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SQL Interview Questions

The document provides a comprehensive overview of SQL, including definitions, types of SQL commands, and various SQL queries for common tasks such as fetching salaries and finding duplicates. It explains key concepts like the differences between WHERE and HAVING, INNER JOIN and OUTER JOIN, and the use of indexing. Additionally, it covers SQL functions like DISTINCT, UNION, and CASE statements.

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15 views4 pages

SQL Interview Questions

The document provides a comprehensive overview of SQL, including definitions, types of SQL commands, and various SQL queries for common tasks such as fetching salaries and finding duplicates. It explains key concepts like the differences between WHERE and HAVING, INNER JOIN and OUTER JOIN, and the use of indexing. Additionally, it covers SQL functions like DISTINCT, UNION, and CASE statements.

Uploaded by

vaishnavishitre
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SQL Interview Questions and Answers

1. What is SQL?

SQL (Structured Query Language) is a standard programming language used to manage and

manipulate relational databases. It can be used to query, update, insert, and delete data, as well as

manage database structures.

2. What are the different types of SQL commands?

SQL commands are categorized as follows:

- DDL (Data Definition Language): CREATE, ALTER, DROP, TRUNCATE

- DML (Data Manipulation Language): INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE

- DQL (Data Query Language): SELECT

- DCL (Data Control Language): GRANT, REVOKE

- TCL (Transaction Control Language): COMMIT, ROLLBACK, SAVEPOINT

3. Write a query to fetch the second-highest salary from an Employee table.

SELECT MAX(Salary) AS SecondHighestSalary

FROM Employee

WHERE Salary < (SELECT MAX(Salary) FROM Employee);

4. What is the difference between WHERE and HAVING?

- WHERE: Filters rows before any grouping is applied.

Example: SELECT * FROM Employee WHERE Age > 30;

- HAVING: Filters groups after grouping has been applied.

Example: SELECT Department, COUNT(*) FROM Employee GROUP BY Department HAVING

COUNT(*) > 10;

5. How do you find duplicate records in a table?

SELECT Column1, Column2, COUNT(*)


FROM TableName

GROUP BY Column1, Column2

HAVING COUNT(*) > 1;

6. What is the difference between INNER JOIN and OUTER JOIN?

- INNER JOIN: Returns rows that have matching values in both tables.

Example:

SELECT Employee.Name, Department.Name

FROM Employee

INNER JOIN Department

ON Employee.DepartmentID = Department.ID;

- OUTER JOIN: Returns all rows from one table and matching rows from another. Types:

- LEFT JOIN: All rows from the left table.

- RIGHT JOIN: All rows from the right table.

- FULL JOIN: All rows from both tables.

7. Write a query to fetch the top 3 highest salaries from an Employee table.

SELECT DISTINCT Salary

FROM Employee

ORDER BY Salary DESC

LIMIT 3;

8. What is the difference between TRUNCATE and DELETE?

- TRUNCATE:

- Deletes all rows from a table but does not log individual row deletions.

- Cannot be rolled back.

- Resets identity columns.

- DELETE:
- Deletes specific rows using a WHERE condition.

- Logs each row deletion and can be rolled back.

9. How can you avoid duplicate records in a query result?

Use the DISTINCT keyword:

SELECT DISTINCT Column1, Column2

FROM TableName;

10. Write a query to find employees who earn more than the average salary.

SELECT Name, Salary

FROM Employee

WHERE Salary > (SELECT AVG(Salary) FROM Employee);

11. Explain the difference between UNION and UNION ALL.

- UNION: Combines results from two queries and removes duplicates.

- UNION ALL: Combines results from two queries without removing duplicates.

Example:

SELECT Name FROM Employee1

UNION

SELECT Name FROM Employee2;

SELECT Name FROM Employee1

UNION ALL

SELECT Name FROM Employee2;

12. What is indexing, and why is it used?

- Indexing: A database optimization technique used to speed up the retrieval of rows.

- Usage: It creates a data structure (like a B-Tree) that improves the speed of searches.

Example:

CREATE INDEX idx_employee_name ON Employee(Name);


13. How can you fetch the current date in SQL?

SELECT CURRENT_DATE;

14. Write a query to get the department-wise maximum salary.

SELECT DepartmentID, MAX(Salary) AS MaxSalary

FROM Employee

GROUP BY DepartmentID;

15. How do you use CASE statements in SQL?

SELECT Name,

CASE

WHEN Salary > 50000 THEN 'High Salary'

WHEN Salary BETWEEN 30000 AND 50000 THEN 'Medium Salary'

ELSE 'Low Salary'

END AS SalaryCategory

FROM Employee;

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