Pinterest Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) Interview Questions

Pinterest Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) interview questions at Pinterest concentrate on practical data wrangling and storytelling: expect tasks that test your ability to extract correct answers from messy datasets, write efficient SQL (joins, window functions, CTEs, aggregation) and produce clear, reproducible Python (pandas/NumPy) code. Interviewers evaluate correctness, performance, edge-case handling, clarity of thought, and how you communicate assumptions and trade-offs. What’s distinctive is the emphasis on product-relevant thinking—how your data work supports metrics, experiments, and scalable pipelines—so technical answers tied to real business context score higher. For interview preparation, focus on timed practice problems that mirror production scenarios: write SQL against sample event tables, optimize queries, and implement the same logic in pandas while showing tests and simple benchmarks. Practice explaining your approach aloud and documenting assumptions, and rehearse end-to-end workflows (data validation to final metric). Also be ready for a short coding assessment or technical screen followed by loop interviews that blend coding, domain questions, and behavioral discussion about impact and collaboration.

17 Questions 1 Company05.17.2026
Showing 17 results
Role
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Hard
Data Scientist

Implement and Evaluate Pin Similarity in Python

You are asked to compare Pin similarity in Python. Begin by clarifying how a Pin is represented and what “similar” should mean. Then assume the interv...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
6
1
94 people solved
May 17, 2026
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Easy
Data Scientist

Write SQL for top categories and highly active users

You are given three tables: 1) impression Event-level table of user impressions. - impression_id BIGINT (PK) - user_id BIGINT (FK → user.user_id) - pi...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
58
0
389 people solved
Dec 5, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data Scientist

Find top video category by average time

You are given a pandas DataFrame 'pins' with columns [pin_id:int, category_id:int, time_spent_sec:float, pin_format:string] and a dict 'category_map' ...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
1
0
6 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data ScientistSenior+

Write Queries for Pinterest Engagement Tasks

You are given several data-manipulation tasks based on Pinterest-style product data. Use UTC for all timestamp-to-date conversions unless stated other...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
3
0
23 people solved
Jan 22, 2026
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data Scientist

Analyze Global Engagement and Impressions with SQL Queries

impressions +---------+---------+----------+----------------+ | user_id | country | category | impression_cnt | +---------+---------+----------+------...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
45
0
7 people solved
Jul 12, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL and pandas for shopping events

Use the schema and sample data below to answer SQL and pandas tasks. Treat 'today' as 2025-09-01. Schema users(user_id INT, country STRING) pins(pin_i...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
2
0
8 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data Scientist

Compute CTR by format for new US users

You are given three tables. Write a single SQL query to compute click-through rate (CTR) by pin_format for NEW users in the US, where NEW users are th...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
2
0
10 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data Analyst

Compute percent of first-cancelled users who never rebook

You are interviewing for a health-tech product analytics role. Assume the following table contains one row per appointment with its final status. Tabl...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
7
0
48 people solved
Nov 22, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Easy
Data Analyst

Compute percent of first-cancel users who never return

You’re analyzing appointment behavior for a scheduling product. Table appointments - appointment_id (STRING, PK) - user_id (STRING) - scheduled_start_...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
3
0
25 people solved
Oct 26, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data Scientist

Find top category by video time spent

Pandas required. You are given a DataFrame df with columns: user_id (int), pin_id (int), pin_type (str), category (str or None), time_spent_sec (numer...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
18
0
140 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL to compute max-overlap lists

Invented schema and sample data below. Assume 'today' is 2025-09-01 and 'last 7 days' means 2025-08-26 through 2025-09-01 inclusive. Only consider lis...

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

Transform nested dicts with pandas apply/lambda

Given a pandas DataFrame df with columns: user_id (int), ts (datetime64[ns]), events (list of dicts), attrs (dict). Example rows (conceptual): user_id...

