**Architectural Logic:** Use ROW_NUMBER or DENSE_RANK with PARTITION BY department. ROW_NUMBER = exactly 3 rows per department; DENSE_RANK = ties share a rank (may return >3). **Query:** WITH ranked AS (SELECT employee_id, name, department, salary, ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION...
This medium-level SQL question appears frequently in data engineering interviews at companies like FedEx Dataworks, Incedo. While less common, it tests deeper understanding that distinguishes strong candidates. Mastering the underlying concepts (partition, sql) will help you answer variations of this question confidently.
Break this problem into components. Identify the core trade-offs involved, then walk the interviewer through your reasoning step by step. Demonstrate awareness of edge cases and production considerations - this is what separates good answers from great ones.
Architectural Logic: Use ROW_NUMBER or DENSE_RANK with PARTITION BY department. ROW_NUMBER = exactly 3 rows per department; DENSE_RANK = ties share a rank (may return >3). Query: WITH ranked AS (SELECT employee_id, name, department, salary, ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY department ORDER BY salary DESC) AS rn FROM employees) SELECT employee_id, name, department, salary, rn FROM ranked WHERE rn <= 3. Scalability: Requires sort per partition; ensure (department, salary DESC) supports efficient access. Cost: On large tables, prefer filtered/indexed access; avoid full scan if pre-aggregation exists.
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Analyze My Answer — FreeAccording to DataEngPrep.tech, this is one of the most frequently asked SQL interview questions, reported at 2 companies. DataEngPrep.tech maintains a curated database of 1,863+ real data engineering interview questions across 7 categories, verified by industry professionals.