Meta Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) Interview Questions

Meta Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) interview questions are a central part of Meta’s hiring for data scientist, data engineer, and analytics roles and usually emphasize practical, product-focused problem solving over abstract algorithm puzzles. What’s distinctive is the scale and product context: interview problems mirror real-world analytics tasks with messy data, session/event tables, and metrics design. Interviewers evaluate accuracy, clarity, and maintainability of your SQL or pandas code, your handling of edge cases (NULLs, deduplication, sampling), and your ability to explain trade-offs between readability and performance using CTEs, window functions, joins, and vectorized Python operations. For interview preparation, expect a timed technical screen (often using a shared editor) with SQL and Python data-manipulation tasks, followed by deeper loop rounds combining coding, product-metrics reasoning, and behavioral questions. Practice end-to-end problems: translate a product question into concrete metrics, write and optimize queries or pandas pipelines, narrate assumptions, and validate results. Work timed problems in CoderPad-like environments, rehearse clarifying questions, and review common pitfalls such as filter vs HAVING, NULL behavior, and inefficient joins. Regular mock interviews and focused drills on window functions, groupings, merges, and missing-data strategies will give the confidence and fluency Meta typically looks for.

175 Questions 1 Company07.06.2026
Showing 20 results
Role
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL for daily chats and fast replies

You are given a messaging events table that records one row per message sent. Schema - messages( date DATE, -- calendar date of event (UTC) ts TIMES...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
3
0
4 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL for hashtag source and safety rates

Write SQL for the two tasks below. Assume the schema and sample data as given, and that “today” is 2025‑09‑01. Deduplicate exact duplicates by (date, ...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
0
0
9 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write dating profile report with final reviews

Today is 2025-09-01. You need a daily dating-profile quality and engagement report that only includes profiles whose latest version has a final approv...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
8
0
54 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL filtering, grouping, CASE, UNION tasks

Use the following schema and sample data to answer all parts. Assume standard ANSI SQL and that amounts are DECIMAL. Table: orders +----------+-------...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
0
0
5 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Build DiD dataset with SQL

Using the schema and sample data below, write SQL to build an individual-day panel suitable for staggered-adoption DiD of the shuttle’s effect on part...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
4
0
56 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL to analyze group-call concurrency

You are given call data and must compute group-call metrics. Schema (timestamps are UTC): Tables: - calls(call_id INT PRIMARY KEY, host_user_id INT, s...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
1
0
9 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Calculate survey response and quality metrics in SQL

Compute survey response-rate and quality metrics from event data. Assume "today" = 2025-09-01, and compute over the last 7 days (2025-08-26 to 2025-09...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
0
0
7 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Define and compute shop visibility in SQL

You own the 'shop visibility' KPI for a marketplace. Define a precise metric and write SQL to compute it over the last 7 days (use today = 2025-09-01,...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
6
0
64 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL to compare exclusive category engagement

You are given session-level data and must compare engagement between users who exclusively used the 'social' category versus those who exclusively use...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
0
0
4 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL for shop visibility and activity metric

Assume 'today' is 2025-09-01. Schema and tiny samples: 1) shops(shop_id INT, created_at DATE) Sample: shop_id | created_at 1 | 2025-08-25 2 | 2025...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
0
0
6 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Compute unread and multi-account user percentages

You’re given two tables. Write ANSI-SQL to answer parts (a)–(d). Treat a notification as unread if read_at IS NULL. Denominator for user-level percent...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
13
0
82 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Compute survey rates and bias-correct ratings

Today is 2025-09-01. Use the schema and sample data below to answer A and B with SQL (standard SQL; you may use CTEs and window functions). Assume tim...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
3
0
55 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL for hashtag analytics and joins

Assume today = 2025-09-01. Schema and small sample data are below. Use ANSI SQL; explain any dialect-specific functions you choose. Where asked, expla...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
1
0
2 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL to localize anomaly and funnel

Given the schema and toy data below, write SQL to (a) validate instrumentation vs behavior change, (b) localize the 2025-09-01 Likes drop by app_versi...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
0
0
5 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Label new vs old users over time in SQL

