Choose the Right Ranking Function for Ties

• Example
• Why this pattern helps
• Notes

Use this when you need ranked output and the handling of ties changes the result.

Example

select
    student_name,
    score,
    row_number() over (order by score desc) as row_num,
    rank() over (order by score desc) as score_rank,
    dense_rank() over (order by score desc) as dense_score_rank
from exam_results;

Why this pattern helps

• shows tie behavior directly in one result set
• prevents accidental ranking bugs in leaderboards and reporting
• makes it easier to choose the right function before production use

Notes

• use row_number() when every row must be unique
• use rank() when ties should create skipped positions
• use dense_rank() when ties should share a rank without gaps