Q16
1 markMCQSection A

Which aggregate function in SQL returns the smallest value from a column in a table ?

Structured Query Language (SQL)
SQL Aggregate Functions

Options

(A)MIN()
(B)MAX()
(C)SMALL()
(D)LOWER()
Official Answer

Correct option: (A) MIN()


MIN() is the SQL aggregate function that returns the smallest value present in a specified column.

aggregate functions SQLMIN functionMAX functionSQL built-in functionssmallest value columngroup functions SQL

Marking Scheme

  • 11 mark: correct option (A) MIN() selected.

Hint

Recall the five standard SQL aggregate functions: SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, COUNT — MIN gives the smallest value.

Quick Oral Answer

MIN() is the SQL aggregate function that scans a column and returns its smallest value, as opposed to MAX() which returns the largest.

Analysis & Explanation

SQL provides built-in aggregate functions to summarise data across multiple rows of a column.


Why (A) is correct

  • MIN() scans all values in the specified column and returns the smallest one, ignoring NULL values.
  • It works on numeric, date, and even string (alphabetically smallest) columns.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (B) MAX() returns the largest value, the opposite of what is asked.
  • (C) SMALL() is not a valid SQL aggregate function at all.
  • (D) LOWER() is a string function that converts text to lowercase; it has nothing to do with finding minimum values.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Confusing MIN() with MAX(), which returns the largest value instead of the smallest.
  2. 2Believing SMALL() is a valid SQL function — it does not exist in standard SQL/MySQL.

Interesting Facts

SQL has exactly five standard aggregate (group) functions taught at the Class 12 level: COUNT(), SUM(), AVG(), MIN(), and MAX() — all operate on a set of values and return a single summary value.

MIN() and MAX() can also be applied to text/VARCHAR columns in SQL, where they return the alphabetically smallest or largest string rather than a numeric minimum/maximum.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the five standard SQL aggregate functions studied in Class 12?

The five standard aggregate functions are COUNT() (counts rows/values), SUM() (adds numeric values), AVG() (calculates average), MIN() (finds smallest value), and MAX() (finds largest value).

Does MIN() ignore NULL values in a column?

Yes. Like all standard SQL aggregate functions except COUNT(*), MIN() ignores NULL values when determining the smallest value in a column.