Question

Consider the following two tables emp1 and emp2:

emp1
Id	Name
1	Amit
2	Punita

emp2
Id	Name
1	Punita
2	Anand

What is the output of the following query?
SELECT name from emp1 minus SELECT name from emp2;

• A. Punita
• B. Amit
• C. Anand
• D. Amit, Punita

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The output of the SQL query SELECT name FROM emp1 MINUS SELECT name FROM emp2 is amit.

Additional Context:

• MINUS Operation:
  • Returns distinct rows from first query not present in second
  • Performs set difference operation
  • Equivalent to EXCEPT in some SQL dialects
• Step-by-Step Execution:
  1. First query results: {'amit', 'punita'}
  2. Second query results: {'punita', 'anand'}
  3. MINUS removes all names appearing in second set
  4. Final result: {'amit'} (only unique to first set)
• Important Notes:
  • Case-sensitive comparison in most databases
  • Returns only distinct values (duplicates removed)
  • Column count and data types must match
• Alternative Syntax:
  • LEFT JOIN with NULL check
  • NOT EXISTS subquery

Correct Answer: (2) amit.