Here are some SQL Server Interview Questions

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Here are some SQL Server Interview Questions

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Luis Cazares SSC Guru Points: 183698 More actions · Answer 1

Grant Fritchey (5/15/2015)
Sean Lange (5/15/2015)
Luis Cazares (5/15/2015)
It's important for us that you'll be a good fit in our team, so the following question will define if you get the job or not.
Leading commas or trailing commas?
I don't really care either way as long as it is consistent. 😎
And if it's consistently terrible?

In that case, he might be working for my previous employer. 😀

Luis C.
General Disclaimer:
Are you seriously taking the advice and code from someone from the internet without testing it? Do you at least understand it? Or can it easily kill your server?

How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help: Option 1 / Option 2

Luis Cazares SSC Guru Points: 183698 More actions · Answer 2

Eric M Russell (5/15/2015)
Sean Lange (5/15/2015)
Luis Cazares (5/15/2015)
It's important for us that you'll be a good fit in our team, so the following question will define if you get the job or not.
Leading commas or trailing commas?
I don't really care either way as long as it is consistent. 😎
...
So you expect the new guy to be consistent with what he's done in the past, or with what you've done in the past?

I expect him to be consistent with what we've done in the past without having any clue of what it is. This will prove to be a perfect fit or at least could show some psychic abilities.

Luis C.
General Disclaimer:
Are you seriously taking the advice and code from someone from the internet without testing it? Do you at least understand it? Or can it easily kill your server?

How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help: Option 1 / Option 2

Sean Lange SSC Guru Points: 286573 More actions · Answer 3

Grant Fritchey (5/15/2015)
Sean Lange (5/15/2015)
Luis Cazares (5/15/2015)
It's important for us that you'll be a good fit in our team, so the following question will define if you get the job or not.
Leading commas or trailing commas?
I don't really care either way as long as it is consistent. 😎
And if it's consistently terrible?

It MUST continue to be consistently inconsistent at all costs!!!

_______________________________________________________________

Need help? Help us help you.

Read the article at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/ for best practices on asking questions.

Need to split a string? Try Jeff Modens splitter http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Tally+Table/72993/.

Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 1 – Converting Rows to Columns - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/T-SQL/63681/
Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 2 - Dynamic Cross Tabs - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Crosstab/65048/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 1) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69953/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 2) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69954/

Sean Lange SSC Guru Points: 286573 More actions · Answer 4

Eric M Russell (5/15/2015)
Sean Lange (5/15/2015)
Luis Cazares (5/15/2015)
It's important for us that you'll be a good fit in our team, so the following question will define if you get the job or not.
Leading commas or trailing commas?
I don't really care either way as long as it is consistent. 😎
...
So you expect the new guy to be consistent with what he's done in the past, or with what you've done in the past?

Yes

_______________________________________________________________

Need help? Help us help you.

Read the article at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/ for best practices on asking questions.

Need to split a string? Try Jeff Modens splitter http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Tally+Table/72993/.

Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 1 – Converting Rows to Columns - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/T-SQL/63681/
Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 2 - Dynamic Cross Tabs - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Crosstab/65048/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 1) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69953/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 2) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69954/

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1003873 More actions · Answer 5

Stephanie Giovannini (5/15/2015)
Real interview question that I asked during a tech screen for an entry-level programmer position:
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

My answer to the interviewer: That depends a whole lot on how well this company does on the interview I'm conducting on you. 😉

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 6

Jeff Moden (5/14/2015)
Luis Cazares (5/14/2015)
You receive a late call during the night to inform you that the server is down and must be working correctly before everyone arrives in the morning. How many cups of coffee will you need to have available?
When I finally look at my silenced phone at 9:00AM during scrum, I'll let you know. 😛
Next question:
How would you describe the differences between being "Loyal" to a company and "Dedicated" to a company? Heh... The answer will be provided either at 2AM tomorrow morning or sometime after 9 tomorrow morning. It depends on when I run out of coffee. :w00t:

So, when are you going to answer your own question?

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 7

Sean Lange (5/15/2015)
Luis Cazares (5/15/2015)
It's important for us that you'll be a good fit in our team, so the following question will define if you get the job or not.
Leading commas or trailing commas?
...
OK, I actually prefer leading because it makes debugging easier but I am not that adamant about it as long as each column is on a separate row and not all slammed together.

