Databricks-DA-Assoc Analyzing Queries Practice Question
A data analyst needs to inspect the logical and physical execution plans of a slow Spark SQL query to understand how filters and joins are being evaluated. Which command should the analyst execute in a Databricks notebook cell?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates confuse the simple EXPLAIN command with EXPLAIN EXTENDED, failing to realize that the latter is required to see the full logical and physical plan details needed for deep analysis.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
EXPLAIN EXTENDED SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE condition;
The EXPLAIN command in Spark SQL outputs the execution plans, including parsed logical plan, analyzed logical plan, optimized logical plan, and physical plan. Analyzing these plans helps data analysts identify inefficient join strategies, missing predicate pushdown, and unnecessary full table scans.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DESCRIBE EXTENDED table_name;
Why it's wrong here
DESCRIBE EXTENDED provides detailed metadata about a specific table, such as its column names, data types, partitioning structure, and storage location, but it does not reveal the query execution plan or how specific SQL statements are evaluated.
- ✓
EXPLAIN EXTENDED SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE condition;
Why this is correct
EXPLAIN EXTENDED generates a comprehensive breakdown of the query lifecycle, showing the logical optimizations and physical operators chosen by the Catalyst optimizer. This insight is vital for diagnosing performance bottlenecks and verifying predicate pushdown.
- ✗
SHOW QUERY PLAN FOR SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE condition;
Why it's wrong here
SHOW QUERY PLAN is not a valid SQL syntax command in Databricks or Apache Spark SQL. The correct keyword for viewing execution plans is EXPLAIN, followed by the target query statement.
- ✗
ANALYZE TABLE table_name COMPUTE STATISTICS FOR COLUMNS;
Why it's wrong here
ANALYZE TABLE computes and updates table and column statistics in the metastore. While this helps the Catalyst optimizer make better cost-based decisions, it does not display the execution plan of a query.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Databricks exam blueprint
This Databricks-DA-Assoc practice question is part of Courseiva's free Databricks certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the Databricks-DA-Assoc exam.