Top 250 SQL Interview Questions and Answers
Updated 15 Jul 2025


Q. What is your understanding of clauses and phrases?
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. A phrase is a group of words that does not contain a subject and a predicate.
A clause can function as a complete sentence or as part of a sentence.
A phrase cannot function as a com...read more

Asked in 7 Eleven

Q. Write a query to get the customer with the highest total order value for each year and month. Order and Customer tables are separate, with Order_ID and Customer_ID as primary keys. The Customer table's Oid is a foreign key referen...
read moreQuery to get the customer with the highest total order value for each year, month.
Join the Order and Customer tables on the foreign key
Group the results by year, month, and customer
Calculate the total order value for each group
Find the maximum total ...read more

Asked in Meesho and 5 others

Q. Describe the different types of joins.
Different types of joins are used in database queries to combine data from multiple tables.
Inner join: Returns only the matching records from both tables.
Left join: Returns all records from the left table and the matching records from the right table...read more

Asked in Happiest Minds Technologies

Q. How many columns can be created in a table?
The number of columns that can be created in a table depends on the database management system being used.
The limit varies depending on the DBMS
For MySQL, the limit is 4096 columns per table
For Oracle, the limit is 1000 columns per table
The number of...read more

Asked in Simform

Q. How do you join three different tables in SQL?
To join three different tables in SQL, you can use the JOIN keyword along with the appropriate join conditions.
Use the JOIN keyword to combine tables based on a common column
Specify the join conditions using the ON keyword
You can join more than two t...read more

Asked in insightsoftware and 2 others

Q. Explain the difference between inner and outer joins.
Inner join returns only the matching records from both tables, while outer join returns all records from both tables.
Inner join combines rows from two tables based on a related column.
Outer join combines rows from two tables and includes unmatched ro...read more

Asked in Dell EMC

Q. What is the trigger point?
A trigger point is a sensitive area in the muscles or tissues that can cause pain or discomfort when stimulated.
Trigger points are often found in areas of muscle tension or overuse.
They can be felt as knots or tight bands in the muscle.
Trigger points...read more

Asked in IBM

Q. How do you insert or update data in a table?
To insert or update data in a table, use SQL statements like INSERT INTO or UPDATE.
For inserting data, use the INSERT INTO statement followed by the table name and column names.
Specify the values to be inserted using the VALUES keyword.
For updating d...read more

Asked in QuickXpert Infotech

Q. What are the common types of SQL views?
Normal types of SQL views include simple views, complex views, and materialized views.
Simple views are based on a single table or multiple tables with a simple join.
Complex views involve more complex queries, such as subqueries or aggregations.
Materi...read more

Asked in Wipro

Q. What is the definition of a UNION (user-defined data type)?
UNION is a user-defined data type that allows storing different data types in the same memory location.
UNION can be used to save memory space by sharing the same memory location for different data types.
It is defined using the 'union' keyword in C pr...read more
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Asked in Idfy

Q. Why SQL and not NoSQL?
SQL is preferred for structured data, transactions, complex queries, and ACID compliance.
SQL is better for structured data and relationships between data.
SQL is preferred for transactions and ensuring data integrity.
SQL is more suitable for complex q...read more

Asked in Mphasis

SQL injection is a type of cyber attack where malicious SQL code is inserted into input fields to manipulate a database.
SQL injection is a common web application security vulnerability.
Attackers can inject malicious SQL code into input fields to acce...read more

Asked in Birlasoft

Clustered index physically reorders the data in the table while non-clustered index does not.
Clustered index determines the physical order of data in the table, while non-clustered index does not.
A table can have only one clustered index, but multipl...read more

Asked in Tech Mahindra

Q. What is the difference between DENSE_RANK, RANK, and ROW_NUMBER in SQL?
Dense rank assigns consecutive integers to distinct values, rank assigns integers to distinct values but skips integers for ties, row number assigns integers to rows in the result set.
Dense rank assigns consecutive integers to distinct values
Rank ass...read more

Asked in LTIMindtree

CTE is a temporary result set that can be referenced within a SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement in SQL.
CTEs help improve readability and maintainability of complex SQL queries.
They can be recursive, allowing for hierarchical data querying.
C...read more

