SQL Mastery Checklist for Data Analysis
Beginners
Transform from SQL Zero to Data Hero with this step-by-step roadmap
✔ Foundation Setup (Week 1-2)
□ Install a SQL environment (Start with SQLiteOnline.com for practice - no
setup needed)
□ Learn the 4 core concepts: Tables, Rows, Columns, and Relationships
□ Master basic syntax: Understand semicolons, case sensitivity, and comment
styles
□ Practice with sample datasets (Use Northwind or Sakila databases)
✔ Essential Queries (Week 3-4)
□ SELECT statements: Retrieve specific columns and all data (SELECT *, SELECT
column_name)
□ WHERE clauses: Filter data with conditions (=, >, <, LIKE, IN)
□ ORDER BY: Sort results ascending and descending
□ LIMIT/TOP: Control how many rows you get back
□ Practice daily: Write 5 basic queries every day for muscle memory
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✔ Data Manipulation (Week 5-6)
□ String functions: CONCAT, SUBSTRING, UPPER, LOWER for text cleaning
□ Date functions: Extract year, month, day from timestamps
□ Math operations: SUM, COUNT, AVG, MIN, MAX for calculations
□ NULL handling: Learn IS NULL, IS NOT NULL, COALESCE
□ DISTINCT: Remove duplicate values from results
✔ Intermediate Skills (Week 7-8)
□ GROUP BY: Aggregate data by categories
□ HAVING: Filter grouped results (different from WHERE)
□ Basic JOINs: INNER JOIN to combine related tables
□ Subqueries: Write queries inside other queries
□ CASE statements: Create conditional logic in your queries
✔ Advanced Techniques (Week 9-12)
□ All JOIN types: LEFT, RIGHT, FULL OUTER joins
□ Window functions: ROW_NUMBER(), RANK(), running totals
□ CTEs (Common Table Expressions): Make complex queries readable
□ Data cleaning techniques: Handle duplicates, missing values, format inconsistencies
□ Performance basics: Understand indexes and query optimization
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✔ Real-World Application
□ Work with messy data: Practice on real datasets from Kaggle or government sources
□ Build a portfolio project: Analyze a dataset and document your findings
□ Learn visualization basics: Connect SQL to tools like Tableau or Power BI
□ Practice business scenarios: Sales analysis, customer segmentation, trend identification
✔ Professional Development
□ Join SQL communities: Stack Overflow, Reddit r/SQL, LinkedIn groups
□ Follow SQL experts: Learn from industry professionals and best practices
□ Take on challenges: HackerRank, LeetCode SQL problems
□ Document your learning: Share your progress and help other beginners
🎯 Pro Tips for Success
● Practice consistently: 30 minutes daily beats 5 hours once a week
● Start simple: Master basics before jumping to complex queries
● Use real data: Work with datasets relevant to your industry
● Explain your queries: If you can't explain it, you don't understand it
● Learn from errors: Every error message is a learning opportunity
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📈 Next Steps
Once you've mastered these fundamentals, you'll be ready for:
● Advanced analytics and statistical functions
● Database design and normalization
● ETL processes and data pipelines
● Integration with Python/R for data science
🚀
Need help implementing any of these steps? Feel free to reach out - I'm here to support
your SQL journey!
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