case study interview software engineer

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Here’s Why We Do Case Interviews for Software Engineers

Years ago, we uncovered one of the most problematic elements of the Software Engineer hiring process: they’re not very realistic.

At Revelry, we use case interviews to create the best representation of what it’s like to perform successful work as a Software Engineer. Here’s why we think the other methods aren’t useful, and how we interview to add the best Revelers to the team.

Problem: Useless whiteboarding exercises

A company once came to us to hire a technical team in the interim, since they were having a hard time hiring new Software Engineers.

They put me through their technical interview – the one they had been giving to their prospective new employees.

I was asked to implement a red-black tree as a class in JavaScript, and then demonstrate how to balance the tree structure. Look, this is college Computer Science “Data Structures and Algorithms” class material. And I’m extremely rusty on it.

I pushed back, asking the interviewer just how often they were balancing red-black trees in their JavaScript code. The answer, of course, was never. So I asked for a real problem to solve, and this customer became a loyal client for years.

This is why we do case interviews, not whiteboard challenges. Whiteboard challenges test for things we don’t use day-to-day in our work, and they  don’t  test for all the skills we  do  use.

Also problematic: Other “hands-on coding exercises”

There are a few other common types of “hands-on coding exercises”. Here’s why we don’t think they’re helpful, either.

Problematic screening exercise: The online or take-home code test

For this test, you give the interviewee a set of programming problems that the candidate does on their own. Then they hand it in, like a college exam.

This type of test can’t show a candidate’s capacity for communication, their ability to ask good questions, or their ability to bridge between developer and non-developer worlds.

To give this test, you have to phrase the questions such that they know exactly what to do, since that’s the last communication they’ll receive from you before answering. That doesn’t leave any space for the discovery process.

Do you want to spend the next few years feeding your team exact test-like instructions?

Still problematic, but better: Working in your real codebase

Inviting your candidate to work in your real codebase is better in some ways. At least they have more access to the interviewers in this scenario.

But there are still problems. For one, you are requiring someone to answer you in an exact technical stack with which they might not be familiar. This isn’t necessarily representative of their skills, since good developers can learn a new stack very quickly.

I’d rather hire someone who is an excellent general problem solver and communicator, and a polyglot programmer, than someone who knows my exact stack but lacks those other qualities.

We like case interviews because they’re realistic

Case interviews are a format of interview that create a realistic scenario, allowing the candidate to apply the real skills they would need to be successful in our work.

A case interview tests not just programming skills, but communication, estimation, and risk management. Perhaps most importantly, it tests for the ability to translate a problem statement into a working technical solution. Problem statements and intended outcomes are normally articulated by a non-technical person, so this translation skill is so crucial in our work.

We interview for the job we have: helping people to solve their organizations’ problems, not giving computer science lectures.

Here’s what a case interview looks like

At Revelry, the case interview starts with a scenario. We have a few case scenarios which are based on actual past projects (with names changed to protect both the innocent and the guilty).

The interviewee is allowed to ask as many questions as they like, at any point.

And they should. In our work, we need to ask clarifying questions to make sure we’re solving the right problem and that the solution we’re proposing will really work.

We ask questions in return, starting with broad questions.

• What does this client need?
• What do you think the hardest part of this project would be?
• How would you figure out what technology to use to solve this?

Next, we ask more specific questions.

• What tables would we need in our database?
• What kind of columns might each of those tables have?
• How do they relate to each other?

Then, we program.

The interviewee shares their screen. We ask them to implement one specific feature of the solution. They can use any programming language and framework they want. We don’t ask them to compile or run the code, because setting up a new project with boilerplate and scaffolding takes too long. And because we trust that people can use a generator or read the documentation when they need to.

Since we don’t ask them to work in a real project directory, we also don’t focus on getting method signatures right from memory or even having perfect syntax. We focus on whether they have a solid grasp on the concepts of practical web development and whether they can faithfully translate a non-technical problem statement and turn it into a working technical solution.

