SQL Interview Questions for Data Management Consultant Role
Basic SQL Questions
1. What is the difference between INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, and FULL OUTER JOIN?
2. How do you filter data using WHERE, HAVING, and GROUP BY?
3. Explain the use of DISTINCT. How is it different from GROUP BY?
4. Write a query to get the second highest salary from an employee table.
5. What is the difference between DELETE, TRUNCATE, and DROP?
Intermediate SQL Questions
6. How would you identify duplicate records in a table?
7. Explain normalization and denormalization. When would you use each?
8. Write a query to pivot a table in SQL.
9. How do window functions like ROW_NUMBER(), RANK(), and DENSE_RANK() work?
10. Describe how you would perform a data migration between two databases using SQL.
Advanced SQL/Data Management Questions
11. How do you ensure data integrity and consistency in SQL?
12. What strategies would you use to handle missing or corrupted data?
13. Explain your experience with data profiling using SQL.
14. How would you perform data reconciliation between source and target systems?
15. How do you optimize slow-running SQL queries?
Scenario-Based/Case Questions
16. A client reports data discrepancies between their reporting dashboard and the source system.
How would you approach this?
17. You are asked to create a data model for a retail client. What steps would you take and how
would SQL help?
18. How do you implement data lineage tracking using SQL or metadata?
19. How do you manage version control of data schemas in a consulting environment?
20. What is your experience with managing master data using SQL?
Data Modeling & Design
21. What are surrogate keys and natural keys? When do you use each?
22. How would you design a star schema vs a snowflake schema?
23. How do you handle slowly changing dimensions (SCD) in SQL?
24. Explain normalization forms (1NF to 3NF) with examples.
25. What is data warehousing and how is SQL used in ETL processes?
ETL & Data Integration
26. How do you implement an incremental data load in SQL?
27. What are common challenges in data integration using SQL?
28. Describe a time you transformed complex data using SQL scripts.
29. How do you handle schema evolution in your SQL pipelines?
30. What SQL tools or platforms have you used for ETL (e.g., SSIS, AWS Glue, Azure Data
Factory)?
Performance & Optimization
31. How do you analyze and improve the performance of a SQL query?
32. What is indexing? When can it hurt performance?
33. How do you detect and eliminate deadlocks in SQL operations?
34. Explain the use of execution plans in SQL.
35. What are best practices for writing optimized SQL queries for large datasets?
Governance, Security & Quality
36. How do you enforce data access controls in SQL?
37. What is data lineage, and how can SQL help in tracking it?
38. How do you implement data quality rules using SQL?
39. What is your approach to validating source-to-target mappings?
40. How do you document data definitions and transformations?
Project & Client-Focused Questions
41. How do you communicate complex SQL logic to non-technical stakeholders?
42. Give an example where your SQL skills helped solve a major data issue for a client.
43. What is your approach to gathering data requirements for a project?
44. How do you ensure your SQL solutions align with business rules?
45. How do you manage version control for SQL scripts in a team setting?
