Best place to start

A practical first path for beginners who want SQL and DBMS to feel useful quickly without getting buried in theory too early.

SQLBolt
One of the best first SQL resources because it is interactive, short, and teaches the core query flow inside the browser.
SQL Tutorial
Excellent once you want more question-style SQL practice on SELECTs, JOINs, NULLs, aggregates, and subqueries.
PostgreSQL Tutorial
A strong official next step when you want to connect SQL queries to a real database system instead of only toy exercises.

Official docs / references

Reliable database references worth bookmarking early so you stop depending on random syntax answers.

PostgreSQL Tutorial
One of the most useful official SQL tutorials because it teaches SQL through a real, production-grade relational database.
SQLite Documentation
Very useful when you want lightweight documentation and a simple mental model for SQL databases without server setup.
Getting Started with MySQL
A solid official start when your coursework, backend work, or internship stack leans more MySQL than PostgreSQL.
PostgreSQL Documentation
Worth keeping around as your long-term reference once table design, data types, indexing, and transactions begin to matter more.

Channels

A small set of SQL and DBMS channels worth following instead of bouncing between random interview clips.

codebasics
A very practical option if you want SQL taught through business-style examples, projects, and analytics-oriented thinking.
Neso Academy
One of the better Indian-friendly channels for DBMS theory, normalization, transactions, and placement-style explanations.
Gate Smashers
Helpful for campus-style DBMS preparation when you want the theory side taught more directly and exam-friendly.
freeCodeCamp database videos
Useful for long-form SQL and database courses when you want a full walkthrough in one place.

Websites

High-signal SQL and DBMS websites for tutorials, references, and practical progression.

SQLBolt
Still one of the best all-round starting points because it makes core SQL query building feel immediate and approachable.
SQL Tutorial
Excellent for topic-by-topic query practice when you need more repetition around joins, grouping, and subqueries.
SQL Tutorial: Learn SQL for Data Analysis
A useful beginner-friendly SQL tutorial if you want analytics-style examples instead of only textbook-looking tables.
PostgreSQL Tutorial
Great once you want your SQL learning tied to a real database system with solid documentation habits.
8 Week SQL Challenge
Very good once you want realistic SQL case studies that feel more like projects and interviews than syntax drills.

Core SQL concepts

The SQL concepts that matter most before you worry about advanced optimization or database internals.

SQLBolt
Best for learning SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, GROUP BY, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and the basic SQL query flow.
SQL Tutorial
Very useful once you want extra practice on joins, aggregates, nested queries, and NULL handling.
PostgreSQL Tutorial
Helpful when you want to connect SQL syntax to tables, inserts, and queries in a real database environment.
Intro to SQL
A nice lighter path if you want in-browser SQL lessons and a smoother start with data-focused examples.

DBMS fundamentals

Resources that help you understand what a DBMS is doing under the surface, especially for exams and interviews.

Intro to Database Systems
One of the strongest serious DBMS courses once you want to understand internals like storage, indexes, joins, and transactions properly.
Neso Academy
A strong pick for students who need DBMS explained in a clearer exam-oriented and placement-friendly way.
Gate Smashers
Helpful when normalization, transactions, ER models, and indexing still feel theoretical and disconnected.
DBMS Tutorial
Useful for Indian learners who want DBMS topics, interview questions, and revision pages collected in one place.

Schema design / normalization

Resources that help make keys, relationships, and normalization feel practical instead of memorized.

Intro to SQL
A good beginner-friendly path if you want SQL learning tied to relational thinking and table relationships, not only query syntax.
Normal Forms in DBMS
Useful for placement revision when 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF, and anomalies need a quick practical recap.
chinook-database
Great for seeing what a real sample relational schema looks like across multiple SQL database engines.
sql-anti-patterns
Helpful once you want to learn what bad schema and query habits look like before they become your defaults.

SQL practice platforms

Good places to improve query fluency, joins, aggregations, and interview-style SQL confidence.

SQLBolt
Best early practice platform here if you want guided SQL exercises before jumping into harder platforms.
SQL Tutorial
Great for more repetition once SELECTs and joins are familiar but not yet comfortable.
Solve SQL
A strong interview-style SQL practice path with clear difficulty levels and common patterns.
Database problemset
Very useful once your SQL prep becomes more interview-focused and you want company-style problem patterns.
SQL Interview Questions
Excellent when you want realistic business-style SQL questions instead of only textbook-looking exercises.

Repos / example code

Repositories worth browsing when you want sample schemas, real datasets, and better SQL habits.

chinook-database
One of the best sample databases for SQL learners because it works across PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and more.
test_db
A useful larger sample database when you want more realistic SQL practice than tiny learning tables can offer.
postgres
Worth bookmarking once your curiosity shifts toward how a serious open-source relational database is built.
sql-anti-patterns
Great for learning what not to do in schema design and query writing once you are beyond the basics.