This is one of the ways we’ve built one of the best teams in Software Engineering. We treat interviewees like they are already on the team, and then we see how they do.

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Case interview questions and why you should use them in tech

Several years ago, we discovered one of the most troublesome issues of the IT professional hiring process: it is not very realistic. Luckily, there are numerous interview techniques to help with this, from situational interview questions examples to the ideal personal interview questions and coding challenges that can be used on your next candidate. This article will focus on one of a number of technical interviewing strategies you can implement in your recruiting process: the case interview questions.

Case interview questions for tech companies

The case interview was originally a technique focused on assessing candidates for partner-track roles and associate-level employees. However, it has evolved to analyst-level employees who provide internal support to senior management and the research department.

In this article you’ll see:

What is a case interview?

Why use case interview questions.

• Types of cases you might see in an interview
• Sample case interview questions
• Case interview scenarios

Table of Contents

A case interview typically involves presenting a candidate with an authentic business scenario, similar to the one that your firm regularly handles with its clients. During the case interview, an interviewer presents a situation and asks the candidate to explore the underlying causes of the problem. The candidate is then expected to perform an analysis and provide advice on how to handle the scenario. In the IT realm, the candidate may be asked to demonstrate how that advice might be implemented in order to show specialized technical proficiency. So, in brief, the candidate’s task is to:

• ask questions, to help identify the main problems
• develop and present a framework for analysis
• use the framework to offer recommendations or suggestions of advice

The questions or ‘cases’ used in these case interviews are often drawn from the interviewer’s actual project experience. So generally, the interviewer must be suitably experienced, not just in their professional capacity, but also in the ability to host these kinds of interviews. Case interviews typically last from 45 to 60 minutes, with a focus on the case itself for around two-thirds of that period.

Case interviews are more often used by management consulting firms (increasingly by other organizations too) as part of the selection process. Sometimes the case interview will be the only form of questioning but often they are used in conjunction with another form of technical assessment , i.e coding or situational. They are commonly used one-on-one but can be utilized in groups as part of an assessment center.

Case interview questions test for the ability to translate a problem statement into a working technical solution . A case interview can test not just programming skills but also:

• analytical and logical reasoning ability
• numerical and verbal reasoning
• problem-solving ability
• organizational and time management
• the ability to think quickly under pressure
• presentation and communication skills
• confidence, business acumen, and professionalism

An advantage of the case interview is that the correct answer is not as vital as the process the candidate used to reach it. The objective of this type of interview is not to merely produce the right answer, but for the candidate to demonstrate their ability to solve complex problems independently and under pressure. In fact, there is often no ‘right’ answer. The nature of these interviews is generally very interactive, designed for the candidate to ask questions, seek clarification, and bounce ideas back off the interviewer.

Types of case interview questions

There are essentially three types of case interview questions and we will cover them here.

Brainteasers

Brain teasers are sometimes referred to as “ back of the envelope” questions in the consultancy field. They are logic questions that are used to gauge a candidate’s problem-solving skills. They are almost always numerically driven and the candidate will be asked to estimate the value, cost, or a number of an everyday item, thing, or commodity.

However, the use of brain teasers is flawed. Even ask Laszlo Bock, former senior VP of people operations at Google. He went on record to say they are “ a complete waste of time ” and that they “ don’t predict anything .” Decontextualization helps. These questions measure how good candidates are at coming up with a clever, plausible-seeming solution to an abstract problem under pressure. However, employees don’t experience this type of pressure on the job.

Imagine being asked how to explain the internet to someone coming out of a 30-year coma. Not very applicable is it?

   Image credit: pxhere

The “parade of facts” or graphic interpretation.

The parade of facts question is one that provides significant detail, some of it irrelevant, that tests the candidate’s ability to distill key issues. This form of questioning requires a depth of analysis based on relevant facts. As these questions are time-consuming, the use of them is relatively rare.

