PROGRAMMEERVAARDIGHEDEN

SQL-querytest voor werving

See how candidates write and check an intermediate SQLite query against a realistic business scenario.

30 minuten
1 task
Intermediate
Coding tasks
Questions in Engels
Desktop only

Use this test free See the question formats

Het korte antwoord

The SQL Coding: Querying test is a single hands-on SQLite task set in a realistic business scenario. Candidates read a small database schema and write one query that combines tables, groups and summarizes data, filters groups and handles missing values. It takes 30 minutes and suits backend and full-stack developers, data engineers and analytics engineers.

Wat het meet

Writing a correct, medium-complexity SQLite query against a multi-table database.

Intermediate SQL querying

Covers writing a query that combines tables, summarizes grouped data, filters groups and handles missing values.

Question formats

Coding tasks

The candidate: Writes or fixes code in an editor and runs it against examples.

You see: Working code, checked against hidden test cases, not just knowledge of syntax.

1 task in 30 minutes.

Roles this test fits

Backend and full-stack developers, data engineers, analytics engineers and other technical roles that write SQL against relational databases day to day.

What the SQL coding test shows that a resume does not

A working query, not a list of keywords
The candidate writes a real query against a multi-table database, so you see whether they can produce the requested result rather than name the clauses.
Joins and grouping done right
The task combines tables, groups and summarizes data and filters groups, the steps where plausible but wrong results usually start.
Care with missing values
Handling missing values correctly is part of the task, and it separates queries that look right from queries that are right.

What you get for each candidate

Example report (fictional data)SQL-programmeeropdracht: query's schrijven

71%Percentile 46. Benchmark: HireValid candidates, n = 2.031

Intermediate SQL querying71%

Integrity ScoreHoge betrouwbaarheid

Stayed on the test tab throughout
No pasted answers
Answered at a steady pace

Scores, profiles and integrity signals are evidence for you to review alongside an interview, never an automatic decision.

Use this test free

How the SQL coding test resists AI help

Each candidate gets a task drawn from a large pool, served from the server. The hidden test cases and the solutions never reach the browser: the query runs against several hidden versions of the data on the server, so it must work in general, not just on the sample rows shown. Timing runs on the server, so a reload returns the same task with the time left, and invitation links are personal and expire.

Task text cannot be copied, and a blocked copy is recorded. Pastes into the editor are recorded. Signals such as time away from the tab, pastes and very fast work are summarized in an Integrity Score with a timeline for the employer to review. The score never decides anything about the candidate.

Hoe we fraude met AI tegengaan · Integrity signals

Use the score with a follow-up conversation

The score is the share of hidden data versions the query answers correctly, and it comes from one task, so it reflects a single scenario. Read it as evidence alongside a short technical conversation and a structured interview, never on its own. Ask the candidate to walk through their query: someone who understands joins and missing values can explain why it returns what it does. Any query that returns the right result earns credit, so a different style from your own is never a reason to mark someone down.

Interview questions to ask after the SQL coding test

Walk me through your query. Why did you choose that kind of join?
Listen for which rows each join keeps or drops, and whether that matches the question.
How do you check a query's result before you trust it?
Strong answers mention checking row counts, looking for duplicates after a join, and testing with missing values.
When do you filter rows before grouping, and when do you filter the groups?
Listen for a clear difference between filtering rows and filtering groups, and why it changes totals.

Understand scoring and benchmarks

Fairness and accommodations

Scenarios use everyday business data (orders, bookings, inventory, support tickets, staff schedules) with no money symbols, local holidays or culture-specific knowledge, and names from many backgrounds. Every task is drafted at the same intermediate difficulty, states the exact columns, order and rounding of the expected result, and runs on SQLite as described in the task, so candidates are not marked down for dialect details the task does not ask about.

You can give any candidate extra time as an accommodation. Results are evidence for a person to review, never an automatic decision.

Provisional: the score comes from one task, so it reflects a single scenario. Reliability is reported once 200 candidates have completed it.

Lees hoe we met eerlijkheid omgaan

Test details

A single hands-on SQL task set in a realistic business scenario. The candidate reads a small database schema with sample rows and writes one SQLite query that returns exactly the requested result, combining tables, grouping and summarizing data, filtering groups and handling missing values. The query is run against several hidden versions of the data, and the score is the share of those it answers correctly.

Questions are in English.
Aids allowed: Scratch paper.
1 practice task, 10 minutes, before the timed test.
Taken on a desktop or laptop computer.

SQLite is a trademark of its owner. HireValid is not affiliated with or endorsed by it.

Veelgestelde vragen

What is on the SQL Coding: Querying test?+

One hands-on task in a realistic business scenario, with 30 minutes to complete it. The candidate reads a small database schema with sample rows and writes one SQLite query that returns exactly the requested result, combining tables, grouping and summarizing data, filtering groups and handling missing values.

Which SQL dialect does the SQL coding test use?+

SQLite. Each task states the exact columns, order and rounding of the expected result and runs on SQLite as the task describes, so candidates are not marked down for dialect details the task does not ask about. If the role relies on another database's features, check those in a follow-up conversation.

Does the SQL Coding: Querying test ask candidates to write queries?+

Yes. Candidates write one query rather than choosing from options. The query is run against several hidden versions of the data, which shows whether it works in general and not only on the sample rows.

How is the SQL coding test scored?+

The score is the share of the hidden data versions the query answers correctly. Any query that returns the right result earns credit, whatever its style. Because the score comes from one task, read it alongside a conversation about the query.

Can candidates take the SQL Coding: Querying test on a phone?+

No. The SQL Coding: Querying test is desktop-only. Candidates have 30 minutes for one coding task, may use scratch paper, and can try one practice task in 10 minutes before the timed task starts.