Dataford
Interview QuestionsInterview GuidesExperiencesMock InterviewsPricing
Get started
Dataford
Popular roles
Software EngineerData AnalystData ScientistData EngineerBusiness AnalystAI EngineerMachine Learning EngineerProduct Manager
Browse
Browse All RolesEvery role hub, from analyst to MLBrowse All CompaniesCompany-specific interview loopsAll Interview GuidesThe full guide library
Top questions by role
Software EngineerData AnalystData ScientistData EngineerBusiness AnalystAI EngineerMachine Learning EngineerProduct Manager
Top questions by skill
SQLPythonStatisticsMachine LearningA/B TestingSystem DesignGenerative AIProduct SenseMetricsBehavioral
Browse all questions →Try a mock interview
Experiences
Practice
Mock InterviewsTimed interview simulations with feedbackSuccess PathYour 6-week structured planModulesCurated lessons by topicWebinarsTalks from ex-Big Tech data leadsPlaygroundA free-form scratch editor
Learn
BlogInterview strategy and career adviceTech Job Market ReportHiring trends across data and AI rolesFor UniversitiesDataford for career centersAbout DatafordWho we are and how we build
Pricing
Build my plan
Top Categories Over Time
00:00
5 left

Top Categories Over Time

MediumSQL · PostgreSQL

Problem

Write a query to identify top-performing product categories over a specific time period.

Use completed orders from January 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025, inclusive. Define performance using total revenue, with units sold and category name used to break ties. Exclude cancelled or returned orders and products without a category.

Output

  1. One row per category among the top three ranked categories
  2. Columns: category, total_revenue, units_sold, order_count, and performance_rank
  3. Sort by performance_rank ascending, then category ascending

Schema

orders
ColumnTypeDescription
order_idPKINTUnique order identifier
order_dateDATEDate the order was placed
statusVARCHAR(20)Order lifecycle status
order_items
ColumnTypeDescription
order_item_idPKINTUnique order-line identifier
order_idINTRelated order identifier
product_idINTRelated product identifier
quantityINTNumber of units purchased
unit_priceDECIMAL(10,2)Price per unit at purchase time
products
ColumnTypeDescription
product_idPKINTUnique product identifier
product_nameVARCHAR(100)Product display name
categoryVARCHAR(50)Product category
Tablesordersorder_itemsproducts
Interviewer

Your question is Top Categories Over Time. Start with the requirements and the three tables in the Question tab.

Run and submit as often as you like. When you're ready, talk me through your approach or go straight to the code.

You need to log in / sign up to run or submit.
CodePostgreSQL
Sign up free to run your codeLog inLn 1
Run your query to see results here.