Because of this, firms tend to gravitate towards a graphic or statistical interpretation approach. The scenario might come in the form of an image or a graph, but still includes outlying information, i.e red herrings. This format is often less confusing for the candidate and is a more efficient technique to disperse key information. With this type of questioning, the candidate is required to interpret and review statistical data represented in a chart or graph.

Perhaps the most common form of case interview poses the question in only a few sentences. This leaves the candidates with minimal information and forces them to go several layers deeper by asking relevant questions to understand the key issues. Sometimes this type of interview is referred to as “the great unknown.”

The format is commonly used in a role-play scenario where the candidate is the consultant and the interviewer as the improvised client or manager. The fact this style of interview invites the candidate to formulate their own questions and develop frameworks is attractive to the organization’s using it .

The roleplay method is a great tool for the candidate to display client relationship skills and prove that they enjoy solving problems. Even if the structure of the question isn’t entirely role-play in nature, the question is very much situational and circumstantial. It places the candidate in the role of a consultant and allows them to creatively and critically analyze a real-world (often) business problem.

Tech case interview scenarios

Business situations.

These questions are designed to test the level of business knowledge a candidate has and whether they can apply it to authentic business problems.

Several types of common business problems can include (but are not limited to):

• profit and loss
• organizational structure
• the implementation of new technology
• marketing scenarios

The candidate will likely offer a verbal response to a question of this nature. The interviewer can draw on their own experiences to help guide the candidate through the scenario.

Some examples of a good question:

• A progressive, tech-savvy CEO of a regional hospital chain is concerned that their company’s profitability is half that of the market leader. Using your tech background and business expertise, how can the company grow its net income?
• Describe how you would approach a situation where your current project’s progress is slipping because of a lack of contributions from one of the client’s project team members?
• A multinational manufacturing firm is faced with flat sales and the IT department is under pressure to identify ways to reduce costs. Our team has been tasked with developing a roadmap to achieving cost savings – how should we proceed?
• A very large sports league needs to move their entire datacenter into the cloud in six weeks to support their new mobile video application. What are the first sets of challenges you would expect to face?

Business strategy

A business strategy question might involve an area such as growth, organizational expansion, and multiple operations issues. A complex business strategy question can involve multi-industry, multinational, and market-dependent problems. A more localized scenario is even a possibility, giving the interviewer the freedom to probe your knowledge in a variety of areas.

Common types of business strategy scenarios include:

• advising clients about an acquisition or merger
• responding to a competitive move by another company in the industry
• evaluating opportunities for a new product introduction

A scenario that has been tackled effectively will be from a candidate who sets out a problem-solving framework. So in essence, setting out a plan, formulating the analysis and drawing recommendations from those conclusions.

• A client is a global financial services firm that is considering allocating more resources to the facilitation of electronic fund transfers globally. The CEO wants you to develop a strategic plan to increase the company’s share of the market.
• A client is a software development investment company attempting to develop a ride-sharing app that uses “green” technology for its driving fleet, resulting in 85% less emissions and being 15% more affordable than its competition. Please help determine the product’s market potential and the strategy to bring it to the market.
• A large retail firm is looking to develop a new digital strategy to better engage customers and improve sales – how should they begin this journey and what factors are most important to keep in mind?
• The third-ranked competitor in the cellular phone services market is at a disadvantage relative to its larger competitors. Providing cellular phone service has high fixed costs – for the equipment that transmits calls, the retail stores that sell phones and the marketing spend that is key to customer retention. The CEO is considering acquiring a smaller competitor in order to gain market share. They would like our help thinking through this decision.

  Image credit: pxhere

Business operations.

Business operations case scenarios are questions that fundamentally relate to the running of the business itself and are more complex than market sizing questions or brainteasers. Interviewers enjoy questions like these because they allow the interviewer to see if the candidate has the ability to comprehend critical issues that pertain to running a business.

