Minimizing effort when reducing a Power Query Date column to just the year

PL-300 By islever Editorial Last updated Sep 25, 2026

Transform and load the data

Short answer

D Transform the column to Date > Year changes it to year values in one built-in step.

Question

You use Power Query Editor to preview a column named Date as shown in the following exhibit. You need to change the Date column to contain only the year. The solution must minimize administrative effort. What should you do? - Exhibit: Minimizing effort when reducing a Power Query Date column to just the

Exhibit: Minimizing effort when reducing a Power Query Date column to just the

Split the column by delimiter.
Split the column by number of characters.
Extract the text after the delimiter.
Transform the column to contain only the year. Correct Answer

Key Takeaways

Transform > Date > Year replaces the column in one built-in step — extraction-based options produce text and require extra cleanup, so the single built-in transform is the minimal-effort path.

A Date column previewed in Power Query Editor must be reduced to contain only the year, with the least administrative effort, so the question hinges on which transform accomplishes it in the fewest steps.

Common mistake: Splitting or extracting parts of the column — those work but yield text values that need additional steps (and possibly type conversion), violating the minimize-effort constraint even though the end result can look the same.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option D applies the built-in Date transform (Transform > Date > Year > Year), which converts the column to year values in a single step with no follow-up work. Power Query implements it with the Date.Year function, and because it is a transform rather than an extraction, the column's type is handled automatically. That single-click path is the definition of minimizing administrative effort in this scenario.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Splitting the column by delimiter (A) only works if the display format guarantees a separator around the year, and it produces text fragments that then require selecting and typing the right piece plus a type change. Splitting by number of characters (B) hard-codes positional assumptions that break when date formats vary. Extracting text after the delimiter (C) is also format-dependent and leaves a text value needing conversion. All three achieve a year-looking result but through multiple steps, failing the minimize-effort bar that D clears in one.

Community Comment Notes

A commenter observes that all four options can technically lead to the desired result but A, B, and C require additional steps, which is exactly why D wins under the minimize-effort requirement. Another comment walks through the Select > Transform > Date > Year menu path confirming the one-step nature of D.

Official Reference

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powerquery-m/date-year

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

Exam Strategy

Look for 'minimize administrative effort' or 'single step' requirements. Always choose the dedicated semantic transform (like Date > Year) over text manipulation methods like Split or Extract, which require extra steps and type conversions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to extract year from date in Power Query?

Use Transform > Date > Year > Year menu path. This applies the Date.Year function automatically.

Why not split column by delimiter for year?

Splitting requires multiple steps and type changes. It fails the minimize administrative effort requirement compared to direct transform.

More PL-300 FAQ →

Community Votes

84%

16%

84% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 8 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.

From public community threads 8

b92fc92 👍 4 Answered D

Why A? the column is Date type, so D is possible, D in my opinion
Davery 👍 3 Answered D

D is the correct answer - Transform the column to contain only the year. This approach directly modifies the column to display only the year, without the need for additional steps like splitting or extracting text.
a5de5a2 👍 3 Answered A

Option A If we need to minimize administrative efforts , we ideally should use built in delimeter in power query
Fatima300 👍 2 Answered D

D. Transform the column to contain only the year. You can do this by selecting the "Date" column, then choosing Transform > Date > Year in Power Query Editor, which will automatically convert the column to show only the year.
Ricky_lm 👍 2 Answered D

Select Column - Transform - Date - Year - Year

Show 3 more comments

ee0625a 👍 1 Answered D

D. Transform the column to contain only the year is the fastest and most efficient method in Power Query.
BhavnishM 👍 1 Answered D

all 4 solutions will lead to the desired result. But A,B,C will require additional steps.
ChopChop007 👍 3 Answered D

D it is.

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