LIMIT clause behavior in SQL - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the LIMIT clause do in an SQL query?

The LIMIT clause restricts the number of rows returned by a query to a specified maximum number.

beginner

How do you use LIMIT to get the first 5 rows of a table named 'employees'?

Use the query: SELECT * FROM employees LIMIT 5; This returns only the first 5 rows from the 'employees' table.

intermediate

What happens if you use LIMIT 0 in a query?

Using LIMIT 0 returns zero rows, meaning no data is returned from the query.

intermediate

How can you skip the first 10 rows and get the next 5 rows using LIMIT?

Use LIMIT 5 OFFSET 10. This skips the first 10 rows and returns the next 5 rows.

intermediate

Is the order of rows guaranteed when using LIMIT without ORDER BY?

No, without an ORDER BY clause, the order of rows returned with LIMIT is not guaranteed and can vary.

What does the SQL clause LIMIT 3 do?

A Deletes 3 rows from the table

B Skips the first 3 rows

C Returns all rows except the first 3

D Returns the first 3 rows of the query result

LIMIT 3 restricts the output to only the first 3 rows of the query result.

How do you get rows 6 to 10 from a table using LIMIT and OFFSET?

A LIMIT 6 OFFSET 10

B LIMIT 10 OFFSET 6

C LIMIT 5 OFFSET 5

D LIMIT 5 OFFSET 10

LIMIT 5 OFFSET 5 skips the first 5 rows and returns the next 5 rows, which are rows 6 to 10.

What happens if you run SELECT * FROM table LIMIT 0;?

A Returns no rows

B Returns the first row only

C Returns an error

D Returns all rows

LIMIT 0 returns zero rows, so no data is returned.

Which clause should you add to ensure consistent row order when using LIMIT?

A ORDER BY

B GROUP BY

C WHERE

D HAVING

ORDER BY defines the order of rows, ensuring LIMIT returns consistent results.

Can LIMIT be used without OFFSET?

A No, OFFSET is required

B Yes, OFFSET is optional

C Only in some databases

D Only with ORDER BY

OFFSET is optional; LIMIT alone returns the first N rows.

Explain how the LIMIT clause works and how it can be combined with OFFSET to paginate query results.

Think about showing pages of results, like pages in a book.

Describe why it is important to use ORDER BY with LIMIT when you want consistent results.

Imagine picking the first few items from a shuffled deck.