Microsoft PL-900 Cheat Sheet: Power Platform Basics

May 1, 2026

Review the Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals (PL-900) scope, Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Dataverse, Copilot Studio, connectors, governance, and service-selection traps before practicing.

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PL-900 is a fundamentals exam. Use this cheat sheet to keep Power Platform capabilities straight before moving into app building, automation, data analysis, or intelligent-app routes.

Use this with practice. Review the Power Platform fundamentals checklist, then return to the PL-900 page for sample questions and update tracking.

Open PL-900 practice page Compare Power Platform routes

Exam snapshot

Field	Detail
Issuer	Microsoft
Certification lane	Power Platform Fundamentals
Exam code	PL-900
Main scope	Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Dataverse, Copilot Studio, connectors, governance, and business-solution fit
IT Mastery status	Sample questions available

Fundamentals map

Area	What to know	Common trap
Power Apps	Canvas apps, model-driven apps, forms, business data, and app fit	Choosing an app when a report or flow is the real need
Power Automate	Cloud flows, approvals, connectors, triggers, and process automation	Treating automation as a data store
Power BI	Reports, dashboards, models, measures, and analytics	Treating visuals as proof that data is correct
Dataverse	Tables, relationships, security roles, business rules, and integrations	Using Dataverse for every simple list without need
Copilot Studio and AI	Agents, topics, knowledge, AI assistance, and guided experiences	Treating AI as separate from data and governance
Governance	Environments, DLP, connectors, roles, and lifecycle	Ignoring governance because the tools are low-code

Must-know distinctions

Distinction	How to decide
Canvas app vs model-driven app	Canvas focuses on custom interface; model-driven follows Dataverse structure.
App vs automation	Apps collect or present work; automation moves work through a process.
Power BI vs Dataverse	Power BI analyzes and visualizes; Dataverse stores governed business data.
Connector vs data source	A connector enables access; a data source stores or serves data.
Environment vs solution	Environments isolate apps and data; solutions package components for lifecycle.

High-yield checklist

Match the business need to app, automation, analytics, data, or agent capability.
Use Dataverse when structured business data, roles, and relationships matter.
Use Power Automate for approvals and process steps.
Use Power BI when analysis and reporting are the primary need.
Use Copilot Studio or agent capabilities when conversational assistance fits the task.
Include governance, environments, DLP, and connectors in solution planning.
Know that fundamentals questions often test service fit and vocabulary.

Common traps

Picking Power BI for data entry.
Picking Power Apps for reporting only.
Ignoring Dataverse security roles.
Treating low-code as no-governance.
Confusing connectors with actual data storage.

Practice strategy

For PL-900 misses, name the business need first: app, workflow, analytics, data store, agent, or governance. Then select the Power Platform service that best matches that need.

Revised on Monday, May 25, 2026