SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a language used to manage and manipulate data in relational databases. It is an essential skill for data analysts, developers, and anyone who works with data.
SQL is a declarative language, which means that you tell the database what you want, and it figures out how to do it. This makes SQL very easy to learn and use, even for beginners.
Here in this blog, we're going to talk about some of the practice grounds where you can practice your SQL skills and become a newbie to an expert in this language. These practice grounds are:
SQL Bolt (for absolute Begineer)
SQL Bolt is a free, online learning platform that offers interactive lessons and exercises on the basics of SQL. The lessons are designed to be easy to follow and understand, and the exercises allow you to practice what you have learned.
SQL Bolt covers all the essential topics of SQL, from "SELECT" to "GROUP BY".
By the time you finish the lessons, you can write basic SQL queries and manipulate data in relational databases.
Here are some of the benefits of using SQL Bolt:
- Free
- Interactive
- Covers all the essential topics
- Has a forum
Sneak Peek of SQL Bolt
SQL Zoo (For a beginner in SQL)
SQLzoo is a free online tutorial that teaches the basics of SQL. It is a great resource for beginners who want to learn SQL quickly and easily.
The tutorial is divided into several modules, each of which covers a different aspect of SQL. Each module includes a series of interactive exercises that allow you to practice what you have learned.
Some of the benefits of using SQLzoo include:
- Free
- Interactive
- Covers all the essential topics
- Well-organized
- Easy to follow
Sneak Peak of SQL Zoo
SQL-Practise (for Low-Intermediate level)
SQL-Practise is a free online platform that helps you practice your SQL skills. It offers a variety of interactive exercises covering all the essential topics of SQL.
SQL-Practise will also introduce you to some intermediate SQL concepts, such as CAST, ROUND, LENGTH, UNION, and a little bit of subqueries. These are all useful tools for working with data, and they can be a lot of fun to learn.
You can also create your exercises to practice specific skills.
Some of the benefits of using SQL-Practise include:
- Free
- Interactive
- It covers all the essential topics and intermediate topics
- Allows you to create your exercises
Sneak Peek of SQL-Practise
HackerRank (All level Difficulty)
HackerRank is a great resource for developers who want to learn or practice SQL. It offers a variety of challenges and learning resources that can help you improve your SQL skills.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced user, HackerRank has something to offer.
Here are some of the benefits of using HackerRank for SQL:
- Challenges: HackerRank offers a variety of challenges, from beginner to advanced, that can help you practice your SQL skills.
- Learning resources: HackerRank also offers a variety of learning resources, such as tutorials, articles, and practice problems, that can help you learn new SQL skills.
- Community: HackerRank has a large and active community of SQL developers who can provide you with support and feedback.
HackerRank also offers free certifications for certain skills if you pass their certification exams.
These certifications can be a great way to show potential employers your skills and knowledge.
HackerRank also offers a variety of learning resources for SQL, such as tutorials and articles as well.
Sneak Peek of HackerRank
Leetcode (All Levels)
LeetCode is a popular online platform for practicing coding problems. It offers a variety of SQL problems, from beginner to advanced.
LeetCode is a paid platform, but some problems are available for free.
LeetCode is a great resource for practicing your SQL skills and testing your knowledge.
Here are some of the benefits of using LeetCode for SQL:
- Problems: It offers a variety of SQL problems, from beginner to advanced. These problems can help you practice your SQL skills.
- Solutions: It also offers solutions to its problems. This can help you learn new SQL techniques and improve your problem-solving skills.
- Community: LeetCode has a large and active community of SQL users. This community can provide you with support and feedback.
Here are some of the SQL problems that LeetCode offers:
- Basic SQL: These problems are designed to help you learn the basics of SQL, such as SELECT, WHERE, and GROUP BY statements.
- Intermediate SQL: These problems are designed to help you learn more advanced SQL concepts, such as joins, subqueries, and window functions.
- Advanced SQL: These problems are designed to help you test your skills in SQL, and they can be quite challenging.
DataLemur
DataLemur is a cloud-based platform that helps data analysts and engineers automate their SQL workflows. It also offers a variety of features to help you practice for your SQL interview.
Here are some of the features of DataLemur that are specifically useful for SQL interviews:
- A large library of SQL interview questions: DataLemur has a large library of SQL interview questions, covering a wide range of topics.
- Detailed explanations for each question: Each question in DataLemur's library has a detailed explanation, so you can learn from your mistakes.
- The ability to track your progress: DataLemur tracks your progress as you answer questions, so you can see how you're doing and identify areas where you need to improve.
Sneak Peek of DataLemur
DataLemur is a great resource for anyone who wants to improve their SQL skills and prepare for their SQL interview. If you're serious about getting a data analyst or engineer job, I highly recommend checking it out.
My Recommendation
If you want to become a data analyst or scientist, you need to have strong SQL skills. Here are some steps you can follow to improve your SQL skills:
- Start with the basics. Learn the basic syntax of SQL on a platform like SQL Bolt.
- Practice basic queries: Once you have a good understanding of the basic syntax, practice writing basic queries on platforms like SQL Zoo and SQL-Practise.
- Get certified in SQL basics: Once you feel confident in your basic SQL skills, take a certification exam like the SQL Basic Certification from HackerRank.
- Improve your intermediate SQL skills: Once you have a basic understanding of SQL, you can start improving your intermediate skills by practicing on platforms like HackerRank and LeetCode.
- Get certified in SQL intermediate: Once you feel confident in your intermediate SQL skills, take a certification exam like the SQL Intermediate Certification from HackerRank.
- Practice hard questions: Once you have a good understanding of SQL, you can start practicing hard questions on platforms like LeetCode.
- Solve interview questions: To prepare for interviews, you can practice solving interview questions on platforms like DataLamur side-by-side.