Common types of business operations questions include:

• the relationship between revenues and costs
• the relationship and impact of fixed and variable costs on a company’s profitability

Questions pertaining to business operations require the candidate to demonstrate a learned understanding of business processes and an ability to distill key issues from a lengthy amount of information. These scenarios are usually represented by the “parade of facts” case type.

A (lengthy) example of a good question:

• Your client ABC Technology is a large information technology (IT) outsourcing service provider. At the time of its creation, ABC Technology had revenues of $25 billion, 170,000 employees and operated in 70 countries.

The client (ABC) is nearing the end of a long-term contract with its largest customer, Giant Corp. The CEO of Giant Corp. has notified ABC Technology of its intent to “level the playing field” of competition for its IT-related business. The customer Giant Corp. has indicated that 100% of the business ABC Technology currently enjoys will be available for bids by ABC Technology’s competitors.

The client would like your assistance in developing a view of its business with Giant Corp. In addition, ABC Technology believes the trend to structure outsourcing initiatives by standardized service lines will continue, and therefore it views this client opportunity as a “wave of the future” that it will soon see repeated with its other major clients.

Your desired outcome is to develop a high-level engagement approach and to brainstorm what insights are needed to strengthen ABC Technology’s response to the forthcoming bid process. How would you go about it?

Market sizing

Market sizing questions are focused on establishing the size of a market in regards to annual revenue or the number of units sold. They are rather simple in design, and generally do not require the candidate to explain how to successfully compete in the market. These questions are common from consulting firms early in the consulting interview process. They are even more frequent in interviews with undergraduate students who are not so business savvy. Market sizing questions are often represented by a succinct brainteaser such as:

• What is the size of the market for mobile food delivery services in the United States?
• Discuss what is wrong with the following statistic: the Volvo is the safest car on the road because a recent study has shown that Volvos have the fewest number of accident deaths per mile driven.

Although they take their inspiration from a broader field of economic comprehension, case interview questions can be an effective technique to assess IT consultants and professionals alike. Some types and scenarios work better than others according to their content, IT is proof of this.

One of the most interesting aspects of case interviews is that once a question has been posed, there are an infinite number of directions the case can go. This affords the interviewer many angles from which to assess a candidate. It is certain that depending on the role you are hiring for, case interview questions are able to genuinely evaluate your candidate’s creative and critical thinking process. Now that you’re familiar with case interview questions, we wholeheartedly recommend the 45 behavioral questions to use during non-technical interview with developers .

We hope this gives you a solid idea of how case interview questions can be useful to your organization. If you’d like to read more on a related subject, please check out our article on work-sample interviews .

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Posted on Sep 24, 2020

The Software Engineer Case Study Interview

To round out my unofficial series on interviews, I thought I'd finish up with an interesting one that I've encountered recently: the case study interview.

I did a ton of googling on this interview type and wasn't really able to find much that was applicable. I think it's because it's such a weird hybrid of interviews that no one person has really pinpointed it. Which is completely understandable, I didn't really think I would ever encounter this type of interview either!

But for anyone out there who has been told they could expect "to solve a problem in a group" or were explicitly told it was a case study interview, I hope this may be a bit helpful in your preparation.

From my understanding and small bit of experience, this interview type is very much a hybrid of the systems design interview, a consultant interview, and a technical interview.

I had one interview that was much more high level, a designer, developer, and product manager were all present to consult with and I was expected to design an implementation of an app.

But for the interview that was explicitly labeled as a case study, I was given a prompt and ample time to come up with a solution of how I would solve a specific problem.

These two are very different but boil down to about the same pain points to solve for and similar questions to ask.

