Which top-level keyword starts an XMLA/DAX query that returns a table result?

• A. EVALUATE
• B. FILTER
• C. SUMMARIZE
• D. CALCULATE

Answer: (A)

Starting a DAX/XMLA query that returns a table requires the EVALUATE keyword. It serves as the entry point of the query, and the expression that follows produces the table you see as the result. For example, EVALUATE FILTER(Sales, Sales[Amount] > 100) would return the rows from Sales where Amount is greater than 100.

The other options are functions used inside the query’s table expression to shape or compute data, not the starting keyword. FILTER returns a table based on a condition, but it needs to be used after EVALUATE. SUMMARIZE builds a summarized table, again within the expression after EVALUATE. CALCULATE alters the filter context and typically returns a scalar value, not a table, at the top level (though CALCULATE might appear inside a larger table expression).