SQL HAVING Clause

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.
```sql
SELECT ProductID, SUM(Quantity) AS TotalQuantity
FROM Sales
WHERE OrderDate >= '2023-01-01'
GROUP BY ProductID
HAVING SUM(Quantity) > 100
ORDER BY TotalQuantity DESC;
```

The exhibit shows a SQL query run against Azure SQL Database. What is the purpose of the HAVING clause in this query?

Quick Answer

The correct answer is that the HAVING clause filters groups after GROUP BY based on aggregate conditions. This is because SQL processes WHERE before grouping, so WHERE cannot evaluate aggregate functions like SUM or COUNT—those values only exist after rows are grouped. HAVING steps in precisely at that point, allowing you to restrict groups by their aggregated results, such as only showing departments with a total salary over $100,000. On the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900 exam, this concept often appears in a query exhibit where a WHERE clause is mistakenly used with an aggregate, testing your understanding of SQL execution order. A common trap is confusing HAVING with WHERE; remember that WHERE filters rows, HAVING filters groups. For a quick memory tip, think “WHERE works on rows, HAVING works on groups—HAVING comes after GROUP BY.”

⚠ Common exam trap

Many candidates confuse HAVING with WHERE, mistakenly thinking HAVING can filter individual rows before grouping, when in fact WHERE must be used for that purpose.

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

✓

To filter groups based on aggregate conditions

The HAVING clause in SQL is used to filter groups after the GROUP BY clause has been applied, based on aggregate conditions such as SUM, COUNT, or AVG. In this query against Azure SQL Database, HAVING restricts the result to only those groups that satisfy the specified aggregate condition, which cannot be done with a WHERE clause because WHERE filters individual rows before grouping.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
To filter rows before grouping
Why it's wrong here
That's the WHERE clause.
✗
To sort the result set
Why it's wrong here
Sorting is done by ORDER BY.
✗
To join two tables
Why it's wrong here
Joins use JOIN clause.
✓
To filter groups based on aggregate conditions
Why this is correct
HAVING filters groups after GROUP BY using aggregate functions.

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Same concept, more angles

1 more way this is tested on DP-900

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. The exhibit shows a T-SQL query against an Azure SQL Database. What is the purpose of the HAVING clause in this query?

medium

A.To sort the result set by TotalSales descending
B.To join two tables
✓ C.To filter groups after aggregation
D.To filter rows before grouping

Why C: The HAVING clause is used in T-SQL to filter groups after the GROUP BY clause has performed aggregation. In this query, it restricts the result set to only those product categories whose total sales (SUM(Amount)) exceed 1000, which is a condition on the aggregated value, not on individual rows.

Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026

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