4-week Power BI learning roadmap
Week 1
Get familiar with Power BI Desktop
- →Install Power BI Desktop (free)
- →Understand the interface: Report, Data, Model view
- →Import data from Excel + CSV
- →Create basic bar charts, line charts, tables
Week 2
Data Modeling + Power Query
- →Star schema vs flat table
- →One-to-many, many-to-many relationships
- →Power Query: clean data, merge, append
- →Calendar table for time intelligence
Week 3
Basic DAX
- →Aggregate functions: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT
- →Calculated column vs Measure
- →CALCULATE — the most important DAX function
- →Time intelligence: YoY, MTD, YTD
Week 4
Advanced visuals + Publish
- →Slicer, drill-down, bookmark
- →Conditional formatting + custom visuals
- →Publish to Power BI Service
- →Share dashboards with your team (Pro license)
Free learning resources
Read more detailed articles by topic on the SenData blog.
DAX from basics to advanced
12 core DAX functions, time intelligence, CALCULATE, RANKX.
Power Query M Language
Power BI ETL: combine files, merge ERP/CRM, Google Sheets.
Visualization & dashboard design
10 principles for beautiful, readable dashboards.
Data Modeling & RLS
Star schema, Row-Level Security, storage mode.
Real-world case studies
Real dashboards from Vietnamese businesses: F&B, textiles, hospitals.
Power BI news 2026
Microsoft Fabric, Copilot, pricing, new features.
View the whole blog
FAQ about learning Power BI
How long does it take to learn Power BI well enough for a basic dashboard?
About 2-4 weeks at 1-2 hours a day. Week 1: get familiar with the interface, connect data, basic charts. Week 2: data modeling, relationships. Weeks 3-4: basic DAX, publishing, sharing. After 4 weeks you can build a simple dashboard for real work.
Is Power BI Desktop free?
Yes. Power BI Desktop is completely free for individuals and businesses. Download it from the Microsoft Store or microsoft.com. A Power BI Pro license ($10/user/month) is only needed when you want to share dashboards online with others. Learning and personal use: 100% free.
I don't know SQL — can I still learn Power BI?
Yes. Power Query (M language) is built in and lets you transform data with drag-and-drop, no code. That said, basic SQL (SELECT, JOIN, WHERE) is very helpful when your data comes from a database. Recommendation: learn Power BI first, and learn basic SQL alongside it over 1-2 weeks.
How does Power BI differ from Tableau and Looker Studio?
Power BI: integrates well with Microsoft (Excel, SharePoint, Azure), strong at DAX and data modeling. Tableau: beautiful visuals, easy to build dashboards. Looker Studio: free, integrates with Google. For Vietnamese businesses already using Excel/Office 365, Power BI is the most natural choice.
What jobs can I do after learning Power BI? What's the salary?
Common roles: Data Analyst (VND 15-30M), BI Developer (VND 20-40M), Business Analyst (VND 18-35M) in Vietnam. Power BI freelancers can earn VND 5-80M per project on SenData. Hiring demand is high and steadily growing.
Already learned but need a dashboard now?
Learning Power BI takes time. If your business needs a dashboard now, hire a SenData freelancer to build it in 1-3 weeks.