Top Software Developer Interview Questions with Example Answers [2022]

Prepare for your Software Developer interview by going through these most asked Software Developer interview questions. Additionally, get access to sample answers and interviewer's expectations.

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  • Question: If you are a web administrator, and you receive an DDoS attack, were there are "N millions" of hits at the same time, how do you avoid your servers going down?
  • Question Overview: A candidate should be able to describe the steps they would take to mitigate a DDoS attack.

    Sample Answer: I would contact the network team and ask them to increase the bandwidth of our servers. If that didn't work, I would ask them to move our servers to a different network with more bandwidth.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Technical knowledge
    • - Ability to think on their feet
    • - Ability to solve problems creatively

  • Question: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to assess a candidate's career goals and their ability to see the big picture. A candidate should be able to describe how they will grow professionally and how their role in the company will change over time.

    Sample Answer: I'd like to be a senior developer in 3 years and a lead developer in 5 years.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Career goals
    • - Ability to see the big picture
    • - Awareness of long-term career goals

  • Question: How do you differentiate between SOA and MVC, and how can one help you scale your application?
  • Question Overview: SOA and MVC are two different ways of structuring a software application. SOA is a more general term that refers to a loosely coupled system that can be scaled by adding or removing modules. MVC is a specific implementation of SOA that uses three distinct components to handle requests. A candidate should be able to explain the difference between the two and how they can be used to scale an application.

    Sample Answer: SOA stands for service-oriented architecture and refers to a loosely coupled system that can be scaled by adding or removing modules. MVC stands for model-view-controller and is a specific implementation of SOA that uses three distinct components to handle requests.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Knowledge of SOA and MVC
    • - Ability to explain complex technical concepts

  • Question: What are your hobbies?
  • Question Overview: A candidate's hobbies can reveal a lot about their personality and interests. A candidate should be able to describe several activities that they enjoy outside of work.

    Sample Answer: I like to play golf in my free time. I also like to read books on my Kindle.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Hobbies
    • - Personality traits
    • - Cultural fit with an organization

  • Question: Can you tell me about yourself?
  • Question Overview: This is an open-ended question that gives the candidate a chance to tell you about their background, experience, and interests. It's a good opportunity to learn about the candidate's personality and cultural fit for your organization.

    Sample Answer: I was born in New York City and I've lived there ever since. I graduated from NYU with a degree in computer science. I'm a big fan of the New York Yankees and I love to travel.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Personality
    • - Cultural fit

  • Question: What are your expectations from this job?
  • Question Overview: A candidate's expectations from a job are often a good indicator of whether they will be a good fit for the organization. A candidate should be able to describe what they expect from the job in terms of salary, benefits, and work-life balance.

    Sample Answer: I expect to be paid a competitive salary and to receive excellent benefits. I also want to work for an organization that values work-life balance.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Salary expectations
    • - Benefits expectations
    • - Work-life balance expectations

  • Question: How would you design a LRU cache?
  • Question Overview: A candidate should be able to design a cache that uses the least recently used data first to optimize memory usage.

    Sample Answer: I would use a linked list to store the data in the cache. I would use a hash table to store the data by key.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Knowledge of data structures
    • - Ability to design efficient data structures

  • Question: How will you count the distinct pairs of integers that sum up to a target number?
  • Question Overview: This is a classic computer science problem that requires the candidate to use a combination of loops and recursion to solve it. The candidate should be able to explain their solution in terms of the problem and how they arrived at it.

    Sample Answer: I would start by writing a loop that counts the number of pairs of integers that sum up to the target number. Then I would write another loop that counts the number of pairs that don't sum up to the target number. Finally, I would subtract the second number from the first to get the total number of pairs.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to solve a complex problem
    • - Problem-solving skills
    • - Ability to explain solutions

  • Question: How would you design a 'latest viewed item list' type function for Amazon?
  • Question Overview: Designing a user interface is a complex process that requires a developer to consider many factors. A candidate should be able to explain how they would design a user interface for a specific task. This question is designed to assess the candidate's ability to think through a problem and communicate their ideas in an organized way.

    Sample Answer: I would use a table with the most recently viewed items at the top. The table would be sorted by date, and the most recent items would be at the top.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to design user interfaces
    • - Ability to communicate complex ideas

  • Question: How will you find the kth most frequent word in a string?
  • Question Overview: This is a classic computer science interview question that tests a candidate's ability to write code to solve a problem. It also tests their ability to think through a problem in an organized way. The candidate should be able to describe the steps they would take to solve the problem and the tools they would use to test their solution.

