Top Business Analyst Interview Questions and Answers 2022
The business analyst’s job is quite lucrative and full of potential. Hence, there’s a lot of competition for the role. Hence, interviewers tend to ask complex business analyst questions to filter the best from the bunch.
Therefore, it is essential to prepare well for a business analyst interview. You must impress your interviewer with wit, knowledge and behaviour in a short time.
This article will outline 15 common business analyst interview questions to help you prepare.
General Business Analyst Interview Questions And Their Answers
1. How familiar are you with SQL queries?
SQL stands for structured query language. It is a computer language that is used across various databases. Data scientists and analysts widely use it for extracting and organising raw data. Since SQL servers allow professionals to work with structured data, a business analyst must have a basic understanding of the concept.
Interviewers will ask this question to understand a candidate’s knowledge of SQL queries. Though aspiring business analysts don’t need advanced knowledge about SQL queries, specific skills are precious. For instance, a business analyst who can explain different elements of SQL statements can have an edge over others.
2. What are the most important analytical tools a business analyst must be well-versed with?
Business analyst plays a vital role in any organisation. They bridge the gap between what the company wants to achieve and where it is now with its skills, expertise, and knowledge. They accomplish this by using different analytical tools and applications. For instance, a business analyst uses Microsoft Office Suite for sales forecasts, budgeting, and other finance and performance tracking activities.
The interviewer wants to judge your technical understanding of this question. So, while answering, you can include analytical tools you use daily to improve the business’s efficiency and performance. Here’s an example of how you answer this question:
I mostly use MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint tools on a typical day. Meanwhile, I use SQL servers sometimes to analyse customer purchases, buying patterns, etc.
3. Explain your process of starting and completing a project
Employers ask this question to understand aspiring analysts’ approaches toward their work. Your answer will help them gauge your project management, organisational skills, and teamwork. The best way to answer this question is to list out specific skills and state examples that describe your skills and how you use them in a professional realm.
4. How would you work with a difficult stakeholder?
As an aspiring business analyst, you must regularly collaborate with different department heads and stakeholders. With this business analyst interview question, the employer tries to analyse a candidate’s communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
You can formulate your answer using the STAR (situation, task, action, and result). Here’s an example of how you can form your response:
Yes, there have been many instances of stakeholders that can be termed as difficult. However, I make it a point to meet them personally and build a relationship with them, listen to them closely, and understand their point of view. I also try to find commonalities that we can explore together before starting any project.
5. What is the meaning of the product life cycle?
A product life cycle (PLC) is every product’s cycle. Four stages of a product life cycle trace the journey of the product; here are they:
- Introduction: The first stage of PLC marks the introduction of a product to a market.
- Growth: The start of this stage is marked by increased sales and market revenue for the brand.
- Maturity: In this stage, the development of the brand is stabilised.
- Decline: The last stage of PLC is marked by low sales and the insignificance of the product in the market.
We have looked at common business analyst interview questions and their answers above. In the next part of the article, let’s look at some niche interview questions.
Business Analyst Interview Questions for Freshers
- What is big data, and what is the most critical aspect of it?
- As a business analyst, which common technical and non-technical tools do you need to use regularly?
- What are the core competencies a business analyst must have?
- What steps do you take to stay updated with the current industry trends?
- What is data science, and how is it different from data analytics?
Business Analyst Interview Questions for Experience Professionals
- What is data analytics, and how important is a flowchart in analytics?
- What project documents does a business analyst complete?
- What do you know about analytical reporting?
- What do you know about CaaS?
- What steps must a business analyst play in completing a project?
Business Analytics Courses from Emeritus India
Emeritus India, a pioneer in online education, has partnered with renowned universities to offer some of the best certification courses across varying fields such as data science, analytics, marketing, operations management, etc. We have many business analytics courses designed for working professionals as well as freshers.
