Write a query to find retention rate from rides

Last updated: January 13, 2026

Quick Overview

Write a SQL query to calculate retention rate from the rides table, considering nulls and duplicates.

Snapchat
Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
Data Scientist
Snapchat
January 13, 2026
Data Scientist
Onsite
Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
Medium

112

6

3,533 solved


Write a SQL query to calculate retention rate from the rides table, considering nulls and duplicates.

This question from Snapchat's Onsite tests practical data skills. The interviewer wants to see clean, efficient queries that handle edge cases like NULLs, duplicates, and large datasets.

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
Index optimization and query performance
NULL handling and COALESCE
Common Table Expressions (CTEs)
Window functions (ROW_NUMBER, RANK, LAG, LEAD)
Subqueries and correlated subqueries
Date/time manipulation
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
  • How would you handle slowly changing dimensions in this scenario?
  • What indexes would you create to support this query?
  • How would you validate the correctness of your query results?
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