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Exam 70-461:
Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012

Published: June 12, 2012(In development)

Language(s): English

Audience(s): Developers

Technology: Microsoft SQL Server 2012

Type: Proctored Exam

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on the Microsoft Certification website before you schedule your exam.

Audience Profile
This exam is intended for SQL Server database administrators, implementers, system engineers, and developers with two or
more years of experience who are seeking to prove their skills and knowledge in writing queries. Primary responsibilities
may include but are not limited to:

• Apply built-in scalar functions.

• Apply ranking functions.
• Combine datasets.
• Create and alter DML triggers.
• Create and alter indexes.
• Create and alter stored procedures.
• Create and alter tables.
• Create and alter user-defined functions (UDFs).
• Create and alter views.
• Create and modify constraints.
• Design T-SQL stored procedures.
• Design views.
• Implement aggregate queries.
• Implement data types.
• Implement error handling.
• Implement subqueries.
• Implement the sequence generator.
• Manage transactions.
• Modify data by using INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements.
• Modify data by using MERGE statements.
• Optimize queries.
• Query and manage XML data.
• Query data by using SELECT statements.
• Return data by using the OUTPUT clause.

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Note This preparation guide is subject to change at any time without prior notice and at the sole discretion of Microsoft.
Microsoft exams might include adaptive testing technology and simulation items. Microsoft does not identify the format in
which exams are presented. Please use this preparation guide to prepare for the exam, regardless of its format.

Skills Being Measured

This exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks listed below.
The percentages indicate the relative weight of each major topic area on the exam.The higher the percentage, the more
questions you are likely to see on that content area on the exam.

The information after “This objective may include but is not limited to” is intended to further define or scope the objective by
describing the types of skills and topics that may be tested for the objective. However, it is not an exhaustive list of skills and
topics that could be included on the exam for a given skill area. You may be tested on other skills and topics related to the
objective that are not explicitly listed here.

Create Database Objects (24%)

• Create and alter tables using T-SQL syntax (simple statements).
◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: create tables without using the built-in tools; ALTER; DROP;
ALTER COLUMN; CREATE

• Create and alter views (simple statements).

◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: create indexed views; create views without using the built-in
tools; CREATE, ALTER, DROP

• Design views.
◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: ensure code non regression by keeping consistent signature for
procedure, views, and function (interfaces); security implications

• Create and modify constraints (simple statements).

◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: create constraints on tables; define constraints; unique
constraints; default constraints; primary and foreign key constraints

• Create and alter DML triggers.

◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: inserted and deleted tables; nested triggers; types of triggers;
update functions; handle multiple rows in a session; performance implications of triggers

Work with Data (27%)

• Query data by using SELECT statements.
◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: use the ranking function to select top(X) rows for multiple
categories in a single query; write and perform queries efficiently using the new code items such as synonyms
and joins (except, intersect); implement logic which uses dynamic SQL and system metadata; write efficient,
technically complex SQL queries, including all types of joins versus the use of derived tables; determine what
code may or may not execute based on the tables provided; given a table with constraints, determine which
statement set would load a table; use and understand different data access technologies; CASE versus ISNULL
versus COALESCE

• Implement sub-queries.
◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: identify problematic elements in query plans; pivot and unpivot;
apply operator; cte statement; with statement

• Implement data types.

◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: use appropriate data; understand the uses and limitations of
each data type; impact of GUID (newid, newsequentialid) on database performance, when to use which data type
for columns

• Implement aggregate queries.

◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: new analytic functions; grouping sets; spatial aggregates; apply
ranking functions

• Query and manage XML data.

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◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: understand XML datatypes and their schemas and interoperability
with limitations and restrictions; implement XML schemas and handling of XML data; how to handle XML data in
SQL Server and when and when not to use it, including XML namespaces; import and export XML; XML indexing

Modify Data (24%)

• Create and alter stored procedures (simple statements).
◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: write a stored procedure to meet a given set of requirements;
branching logic; create stored procedures and other programmatic objects; techniques for developing stored
procedures; different types of stored procedure results; create a stored procedure for data access layer; program
stored procedures, triggers, and functions with T-SQL

• Modify data by using INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements.

◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: given a set of code with defaults, constraints, and triggers,
determine the output of a set of DDL; know which SQL statements are best to solve common requirements; use
output statement

• Combine datasets.
◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: difference between UNION and UNION all; case vs. isnull vs.
coalesce; modify data by using MERGE statements

• Work with functions.

◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: understand deterministic and non-deterministic functions; scalar
and table values; apply built-in scalar functions; create and alter user-defined functions (UDFs)

Troubleshoot and Optimize Queries (25%)

• Optimize queries.
◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: understand statistics; read query plans; plan guides; DMVs;
hints; statistics IO; dynamic vs. parameterized queries; describe the different join types (HASH, MERGE, LOOP)
and describe the scenarios in which they would be used

• Manage transactions.
◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: mark a transaction; understand begin tran, commit, and rollback;
implicit vs. explicit transactions; isolation levels; scope and type of locks; trancount

• Evaluate the use of row-based operations vs. set-based operations.

◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: when to use cursors; impact of scalar UDFs; combine multiple
DML operations

• Implement error handling.

◦ This objective may include but is not limited to: implement try/catch/throw; use set based rather than row based
logic; transaction management

Preparation Tools and Resources

To help you prepare for this exam, Microsoft Learning recommends that you have hands-on experience with the product and
that you use the following training resources. These training resources do not necessarily cover all of the topics listed in the
"Skills Measured" tab.

Learning Plans and Classroom Training

• 10774AB: Beta: Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (5 Days)

Microsoft E-Learning
There is no Microsoft E-Learning training currently available.

Microsoft Press Books

There are no Microsoft Press books currently available.

Practice Tests
There are no practice tests currently available.

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