How should I use the question bank as a learner? Work through levels roughly in order — the taxonomy is progressive. Don’t skip to Level 6/7 before 0-2 are solid.
Should I solve questions in order within a level? Not strictly, but earlier questions generally assume less. Check “Related Modules” if a concept is unfamiliar.
How do I assess my own level honestly?
Use SCORING_RUBRIC.md on yourself: can you also answer the Interviewer Follow-Up and explain the mechanism, not just produce a working query?
How should interviewers select questions for a role?
Start from PRACTICE_TRACKS.md, then swap in domain-relevant Level 5 questions for your actual industry.
How do I practice production SQL specifically?
Focus on Level 6 and Level 4 — diagnosis-oriented, paired with 16_QUERY_OPTIMIZATION and 17_TRANSACTIONS_AND_CONCURRENCY for the underlying reasoning.
How do I prepare for senior/staff interviews specifically? Levels 4, 6, 7, and 9 concentrate senior-level signal: tradeoffs and diagnosis under ambiguity, not syntax alone. Answer every “Senior-Level Extension,” not just the base form.
Why isn’t this module at its full 500+ question target?
Generating 500 in one pass produces exactly the repetitive AI-filler this module is designed to avoid — see TAXONOMY_AND_FORMAT.md’s Build Status. The bank has grown from a 48-question breadth pilot to 92 questions across all 10 levels (0–9), each pass audited for correctness and non-duplication before the next; scaling further will follow the same discipline rather than a schedule.
Is this a replacement for the handbook’s core modules? No — it assumes and cross-links to them. If a concept is unfamiliar, read the linked module lesson rather than memorizing just this question’s answer.