diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_1/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_1/exercise.sql
index d6bd727..d25f960 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_1/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_1/exercise.sql
@@ -14,4 +14,10 @@
 --       five rows are the same every run (a bare LIMIT returns an arbitrary
 --       sample that can change between runs).
 
--- TODO: select the four columns and join nyc_taxi.raw_trips to nyc_taxi.raw_zones, then limit to 5 rows.
+-- Starter query: exploring raw_trips columns
+SELECT pickup_datetime, trip_distance, fare_amount, pickup_location_id
+FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips
+ORDER BY pickup_datetime
+LIMIT 5;
+
+-- TODO: rewrite the query above to join nyc_taxi.raw_trips to nyc_taxi.raw_zones on pickup_location_id = location_id and select the zone name instead of the ID.
diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_2/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_2/exercise.sql
index 025925a..2a48ea9 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_2/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_2/exercise.sql
@@ -11,4 +11,11 @@
 -- Hint: Join to nyc_taxi.raw_zones to get borough, then GROUP BY z.borough. Every
 --       non-aggregated column in the SELECT must appear in the GROUP BY.
 
--- TODO: join nyc_taxi.raw_trips to nyc_taxi.raw_zones, group by borough, and count trips plus average fare.
+-- Starter query: counting raw trips by location ID (no join)
+SELECT t.pickup_location_id, COUNT(*) AS trips, AVG(t.fare_amount) AS avg_fare
+FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips t
+GROUP BY t.pickup_location_id
+ORDER BY trips DESC
+LIMIT 5;
+
+-- TODO: rewrite the query above to join to nyc_taxi.raw_zones, group by the borough name, and order by total trips descending.
diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_3/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_3/exercise.sql
index bc9cd8d..c4c6342 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_3/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_3/exercise.sql
@@ -11,4 +11,11 @@
 -- Hint: Use pickup_datetime::date to drop the time part. Define the daily counts
 --       in a WITH block, then ORDER BY ... DESC LIMIT 1 over the CTE.
 
--- TODO: define a CTE of daily trip counts, then select the single busiest day from it.
+-- Starter query: counting trips per day without a CTE
+SELECT t.pickup_datetime::date AS trip_date, COUNT(*) AS trips
+FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips t
+GROUP BY trip_date
+ORDER BY trips DESC
+LIMIT 5;
+
+-- TODO: rewrite the query above to use a CTE (WITH block) containing the daily counts, and select the single busiest day from the CTE.
diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_4/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_4/exercise.sql
index a946718..e0382f2 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_4/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_4/exercise.sql
@@ -29,4 +29,14 @@ FROM (
 GROUP BY borough
 ORDER BY avg_fare DESC;
 
--- TODO: rewrite the query above using CTEs (one to filter, one to join, then aggregate).
+-- Starter skeleton: refactoring into CTEs
+WITH positive_trips AS (
+    -- TODO: select trips where fare_amount > 0 from nyc_taxi.raw_trips
+    SELECT * FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips LIMIT 1
+),
+joined_trips AS (
+    -- TODO: join positive_trips to nyc_taxi.raw_zones
+    SELECT * FROM positive_trips
+)
+-- TODO: final group by and aggregate over joined_trips
+SELECT 1;
diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_5/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_5/exercise.sql
index 439e9ac..f792da2 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_5/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_5/exercise.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- Exercise 7 (stretch): Compare a cartesian join to a filtered join
+-- Exercise 5 (stretch): Compare a cartesian join to a filtered join
 --
 -- A missing join condition produces a cartesian product: every trip matched to
 -- every zone. Use EXPLAIN to see how the planner treats the two queries
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@
 
 -- Cartesian product: no join condition
 -- TODO: EXPLAIN a CROSS JOIN of nyc_taxi.raw_trips and nyc_taxi.raw_zones (no ON clause).
+-- Starter skeleton: (uncomment and prepend EXPLAIN)
+-- SELECT * FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips t CROSS JOIN nyc_taxi.raw_zones z;
 
 
 -- Filtered join: one zone per trip
 -- TODO: EXPLAIN an INNER JOIN of nyc_taxi.raw_trips and nyc_taxi.raw_zones on pickup_location_id = location_id.
+-- Starter skeleton: (uncomment and prepend EXPLAIN)
+-- SELECT * FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips t INNER JOIN nyc_taxi.raw_zones z ON t.pickup_location_id = z.location_id;
+
diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_5/solutions/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_5/solutions/exercise.sql
index 1b72745..fdba4f5 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_5/solutions/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_5/solutions/exercise.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- Exercise 7 solution (stretch): Compare a cartesian join to a filtered join
+-- Exercise 5 solution (stretch): Compare a cartesian join to a filtered join
 
