SQL Basics course
In this SQL Basics course you learn to work with relational databases, write queries and filter, sort and edit data under the guidance of an experienced trainer.
NRTO quality markFree cancellation up to four weeks before the start, so feel free to book now.
In brief. SQL Basics is a classroom course lasting 2 days. You can take it in Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam, among other locations, or online, in a group of no more than 8 participants. The price is € 1100,- excl. VAT per participant, including course materials, lunch on location and a certificate of attendance. For a team or department we also run this course in-company.
- Start writing SQL queries straight away
- Plenty of practice with real-life examples
- An experienced database trainer as your guide
- Useful reference material for later use
- A solid foundation for data analysis
Your trainer: Mike or Pascal 1,852 evaluations in total, averaging 8.5. View the trainers
In this course you work under the guidance of an experienced trainer on building a solid foundation in SQL. You learn how relational databases work and write your own queries to retrieve, filter and edit data. Practical and directly applicable.
Description
In the SQL Basics course you learn to work with SQL under the guidance of an experienced database trainer. On the first day you become acquainted with various database systems and gain insight into the background and basic principles of SQL. You practise with simple queries to retrieve, sort, filter and group data.
On the second day you go into more advanced queries. You work with functions, calculations, subqueries and joins, and you learn how to add, modify and delete data. You are also introduced to creating and managing tables.
Thanks to the mix of theory, practical examples, demos and plenty of practice exercises, you will quickly master the most important functions of SQL. The course is practically oriented and useful for the most common relational database systems.
For teams and organisations. If several colleagues are learning SQL, we can also run the course in-company. We can agree to use examples that match your own data.
Topics
In this time you will master the basics of SQL. You will work on the following topics:
Day 1. Introduction to databases, SQL and simple queries
- Introduction to databases: flat, hierarchical and relational
- Different database systems (DBMS) and differences in SQL dialects
- Data types and keys (primary key, foreign key)
- Retrieving data (SELECT FROM, TOP, DISTINCT)
- Sorting data (ORDER BY)
- Grouping data (GROUP BY, HAVING)
- Filtering data (WHERE, comparison operators, BETWEEN)
- Filtering with wildcards (LIKE)
Day 2. More advanced SQL queries
- Editing data with functions (ROUND, LTRIM, RTRIM, DATEPART)
- Performing calculations (COUNT, SUM, AVG, MAX, MIN)
- Working with subqueries (AND, OR, IN, NOT IN)
- Combining tables (INNER JOIN, LEFT OUTER JOIN, RIGHT OUTER JOIN)
- Adding data (INSERT INTO)
- Modifying and deleting data (UPDATE, DELETE)
- Creating, modifying and deleting tables (CREATE, ALTER, DROP)
Result
After the SQL Basics course:
you understand the importance and benefits of good data management, you understand how a database system works and can name the most commonly used DBMSs, you know the basic concepts of SQL, you can run simple queries in an SQL database, you add more value to data by carrying out simple data manipulations, and you increase your employability, for example as a data analyst, database administrator, database developer or programmer.
Target audience
Do you work with data, or would you like to? Then this SQL Basics course is for you. The course is suitable for anyone who wants to work with relational databases, such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, IBM Db2 or SQLite.
Functions such as:
data analyst, functional administrator, database administrator, information manager, system administrator, junior database developer, programmer.
You do not need any prior knowledge of SQL or databases. A little affinity with data and logical thinking is enough to keep up.
Outside IT, too, more and more people need SQL, such as controllers, marketers and analysts who want to pull data from a database themselves. This course is suitable for them as well.
Teaching method
The SQL Basics course is given by an experienced database trainer. You work in a small group, so there is plenty of room for personal attention and questions from your own practice.
The teaching method alternates theory, demonstrations and, above all, plenty of practical exercises. This way you quickly master the most important functions of SQL. On the first day you get to know database systems and practise with simple SQL queries. After that you go into more depth with more advanced queries, functions and combining tables.
During the course you will receive an English-language book with exercises and exercise files. You use this book during the course and afterwards as a reference work at your workplace.
Prior knowledge
You don't need any specific prior knowledge for this course. Can you work with a computer and are you interested in databases and data? Then you can simply join. We build everything up from the basics, so that you get a good grasp of the material.
Comments
Practical information
- Number of days
- 2 days
- Course times
- from 10 am to 5 pm
- Teaching hours
- 12 hours
- Education level
- Suitable for all levels
- Preparation time
- None
- Included
- Course materials and lunch on site
- Certificate
- At the end of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance
- Cancel
- Free up to four weeks before the start (cancellation terms)
Language
The course is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer speaks English. English-language course materials can be used. If at least 3 participants register, the course can also be given entirely in English.
In-company
Would you like to organise this training for a whole group or several groups? This can be cost-effective. For example, we can tailor the content entirely to your organisation, and training a whole group is also cheaper.
Are you looking at large numbers of participants or a complete academy? That involves a great deal. Consider planning and communication, for example, or identifying and agreeing the objectives and content of the training. Or differences in level, feedback mechanisms and safeguarding. Fortunately, Learnit has extensive experience in this field (more than 25 years) and we are happy to help you through this process.
