Junior Data Analyst Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Applying for a Junior Data Analyst job in the UK? Here is what you are likely to be asked. These questions come from our Junior Data Analyst question bank of 25 questions, written for UK employers at junior level.

Eight Junior Data Analyst interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. Why do you want to be a junior data analyst, and what attracted you to this role?

Why they ask: Always asked of entry-level candidates; tests genuine interest.

2. What SQL have you used, and can you explain the difference between INNER JOIN and LEFT JOIN?

Why they ask: SQL is the first technical screen for juniors.

3. How would you use Excel to analyse a dataset of sales transactions?

Why they ask: Excel is the everyday tool for most junior analysts.

4. What is the difference between mean, median and mode, and when would you use each?

Why they ask: Basic statistics comprehension.

5. How do you check and clean a dataset before analysing it?

Why they ask: Data cleaning is most of a junior's work.

6. What is a PivotTable and how would you build one to answer a business question?

Why they ask: Very common Excel assessment topic.

7. You find some strange values in your dataset, such as negative sales. What do you do?

Why they ask: Practical data-quality judgement.

8. Tell me about a data project you have worked on, from university, work or personal study.

Why they ask: Juniors are judged on their projects.

A sample answer to question 1

Why do you want to be a junior data analyst, and what attracted you to this role?

I have always enjoyed finding answers in numbers. During my degree I did a project analysing public housing data, and I loved the process of cleaning it, spotting patterns and then explaining the findings in a simple chart. That made me want to do it as a career. I have taught myself SQL and Power BI alongside Excel, and completed some practical projects using open data from the ONS and data.gov.uk. What attracts me to a junior analyst role is the chance to learn from experienced colleagues while contributing to real decisions, and to build my skills in statistics and automation. I like that analysts work with different teams and see the impact of their work. I am keen to learn how your business uses data.

Common mistake to avoid: Saying you just want a job in tech; being vague

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 25 questions are on the Junior Data Analyst interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.