Breakdown / Tips

This was the breakdown of my thought process on the question:

Ask clarifying questions

• Ahh, if you've read any of my other interview blog posts, I am 100% confident you would be like "Megan, again with the clarifying questions?!" But I cannot skip over this fundamental step!
• Questions are the foundation of your solution and will help to ensure that you fully understand the question. They will also confirm that you are solving the problem correctly so that your interviews can dispel any confusion you may have or wrong assumptions.
• In the case where I was asked how I would design an app, I asked questions to confirm my assumptions about the users and the scale of the application.

Explain a high level overview of your thoughts

• Now that you are confident you know what the question is asking, give a short overview of what you want the app to look like.
• You can name some of the technologies you would use and how you'd like your front end / back end to be developed.
• You don't have to go into a huge amount of detail, but just give enough so that you have receive a bit of feedback on what your initial thoughts look like. If your interview agrees with your design, then you can go ahead and dig deeper into each portion.
• Alright, you're on track and pretty much halfway through this! Now is what I think can be the more fun part, really developing each portion of the app.
• You can get very detailed, but in the case of the interview where I was expected to collaborate with the designer as well as the product manager, I tried to keep it more on the surface level and include each person in the thought process. I was able to speak with the designer on generally what the app would look like and how it would be helpful to function for appropriate user interaction (i.e. how certain buttons could be helpful in specific cases, etc.)
• Don't be afraid to just go in on the details and let the interviews know what you're thinking. That is the main function of this interview, to understand your thought process. And I'm sure if they have questions they'll ask!

Big picture

• After building the flesh and bones of this app, I'm sure you've impressed the interviewers already! But it's a good idea to take a step back in the end and confirm that your app is accomplishing all of the tasks you had originally set out for it.
• In the case of the panel interview I had, usually the concerns were always brought back to the user stories. What will help to confirm that the user will receive the items they had originally intended? Did some of the details you went into get in the way of the main goal?
• There could even be an instance where you want to look at the app from the business perspective. How will this be efficient and useful for the business itself? Depending on the company this could be a huge concern.

Know that you did great!

• After all of these interviews it's easy to be overwhelmed, stressed, and to feel like you may not have done that well. But know that you gave it your best and should be proud you even got to this step!
• Also don't forget to thank your interviewer and send them a thank you note within 24 hours of the interview.

Best of luck with interviews and know that I'm rooting for you!

Top comments (2)

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• Joined May 23, 2021

Thank you, Megan! This is really helpful to me, I'm just about to appear for a case interview tomorrow.

• Location Chesterbrook, PA
• Joined Apr 21, 2021

Thank you, that is helping

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Software Engineer Interview Prep: 8 Developers Share Their Experiences

While domain-specific software engineering interviews might require, say, a deep knowledge of a framework like Angular, others focus on the overall programming approach. For these types of interviews or questions, it's beneficial to show you have a keen problem-solving ability and the drive to build something optimal, rather than that you can finish a test quickly. 

The key to demonstrating your strengths isn’t hiding behind a veil of flawless technical knowledge, but rather explaining what wisdom you’ve gathered from past mistakes. While every company takes a slightly different approach to software engineering interviews and coding tests, there are quite a few tools candidates can utilize to prepare themselves as best as possible. We asked eight experts about how they’ve prepared for — and tackled — some of their toughest software engineer interview questions .

Preparing For Software Engineering Interview Questions

• Work on practice problems
• Review technologies used by the company
• Write it out. Utilize a white board and step away from the text editor
• Brush up on algorithms, main data structures and anything else related to the position

YOU’VE FOUND A POSTING FOR YOUR DREAM JOB AND LANDED AN INTERVIEW. HOW WOULD YOU PREPARE FOR THE CODING TEST?

CHANCE LYON, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

IllFonic  Technical Director Chance Lyon said using a whiteboard to work through interview questions is necessary in order to know what it’s like to code outside of a text editor.

At IllFonic we look for two key things during a technical interview : A deep understanding of the language and the ability to reason out problems in real-time. Take some time and review the C++ standard and keywords to ensure that you understand them all (even the most rarely used ones). There are only 30 total. 

