A point lookup query in Snowflake is defined as returning what?

• A. Full table scans
• B. A point lookup with fast response for one or a small number of rows
• C. Update operations
• D. Heavy join queries

Answer: (B)

A point lookup is about fetching data by a specific key value, resulting in a fast response for one row or a small number of rows. In Snowflake, data is organized into micro-partitions with metadata that lets the engine prune partitions that don’t contain the key you’re querying. When you filter on an exact key, Snowflake can skip most of the data and read only the relevant partitions, delivering a quick result. This is different from a full table scan, which would read many partitions to satisfy a broad or non-selective query. It’s also not about updates or large, multi-table joins—the scenario is read-only, targeting a precise key.