INTERVIEW PREP

SQL QUESTIONS
FOR
DATA ANALYST ROLES
VARUN SAGAR THEEGALA
SQL IS
EVERYWHERE

If you’re about to appear for a Data

Analyst interview, you’re certainly going
to be grilled in SQL.

SQL is at the core of any data analyst’s

job.

So definitely interviewers will test your

foundations in the database language.

Hence, it’s crucial to know what are the

concepts you’ll more certainly
encounter in these situations.

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SO HERE ARE 25
QUESTIONS YOU
SHOULD BE
PREPARED
FOR
(With The Answers)

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1. What is DDL and DML? What
is the difference?

ANSWER ->

DDL (Data Definition Language) is

used to define the structure of the
database (e.g., CREATE TABLE, ALTER
TABLE, DROP TABLE).

DML (Data Manipulation Language)

is used to manipulate the data
within the database (e.g., INSERT,
UPDATE, DELETE, SELECT).

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2. What is the difference between
Truncate vs Delete vs Drop?

ANSWER ->

Truncate removes all rows from a

table quickly. It cannot be rolled
back.

Delete removes specific rows from a

table based on a condition. It can be
rolled back.

Drop removes the entire table and

its structure from the database. It
cannot be rolled back.

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3. When is Group By used?

ANSWER ->

The GROUP BY clause is used with

aggregate functions (like SUM, AVG,
COUNT) to group rows based on one or
more columns and perform
calculations within each group.

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4. What is the difference between
Where clause vs. Having clause?

ANSWER ->

Where clause filters rows before

grouping and aggregation.

Having clause filters groups after

grouping and aggregation.

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5. What are Scalar and Aggregate
functions in SQL?

ANSWER ->

Scalar functions return a single

value for each row (e.g., UPPER,
LOWER, SUBSTRING).

Aggregate functions return a single

value for a group of rows (e.g., SUM,
AVG, COUNT, MAX, MIN).

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6. What does coalesce function do
in SQL?

ANSWER ->

The COALESCE function returns the first

non-null value in a list of arguments.

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7. What are Constraints? How
many Constraints are there?

ANSWER ->

Constraints are rules that enforce

data integrity in a database.

Some common constraints include

PRIMARY KEY, FOREIGN KEY, UNIQUE,
NOT NULL, CHECK.

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8. How many primary key and
unique key can be in a table?

ANSWER ->

A table can have only one PRIMARY

KEY constraint.

A table can have multiple UNIQUE

constraints.

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9. What are Joins in SQL. Types of
Joins in SQL?

ANSWER ->

Joins combine data from two or

more tables based on a related
column.

Common types include INNER JOIN,

LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, FULL OUTER
JOIN, and CROSS JOIN.

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10. Difference between UNION and
UNION ALL

ANSWER ->

UNION combines the results of two

or more SELECT statements,
removing duplicate rows.

UNION ALL combines the results of

two or more SELECT statements,
including duplicate rows.

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11. What is the order of execution
in SQL Code?

ANSWER ->

The general order of execution is: FROM,

WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, SELECT,
ORDER BY.

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12. How many Joins is required to
join 8 tables?

ANSWER ->

To join 8 tables, you would typically

require 7 joins.

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13. What are Window Functions or
Analytical functions?

ANSWER ->

Window functions perform calculations

across a set of rows related to the
current row, such as ranking,
partitioning, and calculating running
totals.

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14. What is the diff between Rank
& Dense Rank Function?

ANSWER ->

Rank assigns a rank to each row

within a partition, with gaps for ties.

Dense Rank assigns a rank to each

row within a partition, without gaps
for ties.

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15. What is View? How it is
different from Table?

ANSWER ->

A view is a virtual table that is

created from the result of an SQL
query.

It doesn't physically store data but

provides a dynamic view of the
underlying data.

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16. What is Index?

ANSWER ->

An index is a data structure that

improves the speed of data retrieval
by creating a sorted order for
specific columns in a table.

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17. What is CTE? How it is useful?

ANSWER ->

A Common Table Expression (CTE) is

a temporary named result set that
you can define within a SELECT,
INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement.

CTEs can make complex queries

more readable and maintainable.

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18. What is difference between
SQL vs. PLSQL?

ANSWER ->

SQL (Structured Query Language) is

used to interact with databases,
primarily for data retrieval and
manipulation.

PL/SQL (Procedural Language/SQL)

is an extension of SQL that adds
procedural programming
capabilities to SQL, such as loops,
conditional statements, and
variables.

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19. What is the use case of Cross
Join?

ANSWER ->

CROSS JOIN is used to create a

Cartesian product (all possible
combinations) of rows from two
tables.

It is often used in conjunction with

other clauses (like WHERE) to filter
the results.

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20. Explain the ACID properties of
transactions and their importance.

ANSWER ->

ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency,

Isolation, and Durability. These
properties ensure the reliability and
integrity of database transactions.

Atomicity: All-or-nothing execution of a

transaction.
Consistency: Maintains database integrity
after a transaction.
Isolation: Transactions are independent and
do not interfere with each other.
Durability: Committed changes are
permanent and survive system failures.

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21. Describe the difference
between a Primary & Foreign Key.

ANSWER ->

Primary Key: A unique identifier for

each row in a table. It cannot
contain null values and must be
unique for every record.

Foreign Key: A column in one table

that references the Primary Key of
another table. It establishes a
relationship between the two tables.

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22. How do Indexes work in a
database?

ANSWER ->

Indexing stores a sorted list of values for

one or more columns, along with pointers
to the actual data rows.

Benefits:
Significantly improves query performance,
especially for searches, joins, and sorting.
Enables faster data retrieval and updates.

Drawbacks:
Increased storage space required for the
index.
Can slow down data insertion and updates
as the index needs to be maintained.

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23. Explain the concept of
normalization in database design.

ANSWER ->

Normalization is the process of

organizing data in a database to
minimize redundancy and improve
data integrity. It involves breaking down
large tables into smaller, more
manageable tables with well-defined
relationships.

Why is it important:
Improves data consistency and reduces the
risk of data anomalies.
Makes data easier to maintain and update.
Improves query performance.

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24. Explain Subqueries & its
different types with examples.

ANSWER ->

Subqueries are nested SELECT

statements within another SQL
statement.

Scalar Subquery: Returns a single value (e.g.,

used in WHERE clause to compare a column
value with the result of the subquery).

Correlated Subquery: References a column

from the outer query within the subquery.

Multiple-Row Subquery: Returns multiple

rows (e.g., used with IN or EXISTS operators).

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25. Explain left join, right join, and
full outer join with examples.

ANSWER ->
LEFT JOIN: Returns all rows from the left table
and matching rows from the right table. If
there is no match in the right table, NULL
values are returned for the right table's
columns.

RIGHT JOIN: Returns all rows from the right

table and matching rows from the left table. If
there is no match in the left table, NULL values
are returned for the left table's columns.

FULL OUTER JOIN: Returns all rows from both

tables. If there is no match in either table,
NULL values are returned for the missing
columns.

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CONCLUSION

A strong foundation in SQL theory is not

just about answering interview
questions.

It's about demonstrating your

understanding of core database
concepts and your ability to think
critically and solve complex problems.

By mastering these fundamentals, you'll

be well-equipped to tackle real-world
data challenges and excel as a data
analyst.

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