The relational database management system is Oracle SQL. It is common in enterprise applications. A database is a collection of structured data that is stored electronically. The database stores the data and provides access, management, and assistance locating essential information. Relational database management (RDBMS) has grown in popularity and efficiency over the previous flat-file paradigm, and RDBMS allows you to eliminate unnecessary data. Oracle SQL is the most well-known relational database technology, accounting for a sizable portion of the market among other relational databases. The following are the important Oracle SQL features:

• Unleash the full scope of query: SQL Analytic

• Conformance with standards: ANSI SQL compliance

• Indexes, in-memory, partitioning, and optimization all contribute to performance.

• Read consistency across multiple versions

• Text and spatial

• PL/SQL and Java are two procedural extensions. Try our SQL practice test.

Oracle SQL Exam at a Glance

According to Oracle University, “Format Multiple Choice Duration 120 Minutes Number of Questions 63”^[1]

Worked examples: how to reason through Oracle SQL questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the result of dividing a number by zero in Oracle SQL?

1. Returns NULL
2. Returns 0
3. Raises an ORA-01476 error
4. Returns Infinity

Answer: C. Raises an ORA-01476 error

Explanation:

The correct answer is that Oracle raises an ORA-01476 error. When a query divides a number by zero, Oracle stops the statement with the message 'divisor is equal to zero' instead of producing a value.

Returns NULL is wrong because NULL appears when an operand is already NULL, not when the divisor is zero. Returns 0 is wrong because silently returning a value would hide a data problem. Returns Infinity is wrong because ordinary NUMBER arithmetic has no infinite result to hand back.

The rule to remember: division by zero is an error, not a quiet value. If your data may contain a zero divisor, guard the expression, for example with NULLIF(divisor, 0), which turns a zero into NULL so the division returns NULL instead of failing.

Example 2

Question: Which keyword allows you to join tables using a column with the same name in both tables in Oracle SQL?

1. ON
2. USING
3. WHERE
4. NATURAL JOIN

Answer: B. USING

Explanation:

USING is correct. The USING clause names a column that exists with the same name in both tables, for example JOIN ... USING (department_id). Oracle then treats that column as a single shared column, so you must not put a table prefix in front of it anywhere in the query.

ON is wrong because it takes a full join condition and is the tool you use when column names differ or the condition is more than simple equality. WHERE is wrong because it filters rows after joining and is not the keyword that declares a join column. NATURAL JOIN is wrong because it picks every same-named column automatically, so you never name the column yourself.

The rule to remember: USING means you name the shared column, NATURAL JOIN means Oracle finds it for you, and ON means you write the condition.

Example 3

Question: Which Oracle SQL statement removes a view from the database?

1. DELETE VIEW
2. REMOVE VIEW
3. DROP VIEW
4. TRUNCATE VIEW

Answer: C. DROP VIEW

Explanation:

DROP VIEW is correct. It removes the view definition from the data dictionary. The base tables the view was built on, and the rows in them, are left alone, because a view stores a query, not the data itself.

DELETE VIEW is wrong because DELETE is a DML statement that removes rows from a table, and there is no DELETE VIEW command. REMOVE VIEW is wrong because REMOVE is not a statement in Oracle SQL at all. TRUNCATE VIEW is wrong because TRUNCATE empties the rows of a table and cannot be applied to a view.

The rule to remember: objects such as views, tables and indexes are removed with a DDL DROP statement, while DELETE and TRUNCATE act on the rows inside tables.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official exam page for your exam code and read the current objectives, so you know whether you are preparing for 1Z0-071 or 1Z0-171. Then take the general Oracle SQL Test as a baseline and note which topics cost you the most marks.

Work through the topic sets in order of weakness, not in the order listed. Begin with SELECT statements and functions, since later topics build on them, then move to joins and subqueries, DML operations, DDL and schema objects, transactions and concurrency control, and advanced features.

After each set, review every wrong answer and write down the rule behind it in your own words. When a question surprises you, open a SQL session, run the statement on sample tables and look at the actual output or error message. Writing and running queries teaches more than rereading explanations.

