Data Analyst Interview Questions

Data Analyst has become one of the most in-demand roles and will likely be so for the foreseeable future. However, it is possible to be a professional data analyst but not be able to scale through an interview process. This is why grasping some of the questions during an interview is necessary. 

In this article, we have compiled some of the interview questions you will likely be asked during a data analyst interview. From entry-level to advanced-level job roles, you will find some of the questions you would be asked in an interview and also some questions you can ask the interview during an interview. 

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Top 100 Data Analyst Interview Questions 

Here is a list of some of the questions you will likely be asked in an interview. 
 

Entry-Level Data Analyst Interview Questions 

1. What does a data analyst do?

2. Why do you want to be a data analyst?

3. What are the most important skills for a data analyst?

4. What data analyst software are you trained and experienced in?

5. Explain the data analysis process.

6. What problems will a data analyst encounter when running an analysis? 

7. Define data cleansing. 

8. What is the difference between data mining and data profiling?

9. How would you determine the most important features of a dataset? 

10. Define Outlier.

11. What are the steps to treat an outlier in a dataset?

12. Is there a difference between data analysis and data mining? What is it?

13. What is metadata?

14. What is KNN imputation?

15. Explain data visualization.

16. How many types of data visualization are there?

17. What key aspects should be considered when creating data visualization?

18. Do data analysts need Python libraries?

19. What is a hashtable? 

20. What are the statistical methods that are highly beneficial for data analysis?

21. What is functional programming in Python?

22. How would you deal with a duplicate record in a dataset?

23. Briefly differentiate the different joins in SQL.

24. What is normalization?

25. What are the forms of normalization?

26. What is data validation?

27. Can you highlight the main steps involved in data validation? 

28. What is the difference between Type I and Type II error in hypothesis testing? 

29. How do you stay up-to-date with the latest data analysis trends and best practices?

30. What are your strategies for solving data problems? 

Also Read: Top 6 Data Analyst Skills Based on Demand 
 

Advanced Level Data Analyst Interview Questions

1. What makes for a strong data model?

2. What do you understand by time-series analysis?

3. Where does time-series analysis come into the equation?

4. What is time-series forecasting? 

5. What is the difference between time-series analysis and time-series forecasting?

6. What is collaborative filtering?

7. What techniques do you find most effective for data mining? Why?

8. Are you comfortable working with big data platforms like Hadoop, Spark, or MapReduce?

9. What experience do you have using statistical modelling tools like R or Python to analyze large datasets?

10. Tell us about a complex analysis you performed, and how you communicated your findings to those who may not be as familiar with data.

11. What is clustering?

12. Can you tell us the main properties of clustering algorithms?

13. What are the methods of data validation?

14. What are Univariate, Bivariate, and Multivariate Analyses?

15. What is a pivot table?

16. What is Logic Regression?

17. What is Linear regression?

18. What is the role of linear regression in statistical analysis?

19. Explain K-means Clustering. 

20. What is hierarchal clustering?

21. Explain data warehousing.

22. How do you tackle missing data in a dataset?

23. Can you explain what an N-gram means?

24. Explain the difference between variance, covariance and correlation.

25. What is a normal distribution?

26. Do you think analysts need version control?

27. What are the advantages of version control?

28. How do you differentiate between a data lake and a data warehouse?

29. What are underfitting and overfitting?

30. How do you differentiate between both them, underfitting and overfitting? 

31. How would you deal with multi-source problems?

32. What is the difference between R-squared and Adjusted R-squared? 

33. How can a data analyst highlight cells containing negative values in an Excel sheet?

34. What is the difference between Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Factor Analysis (FA)?

35. Why is KNN preferred when determining missing numbers in data?

36. What are the future trends likely to come up in data analysis?

37. Explain cluster analysis and its characteristics. 

38. What are the types of Hypothesis Testing used today?

39. What is the difference between the concepts of recall and the true positive rate?

40. In what ideal situation can a t-test or z-test be used?

41. Why is the Naive Bayes called naive?

42. What’s the largest data set you’ve worked with? How many entries and variables did the data set comprise? What kind of data was included?

43. Can you explain what A/B testing is?

44. What is an eigenvector?

45. What is an eigenvalue?

46. What do you understand by a null hypothesis?

47. Briefly explain an alternative hypothesis.

48. Tell us what average imputation is.

49. Explain what a listwise deletion is.

50. What do multiple imputations do?

Read: Top 9 Data Analyst Certifications
 

Behavioural/Situational Data Analyst Interview Questions

1. Tell us about yourself and your experience as a data analyst.

2. Why did you opt for a career as a data analyst?

3. Why are you applying for the role of data analyst in our company? Why do you think you are a good fit for this role?

4. Why do you leave/are you leaving your last job? 

5. What is the most challenging project you encountered on your learning journey?

6. Do you have any professional credentials or data analytics certifications to validate your skills or boost your career opportunities as a Data Analyst?