    Sample Answer: I would first create a map of the string's characters and then use a binary search algorithm to find the kth most frequent character. I would test my solution by writing code that counts the number of times each character appears in the string.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Problem-solving skills
    • - Ability to organize thoughts
    • - Ability to code in a language the interviewer is familiar with

  • Question: What do you know about our company?
  • Question Overview: A candidate should be able to demonstrate that they have researched the company and its products. They should be able to discuss the company's history, its current products and services, and its future plans.

    Sample Answer: I know that you were founded in the year 2000 and that you have a reputation for developing innovative software. You've been listed as one of the top ten companies to work for in the city.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Knowledge of company
    • - Awareness of company products and services
    • - Awareness of company culture

  • Question: What is the meaning of polymorphism?
  • Question Overview: Object-oriented programming is a methodology that allows developers to create reusable code that can be applied to many different types of objects. Polymorphism is a feature of object-oriented programming that allows developers to create code that can be applied to many different types of objects. A candidate should be able to explain the concept in layman's terms.

    Sample Answer: Polymorphism is a feature of object-oriented programming that allows developers to create code that can be applied to many different types of objects.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Technical knowledge
    • - Ability to explain complex concepts in layman's terms

  • Question: What is the MVC pattern?
  • Question Overview: The MVC pattern is a software design pattern that separates the presentation of data from the business logic that manipulates it. It is one of the most common design patterns used in web development. A candidate should be able to explain what the pattern is and how it works.

    Sample Answer: The MVC pattern separates the presentation of data from the business logic that manipulates it. The model represents data, the view displays it, and the controller handles user input.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Knowledge of MVC pattern
    • - Ability to explain complex subjects

  • Question: Walk me through your resume.
  • Question Overview: A candidate's resume is a reflection of their professional experience. A resume should be well organized and easy to read. It should also contain all of the information a hiring manager would need to know about the candidate's work history, education, and skills. A candidate should be able to describe how they organized their resume and what they included in it.

    Sample Answer: I included my work history first because that's the most important information for a hiring manager to know. I organized my education section by school, then by degree, and then by date. I included my skills section last because it's the least important part of my resume.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Professional communication skills
    • - Ability to organize information
    • - Ability to clearly communicate accomplishments

  • Question: How would you reverse the contents of an array using C?
  • Question Overview: C is a popular programming language that is used in many areas of software development. Candidates should be able to write simple code in C to solve problems.

    Sample Answer: int main() { int array[10]; int i; for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) array[i] = i * 2; return 0; }

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Programming skills
    • - Technical skills

  • Question: How will you explain the time complexity of all solutions.
  • Question Overview: A candidate should be able to explain the time complexity of solutions in a way that is easy to understand. For example, a solution that takes 10 steps to complete will take longer to execute than a solution that takes only 5 steps. This is a basic concept that software developers need to be able to communicate clearly.

    Sample Answer: The time complexity of a solution is the number of steps it takes to complete. A solution with a higher time complexity will take longer to execute than one with a lower time complexity.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to explain technical concepts
    • - Technical communication skills

  • Question: What is HTTP header?
  • Question Overview: HTTP headers are a set of metadata that describe the content of a web page. They are used to optimize network traffic and to provide information about the source of a web page. A candidate should be able to explain the purpose of HTTP headers and how they are used.

    Sample Answer: HTTP headers are a set of metadata that describe the content of a web page. They are used to optimize network traffic and to provide information about the source of a web page.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Technical knowledge
    • - Ability to research unfamiliar topics

  • Question: What are the 4 principles of OOP?
  • Question Overview: Object-oriented programming is a programming paradigm that has become the dominant approach to software development in the past decade. A candidate should be able to describe the 4 principles of OOP.

    Sample Answer: Objects are self-contained units of code that can be reused in multiple programs. Encapsulation means that data and functions are stored together in an object. Inheritance allows objects to be defined by other objects. Polymorphism means that objects can be defined by multiple classes.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Knowledge of OOP
    • - Ability to explain complex subjects

  • Question: How would you design a URL shortener service?
  • Question Overview: A candidate who has experience with software design will be able to describe the steps they would take to design a URL shortener service. They should be able to explain the technical considerations that go into designing a service like this, and they should also be able to discuss non-technical considerations like security and scalability.

    Sample Answer: I would start by looking at existing services like Bitly and Ow.ly. I would also want to make sure that the service was secure and could scale up if it became popular.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Technical knowledge
    • - Ability to design complex systems
    • - Awareness of security issues