Define users as “new” during the first 30 days inclusive after their signup_date, and “old” thereafter. Produce per-user, per-day labels over a window...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
0
1
5 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL for engagement and attribution KPIs

Using the schema and sample data below, answer the SQL tasks. Assume timestamps are UTC and comments with is_deleted=1 do not count. Schema: users(use...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
1
0
8 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Calculate posts per DAU by country today

Given two tables: - user_activity(user_id INT, activity_date DATE, country STRING, dau_flag TINYINT CHECK(dau_flag IN (0,1))) - composer(user_id INT, ...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
4
0
42 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Compute daily post success rate for last 7 days

You have a table composer(user_id INT, event STRING CHECK(event IN ('enter','post','cancel')), event_date DATE). Compute the post success rate for eac...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
7
1
45 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL to compute shop visibility share

Assume today is 2025-09-01. Compute the top 3 shops by average daily visibility share over the last 7 days (2025-08-26 to 2025-09-01, inclusive) for U...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
3
0
68 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL with HAVING and efficient joins

You are given two tables. Schema - interactions(product_id INT, buyer_id INT, seller_id INT, interaction_date DATE, interaction_type VARCHAR, interact...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
0
0
5 people solved
Oct 13, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

How difficult are Meta Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) interview questions?
Meta Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) questions are typically medium-to-hard in difficulty and reward clarity under time pressure. Interviewers expect correct, efficient solutions that handle real-world data quirks such as NULLs, duplicates, and timezone or type issues. SQL problems often require joins, window functions, aggregations, and readable CTE structure rather than clever one-liners. Python tasks evaluate clean data transformations, appropriate use of lists/dictionaries or pandas, and algorithmic thinking for performance-sensitive steps. Strong candidates write defensible, testable code, explain tradeoffs, and can optimize a correct solution when prompted.
Where in the Meta interview process does Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) appear and what is the format?
Data manipulation shows up across screening and on-site (or virtual loop) stages, often during the technical screen and again in role-specific interviews for analytics, data engineering, or data scientist positions. Early screens commonly include a short set of timed problems split between SQL and Python executed in a shared editor. Later loop interviews expand scope with longer, end-to-end tasks that mix data modeling, metric definition, and manipulation tasks, and interviewers may probe for performance, edge cases, and how the candidate would productionize the transformation pipeline.
What is a realistic prep timeline for Meta Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) interviews?
A realistic prep timeline is four to eight weeks for focused preparation, although experienced practitioners may need less. Begin by refreshing SQL fundamentals and Python data structures, then practice common transformation problems and windowing scenarios. Midway through, introduce timed practice sessions mirroring the screening format to build speed and articulation. In the final weeks, do full mock interviews that combine SQL and Python work, review feedback, and polish explanations and test cases. Consistent, deliberate practice with real schema examples and post-solution optimizations produces the best results.
What key subtopics should I study for Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) at Meta?
Key SQL subtopics include joins (inner, left, semi/anti), aggregations, GROUP BY versus HAVING semantics, window functions, CTEs and subqueries, NULL handling, and basic performance considerations such as limiting data scanned and understanding indexes or partitioning. For Python, focus on core data structures, complexity reasoning, defensive coding for edge cases, idiomatic data transformations, and familiarity with pandas or equivalent libraries if appropriate. Also practice writing concise tests, handling date/time and string parsing, and explaining tradeoffs between readability and micro-optimizations.
What standout tips and common pitfalls should I keep in mind when preparing?
Standout tips include always clarifying assumptions up front, sketching the approach before coding, and using readable CTEs or helper functions to break complex logic into verifiable steps. Demonstrate awareness of edge cases, write simple test examples, and explain time/space complexity and production implications. Common pitfalls are ignoring NULL semantics, failing to deduplicate when required, overcomplicating queries instead of prioritizing clarity, and not defending performance tradeoffs. Finally, don’t forget to communicate continuously during the interview; interviewers evaluate reasoning and decision-making as much as the final result.

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