7. What are your long-term data analysis goals?

8. As a data analyst, have you ever recommended a change to different tools or techniques? What was the outcome?

9. Have you ever had to present to an audience of stakeholders who didn’t understand data analysis or what a data analyst does? How did you explain your insights and processes?

10. Please provide a specific example of a time you failed to meet a deadline. What happened, and what would you do differently next time?

11. Why is creative thinking an important quality for Data Analysts?

12. Have you ever run an analysis on the wrong set of data? How did you figure out your error?

13. When you design an experiment, how do you measure success?

14. Have you ever run an analysis on the wrong set of data? How did you figure out your error?

15. Have you ever had to work with stakeholders who had a limited technical background and understanding of data and databases? How did you handle this challenge?

16. Please provide an example of a situation in which you demonstrated leadership capabilities on the job.

17. What is your greatest strength as a data professional?

18. What is your greatest weakness?

19. What kind of work environment do you feel most comfortable in?

20. What part of a data analysis project do you enjoy the most?

10 Questions to Ask During a Data Analyst Interview 

At the end of an interview, the interviewer will most likely find out from you if you have any questions for him. It is important you do. Asking questions during an interview shows your interest in the organization and also lets them know that you want to know more. Here are some questions you can ask the interviewer. 

How will I be evaluated? 

Asking this question the interviewer shows two major things. You are thinking about performance and also what the company considers important. This way, the interviewer knows you want to understand the company better and make sure you get a grasp of the commitment you are making. 
 

What would you consider a successful three to six months? 

This question shows you want to know the immediate needs of the organization. It demonstrates you want to know what the organization identifies as success. This question is even more necessary if you’re going to be working with a direct superior. 
 

Who will I be working with? 

If you want to send a message of being a great team player, then you must ask this question. This lets you know what your immediate team looks like, and how you can fit in. It can also give you an insight into the kind of team player the company is looking for, and what soft skills you need to bring along if you are hired. 

What training and development opportunities are available? 

The more you grow, the more you are able to be better at your job. Candidates who communicate a need to upskill and grow themselves will always be seen in good light. Asking this question shows that you understand the importance of growth and you hope to find that in the establishment. 

What toolset does the company use? Are you open to using new ones?

This question is mainly targeted at the company’s commitment to technology. It also shows that you understand you are part of a bigger process and you want to understand where the company is at with their processes. This question is mostly asked when the tools of the company have not been discussed before. 

What would you consider most exciting about this role? 

When the interviewer answers this question, it helps you know what to expect in the role. It also paints a clear picture of what the company culture is like in the organisation. Finally, you get to know the perks of working in that establishment as a data analyst. 

What challenges will I likely face working in this role? 

This shows that you are proactive. By understanding the challenges that may come with the job, you prepare yourself for ways to solve them. You also communicate to the interviewer that you are all about bringing value and that you are not deterred by challenges. 

Who are your biggest competitors? 

Every business has a competitor. Getting an answer to this question not only helps you know those the company see as competitors but also the qualities that make your company unique. When you know this, you gain more insight into what the company does and needs to stay afloat in the business game. 

Apart from data analysis skills, what skills should one have to be successful in this role? 

Having hard skills as a data analyst isn’t the only thing you need to thrive in a workspace. Getting an answer to this question will help you realize that. This way, you know the soft skills the organization is looking out for, and also the working culture of the company. 

What direction do you see the company heading in the next few years? 

This is one question to ask to know what your prospects are in the company. A company heading towards growth or expansion is a good place to start or continue your career journey. It is important to ask this question, especially if you have well-defined long-term goals for your career.
 

However, when asking these questions, here are mistakes to avoid completely if you will get the job role.

• Never say you don’t have any questions. It sends a message to the interviewer that you may be less interested or have nothing to contribute. 
• Do not ask questions on matters that have been addressed before during the course of the interview.
• Avoid questions that can be found on the company website. This is why it is important to do proper research about the company before attending an interview. 
• Ask questions that you really want answers to. Don’t just ask questions you think will impress the interviewer. This is because getting answers will let you know if you still want the job. 
• Keep the questions simple, short and only ask a few. You’re only responding to the interview and not the one conducting it.
• Avoid questions about salaries, benefits or vacations, especially if it wasn’t brought up by the interviewer. 

Once you are able to gain mastery over these, you will be able to ace any interview you find yourself in. All the best in your next interview!