Which aggregate function in SQL returns the smallest value from a column in a table ?
Which aggregate function in SQL returns the smallest value from a column in a table ?
Options
Official answer
Correct option: (A) MIN()
MIN() is the SQL aggregate function that returns the smallest value present in a specified column.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 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.
Common mistakes
- 1.Confusing MIN() with MAX(), which returns the largest value instead of the smallest.
- 2.Believing SMALL() is a valid SQL function — it does not exist in standard SQL/MySQL.
Analysis and 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.
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.
Question details
Q16 of 48 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- Computer Science
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section A
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- MCQ
- Chapter
- Structured Query Language (SQL)
- Topic
- SQL Aggregate Functions
- Bloom's level
- remember
- Syllabus topic
- Unit 3: Database Management — SQL Aggregate Functions: MIN(), MAX()
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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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.