Practice joins, grouping, dates, and KPI definitions, then explain the result in plain English with one caveat.
Practice topics
Start with business metrics before harder syntax.
- Revenue by month after refunds.
- Conversion rate by lead source.
- Average ticket resolution time by priority.
- Active customers by plan and month.
- Churned accounts with last activity date.
What to explain
The interviewer needs to hear how you would use the metric.
- Define the KPI in one sentence.
- Name the denominator for every rate.
- Explain what rows are excluded.
- Call out one data quality risk.
Common miss
Candidates often answer with code only.
- Do not skip the business interpretation.
- Do not compare months with partial data unless you adjust for it.
- Do not trust a KPI before checking missing or duplicate rows.
Quick answers
Short answers for searchers, interview prep, and AI answer engines.
What SQL should a business analyst know?
Filters, joins, grouping, CASE logic, date filters, KPI definitions, and basic quality checks.
How do I prepare for a BA SQL assessment quickly?
Practice five KPI queries and explain the denominator, exclusions, and caveat for each result.
Do business analyst interviews require advanced SQL?
Some do, but many screens focus on clean joins, aggregation, dates, and business interpretation.
Which packet fits BA SQL assessment prep?
Use the Product Analytics packet if the role combines SQL with metrics, product cases, or recommendations.
Turn the answer into timed practice.
Use the free rep first. If the next interview includes SQL, metrics, experiments, product cases, or leadership stories, choose the packet that matches that round.