MCQ Screening Questions for a Database Administrator
Use these 20 multiple-choice questions to quickly filter database administrator applicants, even if you're not a technical expert.
20 Knockout Questions for Database Administrators
| # | Question | A | B | C | D | Answer | Knockout Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is a primary key in a database? | A password field | A unique identifier for each record in a table | A foreign table link | An encrypted field | B | Wrong = Hard Knockout |
| 2 | What is database normalization? | Encrypting data | Organizing data to eliminate redundancy and improve integrity | Backing up tables | Indexing columns | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 3 | What is a database index used for? | Deleting records | Speeding up data retrieval on specific columns | Encrypting data | Backing up tables | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 4 | What does ACID stand for in databases? | Automated, Clean, Indexed, Dynamic | Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability | Access, Control, Index, Delete | None of the above | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 5 | What is a stored procedure? | A backup method | A precompiled set of SQL statements stored in the database | A type of index | A replication method | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 6 | What is database replication? | Deleting duplicate data | Copying data across multiple database servers for redundancy | Indexing a table | Encrypting a database | B | Wrong = Knockout for HA roles |
| 7 | What is the difference between a clustered and non-clustered index? | No difference | Clustered sorts data rows physically; non-clustered creates a separate structure | Non-clustered is faster always | Clustered index is optional | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 8 | What does database sharding mean? | Deleting old data | Splitting a database into smaller pieces distributed across servers | Backing up the database | Encrypting data partitions | B | Wrong = Knockout for high-scale roles |
| 9 | What is a database transaction? | A single query | A sequence of operations executed as a single unit | A backup operation | A replication event | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 10 | What is the purpose of a foreign key? | To encrypt data | To enforce a relationship between two tables | To speed up queries | To back up data | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 11 | What is the difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE in SQL? | No difference | DELETE removes specific rows; TRUNCATE removes all rows faster | TRUNCATE is safer | DELETE is faster | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 12 | What is a database backup strategy? | Deleting old data | A plan for regularly copying data to recover from failure | An indexing method | A query optimization plan | B | Wrong = Hard Knockout |
| 13 | What is query optimization? | Writing longer queries | Improving query performance to reduce execution time and resource use | Deleting slow queries | Backing up queries | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 14 | What does EXPLAIN or EXPLAIN ANALYZE do in SQL? | Deletes a query | Shows the execution plan of a query to help with optimization | Runs the query twice | Backs up the query | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 15 | What is a materialized view? | A regular database view | A stored result of a query that can be refreshed periodically | A type of index | A backup table | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 16 | What is the CAP theorem in distributed databases? | A security standard | States that a distributed system can only guarantee 2 of: Consistency, Availability, Partition Tolerance | A backup strategy | A replication method | B | Wrong = Red flag for senior DBAs |
| 17 | What is connection pooling? | Backing up connections | Reusing database connections to reduce overhead and improve performance | Encrypting connections | Deleting idle connections | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 18 | What is a database deadlock? | A failed backup | When two transactions block each other waiting for the same resource | A slow query | A replication error | B | Wrong = Knockout |
| 19 | What is point-in-time recovery (PITR)? | A backup schedule | Restoring a database to any specific moment using transaction logs | A replication method | A query optimization | B | Wrong = Red flag |
| 20 | What does high availability (HA) mean in database management? | Backing up daily | Ensuring the database remains accessible with minimal downtime | Running on multiple servers | Encrypting all data | B | Wrong = Knockout |
"Asking about the difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE is a simple but effective filter. These questions are perfect for a first-pass screen by our recruiting team."
- Lead DBA, Enterprise Corp