In the final stretch, retake the general test under timed conditions that match your exam's limit of 120 minutes, and practise reading each answer option for small syntax differences. Before booking, check the cancellation rule, the identification requirement and the online proctoring setup so that nothing on the day interrupts you. Our questions are written by us with AI tools and are not real exam questions, so use them to find gaps, not to predict what appears.

Oracle SQL Normalization

Normalization is a set of actions to create a database design that enables efficient data access and storage. These methods limit data redundancy and the likelihood of data inconsistency. Normalization also aids in the organization of data in a database. It is a multi-step procedure that converts data into a tabular format and removes duplicate data from relational tables. Normalization organizes a database's columns and tables to guarantee that database integrity constraints execute their dependencies correctly. It is a method of deconstructing tables used to minimize data redundancy (repetition) and undesired characteristics such as Insertion, Update, and Deletion anomalies. It becomes difficult to manage and update the database without data loss if it is not normalized.

• First Normal Form - Avoids repeated groups by placing them on their table and connecting them with a one-to-many relationship.
• Second Normal Form - Every non-key property must be dependent on the entirety of every candidate key, not simply a portion of a key.
• Third Normal Form - Non-key attributes must only be dependent on candidate keys.
• Fourth Normal Form - Divides independent multi-valued data recorded in a single table into different tables.
• Fifth Normal Form - Distinguishes data redundancy that is not addressed by any of the other normal forms.

Cursor Loop Oracle SQL

The cursor FOR LOOP statement opens a cursor and implicitly declares its loop index as a record variable of the row type that a given cursor returns. With each iteration, the cursor FOR LOOP command fetches a row from the result set into the record. The cursor FOR LOOP statement closes the cursor when there are no more rows to fetch. If a statement inside the loop transfers control outside the loop or produces an exception, the cursor also closes.

When all of the records in the cursor have been obtained, the CURSOR FOR LOOP will end. When you wish to fetch and process every entry in a cursor, you will use a CURSOR FOR LOOP.

Syntax:

FOR record_index in cursor_name

LOOP

   {...statements...}

END LOOP;

Parameters:

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• record_index - This is the record's index.
• cursor_name - The name of the cursor from which you want to get records.
• statements - The code instructions to be executed go via the CURSOR FOR LOOP.

Most Recent Date Oracle SQL

Knowing how to retrieve the current date and time in any language is essential. Until Oracle8i Database, there was only one way to acquire the date and time in PL/SQL: use the SYSDATE function. Beginning with Oracle9i Database, you have access to all Table functions, and you must grasp how they work and your options.

Count in Oracle SQL

COUNT is an important Numeric/Math function in Oracle. It is used to calculate the count of an expression. The COUNT function is supported in all Oracle/PLSQL versions, including Oracle 12c, Oracle 11g, Oracle 10g, Oracle 9i, and Oracle 8i. The COUNT() method in Oracle is an aggregate function that returns the number of items in a group.

Syntax: 

COUNT( expression)

• If you use DISTINCT, you can only specify the query partition clause of the analytic clause. The order by clause and windowing clause clauses are not permitted.
• COUNT returns the number of rows where expr is not null if you specify it. You can count either all rows or simply distinct expr values.
• Suppose you provide an asterisk (*); this function will return all rows, including duplicates and nulls. COUNT will never return null.

Using DELETE Statements in Oracle SQL

The DELETE statement in Oracle SQL removes rows from a table based on conditions specified in the WHERE clause, and omitting the WHERE clause deletes every row while preserving the table structure. Unlike TRUNCATE, DELETE is a DML operation that can be rolled back within a transaction and fires any row-level triggers defined on the table. Exam questions often test the difference between DELETE, TRUNCATE, and DROP, so memorize that only DELETE allows conditional row removal with full transaction control.

Sources & last verified

1. Oracle University — number of questions, time limit, passing score, delivery (official source). “Format Multiple Choice Duration 120 Minutes Number of Questions 63” Verified Oct 20, 2026.
2. Oracle University — number of questions, time limit, passing score, delivery (official source). “Format Multiple Choice Duration 120 Minutes Number of Questions 60” Verified Oct 29, 2026 · source checked Oct 29, 2026.
3. Oracle University — retake policy (official source). “Candidates may not retake a passed exam at any time.” Verified Oct 26, 2026 · source checked Oct 26, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.