Use the linked documentation to check technical details. Your practical exercise: Investigate a slow transactional query, read the plan, choose an index, explain locking effects, and preserve a tested recovery path.
The plan
Work through it in order
- 01
Map the official surface
Build a one-page map around schema, keys, and indexing, transactions, locking, and isolation, query plans, replication, backup, and recovery. For each area, record the contract, the mechanism underneath it, and one production consequence.
- 02
Prepare answer ladders
Practice a 20-second definition, a two-minute explanation with an example, and a deeper trade-off discussion. This keeps answers useful when the interviewer changes depth.
- 03
Solve a realistic scenario
Investigate a slow transactional query, read the plan, choose an index, explain locking effects, and preserve a tested recovery path.
- 04
Run a closed-book mock
Answer aloud without notes, draw or code the critical path, test a boundary, and check every factual claim against the primary source after the attempt.
Avoidable failure modes
Common mistakes
- Memorizing schema, keys, and indexing terminology without explaining behavior
- Ignoring the failure modes and trade-offs around transactions, locking, and isolation
- Reading summaries repeatedly instead of retrieving and applying the material
Before you move on
Readiness checklist
- schema, keys, and indexing explained from first principles
- transactions, locking, and isolation connected to a production decision
- query plans, replication, backup, and recovery tested with a concrete boundary
- One timed mock reviewed against official documentation
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
Which topics should I cover?
Start with schema, keys, and indexing, transactions, locking, and isolation, query plans, replication, backup, and recovery. Confirm the exact role and interview format with the recruiter, then deepen the areas emphasized in the job description.
How should I use this preparation plan?
Investigate a slow transactional query, read the plan, choose an index, explain locking effects, and preserve a tested recovery path. Explain decisions aloud, test an edge case, then check the result against the linked documentation. Repeat the exercise with one changed constraint after feedback.
Source notes
References and review policy
Source links provide further reading. Where a recorded technical review is available, the answer shows its date and scope. Tool selections use direct provider links and contain no affiliate placements. Sources, features, and hiring formats can change.
From reading to recall
Practice the full interview loop.
RecallDeck schedules the concepts you miss and keeps coding, design, and behavioral fundamentals available when the interviewer changes direction.