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Question 1: Which SQL clause is used to filter records based on a specified condition?
A. ORDER BY
B. GROUP BY
C. WHERE
D. HAVING
CORRECT ANSWER: C. WHERE
RATIONALE: The WHERE clause is used in SQL to filter records from a table based on specified
conditions before any grouping or aggregation occurs. ORDER BY sorts results, GROUP BY groups rows
for aggregation, and HAVING filters groups after aggregation.
Question 2: What does the acronym SQL stand for in database management?
A. Structured Query Language
B. Simple Query Logic
C. Standard Question Language
D. Sequential Query Listing
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Structured Query Language
RATIONALE: SQL stands for Structured Query Language, which is the standard language for managing
and querying relational databases. It is used to perform operations such as retrieving, inserting,
updating, and deleting data.
Question 3: Which SQL statement is used to retrieve data from a database?
A. GET
B. SELECT
C. FETCH
D. RETRIEVE
CORRECT ANSWER: B. SELECT
,RATIONALE: The SELECT statement is the fundamental SQL command used to query and retrieve data
from one or more tables in a relational database. GET, FETCH, and RETRIEVE are not standard SQL
retrieval commands.
Question 4: In SQL, which keyword is used to sort the result-set in ascending or descending order?
A. SORT BY
B. ORDER BY
C. ARRANGE BY
D. SEQUENCE BY
CORRECT ANSWER: B. ORDER BY
RATIONALE: The ORDER BY clause is used in SQL to sort the result-set by one or more columns, with
ASC for ascending (default) or DESC for descending order. SORT BY, ARRANGE BY, and SEQUENCE BY are
not valid SQL syntax.
Question 5: Which SQL function returns the number of rows that match a specified criterion?
A. SUM()
B. TOTAL()
C. COUNT()
D. NUMBER()
CORRECT ANSWER: C. COUNT()
RATIONALE: COUNT() is an aggregate function in SQL that returns the number of rows that match a
specified condition. SUM() adds numeric values, while TOTAL() and NUMBER() are not standard SQL
aggregate functions.
Question 6: What is the purpose of the PRIMARY KEY constraint in a relational database table?
A. To allow duplicate values in a column
B. To uniquely identify each record in a table
C. To establish a relationship with another table
D. To automatically increment numeric values
CORRECT ANSWER: B. To uniquely identify each record in a table
RATIONALE: A PRIMARY KEY constraint uniquely identifies each record in a database table and cannot
contain NULL values. It ensures entity integrity. Foreign keys establish relationships, and
AUTO_INCREMENT handles automatic numbering.
Question 7: Which SQL statement is used to add a new row of data into a table?
A. ADD ROW
B. INSERT INTO
C. CREATE RECORD
D. APPEND DATA
CORRECT ANSWER: B. INSERT INTO
,RATIONALE: The INSERT INTO statement is used to add new records (rows) into a database table. ADD
ROW, CREATE RECORD, and APPEND DATA are not valid SQL commands for inserting data.
Question 8: In a relational database, what does normalization primarily aim to achieve?
A. Increase data redundancy for faster queries
B. Reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity
C. Combine multiple tables into a single table
D. Eliminate the need for primary keys
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity
RATIONALE: Normalization is a database design process that organizes tables to minimize redundancy
and dependency, thereby improving data integrity and reducing anomalies during data operations.
Question 9: Which SQL clause is used to filter groups after aggregation has been performed?
A. WHERE
B. FILTER BY
C. HAVING
D. GROUP FILTER
CORRECT ANSWER: C. HAVING
RATIONALE: The HAVING clause is used to filter results after the GROUP BY clause has aggregated data.
WHERE filters individual rows before aggregation, while HAVING operates on grouped results.
Question 10: What type of join returns all records from the left table and matching records from the
right table?
A. INNER JOIN
B. RIGHT JOIN
C. LEFT JOIN
D. FULL OUTER JOIN
CORRECT ANSWER: C. LEFT JOIN
RATIONALE: A LEFT JOIN (or LEFT OUTER JOIN) returns all records from the left table and the matched
records from the right table, with NULLs for non-matching right table records. INNER JOIN returns only
matches, RIGHT JOIN returns all from the right, and FULL OUTER JOIN returns all from both.
Question 11: Which SQL data type is most appropriate for storing a person's date of birth?
A. VARCHAR
B. INTEGER
C. DATE
D. TIMESTAMP
CORRECT ANSWER: C. DATE
, RATIONALE: The DATE data type is specifically designed to store calendar dates without time
components, making it ideal for dates of birth. TIMESTAMP includes time and timezone information,
while VARCHAR and INTEGER are not semantically appropriate.
Question 12: What is the result of executing: SELECT COUNT(*) FROM employees WHERE department
= 'Sales';
A. Returns all columns from employees in Sales
B. Returns the number of employees in the Sales department
C. Returns the total salary of Sales employees
D. Returns an error due to missing GROUP BY
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Returns the number of employees in the Sales department
RATIONALE: COUNT(*) counts all rows that satisfy the WHERE condition. This query returns a single
numeric value representing how many employee records have 'Sales' as their department value.
Question 13: Which SQL statement is used to modify existing data in a table?
A. MODIFY
B. CHANGE
C. UPDATE
D. ALTER DATA
CORRECT ANSWER: C. UPDATE
RATIONALE: The UPDATE statement is used to modify existing records in a table. ALTER is used for
schema changes, while MODIFY and CHANGE are not standalone SQL data manipulation commands.
Question 14: In database terminology, what is a foreign key?
A. A key that uniquely identifies a record in its own table
B. A field that links to the primary key of another table
C. A key used for encrypting database connections
D. A composite key made of multiple columns
CORRECT ANSWER: B. A field that links to the primary key of another table
RATIONALE: A foreign key is a field (or collection of fields) in one table that refers to the primary key in
another table, establishing a referential relationship between the two tables.
Question 15: Which SQL operator is used to search for a specified pattern in a column?
A. MATCH
B. LIKE
C. PATTERN
D. CONTAINS
CORRECT ANSWER: B. LIKE