Database Administrator (DBA) Interview Questions

Database Administrator (DBA) interview questions:

The responsibility of Database Administrators (DBA) is making sure that the company’s databases are secure and functioning smoothly, and the information is reaching all the employees smoothly and continuously, this includes the front and back-end users.

Identify candidates who are well versed in database administration during the interview time. Plus, look if they know how to work with data privacy and recovery procedures. It is an asset for your prospective candidate to have an academic background in Computer Science and a knowledge of statistical analysis packages.

Therefore, these interview questions will help you select the candidates that are the most qualified for the position by checking if they have a passion for IT and strong troubleshooting skills. You should identify the candidates who understand the needs of your company and are able to add their perspective and knowledge to develop the design and roll out of any new database systems.

Operational and Situational questions:

• What are the steps that you would take to transfer data from MySQL to Microsoft SQL Server?
• Do you think running a test on a live database is a good idea? Why or why not?
• Explain to us the measurements that you would take to secure our databases from any external risks.
• We are currently in the process of developing a new database for our employee records. What is your definition of system storage requirements?
• How often would you conduct checks to ensure data security?

Role-specific questions:

• What is your knowledge level of SQL? What do you think are the most useful SQL queries and their functions?
• Explain to us the differences that exist between navigational and relational databases?
• Provide an example of where you would be able to use a foreign key and if it’s advantageous or not?
• Tell us the disparities that are present between T-SQL and PL/SQL?
• What is the most suitable time for using “CHAR” vs “VARCHAR”?
• How do you check if your database worker is functioning fine?

Behavioural questions:

• Tell us one of the most difficult projects that you embarked upon. What exactly were your responsibilities and role in the project.
• Have you ever incorporated a solution that made an improvement to your data storage? If yes, then what was your role and what exactly was the solution?
• How do you acquire new knowledge and information to keep yourself updated when it comes to new applications?