Like Grant said, if they don't do it my way, I will just use SQL prompt to reformat it. ;0)

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events

David Webb-CDS SSCoach Points: 17398 More actions · Answer 8

Your customer comes to you and says the query he has run daily for the last two years is suddenly taking hours instead of seconds. You gather the customer, the developer, the network guys, the storage guy, and the server guy in a conference room. They all swear that nothing has changed. Which one is lying?

And then again, I might be wrong ...
David Webb

Michael L John One Orange Chip Points: 27042 More actions · Answer 9

Interviewer: If your database was a country, what country would it be?

My answer: North Korea, because it will be run by a dictator!

Michael L John
If you assassinate a DBA, would you pull a trigger?
To properly post on a forum:
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/61537/

Sean Lange SSC Guru Points: 286573 More actions · Answer 10

David Webb-CDS (5/15/2015)
Your customer comes to you and says the query he has run daily for the last two years is suddenly taking hours instead of seconds. You gather the customer, the developer, the network guys, the storage guy, and the server guy in a conference room. They all swear that nothing has changed. Which one is lying?

That's too easy. Obviously it is the one in the red shirt as he is one who is about the be killed in this episode. 😉

_______________________________________________________________

Need help? Help us help you.

Read the article at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/ for best practices on asking questions.

Need to split a string? Try Jeff Modens splitter http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Tally+Table/72993/.

Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 1 – Converting Rows to Columns - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/T-SQL/63681/
Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 2 - Dynamic Cross Tabs - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Crosstab/65048/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 1) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69953/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 2) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69954/

David Webb-CDS SSCoach Points: 17398 More actions · Answer 11

Sean Lange (5/15/2015)
David Webb-CDS (5/15/2015)
Your customer comes to you and says the query he has run daily for the last two years is suddenly taking hours instead of seconds. You gather the customer, the developer, the network guys, the storage guy, and the server guy in a conference room. They all swear that nothing has changed. Which one is lying?
That's too easy. Obviously it is the one in the red shirt as he is one who is about the be killed in this episode. 😉

"All of the above" is also an acceptable answer.

And then again, I might be wrong ...
David Webb

Sean Lange SSC Guru Points: 286573 More actions · Answer 12

David Webb-CDS (5/15/2015)
Sean Lange (5/15/2015)
David Webb-CDS (5/15/2015)
Your customer comes to you and says the query he has run daily for the last two years is suddenly taking hours instead of seconds. You gather the customer, the developer, the network guys, the storage guy, and the server guy in a conference room. They all swear that nothing has changed. Which one is lying?
That's too easy. Obviously it is the one in the red shirt as he is one who is about the be killed in this episode. 😉
"All of the above" is also an acceptable answer.

Agreed!!

_______________________________________________________________

Need help? Help us help you.

Read the article at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/ for best practices on asking questions.

Need to split a string? Try Jeff Modens splitter http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Tally+Table/72993/.

Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 1 – Converting Rows to Columns - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/T-SQL/63681/
Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 2 - Dynamic Cross Tabs - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Crosstab/65048/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 1) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69953/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 2) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69954/

Eric M Russell SSC Guru Points: 125523 More actions · Answer 13

David Webb-CDS (5/15/2015)
Your customer comes to you and says the query he has run daily for the last two years is suddenly taking hours instead of seconds. You gather the customer, the developer, the network guys, the storage guy, and the server guy in a conference room. They all swear that nothing has changed. Which one is lying?

Is this an interview for a CIO? They could all be telling the truth, and all you need is the DBA to resolve this one.

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 14

David Webb-CDS (5/15/2015)
You gather the customer, the developer, the network guys, the storage guy, and the server guy in a conference room. They all swear that nothing has changed. Which one is lying?

None of them.

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

Jason A. Long SSC-Insane Points: 23780 More actions · Answer 15

Next question:
How would you describe the differences between being "Loyal" to a company and "Dedicated" to a company? Heh... The answer will be provided either at 2AM tomorrow morning or sometime after 9 tomorrow morning. It depends on when I run out of coffee. :w00t:

The same way I'd describe the difference between bacon & eggs... 😉