Top 10 Hive Interview Questions and Answers
Updated 15 Jul 2025

Asked in Tech Mahindra

Q. How do you eliminate null values in HIVE?
Null values in HIVE can be eliminated using the COALESCE function.
Use the COALESCE function to replace null values with a default value.
Syntax: COALESCE(column_name, default_value)
Example: SELECT COALESCE(name, 'Unknown') FROM table_name;

Asked in Decision Minds

Q. What are the differences between Hive and SQL?
Hive is a data warehousing tool for Hadoop while SQL is a language used to manage relational databases.
Hive is used for big data processing while SQL is used for relational databases.
Hive uses Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) while SQL uses trad...read more

Asked in Accenture

Q. What are external and internal tables in Hive?
External and internal tables in Hive are two types of tables used to store data in Hive.
External tables store data outside of Hive's warehouse directory, while internal tables store data within the warehouse directory
External tables do not delete dat...read more

Asked in Tech Mahindra

Q. What analytical functions does HIVE support?
Hive supports various analytical functions for data processing and analysis.
Hive supports aggregation functions like SUM, COUNT, AVG, MIN, MAX, etc.
It also supports window functions like ROW_NUMBER, RANK, LAG, LEAD, etc.
Hive provides statistical func...read more

Asked in Tech Mahindra

Q. What are ACID properties in a Hive table?
ACID properties ensure data consistency and reliability in HIVE tables.
ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability.
Atomicity ensures that a transaction is treated as a single unit of work.
Consistency ensures that the data remain...read more

Asked in Saama Technologies

Q. How do you perform data validation in Hive?
Data validation in Hive involves using built-in functions and custom scripts to ensure data accuracy and consistency.
Use built-in functions like IS NULL, IS NOT NULL, and COALESCE to check for missing or null values
Use regular expressions and pattern...read more


Q. How do you troubleshoot Hive slowness?
To troubleshoot hive slowness, check for resource contention, optimize queries, and monitor system performance.
Check for resource contention such as CPU, memory, and disk usage
Optimize queries by reducing data scanned and avoiding unnecessary joins
Mo...read more

Asked in ZS

Q. What is Hive in Big Data?
Hive is a data warehouse infrastructure built on top of Hadoop for providing data summarization, query, and analysis.
Hive uses a SQL-like language called HiveQL to query and manage large datasets stored in Hadoop
It allows users to write complex queri...read more

Asked in Cognizant

Q. How do you add data into a partitioned Hive table?
To add data into a partitioned hive table, you can use the INSERT INTO statement with the PARTITION clause.
Use INSERT INTO statement to add data into the table.
Specify the partition column values using the PARTITION clause.
Example: INSERT INTO table_...read more

Asked in GlobalLogic

Q. Explain the details of the Hive metastore.
Hive meta store stores metadata about Hive tables, partitions, columns, and storage location.
Hive meta store is a central repository that stores metadata information about Hive tables, partitions, columns, and storage location.
It stores this metadata...read more
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Asked in Infosys

Q. What are the differences between Hive and external tables?
Hive tables store data in HDFS while external tables reference data stored outside HDFS.
Hive tables store data in HDFS, while external tables reference data stored outside HDFS.
External tables are useful when data needs to be shared across different ...read more

Asked in LTIMindtree

Q. What are the differences between Hive external and managed tables?
Hive External vs managed
Hive External tables store data outside of the Hive warehouse directory
Managed tables store data in the Hive warehouse directory
External tables can be used to access data from different storage systems
Managed tables are easier...read more

Asked in Wipro

Q. Hive table loads on incremental process
Hive table loads can be done incrementally by using partitioning or by using timestamp columns.
Partition the table based on a column like date or timestamp to load data incrementally
Use dynamic partition inserts to add new data to specific partitions...read more

Asked in Wipro

Q. How do you eliminate duplicate records in a Hive table?
Use DISTINCT keyword in SELECT query to eliminate duplicate records in a Hive table
Use SELECT DISTINCT * FROM table_name to retrieve unique records
Consider using GROUP BY clause with appropriate columns to eliminate duplicates
Utilize the ROW_NUMBER()...read more
Asked in Beeline

Q. What are the different types of tables in Hive?
Hive tables are used to store structured data in Hive, similar to tables in a traditional database.
Hive tables are created using the CREATE TABLE statement.
Tables can be partitioned based on one or more columns.
External tables in Hive store data outs...read more

Asked in EPAM Systems

Q. Architecture of hive,types of hive table, file formats in hive, dynamic partition in hive
Hive architecture, table types, file formats, and dynamic partitioning.
Hive architecture consists of metastore, driver, compiler, and execution engine.
Hive tables can be of two types: managed tables and external tables.
File formats supported by Hive ...read more

Asked in IBM

Q. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Hive?
Hive is a data warehouse infrastructure built on top of Hadoop for providing data summarization, query, and analysis.
Advantages: SQL-like query language for querying large datasets, optimized for OLAP workloads, supports partitioning and bucketing fo...read more
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