Second, practice working through interview questions on a whiteboard to get used to the feel of coding outside of a text editor. Talking through the code out loud while you work on a whiteboard challenge is also important for us to understand your thought process. If you get stuck for too long, ask for help. They are challenging on purpose and can have several solutions.

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TRAVIS GLOVER, FULL-STACK SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

Travis Glover, full-stack software developer at  Convoso , comes to interviews prepared. Specifically, he recommends having a constantly updated portfolio of side-projects handy to reference over the course of a conversation. Proof of game or app development, he said, underlines your dedication to the work and, consequently, the role. 

And if you get a technical question about a subject you’re unfamiliar with? Honesty is the best policy. 

First, I would think about what technology the company uses so I could focus on studying the languages and concepts that might be on the test. Then, I would search for free coding tests that cover these technologies. Hackerrank, leetcode and the like are a good source for common technical and algorithmic interview questions.  

"Hackerrank, leetcode and the like are a good source for common technical and algorithmic interview questions.’’

I would also make sure I had the algorithms fresh in my mind. It’s always a good idea to have a well-fleshed-out portfolio of side projects. This allows me to easily show off my ability to build an app or product from the ground up.

MYTHICAL GAMES

Alex moir, senior software engineer.

For Alex Moir, senior software engineer at  Mythical Games , college didn’t prepare him for all engineering challenges, especially in terms of iteration. Brushing up on main data structures and algorithms and re-reading “Cracking the Code Interview” are how he preps for future interviews.

Read “Cracking the Coding Interview” by Gayle Laakmann McDowell (again). Pull out my portable little whiteboard and start answering problems. Google “software interview questions.” Brush up on the main data structures and algorithms like binary search. Practice system design. Remind myself to stay calm and things will be fine! 

LUKE YEN, GAME ENGINEERING LEAD

Zwift ’s Game Engineering Lead Luke Yen sees software engineering interviews just as much a company evaluation as a test of the candidate’s individual skill. If an employer seems condescending or competitive, it could be your cue to cut your losses.

Yen also recommends swaying difficult questions in your favor by focusing on specific strengths, like individual communication style or attention to detail despite unfamiliarity with a certain program. 

Read the skills requirement and make sure you brush up on anything related to the position. I’ve seen engineers claim they’re familiar with algorithms, C++ or 3D math and then have difficulty providing the definition of some of the more basic terms. Most importantly, however, control your nerves and keep an open mind going into the interview. It’s not the interviewer’s job to defeat the interviewees by asking incredibly difficult questions or to show that they’re the smartest person in the room. At previous companies, I’ve seen interviewers come back from interviews boasting to the rest of the team that they  “ broke ”  the interviewees. If you ever interview at a company that conducts high-stress interviews like this, it speaks volumes to the culture. That’s probably not the place you want to dedicate your time for the next couple of years. 

The right questions should allow interviewers to work with the interviewees to evaluate their logical thought process and ability to communicate ideas. So the best way to prepare is by knowing that you probably won’t have all the answers off the bat. Make sure you fully understand the problem by asking questions before you start to work on it. Communicate throughout the process so interviewers can continue to guide you. And always check your algorithm and look for edge cases once you arrive at a solution.  

SYLVIE SHERMAN, SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Partial credit isn’t reserved for seventh grade math exams; many coding tests are designed with the thought process behind the final response in mind.

According to Sylvie Sherman, senior software engineer at  WEVR , showing your thought process can make all the difference in an interview. For difficult questions about previous roadblocks, Sherman comes prepared with a coherent answer format that speaks to her problem-solving ability.  

Find out as much information as you can about the format of the test. How many questions will there be? How will you be answering them? Will it be done on your own time or with an interviewer? 

Do practice tests online and read up on anything you struggle with or any particular language features you think might be important. If your test is going to be with an interviewer, it’s important to talk about your thought process during your practice tests, even if you’re talking to yourself. Correctly answering a coding test is great. But explaining your thought process and approach is the part that really counts.