All start dates
2 training days. Confirmed dates first, then in order of date.
- Mon 19 & Tue 20 October 2026Certain to go ahead Eindhoven · 10:00–17:00 Enrol
- Mon 9 & Tue 10 November 2026Certain to go ahead The Hague · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 12 October Enrol
- Thu 19 & Fri 20 November 2026 Amsterdam · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 22 October Enrol
- Tue 22 & Wed 23 December 2026 Eindhoven · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 24 November Enrol
- Tue 16 & Wed 17 March 2027 Arnhem · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 16 February Enrol
- Tue 30 & Wed 31 March 2027 Groningen · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 2 March Enrol
- Tue 30 & Wed 31 March 2027 Zwolle · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 2 March Enrol
- Thu 3 & Fri 4 June 2027 Utrecht · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 6 May Enrol
- Mon 2 & Tue 3 August 2027 Rotterdam · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 5 July Enrol
No suitable start date? Send us a date request, and we'll look at the options together.
This course for your team?
Plan your own group on a date that suits you, at your office, at our premises or online. We tailor the content to your day-to-day work, and training a whole group is cheaper than individual bookings.
- Your date and location
- Tailored content
- Multiple groups or an academy are also possible
- More than 25 years' experience
The trainers for this course
Ratings from participants after completing their course, across all courses by this trainer.
What others say about this course
SQL Basics course: average 8.4 from 74 reviews
“It was a demanding course, covering an enormous amount in two days. It was a thoroughly enjoyable course!”
“Clear explanations and good exercises gave a good picture of what SQL can do.”
“Good starting point for mastering SQL.”
“Definitely recommended if you work with SQL. I learned useful things in this training course that I was not previously aware of.”
"This trainer is a highly knowledgeable person who conveys the course material to the participants in a calm, considered and thorough manner."
“This is an excellent programme for learning the basics of SQL!”
“An SQL course that anyone without any programming experience can follow, through a piece of theory followed by exercises. In small groups, which allows for personal interaction with the trainer.”
“Very good training course. A lot is covered in two days, but still at a comfortable pace. Good alternation between theory and doing exercises yourself. Excellent trainer, has a great deal of knowledge of the subject and is able to convey this clearly and in a pleasant way.”
"At Learnit they keep learning from their own lessons. What a great course!"
“SQL is a language. The course teaches you how to read and understand this language and how to tell a simple story with it. The location (Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw aan het IJ) was great – excellent venue, with all the necessary facilities, hospitality, a bit of a homely feel. Learnit Training met my expectations – approachable, good dialogue, no unnecessary waiting, good information, clear.”
“A course in an informal atmosphere, where personal contact comes first. This way everyone can take in the material at their own pace and there is plenty of room to achieve your goals.”
“After taking this course I had a very good impression of SQL and its possibilities. I immediately started developing ideas about applications in my own working environment and those of others. We do know SQL, but only once the basics are clear do you begin to understand what you can do and how to do it. This course was perfect for that.”
“The trainer conveyed his knowledge clearly and effectively. The combination of theory and practice was very pleasant!”
“A good course for learning the basics of SQL and then applying it directly in practice.”
"Extremely instructive, built up step by step and easy to understand for people with no prior knowledge of this."
“Excellent course. You really come away with the basics! The trainer was very enthusiastic and delivered the course in an enjoyable way.”
"This basic course gives a good overview of what SQL is and what you can do with it. Following a logically structured approach, you go from a very simple query to a fairly advanced, in-depth query in two days."
"It was all explained clearly and enthusiastically. The trainer came across as an expert. We received plenty of attention, but then again we were a small group. It met expectations. I achieved my learning objectives. The location was lovely too (Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ)."
“If you have no experience with sql and would like to learn the basics, this course is a good start! Now I know a bit about what sql involves.”
"The course was delivered at a good pace, allowing the participants to keep up well. It was not a large group, so there was plenty of room for the individual. The material was in a logical order, so that as you progressed through the course the basics kept being repeated, which made them stick."
“Got refreshed with my sql skils”
“A good course with good materials. I got a solid grasp of the SQL basics in two days. I would recommend doing some preparation beforehand so you pick up the topics better and faster. The trainer was open to questions and explained things well.”
“A good basics course in which my knowledge improved by 100%. Good material, a steady pace and excellent exercises. Recommended as an SQL basics course.”
“It is a well-structured course that is easy to follow, even for the absolute beginner. The trainer is passionate, clear and good at answering questions.”
“Gaining a broad basic knowledge of SQL helps me in practice to create simple queries and to read and adapt more extensive ones. That was exactly what I was looking for. What certainly also makes the difference is that the small scale means everything is tailored to the participants.”
“A good course if you have no knowledge of SQL yet. You can put what you have learned to use straight away.”