 -- Cartesian product: no join condition, ~57K trips x 265 zones
 EXPLAIN                        -- WHY EXPLAIN (not EXPLAIN ANALYZE): EXPLAIN only estimates and prints the plan; it never runs the query, so the ~15M-row cartesian product never actually materializes and cannot hang your session
diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_6/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_6/exercise.sql
index 627e10b..36a87a4 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_6/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_6/exercise.sql
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
--- Exercise 5: Validate the raw data
+-- Exercise 6: Validate the raw data
 --
 -- Raw data is rarely clean. Write three checks that the assignment's audit task
 -- expects you to run:
---   5a. Count trips with a NULL pickup_location_id.
---   5b. Find duplicate trips: rows that share the same vendor_id, pickup_datetime,
+--   6a. Count trips with a NULL pickup_location_id.
+--   6b. Find duplicate trips: rows that share the same vendor_id, pickup_datetime,
 --       and dropoff_datetime.
---   5c. Find orphaned pickup IDs: pickup_location_id values in nyc_taxi.raw_trips that do
+--   6c. Find orphaned pickup IDs: pickup_location_id values in nyc_taxi.raw_trips that do
 --       not exist in nyc_taxi.raw_zones.
 --
 -- Dataset: nyc_taxi.raw_trips (~57K green-taxi rows, Jan 2024) and nyc_taxi.raw_zones (265 rows).
@@ -15,15 +15,28 @@
 --       HAVING COUNT(*) > 1. For orphans, a LEFT JOIN to nyc_taxi.raw_zones with
 --       WHERE z.location_id IS NULL surfaces the unmatched IDs.
 
--- 5a. Trips with a missing pickup location
+-- 6a. Trips with a missing pickup location
 -- TODO: count rows where pickup_location_id IS NULL.
---      Expect 0 here: the pickup IDs are complete. A 0 is the check passing,
---      not a mistake. The real dirt is duplicates (5b) and negative fares.
+--      Expect 5 here: some pickup IDs are intentionally NULL. The real dirt is
+--      duplicates (6b), negative fares, and orphans (6c).
+-- Starter skeleton:
+SELECT COUNT(*) FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips WHERE 1=0; -- replace 1=0 with filter
 
 
--- 5b. Duplicate trips (same vendor + pickup + dropoff time)
+-- 6b. Duplicate trips (same vendor + pickup + dropoff time)
 -- TODO: group by the three columns and keep groups with more than one row.
+-- Starter skeleton:
+SELECT vendor_id, pickup_datetime, dropoff_datetime, COUNT(*)
+FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips
+GROUP BY 1, 2, 3
+LIMIT 1; -- replace LIMIT with HAVING count filter
 
 
--- 5c. Orphaned pickup IDs not present in nyc_taxi.raw_zones
+-- 6c. Orphaned pickup IDs not present in nyc_taxi.raw_zones
 -- TODO: LEFT JOIN nyc_taxi.raw_trips to nyc_taxi.raw_zones and keep rows with no matching zone.
+-- Starter skeleton:
+SELECT DISTINCT t.pickup_location_id
+FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips t
+LEFT JOIN nyc_taxi.raw_zones z ON t.pickup_location_id = z.location_id
+LIMIT 1; -- replace LIMIT with WHERE clause to find unmatched zones
+
diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_6/solutions/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_6/solutions/exercise.sql
index d558fb4..b31c3a2 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_6/solutions/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_6/solutions/exercise.sql
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
--- Exercise 5 solution: Validate the raw data
+-- Exercise 6 solution: Validate the raw data
 
--- 5a. Trips with a missing pickup location
+-- 6a. Trips with a missing pickup location
 SELECT COUNT(*) AS null_pickup_location
 FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips t
 WHERE t.pickup_location_id IS NULL;
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ WHERE t.pickup_location_id IS NULL;
 --   You must test for absence with IS NULL, not with = NULL, or the filter matches nothing.
 
 
--- 5b. Duplicate trips (same vendor + pickup + dropoff time)
+-- 6b. Duplicate trips (same vendor + pickup + dropoff time)
 SELECT
     t.vendor_id,
     t.pickup_datetime,
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ HAVING COUNT(*) > 1            -- WHY HAVING (not WHERE): WHERE filters individu
 ORDER BY copies DESC;
 
 
--- 5c. Orphaned pickup IDs not present in nyc_taxi.raw_zones
+-- 6c. Orphaned pickup IDs not present in nyc_taxi.raw_zones
 SELECT DISTINCT t.pickup_location_id
 FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips t
 LEFT JOIN nyc_taxi.raw_zones z          -- WHY LEFT JOIN: keeps every trip even when no zone matches; an INNER JOIN would silently drop the unmatched (orphan) rows we are hunting for
@@ -28,4 +28,4 @@ LEFT JOIN nyc_taxi.raw_zones z          -- WHY LEFT JOIN: keeps every trip even
 WHERE z.location_id IS NULL    -- WHY IS NULL here: after a LEFT JOIN, an unmatched trip has NULL zone columns; filtering on z.location_id IS NULL isolates exactly the orphans
 ORDER BY t.pickup_location_id;
 
