Data Analyst interview Questions (2025)
SQL Questions (1–7)
1. Find customers who purchased more than 3 times in the last month.
SELECT customer_id, COUNT(*) AS purchase_count
FROM orders
WHERE order_date >= DATEADD(month, -1, GETDATE())
GROUP BY customer_id
HAVING COUNT(*) > 3;
2. Write a query to find the second highest salary.
SELECT MAX(salary)
FROM employees
WHERE salary < (SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employees);
3. What is the difference between RANK(), DENSE_RANK(), and
ROW_NUMBER()?
• RANK(): Skips numbers after ties.
• DENSE_RANK(): No gaps in ranking.
• ROW_NUMBER(): Unique sequential number regardless of ties.
4. Find duplicate records in a table.
SELECT customer_id, COUNT(*)
FROM customers
GROUP BY customer_id
HAVING COUNT(*) > 1;
5. What’s the difference between WHERE and HAVING?
• WHERE: Filters before aggregation.
• HAVING: Filters after aggregation.
6. Get the average order value for each customer.
SELECT customer_id, AVG(order_amount) AS avg_value
FROM orders
GROUP BY customer_id;
7. How do you optimize a slow SQL query?
• Create indexes
• Avoid SELECT *
• Use EXPLAIN PLAN
• Limit subqueries
• Partition large tables
Python & Pandas Questions (8–12)
8. Drop missing values from a DataFrame.
df.dropna(inplace=True)
9. Group by and calculate total sales by region.
df.groupby("Region")["Sales"].sum()
10. Find outliers using the IQR method.
Q1 = df['amount'].quantile(0.25)
Q3 = df['amount'].quantile(0.75)
IQR = Q3 - Q1
outliers = df[(df['amount'] < Q1 - 1.5*IQR) | (df['amount'] > Q3 + 1.5*IQR)]
11. Merge two DataFrames.
pd.merge(df1, df2, on='customer_id', how='inner')
12. How do you handle large datasets in Python?
• Use dask or modin for parallel processing
• Load data in chunks with read_csv(chunksize=10000)
• Optimize data types (e.g., convert object to category)
Excel/Power BI Questions (13–15)
13. What Excel functions do you use in analysis?
• VLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH
• IF, IFS, SUMIFS, COUNTIFS
• Pivot Tables, Charts, Slicers
14. Difference between Calculated Column and Measure in Power BI?
• Column: Calculated row-by-row and stored.
• Measure: Calculated at query time (more efficient for aggregations).
15. What are slicers and filters in Power BI?
• Slicers: Visual tools for filtering.
• Filters: Apply filtering at report, page, or visual level.
Business Case & Product Questions (16–19)
16. What metrics would you track for Amazon delivery performance?
• On-Time Delivery Rate
• Average Delivery Time
• Return Rate
• Customer Satisfaction Score
17. Design a dashboard to monitor sales performance.
Metrics:
• Total Sales, Profit
• Orders by Region/Category
• Top-Selling Products
• Filters: Time, Region, Category
18. How would you reduce cart abandonment on Amazon?
• Analyze drop-off steps in checkout funnel
• A/B test different UX changes
• Use ML model to predict high-risk customers
19. How would you evaluate if a new feature increased sales?
• Use A/B Testing
• Pre/post analysis of KPIs
• Control for seasonality and external factors
A/B Testing Questions (20–21)
20. Explain p-value in A/B testing.
• Probability of seeing the observed difference (or more extreme) under the
null hypothesis.
• A low p-value (e.g. < 0.05) suggests the difference is statistically significant.
21. How would you calculate statistical significance in Python?
from scipy.stats import ttest_ind
t_stat, p_val = ttest_ind(group_A, group_B)
Behavioral (Leadership Principles) (22–25)
22. Tell me about a time you used data to solve a business problem.
In my previous project, I used Power BI to identify why return rates were high in
one region. After root-cause analysis, we changed the vendor, reducing returns
by 30%.
23. Describe a time when you had to dive deep.
I noticed a discrepancy in weekly revenue numbers. I traced it to a duplicate
data load and wrote a validation script to catch it before dashboard refresh.
24. Tell me about a time you took ownership.
When a data pipeline broke, even though I wasn’t the owner, I debugged it and
restored the process to avoid dashboard downtime.
25. Have you ever disagreed with your manager about a decision?
Yes, we disagreed on the metric to use for campaign success. I backed my point
with data and showed how conversion rate was a more accurate metric than just
clicks.
Dipankar Pal
(Power BI Developer)
Email – dippal351@gmail.com
