Write a query to find cumulative sum from events

Last updated: January 9, 2026

Quick Overview

Write a SQL query to calculate cumulative sum from the events table, considering nulls and duplicates.

NVIDIA
Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
Data Scientist
NVIDIA
January 9, 2026
Data Scientist
Take-home Project
Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
Medium

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4,764 solved


Write a SQL query to calculate cumulative sum from the events table, considering nulls and duplicates.

Data manipulation questions at NVIDIA test your ability to work with real-world datasets. This Take-home Project question evaluates your SQL proficiency, understanding of data modeling, and ability to derive insights from raw data.

What the Interviewer Expects
  • Use advanced SQL features: window functions, CTEs, subqueries
  • Write efficient queries that avoid common performance pitfalls
  • Handle complex data transformations with multiple joins and aggregations
  • Discuss indexing strategy and query optimization
  • Address data quality issues: duplicates, missing values, outliers
Key Topics to Cover
Aggregate functions and GROUP BY
Window functions (ROW_NUMBER, RANK, LAG, LEAD)
Index optimization and query performance
Subqueries and correlated subqueries
Common Table Expressions (CTEs)
How to Approach This
  1. Clarify the schema and expected output format before writing queries.
  2. Use CTEs (WITH clauses) to break complex queries into readable steps.
  3. Consider window functions (ROW_NUMBER, RANK, LAG, LEAD) for ranking and sequential analysis.
  4. Watch for NULLs, duplicates, and edge cases in JOINs and GROUP BY.
  5. For pandas, prefer vectorized operations over row-by-row iteration.
Possible Follow-up Questions
  • What indexes would you create to support this query?
  • How would you optimize this query for a table with 100 million rows?
  • How would you validate the correctness of your query results?
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