What SQL topics should a data analyst know for an interview?

Joins, aggregations with GROUP BY and HAVING, subqueries, window functions and data cleaning with CASE and NULL handling.

Is Power BI important for data analyst interviews?

For many roles, yes. Be able to explain your data model, measures and dashboard design choices.

Data analyst interview questions and preparation

Data analyst interviews test technical skills (SQL, spreadsheets, dashboards, basic statistics) and your ability to turn numbers into a clear message for non-technical people. Prepare for both.

SQL questions

Be ready to write and explain queries using joins, GROUP BY, HAVING, window functions and subqueries. Interviewers often ask you to find the top N per group, remove duplicates or calculate a running total. Talk through your approach while you write.

Excel and Power BI

For spreadsheet roles, know lookups, pivot tables and common formulas. For Power BI or Tableau roles, be able to explain a data model (fact and dimension tables), relationships, calculated measures (such as DAX) and how you would design a dashboard for a manager.

Statistics and thinking

Review mean versus median, standard deviation, correlation versus causation, sampling bias and basic hypothesis testing. Interviewers like to ask how you would check whether data is trustworthy before analysing it.

Explaining a project

Prepare one analysis project from start to finish: the business question, where the data came from, how you cleaned it, what you found and what action it led to. Practise telling it in three minutes without jargon.

Communication questions

Expect "How would you explain this result to a manager?" and "What would you do if the numbers contradict what the team believes?". Show that you are honest about uncertainty and focused on a clear recommendation.

Practise this out loud, free

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Frequently asked questions

What SQL topics should a data analyst know for an interview?: Joins, aggregations with GROUP BY and HAVING, subqueries, window functions and data cleaning with CASE and NULL handling.
Is Power BI important for data analyst interviews?: For many roles, yes. Be able to explain your data model, measures and dashboard design choices.