Projects / data practice

Resources that help you use SQL on realistic data instead of staying stuck in toy query drills.

8 Week SQL Challenge
One of the best SQL project-style resources because the case studies feel realistic and teach analytical thinking well.
chinook-database
Perfect when you want a real sample schema to query, explore, and build mini SQL projects around.
SQL Fiddle
Useful when you want an online sandbox to create tables, load sample data, and test queries quickly.
Kaggle Datasets
Great once you want real datasets to clean, analyze, and pair with SQL plus spreadsheet or Python work.

PostgreSQL / MySQL basics

The cleanest starting points once you want SQL in an actual database engine and not only in exercises.

PostgreSQL Tutorial
The strongest official path if you want to run real SQL against a serious database and learn from solid docs.
Getting Started with MySQL
Best if your backend path or internship stack is likely to use MySQL and you want a clean official start.
SQLite Documentation
Very beginner-friendly when you want to experiment with real SQL locally without thinking about server setup first.
DB Fiddle
Useful for trying queries across different engines quickly and sharing small reproducible SQL examples.

Books

A short SQL and DBMS book list that stays useful beyond the first week of learning.

SQL Queries for Mere Mortals
One of the best beginner SQL books if you want plain language, lots of examples, and confidence-building query practice.
Learning SQL
A strong practical book once you want a structured path through joins, grouping, subqueries, and data modification.
Database System Concepts
One of the strongest DBMS textbooks for normalization, transactions, storage, indexes, and database theory.
Fundamentals of Database Systems
A dependable college-style DBMS book if you want stronger foundations for academics and interview prep.
Head First SQL
A lighter option if you prefer a more conversational style and want SQL to feel less dry at the beginning.

Interview prep / revision resources

Resources that help with SQL and DBMS interview rounds, placement prep, and fast revision.

DBMS Interview Questions
Strong for campus-style prep when you need common DBMS theory questions in one easy revision page.
SQL Interview Questions
Useful for quick SQL revision before interviews when joins, clauses, and query output questions need a refresher.
DBMS Interview Questions
Good for skimming common DBMS questions in a cleaner Q-and-A format before placements.
SQL Interview Questions
Excellent once your SQL prep becomes more realistic and you want business-style interview problems.

Roadmaps / cheatsheets

Good visual references for deciding what to learn next and what to revise before interviews.

SQL Roadmap
Helpful when you want the big picture of SQL topics, databases, and what to learn after the basics.
SQLBolt
Useful as a practical learning map because the lessons naturally move from simple queries to joins and schema changes.
SQL Cheat Sheet
Good for last-minute revision of syntax, clauses, joins, constraints, and common SQL building blocks.
PostgreSQL Tutorial
A strong roadmap-like guide if you want an official path that ties queries to a real database engine.

Courses

Longer structured SQL and DBMS paths worth finishing when you want more guidance.

SQLBolt
The strongest beginner course here if you want low-friction interactive SQL lessons you can actually finish.
Intro to SQL
A very approachable path if you want in-browser SQL lessons with analytics-flavored datasets and examples.
Advanced SQL
Best after the basics when you want stronger confidence around joins, nested logic, and analytical SQL patterns.
Intro to Database Systems
The strongest deeper DBMS course here once you are ready to understand internals and not just write queries.

Guide

SQL & DBMS resources

All the major SQL and DBMS resources a student usually needs in one place.

Best place to start

Start with one interactive SQL tutorial and practice every query yourself. Learn SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, GROUP BY, JOINs, subqueries, and basic table design before worrying about advanced optimization. In parallel, build a simple mental model of DBMS topics like normalization, keys, transactions, indexing, and ACID so interview prep does not feel disconnected from real SQL work.

Who this is for

Students, freshers, placement prep learners, and beginners learning SQL and DBMS for interviews, backend basics, data work, or practical projects.

Best place to start

A practical first path for beginners who want SQL and DBMS to feel useful quickly without getting buried in theory too early.

3 resources

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SQLBolt

CourseFreeBeginnerInteractive+1

One of the best first SQL resources because it is interactive, short, and teaches the core query flow inside the browser.

Link

SQL Tutorial

SQLZoo

CourseFreeBeginnerPractice+1

Excellent once you want more question-style SQL practice on SELECTs, JOINs, NULLs, aggregates, and subqueries.

Link

PostgreSQL Tutorial

PostgreSQL

WebsiteFreeOfficialPostgreSQL+1

A strong official next step when you want to connect SQL queries to a real database system instead of only toy exercises.

Link