Set Operations interview questions

18 real Set Operations questions from the SQL bank, as asked in Indian campus drives and tech interviews. Every question has a verified answer and an AI-tutor explanation on placd — free to start.

1. What is UNION?

Junior
  1. A.an operator that combines two result sets into one and removes duplicate rows from the combined output
  2. B.an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed
  3. C.the requirement that both queries combined by a set operator have the same number of columns with matching or coercible data types in the same order
  4. D.a set operator (called MINUS in Oracle) returning rows present in the first result set but absent from the second
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

3. Which statement is correct?

Junior
  1. A.UNION — a set operator (called MINUS in Oracle) returning rows present in the first result set but absent from the second
  2. B.UNION — an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed
  3. C.UNION — the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries
  4. D.UNION — an operator that combines two result sets into one and removes duplicate rows from the combined output
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

4. What is UNION ALL?

Junior
  1. A.the requirement that both queries combined by a set operator have the same number of columns with matching or coercible data types in the same order
  2. B.a set operator returning only the rows that appear in both of the two input result sets
  3. C.the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries
  4. D.an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

5. Which term means: "an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed"?

Junior
  1. A.column-compatibility rule
  2. B.UNION
  3. C.EXCEPT
  4. D.UNION ALL
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

6. Which statement is correct?

Junior
  1. A.UNION ALL — the requirement that both queries combined by a set operator have the same number of columns with matching or coercible data types in the same order
  2. B.UNION ALL — an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed
  3. C.UNION ALL — a set operator returning only the rows that appear in both of the two input result sets
  4. D.UNION ALL — an operator that combines two result sets into one and removes duplicate rows from the combined output
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

7. What is INTERSECT?

Mid
  1. A.a set operator returning only the rows that appear in both of the two input result sets
  2. B.an operator that combines two result sets into one and removes duplicate rows from the combined output
  3. C.a set operator (called MINUS in Oracle) returning rows present in the first result set but absent from the second
  4. D.the requirement that both queries combined by a set operator have the same number of columns with matching or coercible data types in the same order
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

9. Which statement is correct?

Mid
  1. A.INTERSECT — a set operator returning only the rows that appear in both of the two input result sets
  2. B.INTERSECT — a set operator (called MINUS in Oracle) returning rows present in the first result set but absent from the second
  3. C.INTERSECT — the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries
  4. D.INTERSECT — an operator that combines two result sets into one and removes duplicate rows from the combined output
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

10. What is EXCEPT?

Mid
  1. A.an operator that combines two result sets into one and removes duplicate rows from the combined output
  2. B.an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed
  3. C.the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries
  4. D.a set operator (called MINUS in Oracle) returning rows present in the first result set but absent from the second
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

11. Which term means: "a set operator (called MINUS in Oracle) returning rows present in the first result set but absent from the second"?

Mid
  1. A.EXCEPT
  2. B.INTERSECT
  3. C.column-compatibility rule
  4. D.set-operation ORDER BY placement
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

12. Which statement is correct?

Mid
  1. A.EXCEPT — the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries
  2. B.EXCEPT — an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed
  3. C.EXCEPT — a set operator returning only the rows that appear in both of the two input result sets
  4. D.EXCEPT — a set operator (called MINUS in Oracle) returning rows present in the first result set but absent from the second
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

13. What is column-compatibility rule?

Mid
  1. A.the requirement that both queries combined by a set operator have the same number of columns with matching or coercible data types in the same order
  2. B.the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries
  3. C.an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed
  4. D.a set operator (called MINUS in Oracle) returning rows present in the first result set but absent from the second
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

14. Which term means: "the requirement that both queries combined by a set operator have the same number of columns with matching or coercible data types in the same order"?

Mid
  1. A.column-compatibility rule
  2. B.UNION ALL
  3. C.EXCEPT
  4. D.UNION
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

15. Which statement is correct?

Mid
  1. A.column-compatibility rule — a set operator (called MINUS in Oracle) returning rows present in the first result set but absent from the second
  2. B.column-compatibility rule — the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries
  3. C.column-compatibility rule — the requirement that both queries combined by a set operator have the same number of columns with matching or coercible data types in the same order
  4. D.column-compatibility rule — an operator that combines two result sets into one and removes duplicate rows from the combined output
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

16. What is set-operation ORDER BY placement?

Senior
  1. A.the requirement that both queries combined by a set operator have the same number of columns with matching or coercible data types in the same order
  2. B.the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries
  3. C.an operator that combines two result sets into one and removes duplicate rows from the combined output
  4. D.an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

17. Which term means: "the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries"?

Senior
  1. A.INTERSECT
  2. B.column-compatibility rule
  3. C.EXCEPT
  4. D.set-operation ORDER BY placement
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

18. Which statement is correct?

Senior
  1. A.set-operation ORDER BY placement — an operator that combines two result sets into one and removes duplicate rows from the combined output
  2. B.set-operation ORDER BY placement — the rule that a sort clause applies to the whole combined result and therefore must appear once at the end rather than inside the individual queries
  3. C.set-operation ORDER BY placement — an operator that concatenates two result sets keeping every row including duplicates and runs faster because no de-duplication pass is performed
  4. D.set-operation ORDER BY placement — the requirement that both queries combined by a set operator have the same number of columns with matching or coercible data types in the same order
Reveal the answer + AI explanation — free account

Free to start

Answers, AI explanations, and a scored voice mock interview

Sign up free to check your answers with explanations, ask the AI tutor anything on any question, and take one full AI mock interview — scored like a real panel.

Practice Set Operations free