Running a query job interactively versus as a batch

BigQuery jobs run in one of two priority modes: interactive (default) or batch. Interactive queries execute as soon as possible and count immediately against concurrent rate limits, while batch queries are queued and scheduled to run when idle resources are available, making them ideal for non-urgent workloads. Choosing batch priority helps avoid quota contention and reduces slot competition with time-sensitive interactive queries.

Must-know

• Interactive queries (the default) are executed as soon as possible and are subject to concurrent rate limits per project.
• Batch queries are queued by BigQuery and run when idle resources are available, so they may wait but do not count toward the concurrent interactive query limit in the same way.
• You set query priority using the --batch flag in bq CLI, the priority field in the jobs.query/jobs.insert API, or the query priority setting in job configuration; it cannot be changed after submission.
• Batch queries have historically been capped at a maximum wait time (previously 24 hours) before automatically being promoted to interactive priority if not started.
• Batch priority does not reduce the cost of on-demand queries, pricing is based on bytes scanned regardless of interactive or batch mode.
• For flat-rate/capacity-based pricing (reservations), both interactive and batch jobs draw from the same assigned slot capacity, so priority mainly affects scheduling order, not slot allocation itself.

Coverage checked against the published exam guide on Aug 11, 2026.

These are independent practice questions, written against this certification's published exam guide. They are not the certification vendor's own questions, and not the real exam.