--- An empty result for 5b or 5c means the check passed. Any rows returned are the problems to report.
+-- Any rows returned for 6b or 6c are the problems to report.
diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_7/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_7/exercise.sql
index 688410e..3758772 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_7/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_7/exercise.sql
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
--- Exercise 6: Build views, then query them
+-- Exercise 7: Build views, then query them
 --
 -- Wrap the cleaned-up logic in two views, then query them. This is exactly the
 -- star-schema deliverable the assignment asks for, scaled down to practice once.
---   6a. Create vw_dim_zones from nyc_taxi.raw_zones and vw_fact_trips from nyc_taxi.raw_trips,
+--   7a. Create vw_dim_zones from nyc_taxi.raw_zones and vw_fact_trips from nyc_taxi.raw_trips,
 --       excluding rows where fare_amount is negative.
---   6b. Using your views, find which borough had the highest total fare revenue.
---   6c. Using your views, find the top 5 pickup zones by trip count.
+--   7b. Using your views, find which borough had the highest total fare revenue.
+--   7c. Using your views, find the top 5 pickup zones by trip count.
 --
 -- Dataset: nyc_taxi.raw_trips (~57K green-taxi rows, Jan 2024) and nyc_taxi.raw_zones (265 rows).
 -- Run these against your OWN schema on the shared Azure PostgreSQL, not public.
--- NOTE: 6a creates views in YOUR OWN schema. CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW is safe to re-run.
+-- NOTE: 7a creates views in YOUR OWN schema. CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW is safe to re-run.
 -- NOTE: this practice view is scaled down. The Week 9 assignment's vw_fact_trips
 --       also casts pickup_datetime to a TIMESTAMP (pickup_datetime::TIMESTAMP).
 --       Add that cast when you build the assignment version.
@@ -19,14 +19,33 @@
 --       vw_fact_trips.pickup_location_id = vw_dim_zones.location_id for any
 --       name-level breakdown.
 
--- 6a. The two views
+-- 7a. The two views
 -- TODO: CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW vw_dim_zones from nyc_taxi.raw_zones.
 -- TODO: CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW vw_fact_trips from nyc_taxi.raw_trips, excluding negative fares.
+-- Starter skeletons:
+CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW vw_dim_zones AS
+SELECT 1; -- replace with columns from raw_zones
 
+CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW vw_fact_trips AS
+SELECT 1; -- replace with columns from raw_trips and filter negative fares
 
--- 6b. Highest total fare revenue by borough
+
+-- 7b. Highest total fare revenue by borough
 -- TODO: join the two views, sum fare per borough, and return the top borough.
+-- Starter skeleton:
+SELECT d.borough, SUM(f.fare_amount) AS total_revenue
+FROM vw_fact_trips f
+INNER JOIN vw_dim_zones d ON f.pickup_location_id = d.location_id
+GROUP BY 1
+LIMIT 1; -- replace with correct ORDER BY and final touches
 
 
--- 6c. Top 5 pickup zones by trip count
+-- 7c. Top 5 pickup zones by trip count
 -- TODO: join the two views, count trips per zone, and return the top 5 zones.
+-- Starter skeleton:
+SELECT d.zone, COUNT(*) AS trips
+FROM vw_fact_trips f
+INNER JOIN vw_dim_zones d ON f.pickup_location_id = d.location_id
+GROUP BY 1
+LIMIT 5; -- replace with correct ORDER BY and final touches
+
diff --git a/data-track/week-9/exercise_7/solutions/exercise.sql b/data-track/week-9/exercise_7/solutions/exercise.sql
index ea6f9ab..0b749ef 100644
--- a/data-track/week-9/exercise_7/solutions/exercise.sql
+++ b/data-track/week-9/exercise_7/solutions/exercise.sql
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
--- Exercise 6 solution: Build views, then query them
+-- Exercise 7 solution: Build views, then query them
 
--- 6a. The two views
+-- 7a. The two views
 CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW vw_dim_zones AS  -- WHY CREATE OR REPLACE: lets you re-run this script while iterating without first DROPping the view; a plain CREATE VIEW would error if the view already exists
 SELECT
     location_id,
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ FROM nyc_taxi.raw_trips
 WHERE fare_amount >= 0;       -- WHY filter in the view: the cleaning rule (no negative fares) lives in one place, so every query against the view is automatically clean
 
 
--- 6b. Highest total fare revenue by borough
+-- 7b. Highest total fare revenue by borough
 SELECT
     d.borough,
     ROUND(SUM(f.fare_amount)::numeric, 2) AS total_revenue  -- WHY SUM: revenue is the total of all fares in the borough, not an average
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ ORDER BY total_revenue DESC
 LIMIT 1;                      -- WHY LIMIT 1: the question asks for the single highest-revenue borough
 
 
--- 6c. Top 5 pickup zones by trip count
+-- 7c. Top 5 pickup zones by trip count
 SELECT
     d.zone,
     COUNT(*) AS trips