Top 50 SQL Interview Questions & Concepts
This PDF contains important SQL and DBMS interview questions with concise explanations for interview preparation
and quick revision.
1. Difference between CHAR and VARCHAR2
CHAR stores fixed-length data while VARCHAR2 stores variable-length data.
2. What is a View in SQL?
A view is a virtual table created using a SELECT query.
3. UNIQUE Constraint
Ensures all values in a column are distinct.
4. Composite Primary Key
Uses multiple columns together to uniquely identify rows.
5. WHERE vs HAVING
WHERE filters rows before grouping. HAVING filters grouped data.
6. SQL Joins
INNER, LEFT, RIGHT and FULL joins combine tables differently.
7. PRIMARY KEY vs UNIQUE
PRIMARY KEY is UNIQUE + NOT NULL. UNIQUE allows multiple constraints.
8. What is a CTE?
A Common Table Expression is a temporary named result set.
9. Normalization
Reduces redundancy using 1NF, 2NF, 3NF and BCNF.
10. UNION vs UNION ALL
UNION removes duplicates while UNION ALL keeps them.
11. Clustered vs Non-Clustered Index
Clustered indexes store rows physically in order.
12. Pattern Matching
LIKE uses % and _ wildcards.
13. Running Total
Use SUM() OVER() window function.
14. Correlated Subquery
Subquery dependent on outer query rows.
15. EXISTS vs IN
EXISTS checks row existence. IN compares values.
16. Anti-Join
Returns rows without matching rows in another table.
17. RANK vs DENSE_RANK vs ROW_NUMBER
Different ranking functions for ordered results.
18. LAG and LEAD
Access previous or next row values.
19. CROSS JOIN vs INNER JOIN
CROSS JOIN creates all combinations.
20. Foreign Keys
Maintain referential integrity between tables.
21. Set Operations
UNION, INTERSECT and EXCEPT combine query results.
22. Query Optimization
Use indexes, EXPLAIN and optimized joins.
23. What is a Query?
A SQL statement to retrieve or manipulate data.
24. What is a Subquery?
A query nested inside another query.
25. Database Partitioning
Splits large tables into smaller partitions.
26. Preventing SQL Injection
Use parameterized queries and validation.
27. Types of SQL Commands
DDL, DML, DCL and TCL.
28. DEFAULT Constraint
Assigns default values automatically.
29. Denormalization
Combines tables for faster reads.
30. SQL Operators
Arithmetic, logical, comparison and set operators.
31. Types of Joins
INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, FULL, CROSS and SELF JOIN.
32. GROUP BY Clause
Groups rows for aggregate calculations.
33. Aggregate Functions
COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN and MAX.
34. Indexes
Improve query performance.
35. DELETE vs TRUNCATE
DELETE removes rows individually. TRUNCATE removes all rows quickly.
36. SQL vs NoSQL
SQL uses structured schema. NoSQL is flexible.
37. Constraints
NOT NULL, UNIQUE, PRIMARY KEY, FOREIGN KEY and CHECK.
38. Cursor
Processes result rows one at a time.
39. Trigger
Automatically runs on INSERT, UPDATE or DELETE.
40. SELECT Statement
Retrieves data from tables.
41. ORDER BY Clause
Sorts query results.
42. What is a Table?
Rows and columns storing related data.
43. NULL Values
Represent missing or unknown data.
44. Stored Procedure
Precompiled SQL logic stored in DB.
45. DDL vs DML
DDL changes structure. DML changes data.
46. ALTER Command
Modifies table structure.
47. Data Integrity
Ensures consistency and reliability of data.
48. ACID Properties
Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation and Durability.
49. Transactions
Group of SQL operations executed together.
50. Referential Integrity
Maintains valid relationships between tables.