Which Columns to Include in DimProduct for a Star Schema

DP-600 By islever Editorial Last updated

Design and build semantic models

Short answer

A Include ProductColor, ProductID, and ProductName in DimProduct to hold descriptive product attributes for the star schema.

Question

You have a Fabric workspace named Workspace1 that contains a lakehouse named Lakehouse1. Lakehouse1 contains a table named Table1. Table1 contains the following data. You need to perform the following actions: • Load the data from Table1 into a star schema. • Create a product dimension table named DimProduct and a fact table named FactSales. Which three columns should you include in DimProduct? - Exhibit: Which Columns to Include in DimProduct for a Star Schema
  1. ProductColor, ProductID, and ProductName. Correct Answer
  2. ProductName, SalesAmount, and TransactionlD.
  3. Date, ProductID, and TransactionlD.
  4. ProductID, ProductName, and SalesAmount

Key Takeaways

Star schema dimension tables hold descriptive attributes and keys, while fact tables hold measures and transactional keys; including measures like SalesAmount in a dimension table is a common trap.

When designing a star schema in Microsoft Fabric, dimension tables must contain only descriptive attributes related to the entity. This page confirms that DimProduct should include ProductColor, ProductID, and ProductName, excluding fact measures.

Common mistake: Choosing an option that includes SalesAmount (Options B or D) because of confusion between dimension attributes and fact measures.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option A is correct because a dimension table in a star schema contains descriptive attributes about a specific entity, which in this case is the product. ProductID serves as the primary key, while ProductName and ProductColor are descriptive attributes that provide context. These columns appropriately define the product dimension without mixing in transactional or quantitative data.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Options B and D are incorrect because they include SalesAmount, which is a numeric measure that belongs in the FactSales table, not a dimension table. Option C is incorrect because it includes Date and TransactionID; Date belongs in a date dimension (DimDate), and TransactionID is a transactional key that belongs in the FactSales table. Dimension tables should only contain attributes related to their specific entity.

Community Comment Notes

The community agrees that Option A is the only choice excluding columns meant for fact tables. As MYPE noted, "A is the only suggestion that does not have columns that should be part of facts tables". JWJW1234 also pointed out that the selected columns "are the Dimension(Characteristics) of the product".

Official Reference

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/design-star-schema-model-power-bi/

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

When identifying columns for a dimension table in a star schema, look for descriptive attributes and the primary key of that specific entity. Exclude any numeric measures, transactional identifiers, or attributes belonging to other dimensions.

Community Votes

A
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 3 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors, not of islever. The comments shown first are the most substantive of the thread — ranked by depth, community endorsement and relevance; expand the list below to read the rest.

From public community threads 3

  1. MYPE 👍 2 Answered A
    A is the only suggestion that does not have columns that should be part of facts tables = salesAmount, Date.
  2. JWJW1234 👍 2 Answered A
    They are the Dimension(Characteristics) of the product
  3. orallony 👍 3 Answered A
    correct

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