosing the wrong approach can cost you time, money, and motivation. If you do some research online, you’ll quickly discover that there are a wide variety of options, and a wide variety of price tags!

The best way to learn Power BI depends on your learning style, budget, and timeline. In this guide, we’ll break down the most popular approaches so you can make an informed decision and start building valuable data visualization skills as efficiently as possible.

How to learn Power BI: The options

In general, the available options boil down to various forms of these learning approaches:

1. In a traditional classroom setting
2. Online with a video-based course
3. On your own
4. Online with an interactive, project-based platform

Let’s take a look at each of these options to assess the pros and cons, and what types of learners each approach might be best for.

1. Traditional classroom setting

One way to learn Microsoft Power BI is to embrace traditional education: head to a local university or training center that offers Microsoft Power BI training and sign up. Generally, these courses take the form of single- or multi-day workshops where you bring your laptop and a teacher walks you through the fundamentals, and perhaps a project or two, as you attempt to follow along.

Pros

This approach does have one significant advantage over the others, at least if you get a good teacher: you have an expert on hand who you can ask questions and get an immediate response.

However, it also frequently comes with some major downsides.

Cons

The first is cost. While costs can vary, in-person training tends to be one of the most expensive learning options. A three-day course in Power BI at ONLC training centers across the US, for example, costs $1,795 – and that’s the “early bird” price! Even shorter, more affordable options tend to start at over $500.

Another downside is convenience. With in-person classes you have to adhere to a fixed schedule. You have to commute to a specific location (which also costs money). This can be quite a hassle to arrange, particularly if you’re already a working professional looking to change careers or simply add skills to your resume – you’ll have to somehow juggle your work and personal schedules with the course’s schedule. And if you get sick, or simply have an “off” day, there’s no going back and retrying – you’ll simply have to find some other way to learn any material you may have missed.

Overall

In-person learning may be a good option for learners who aren’t worried about how much they’re spending, and who strongly value being able to speak directly with a teacher in an in-person environment.

If you choose to go this route, be sure you’ve checked out reviews of the course and the instructor beforehand!

2. Video-based online course

A more common approach is to enroll in a Power BI online course or Power BI online training program that teaches you Power BI skills using videos. Many learners choose platforms like EdX or Coursera that offer Microsoft Power BI courses using lecture recordings from universities to make higher education more broadly accessible.

Pros

This approach can certainly be attractive, and one advantage of going this route is that, assuming you choose a course that was recorded at a respected institution, you can be reasonably sure you’re getting information that is accurate.

However, it also has a few disadvantages.

Cons

First, it’s generally not very efficient. While some folks can watch a video of someone using software and absorb most of the content on the first try, most of us can’t. We’ll watch a video lecture, then open up Power BI to try things for ourselves and discover we have to go back to the video, skipping around to find this or that section to be able to perform the right steps on our own machine.

Similarly, many online courses test your knowledge between videos with fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice quizzes. These can mislead learners into thinking they’ve grasped the video content. But getting a 100

Second, while online courses tend to be more affordable than in-person courses, they can still get fairly expensive. Often, they’re sold on the strength of the university brand that’ll be on the certificate you get for completing the course, which can be misleading. Employers don’t care about those sorts of certificates. When it comes to Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft’s own PL-300 certification is the only one that really carries any weight.

Some platforms address these video-based learning challenges by combining visual instruction with immediate hands-on practice. For example, Dataquest’s Learn to Visualize Data in Power BI course lets you practice creating charts and dashboards as concepts are introduced, eliminating the back-and-forth between videos and software.

Lastly, online courses also sometimes come with the same scheduling headaches as in-person courses, requiring you to wait to begin the course at a certain date, or to be online at certain times. That’s certainly still easier than commuting, but it can be a hassle – and frustrating if you’d like to start making progress now, but your course session is still a month away.

Overall

Online courses can be a good option for learners who tend to feel highly engaged by lectures, or who aren’t particularly concerned with learning in the fastest or most efficient way.

3. On your own

Another approach is to learn Power BI on your own, essentially constructing your own curriculum via the variety of free learning materials that exist online. This might include following an introduction Power BI tutorial series on YouTube, working through blog posts, or simply jumping into Power BI and experimenting while Googling/asking AI what you need to learn as you go.

Pros

This approach has some obvious advantages. The first is cost: if you find the right materials and work through them in the right order, you can end up learning Power BI quite effectively without paying a dime.

This approach also engages you in the learning process by forcing you to create your own curriculum. And assuming you’re applying everything in the software as you learn, it gets you engaged in hands-on learning, which is always a good thing.

Cons

However, the downside to that is that it can be far less efficient than learning from the curated materials found in Power BI courses. If you’re not already a Power BI expert, constructing a curriculum that covers everything, and covers everything in the right order, is likely to be difficult. In all likelihood, you’ll discover there are gaps in your knowledge you’ll have to go back and fill in.

Overall

This approach is generally not going to be the fastest or simplest way to learn Power BI, but it can be a good choice for learners who simply cannot afford to pay for a course, or for learners who aren’t in any kind of rush to add Power BI to their skillset.

