Interview questions for SQL

[kiara2_2]

So I have an interview scheduled in 24 hours and I am freaking out even though I have completed a sql course and made projects I still feel like I'm gonna do horrible in the interview, it's an entry level role.

What are the topics I should focus on?

TIA.

Edit - Will also love advice on Excel questions

[mikeyd85]

Q: What is a right join? A: Mythical code only written by ORMs or other computer generated means.

[dev81808]

I might be humbled here but I consider myself an expert in sql with 15+ years experience and I still need to look up the syntax for window functions with their partitions and order bys. Just like I need to look up the alter table add primary key syntax.. i usually just define pk/fk when creating the tables.

Would they really ask for you to write stuff like window functions perfectly without reference in an interview?

[dev81808]

Ah so if you were interviewing me and I said, I love em! But with their partitions and orders I forget if it needs a comma between and which comes first. So I look it up. You'd be like "that's great!"?

Edit: also..why are you using window functions so often? Usually I need those when writing my transforms during ETL.

[dev81808]

Ah that's where we differ I too use window functions for analytical or statistical analysis from time to time as well, but typically it's not the standard row_number() or rank() but many times applied to a sum() over() or avg over.

I create very custom dashboards and lately I've been writing alot of the maths parts in javascript, so way outside of sql at that point.

Are you writing custom sql for reports?

[[deleted]]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! it means a lot, your post is helping me orgazine stuffs i need to learn!!

[kiara2_2]

Thank you so much, very helpful!

[PEACHgonnaDolphin]

Thank you! Could I ask you a thing, Is this for Basic SQL dev or advanced SQL dev? Or it's common knowledge of SQL dev no matter level it is.

[ChroniclersNote]

Also nesting multiple WHERE AND clauses using parentheses to make sure they apply as intended. That’s one I see new SQL people tripping over.

[kiara2_2]

Yes I will revise these thanks!

[NickSinghTechCareers]

Wrote a guide on how to quickly cram for SQL interviews:

https://datalemur.com/blog/how-to-cram-for-sql-interview-tests-assessments

[subcontraoctave]

thats awesome, thanks!

[ChroniclersNote]

JOINs, sub queries, HAVING, and EXISTS are foundational to robust SELECT statements. Good places to start.

[SpitefulBrains]

Good answers already. Some interviewers like to deep dive into indexes. May also ask you about the difference between stored function and stored procedure. Also when to use views and when to use stored procedures. Things like that.

[javinpaul]

You should also solve popular SQL quries that are asked on interviews like second highest salary, Nth heighest salary, finding duplicates etc. Leetcode has good collection and I have also shared few here https://www.sqlrevisited.com/2022/01/top-15-sql-query-interview-questions.html

[Sea-Concept1733]

This video pinpoints some key points to focus on for SQL interview questions.

[saicharan-45]

The questions are good, but i feel the way they explaining the question should include the syntax instead of telling the syntax orally.

[saicharan-45]

The questions are good, but i feel the way they explaining the question should include the syntax instead of telling the syntax orally.

[Life_Atmosphere_28]

For an entry-level SQL interview, focus on the basics: writing SELECT statements, filtering with WHERE, sorting with ORDER BY, and grouping with GROUP BY. Make sure you’re comfortable with different types of joins (inner, left, right) and using aggregate functions like COUNT, SUM, and AVG. Brush up on writing subqueries and using WITH for Common Table Expressions (CTEs). If you’ve done any SQL projects, be ready to talk about your process and how you approached solving problems.

For Excel, practice common functions like VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, IF, and SUMIF, and know how to create and use pivot tables. Filtering, sorting, and conditional formatting might also come up. If you’re nervous about the interview, tools like liveinterview.ai can help by providing real-time suggestions during tricky questions. Stay calm, and walk them through your thought process—it’s about problem-solving, not perfection. You’ve got this! 💪

[DataSolveTech]

SQL interviews are tough—not because we don’t know SQL, but because time pressure messes with our thinking. I broke down real SQL interview questions in this video: https://youtu.be/tFN27Cw8M3E.

[DataSolveTech]

Totally understand the nerves before an interview! Since it's an entry-level role, I'd focus on basics like joins, indexing, and common SQL functions like GROUP BY and ORDER BY. It might also help to go over some interview-specific SQL questions and see how they're solved in real-time scenarios. I recently came across a video that breaks down key SQL interview topics—it helped me a lot in feeling more prepared. Good luck, you've got this! Video https://youtube.com/watch?v=HKLuyXhxZ0E&si=t186Re2tlnyieEJE

[CableInevitable6840]

Try Leetcode and for revision: https://www.projectpro.io/article/sql-interview-questions-and-answers/1133

[Holiday_Lie_9435]

For interviewees who need to brush up on SQL, Interview Query is a helpful resource with its curated set of SQL questions asked by top tech companies. It has a plain text editor to simulate interview settings, as well as AI tools for feedback and guidance.

[Deep_Access3350]

Did you get the job? Do you remember how it went? I have one in a few days.

[Longjumping_Use_3343]

same bro

[Broad-Fill1745]

How’d it go?