SQL Interview Questions for Data Analyst Roles: Let’s face it, SQL isn’t going anywhere. Whether you’re an aspiring data analyst or already on your way to becoming one, SQL interview questions for data analyst roles are a staple in almost every job interview.
“SQL is the language of data,” says a senior hiring manager at an MNC in Bengaluru. “If you can’t talk to databases, you can’t really do data analytics.”
In this blog, we’re going deep into the top 50 SQL interview questions that hiring teams are using in 2025. We’ll cover basics, explore some advanced SQL interview questions, throw in some technical SQL interview questions, and also prep you with complex SQL interview questions for good measure.
And hey – don’t just read. Practice!
Why SQL Skills Are Key to a Career in Data Analytics?
Before jumping into the questions, let’s address the elephant in the room – do I really need SQL to have a career in data analytics?
Short answer: Absolutely yes.
“Every analyst, sooner or later, has to query a database. And SQL is the most efficient and universal way to do it.” – Dataquest (2024 Report)
SQL is used everywhere, marketing analytics, finance, operations, healthcare, retail, and tech. Whether you’re pulling data to build dashboards or cleaning messy data for reports, SQL gives you control.
If you’re taking data analytics training, make sure SQL is part of the curriculum. It’s not optional anymore, it’s foundational.
Who Must Read This Blog?
- Freshers: Start with the beginner questions and build up.
- Experienced analysts: Focus on technical and advanced SQL questions.
- Interview tomorrow? Skim through the “most asked” and “complex” sections.
Basic SQL Interview Questions for Data Analyst Roles
These are the kinds of questions that pop up in 90% of interviews. They are simple, but tricky if you’re not clear on the fundamentals.
1. What is SQL? Why is it used?
2. What are the different types of SQL statements?
- DDL, DML, DCL, and TCL.
3. What is the difference between WHERE and HAVING clause?
4. What is a Primary Key and Foreign Key?
5. Explain the difference between INNER JOIN and LEFT JOIN.
6. What are NULL values and how to handle them?
7. How to remove duplicate records from a table?
8. What does the GROUP BY clause do?
9. Difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE?
10. What is a Subquery? Give an example.
Use sample tables in your answers. Recruiters love when you go the extra step.
Read More: Data Analyst Interview Questions For Freshers
SQL Most Asked Interview Questions in 2025
According to LinkedIn’s Job Insights India 2025, these are the sql most asked interview questions for analyst profiles:
11. How do you find the second highest salary from a table?
12. What is a window function? Explain ROW_NUMBER().
13. How do you pivot and unpivot data using SQL?
14. Write a query to fetch employees who joined in the last 6 months.
15. What is the use of COALESCE() function?
16. How do you handle data mismatches during joins?
17. Write a query to find duplicate values in a column.
18. Explain CTE (Common Table Expressions).
19. What is the difference between RANK() and DENSE_RANK()?
20. Write a query to get department-wise average salary.
These SQL interview questions for data analyst positions are repeated across MNCs, startups, and government hiring tests. Nail them, and you’re already ahead.
SQL Interview Practice Questions
Time to get your hands dirty. Use these to sharpen your thinking.
21. Write a query to count total orders for each customer. (Hint: Use GROUP BY)
22. Get all products with price greater than the average price.
23. List customers who haven’t made any purchases.
24. Retrieve top 3 performing salespeople from each region.
25. Convert rows into columns using PIVOT.
These are great SQL interview practice questions to work on in platforms like:
- HackerRank
- LeetCode
- StrataScratch
- Mode Analytics SQL tutorials
Advanced SQL Interview Questions for Data Analyst Jobs
Once you’ve nailed the basics, you’ll face advanced SQL interview questions like these:
26. What’s the difference between UNION and UNION ALL?
27. How to optimise a slow SQL query?
28. Write a recursive SQL query using CTE.
29. Explain indexing and its impact on performance.
30. How do you debug a failing query?
Advanced SQL doesn’t just mean complex code, it means writing better, faster queries. These advanced concepts help you move from junior to mid-level roles. If you’re serious about a career in data analytics, learn how to explain these queries in simple terms.
Complex SQL Interview Questions
Here’s where it gets spicy. These complex SQL interview questions test your logic, not just syntax.
31. You have a table with transaction logs. Find out which user performed the same action 3 times in a row.
32. How would you remove outliers from a dataset using SQL?
33. Given a sales table, identify top 5 products contributing to 80% of revenue (Pareto Analysis).
34. In a login table, how to find users who logged in on 3 consecutive days?
35. Find customers who made a purchase in January but not in February.
These are gold for SQL technical interview questions in companies that test problem-solving more than bookish definitions.
SQL Technical Interview Questions That Test Business Queries
In interviews, especially for companies in banking, retail, or logistics, you’ll get SQL technical interview questions like:
36. How would you join multiple large datasets with inconsistent data?
37. How do you build a customer churn prediction table in SQL?
38. How would you calculate moving average using SQL?
39. Write a query to calculate year-over-year growth for sales.
40. Show how to segment customers based on purchase frequency.
Here’s a quick list of top 50 SQL interview questions you should bookmark:
- What is SQL?
- Types of SQL statements
- WHERE vs HAVING
- Primary & Foreign Key
- Joins in SQL
- NULL handling
- Duplicates removal
- GROUP BY usage
- DELETE vs TRUNCATE
- Subqueries
- Second highest salary
- Window functions
- Pivot tables
- Recent employee joins
- COALESCE function
- Data mismatch handling
- Finding duplicates
- CTE usage
- RANK vs DENSE_RANK
- Avg salary per department
21-50: All the rest mentioned above.
Keep a note, revisit, and practice daily. These will keep popping up across multiple interviews.
How to Prepare for SQL Interviews Like a Pro
- Practice real datasets: Kaggle, Datahub, and your own side projects.
- Pair SQL with Excel/Power BI knowledge: Especially if your dream job includes dashboards.
- Do mock interviews: Practise speaking your thought process.
If you’re just starting out, invest time in a proper data analytics training program that focuses on hands-on SQL.
On A Final Note…
There you go, a full stack of SQL interview questions for data analyst interviews, right from basics to brain-twisters. Whether you’re gearing up for your first job or switching roles, these SQL most asked interview questions and practice examples will get you ready.
Don’t forget, the difference between average and great data analysts is how they use SQL to solve actual problems.
And if you’re serious about making a long-term career in data analytics, make SQL your best friend.
FAQs
1. Is SQL enough to become a data analyst?
SQL is essential, but not the only skill. You’ll also need Excel, data visualisation tools, and storytelling skills.
2. Which is the best place to practice SQL interview questions for data analyst roles?
StrataScratch and LeetCode are great. For basics, W3Schools and SQLZoo work well too.
3. How many SQL interview questions should I prepare?
At least 30. But focus on understanding, not memorising.