Asked in Paytm

The order of execution of SQL clauses is: SELECT, FROM, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, ORDER BY.
The SELECT clause is executed first to retrieve the desired columns from the table.
The FROM clause is executed next to specify the table(s) from which the data ...read more

Asked in Sopra Steria

Q. What is a rollback?
Rollback is the process of undoing or reversing a transaction or change made to a system.
Rollback is commonly used in database management systems to undo changes made to a database.
It can also be used in software development to undo changes made to c...read more

Asked in DaMENSCH

Q. What is the use of aggregation functions?
Aggregation functions are used to perform calculations on a set of values and return a single value as output.
Aggregation functions are commonly used in databases and data analysis to summarize and analyze large amounts of data.
Examples of aggregatio...read more

Asked in ScatterPie Analytics

Q. Write a query to find the 2nd highest salary using a window function.
Use window function to find 2nd highest salary in SQL
Use the ROW_NUMBER() function to assign a unique row number to each row based on the salary in descending order
Filter the results where the row number is 2 to get the 2nd highest salary

Asked in DaMENSCH

Q. What is SQL, and what memory management techniques does it use?
SQL is a programming language used for managing relational databases. It uses dynamic memory management.
SQL stands for Structured Query Language
It is used for managing and manipulating data in relational databases
SQL uses dynamic memory management, w...read more

Asked in Nsight Inc

Q. What is the difference between AS and IS in a stored procedure?
AS is used to assign an alias to a column or table in SQL, while IS is used to compare values or check for null values.
AS is used in SELECT statements to assign a temporary name to a column or table
AS can also be used in JOIN statements to assign ali...read more

Asked in Kyzer Software

Q. How can you add a column to a table without using the CREATE statement?
To add a column without using create, you can use the ALTER TABLE statement.
Use the ALTER TABLE statement to add a new column to an existing table
Specify the table name and the new column name, data type, and any other constraints
Example: ALTER TABLE...read more

Asked in HCLTech

Q. Tell me about the functions used in SQL.
SQL functions are used to perform calculations on data and return the result.
Aggregate functions like SUM, AVG, COUNT, MAX, MIN
String functions like CONCAT, SUBSTRING, LENGTH
Date functions like DATEADD, DATEDIFF, GETDATE
Mathematical functions like AB...read more

Asked in Oracle Financial Services Software

Q. How do you create a table in SQL and add elements to it?
To create a table in SQL, use the CREATE TABLE statement and define its elements.
Use CREATE TABLE statement followed by table name
Define columns with data types and constraints
Add primary key constraint to uniquely identify each row
Example: CREATE TA...read more

Asked in Zeta Global

Q. Are you more proficient in SQL than in Java?
I have a good understanding of both SQL and Java.
I have experience working with both SQL and Java in various projects.
I have a strong understanding of SQL syntax and can write complex queries.
I am proficient in Java and have worked with various frame...read more
Asked in Livedigital Technologies

Q. Write SQL queries for CRUD operations.
SQL queries for CRUD operations
CREATE: INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, ...) VALUES (value1, value2, ...)
READ: SELECT column1, column2, ... FROM table_name WHERE condition
UPDATE: UPDATE table_name SET column1 = value1, column2 = value2, ... ...read more

Asked in cloudEQ

Q. What is Normalization in SQL Server?
Normalization is the process of organizing data in a database to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity.
Normalization involves breaking down a table into smaller tables and defining relationships between them.
There are different levels of norma...read more

Asked in Spinny

A subquery in SQL is a query nested within another query, used to return a subset of data from a larger dataset.
A subquery is enclosed within parentheses and can be used in SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements.
It can be used to filter results...read more

Asked in MasterCard

Q. Implement lag() and lead() functions without using the built-in lag() or lead() functions.
Implement lag() and lead() functions without using lag() or lead()
To implement lag(), shift the values in the array by one position to the right
To implement lead(), shift the values in the array by one position to the left
For example, to implement la...read more

Asked in Wipro

Q. What is the difference between DROP and TRUNCATE commands?
Drop command deletes the table structure along with data, while truncate command deletes only the data.
Drop command removes the table structure and all its data, while truncate command only removes the data but keeps the table structure intact.
Drop c...read more
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