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Point72 Asset Management·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

Intermediate
Jun 2026

Summary

Got a SQL problem for a Data Engineer role at Point72. One question, but it was a proper one, not just a basic join or group by situation.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Given a candidates table and a results table, write a SQL query that produces a per-candidate report showing their full name and top 3 states by vote count. Each place column should display as 'State (votes)'. If multiple states tie at the same rank, list them alphabetically separated by commas in that rank's column. Ranking should be based on distinct vote totals, not row position.

Data ModelingAlgorithms & Data Structures
Author's notes

The dense rank part is what got me initially.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Break the problem into three parts: first compute vote totals per candidate per state, then rank states by distinct vote totals using DENSE_RANK, and finally aggregate tied states alphabetically into place columns. Use window functions and conditional aggregation to pivot the results into the required format.

Pro tip: Explicitly state your assumptions about the schema and clarify how ties should be handled—interviewers value candidates who identify edge cases like ties and nulls before coding.

1. Clarify schema and requirements

Confirm the columns in the candidates and results tables, and verify that 'top 3 states' means the three highest distinct vote totals per candidate. Ask about tie-breaking rules and whether states with zero votes should be included.

2. Aggregate votes per candidate per state

Write a subquery or CTE that groups the results table by candidate and state, summing the votes to get total votes for each candidate-state pair.

3. Rank states by distinct vote totals

Use DENSE_RANK() OVER (PARTITION BY candidate ORDER BY total_votes DESC) to assign a rank to each state based on distinct vote totals, ensuring ties receive the same rank.

4. Format and pivot top 3 ranks

For each candidate, filter to ranks 1–3, concatenate state and votes as 'State (votes)', and use conditional aggregation (e.g., STRING_AGG with CASE) to produce one row per candidate with columns for each place.

5. Handle ties and ordering

Within each rank, sort tied states alphabetically and concatenate them with commas. Ensure the final output includes all candidates, even those with fewer than three states, using LEFT JOINs or COALESCE.

Key Points to Mention

  • Use of DENSE_RANK to rank by distinct vote totals and handle ties correctly.
  • Aggregation with GROUP BY to compute total votes per candidate per state.
  • Conditional aggregation (CASE WHEN) to pivot ranks into separate columns.
  • String concatenation and ordering (e.g., STRING_AGG with ORDER BY) to format tied states alphabetically.
  • Handling candidates with fewer than three states (e.g., using LEFT JOIN or COALESCE to avoid nulls).
  • Consideration of performance and indexing on candidate_id and state columns.

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.