4. Interactive, project-based platform

Our final option is to use interactive Power BI courses that are not video-based. Platforms like Dataquest use a split-screen interface to introduce and demonstrate concepts on one side of the screen, embedding a fully functional version of Power BI on the other side of the screen. This approach works particularly well for Power BI courses for beginners because you can apply what you’re learning as you’re learning it, right in the comfort of your own browser!

Pros

At least in the case of Dataquest, these courses are punctuated with more open-ended guided projects that challenge you to apply what you’ve learned to build real projects that can ultimately be part of your portfolio for job applications.

The biggest advantage of this approach is its efficiency. There’s no rewatching videos or scanning around required, and applying concepts in the software immediately as you’re learning them helps the lessons “stick” much faster than they otherwise might.

For example, Dataquest’s workspace management course teaches collaboration and deployment concepts through actual workspace scenarios, giving you practical experience with real-world Power BI administration tasks.

Similarly, the projects force you to synthesize and reinforce what you’ve learned in ways that a multiple-choice quiz simply cannot. There’s no substitute for learning by doing, and that’s what these platforms aim to capitalize on.

In a way, it’s a bit of the best of both worlds: you get course content that’s been curated and arranged by experts so you don’t have to build your own curriculum, but you also get immediate hands-on experience with Power BI, and build projects that you can polish up and use when it’s time to start applying for jobs.

These types of online learning platforms also typically allow you to work at your own pace. For example, it’s possible to start and finish Dataquest’s Power Bi skill path in a week if you have the time and you’re dedicated, or you can work through it slowly over a period of weeks or months.

When you learn, and how long your sessions last, is totally up to you, which makes it easier to fit this kind of learning into any schedule.

Cons

The interactive approach isn’t without downsides, of course. Learners who aren’t comfortable with reading may prefer other approaches. And although platforms like Dataquest tend to be more affordable than other online courses, they’re generally not free.

Overall

We feel that the interactive, learn-by-doing approach is likely to be the best and most efficient path for most learners.

Understanding DAX: A key Power BI skill to master

Regardless of which learning approach you choose, there’s one particular Power BI skill that deserves special attention: DAX (Data Analysis Expressions). If you’re serious about becoming proficient with Power BI, you’ll want to learn DAX as part of your studies―but not right away.

DAX is Power BI’s formula language that allows you to create custom calculations, measures, and columns. Think of it as Excel formulas, but significantly more powerful. While you can create basic visualizations in Power BI without DAX, it’s what separates beginners from advanced users who can build truly dynamic and insightful reports.

Why learning DAX matters

Here’s why DAX skills are valuable:

• Advanced calculations: Create complex metrics like year-over-year growth, moving averages, and custom KPIs
• Dynamic filtering: Build reports that automatically adjust based on user selections or date ranges
• Career advancement: DAX knowledge is often what distinguishes intermediate from beginner Power BI users in job interviews
• Problem-solving flexibility: Handle unique business requirements that standard visualizations can’t address

The good news? You don’t need to learn DAX immediately. Focus on picking up Power BI’s core features first, then gradually introduce DAX functions as your projects require more sophisticated analysis. Dataquest’s Learn Data Modeling in Power BI course introduces DAX concepts in a practical, project-based context that makes these formulas easier to understand and apply.

Choosing the right starting point for beginners

If you’re completely new to data analysis tools, choosing the right Power BI course for beginners requires some additional considerations beyond just the learning format.

What beginners should look for

The best beginner-friendly Power BI training programs share several key characteristics:

• No prerequisites assumed: Look for courses that start with basics like importing data and understanding the Power BI interface
• Hands-on practice from day one: Avoid programs that spend too much time on theory before letting you actually use the software
• Real datasets: The best learning happens with actual business data, not contrived examples
• Portfolio projects: Choose programs that help you build work samples you can show to potential employers
• Progressive complexity: Start with simple visualizations before moving to advanced features like DAX

For complete beginners, we recommend starting with foundational concepts before diving into specialized training. Dataquest’s Introduction to Data Analysis Using Microsoft Power BI is designed specifically for newcomers, covering everything from connecting to data sources to creating your first dashboard with no prior experience required!

Common beginner mistakes to avoid

Many people starting their Power BI learning journey tend to make these costly mistakes:

• Jumping into advanced topics too quickly: Learn the basics before attempting complex DAX formulas
• Focusing only on pretty visuals: Learn proper data modeling principles from the start
• Skipping hands-on practice: Reading about Power BI isn’t the same as actually using it
• Not building a portfolio: Save and polish your practice projects for job applications

Remember, everyone starts somewhere. The goal isn’t to become a Power BI expert overnight, but to build a solid foundation you can expand upon as your skills grow.

What’s the best way to learn Power BI and how long will it take?

After comparing all these approaches, we believe the best way to learn Power BI for most people is through an interactive, hands-on platform that combines expert-curated content with immediate practical application.

Of course, how long it takes you to learn Power BI may depend on how much time you can commit to the process. The basics of Power BI can be learned in a few hours, but developing proficiency with its advanced features can take weeks or months, especially if you want to take full advantage of capabilities like DAX formulas and custom integrations.

In general, however, a learner who can dedicate five hours per week to learning Power BI on Dataquest can expect to be competent enough to build complete end-to-end projects and potentially start applying for jobs within a month.

Ready to discover the most effective way to learn Power BI? Start with Dataquest’s Power BI skill path today and experience the difference that hands-on, project-based learning can make.