What you'll learn:
- Write CALCULATE formulas with full control over filter arguments, including ALL, ALLEXCEPT, and KEEPFILTERS
- Debug DAX measures and calculated columns that return wrong or unexpected results
- Explain and apply filter context and row context to write measures that behave predictably
- Master context transition so you know exactly when it helps, when it breaks things, and how to handle both
- Decide when to use SUMX vs SUM, and when to use RELATED vs table relationships
- Build advanced calculations using RANKX, TOPN, CROSSJOIN, and disconnected tables
- Use DAX Studio to visualize query results and optimize formula performance
- Apply everything in both Power BI and Excel Power Pivot
You know enough DAX to get by. This course takes you past that.
If you've finished a beginner Power BI or Excel Power Pivot course and your measures still behave in ways you can't fully explain, this is where you go next. No more guessing. No more copying formulas and hoping they work.
You'll finally understand the logic behind DAX, not just the syntax.
This course is built for business analysts and Excel power users, not IT developers. Every concept is explained visually, step by step, using real data and practical examples you can apply at work immediately.
What you'll be able to do after this course:
Explain and control filter context and row context with full confidence
Write CALCULATE formulas that do exactly what you intend, using ALL, ALLEXCEPT, ALLSELECTED, and KEEPFILTERS correctly
Know when to use SUMX vs SUM, and why getting this wrong silently breaks your results
Understand context transition well enough to debug any measure or calculated column returning unexpected values
Build advanced calculations: dynamic rankings with RANKX, TOPN analysis, disconnected slicers, and running customer counts
Use variables to write cleaner, faster, easier-to-read DAX
Use DAX Studio to visualize intermediate results and debug formulas step by step
Optimize your data model with smart decisions about cardinality and data compression
Why this course explains things differently:
Most DAX courses describe what a function does. This one shows you what is happening inside the engine at each step. Filter context and row context are explained visually so the logic becomes intuitive, not memorized.
You'll see exactly how CALCULATE processes its filters before evaluating your expression. Understanding it this way means you can write measures from scratch, not just adapt examples you found online.
Each section includes hands-on challenges and debugging exercises so you practice applying concepts, not just watching them explained.
What's covered:
Data model setup, measures table, and compression optimization
Evaluation context, relationships, expanded tables, and RELATED
DAX table functions: FILTER, ALL, VALUES, HASONEVALUE, CONCATENATEX
CALCULATE in full depth: filter arguments, OR/AND conditions, KEEPFILTERS, ALLSELECTED, disconnected tables
Context transition: when it helps, when it hurts, and how to control it
Practical advanced calculations: RANKX, TOPN, CROSSJOIN, DAX Studio
Both Power BI and Excel Power Pivot are covered throughout. One course, two tools used daily in finance, operations, and data roles worldwide.
Taught by Leila Gharani, Microsoft MVP, XelPlus founder, and trusted by 515,000+ students across 11 courses on Udemy.
Enroll now and start with whichever concept has been blocking you most.