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

Write windowed retention and ARPU SQL

You are given three tables. Write one SQL script (CTEs allowed) that answers all parts using window functions and joins (no procedural loops): Schema:...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
1
0
3 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL to rank categories by impressions

You are given the following schema and sample data. Today is 2025-09-01. Schema: - users(user_id INT, country_id VARCHAR) - countries(country_id VARCH...

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

Aggregate video time and unique pins in Python

Part A (category by average time for videos): You receive a list of pin engagement rows and a category map. pins = [ {"pin_id": 10, "category_id": 1,...

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

Implement Binary Search for Policy Violation Logs

violations +--------+---------+---------------+ | pin_id | type | violation_date| +--------+---------+---------------+ | 0 | spam | 2022-01...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
57
0
5 people solved
Jul 12, 2025
Pinterest logo
Pinterest
Medium
Data Scientist

Clean and Aggregate Transactions for Finance Dashboard

transactions id | user_id | amount | timestamp | category 1 | 1001 | 19.99 | 2023-01-01 09:00:00 | grocery 2 | 1001 | 5.50 | 2023...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
77
0
2 people solved
Jul 12, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

How difficult are Pinterest Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) interview questions?
Pinterest Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) interview questions are typically medium to challenging in difficulty. Interviewers often test both practical fluency with syntax and deeper analytic judgment: writing correct, performant SQL for multi-table problems and using Python/pandas for realistic data-cleaning or aggregation tasks. Time pressure and ambiguous or dirty datasets increase perceived difficulty, so interviewers evaluate clarity of thought, correctness, edge-case handling, and ability to explain tradeoffs. Expect problems that reward concise, well-structured solutions and clear communication more than clever one-off hacks.
What is the typical interview process and where does Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) show up?
For data roles at Pinterest, data manipulation skills commonly appear across several stages: an initial recruiter screen, a technical phone or take-home screen focused on SQL and Python tasks, and a loop of interviews that tests coding, analytic reasoning, and product or experimentation knowledge. SQL/Python questions appear in technical screens, coding rounds, and product-analytics or experimentation interviews. For roles like data analyst, product analyst, and data scientist, expect a heavier emphasis on SQL and pandas; for data engineering the emphasis shifts to scale, pipelines, and performance considerations.
How should I structure my prep timeline for Pinterest Data Manipulation (SQL/Python) interviews?
A focused 4–6 week plan often works well. Start by refreshing core SQL concepts and Python/pandas fundamentals, then spend dedicated practice sessions solving joins, window-function, CTE, and aggregation problems on real datasets. Midway through, introduce timed drills and mock interviews to simulate pressure and practice explaining solutions aloud. In the final weeks, review optimization techniques, common edge cases, and any company-specific metrics or product context you can reasonably learn. Balance coding practice with short reading on query plans and memory-efficient pandas patterns so you can discuss tradeoffs confidently.
What key subtopics in Data Manipulation should I master for Pinterest interviews?
Focus on SQL joins and correct key selection, aggregates and GROUP BY semantics, window functions for running and relative calculations, and CTEs for readable queries. Know how NULLs affect predicates, the difference between WHERE and HAVING, and basics of query optimization such as indexing and avoiding unnecessary scans. In Python, master pandas merge/groupby, vectorized operations, datetime handling, reshaping (melt/pivot), and memory-conscious approaches for large tables. Also be comfortable explaining how you would validate results and test edge cases when data is messy or incomplete.
What standout tips and common pitfalls should I watch for during the interview?
Start by asking clarifying questions and stating assumptions to avoid wasted effort. Write clear, readable queries or code and narrate your choices; interviewers evaluate thought process as much as final output. Watch for common pitfalls: mishandling NULLs, assuming uniqueness without checking, using SELECT * in performance-sensitive contexts, and neglecting edge cases like empty groups or timezones. When discussing optimization, explain tradeoffs and measurement strategies rather than claiming absolute fixes. If you hit a gap, communicate your plan to test or iterate rather than guessing.

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