Which is NOT a DML statement?

Peer-reviewed by HireXTech Technical Panel • Updated for 2025/2026 hiring • Editorial standards

Interviewer Expectations for this Question

Core Competency

Assesses fundamental understanding of SQL & Databases conventions, runtime behavior, and memory/performance considerations.

Evaluation Criteria

Hiring managers look for precision, avoidance of ambiguous jargon, and ability to explain trade-offs under real production conditions.

Comprehensive Model Answer Verified Solution

Statements such as COMMIT, ROLLBACK, CREATE, ALTER, and DROP are NOT DML statements:

COMMIT and ROLLBACK are TCL (Transaction Control Language).
CREATE, ALTER, DROP, and TRUNCATE are DDL (Data Definition Language).
GRANT and REVOKE are DCL (Data Control Language).

*DML statements are strictly:* SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE.

Start with a concise one-sentence summary: Deliver a direct, confident answer first before expanding into nuances.
Demonstrate real-world trade-offs: Discuss where this approach excels and when you would avoid it in production systems.
Discuss complexity & edge cases: Proactively explain time/space complexity or boundary conditions (null values, scale limits).
Prepare for interviewer follow-ups: Technical hiring panels frequently probe deeper into concurrency, backward compatibility, or alternative libraries.

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