“Learnit gave good thought to how the SQL Basics course on site should be set up. This was for a small group with different backgrounds and levels of basic knowledge. This was no problem at all for the course or the trainer. The structure is pleasant and the course moves along nicely. There is room to go into more depth, and a big advantage is that you do a lot yourself and discuss it afterwards.”
“I had never been on a course or training before, and the course and everything around it actually exceeded my expectations.”
“You get value for money. And you leave with the knowledge to write your own SQL statements.”
“Thanks to all the practice and the pleasant teaching style, this course is extremely well suited to picking up basic SQL knowledge quickly.”
“Enjoyable and highly applicable course; you really get something out of it and you can put it into practice straight away. Highly recommended.”
“A good course that you can put to plenty of use in practice.”
“Enjoyable course that will be very useful if you want to get started with SQL.”
“The SQL course provides insight into creating queries from databases. During the lessons you learn how a query is constructed. Each lesson starts with the theory, which you then put into practice with a hands-on assignment. This is both enjoyable and instructive.”
“My first introduction to SQL in this SQL Basics course. Good, clear explanation of the material. Plenty of exercises to put the material into practice straight away, and an enthusiastic trainer make this course a recommendation for anyone who wants to know more about SQL.”
“It's a good training for filling in the gaps if you have patchy knowledge, due to on the job learning, like I did.”
"Colleagues were impressed by how much I already knew after a 2-day course."
“The course is highly suitable for people who have never worked with SQL before. It explains clearly what SQL can do. This is a good basic course. If you already use SQL regularly, I would recommend an advanced course.”
“A course that brings you up to a level within two days from which you can then get to work in practice yourself. The content of the course matched my expectations very well. I now have a good grasp of the basics of the SQL language.”
“Excellent course, easy to follow. The content met my expectations. The knowledge was conveyed in a very pleasant way.”
"E. van Herwijnen - "Positive impression. Good location, course, exercise material and applicability in practice." - Rating: 7.2"
“Recommended for people with little SQL knowledge – the basics well covered in 2 days!”
“Good course. Very clear and applicable. You learn every facet of SQL.”
“Excellent training with a lot of information realized by experienced and professional teachers. I wish it lasted longer, so I could learn even more that I did. I recommend it without any hesitation. Learnit Training is a professional company, they are doing what they promise. Their teachers are profesionals who know what they are talking about.”
“Effective training course from an experienced trainer with more than enough knowledge. The trainer was able to switch quickly between people and also focused on those who needed it without forgetting the others.”
“Good course with clear explanations at a calm pace. Also manageable without prior knowledge.”
“For beginners and advanced users alike this is an instructive course, taught in an interactive way. That is very pleasant, because you can apply it immediately while doing the exercises given during the course. There is always the opportunity to ask questions and the guidance is good too. So all in all a very good experience with the SQL Basics course from Learnit Training!”
“The trainer had a great deal of experience and sound subject knowledge. Excellent course!”
“For a solid grounding in SQL, this is certainly a course worth recommending. I also find the teaching style and the practical approach very pleasant. You immediately put what you learn into practice, which helps you understand it better.”
“Enjoyable basic course, perfect location (Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ).”
Training formats
Classroom
2 days€ 1100,-- Pleasant venue with a good trainer
- Small groups
- Inspiring and motivating
In-company
Bespoke trainingOn request- 100% for your group
- Bespoke training
- At your place or ours
Workshop
Up to 4 hours for groupsOn request- Suitable for events
- Interactive and inspiring
- Large groups too
Private training
At our place or yoursOn request- 100% just for you
- Achieve a lot in little time
- Whenever you want
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel free of charge?
Yes. Up to four weeks before the first day of the course you can cancel free of charge, without giving a reason. You then receive a credit note or, if you have already paid, a refund. If you cancel later, you pay part of the course fee: 25% between four and two weeks before the start, 75% in the two weeks before it and 100% in the final week. Moving to another start date is free of charge up to two weeks before the start, after that 50%. Sending a colleague in your place is always possible. Read the cancellation terms.
What prior knowledge do you need for the SQL Basics course?
Which topics does the SQL Basics course cover?
Which database systems will you learn to use in the SQL Basics course?
Who is the SQL Basics course suitable for?
Do you receive a certificate after the SQL Basics course?
What is the difference between the classroom SQL Basics course at Learnit and an online SQL course or self-study via YouTube?
How quickly after the SQL Basics course can I write queries independently in practice?
Which SQL dialects do I learn during the SQL Basics course, and is that knowledge usable in PostgreSQL or MySQL, for example?
What do I get in the SQL Basics course that I won't learn from an online SQL tutorial?
Is the SQL Basics course also useful if I will mainly be working with data analysis tools such as Power BI or Python?
When should you choose the classroom-based SQL Basics course and when does an in-company programme or follow-up course make more sense?
How much does the SQL Basics course cost and how long does the course last?
You can find the current price at the top right of this course page, along with the schedule, location and delivery format. For in-company or bespoke courses we are happy to provide a quotation on request.
Mon 19 & Tue 20 October 2026 in Eindhoven
This date already has enough participants. Free cancellation up to four weeks before the start, so you can secure a place now.