5 SQL Challenges to Practice Your Skills

With more and more companies becoming more data-driven, it is no surprise that SQL has simultaneously thrived as one of the most popular programming languages for businesses. SQL’s popularity stems from its ease of use and great compatibility with relational databases and their many different management systems. 

You’ll find SQL in use wherever there is data, from small startup firms to big private companies and even government institutions. SQL is the ideal tool when it comes to handling big relational databases. So what are you waiting for? These SQL challenges can help you master this essential programming language. You can also check out our Python challenges and R challenges.

Why take a SQL challenge?

Just like other programming languages, you must practice your SQL skills to build and maintain your fluency in it. With our five SQL challenges, anyone from beginners to advanced can use real-life datasets to improve their SQL fluency. These datasets include:

• The History of Video Games
• American Baby Name Trends
• The World’s Oldest Businesses
• NYC Public School Test Result Scores
• Online Sports Retail Revenue

With a variety of datasets, you get to create a comprehensive SQL portfolio to show off your skills. These projects can be stored in DataLab, DataCamp's data notebook, where you can show and collaborate with your teammates on different datasets. 

5 SQL Challenges to Complete During Free Week

Many of you will take the leap and get started with our various SQL tracks, courses, projects, and more. In this section, you’ll find 5 SQL Projects you can finish in 1 week or less. Pick a project and get started today! 

1. Explore the history of video games

Many video game fans are split on how video games are all just sequels now and how they used to be good once upon a time. It's easy to reminisce about how video games used to have a golden age, but can you back up your arguments with data?

In the When Was the Golden Age of Video Games? project, you'll explore historic video game sales and review data to see which games were bestsellers and critical hits. Beyond being able to win an argument, it's a great way to learn about researching an important market.

 Prerequisite Courses

• Joining Data in SQL

2. Choose a name for your next child

Shakespeare famously wrote that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet", but can the same be said about baby names? Some names are trendy, some are timeless. You can find out which names are which with data analysis!

In the Analyzing American Baby Name Trends project, you'll explore more than a hundred years of American baby names to see how tastes have changed over time.

 Prerequisite Courses

• Joining Data in SQL
• Intermediate SQL

3. Find the oldest businesses in the world

An important part of business is planning for the future and ensuring that the business survives changing market conditions. DataCamp was founded in 2013, but it turns out that a few businesses are even older! 

In the What and Where are the World's Oldest Businesses project, you'll use your data manipulation skills to find the oldest businesses around the world, and explore which industries they belong to.

Prerequisite Courses

• Joining Data in SQL

4. Analyze NYC Public School Test Result Scores

Every year, millions of American teenagers take the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) as part of the college admissions process.

In the Analyzing NYC Public School Test Result Scores project, you'll analyze SAT results from New York City public schools, and see which borough performs best.

Prerequisite Courses

• Introduction to SQL

5. Increase a sports retailer’s revenue

Sports clothing is a booming retail sector with many retailers competing for a piece of consumer’s closets. Of course, if you want to maximize your revenue, you need to analyze some data.

In the Optimizing Online Sports Retail Revenue project, you'll look at pricing data, ratings, and reviews, as well as website traffic in order to make recommendations on how a sports retail company can increase its revenue.

Prerequisite Courses

• Introduction to SQL
• Exploratory Data Analysis in SQL