More Interview Tips The Ideal Interview Template For Software Engineers

MICHAEL HUFFMAN, PRINCIPAL SOFTWARE ENGINEER

While it's beneficial to go into a blind date with no preconceived notions of the other party, the same guidelines do not apply to interviews. Michael Huffman, principal software engineer at  Rapid7 , recommends learning the names of not only the company founders but any employees you might be directly working with or whose work you admire.

First, I would learn as much about the company as possible. During an interview, a company wants to hear why they are a good fit for you and that you are genuinely interested in their domain, technologies and solutions. Learn the names of founders and CTOs and for extra credit, ask questions during the interview about how certain employees in the company grew and evolved during their careers. An interview should not be a blind date.

SASHA TAILOR, SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Sasha Tailor, software engineer at  Ribbon , has found that the most helpful thing you can do before and during an interview is to ask questions. If you’re not comfortable going directly to your interviewer, make use of the ample resources available online. This includes working through practice problems and having a prior understanding of everything from question layout to dress code. The fewer surprises you have going in, the more you can focus on showing off your skill set, Tailor said. 

If you’re using a headhunter, ask them about previous applicants’ interviews and see if there is any information about the process on Glassdoor. Most companies are fairly open about their interviewing processes and will give you information about the type of coding challenge you’re going to get, as well as whether you will be coding in a Google doc, screen share or something like CodePen. I’ve found that almost every company has been willing to give more detailed information when asked. 

Use resources such as Hackerrank, CTCI and GeeksforGeeks for practice problems and become familiar with whichever code editor you will be using in the interview, including how to debug, compile and run test cases. 

CHRISTIE RAMSARAN, SOFTWARE ENGINEER

In previous interviews, Software Engineer Christie Ramsaran said she focuses on not allowing the stressful environment to distract her from gathering the information she needs to generate thoughtful responses. Taking your time to provide informed, insightful answers,  theSkimm  coder said, is not only perfectly acceptable. It’s responsible. 

I always start by researching the company to better understand the interview process. Every company approaches coding interviews in a different way. The recruiter is a great resource. I ask if I’ll be whiteboarding or using a laptop, and whether I’ll be pairing with a developer at the company. I also ask if the recruiter can share a list of common topics. From there, I study any topics that feel particularly rusty and reread “Cracking the Coding Interview” by Gayle Laakmann McDowell. 

"I study any topics that feel particularly rusty and reread ‘Cracking the Coding Interview’ by Gayle Laakmann McDowell.’’ 

Finally, practice questions. I usually source questions from the same book or one of the many online coding challenges banks. I recommend finding a buddy to simulate an interview.   

WHAT ARE THE TOUGHEST OR MOST CHALLENGING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKED, AND HOW DID YOU RESPOND?

Chance lyon,  illfonic.

I was once interviewed at a large company known for its logic puzzle interview questions. For instance, “If you had an infinite supply of water and a 5-quart and a 3-quart pail, how would you measure exactly 4 quarts? And what is the least number of steps you need?”  

These types of questions can be quite difficult until you have the “epiphany”  moment, and are not very useful for determining programming talent. In another interview, I was simply told to “code Tic-Tac-Toe,”  and they let me go at it on a whiteboard for a few hours. A very large task with not much instruction. I didn't take the job.

TRAVIS GLOVER,  CONVOSO

The toughest questions I’ve been asked have always related to subject matter where I have little expertise. Whenever this happens, I try to answer the question as accurately and honestly as possible. 

In my experience, however, non-technical interview questions are not particularly difficult. The trick is remembering that honesty will always guide you to the best answer. Furthermore, hypothetical questions do not necessarily have a right and wrong answer and can offer room for thought leadership.

ALEX MOIR,  MYTHICAL GAMES

Knowing the right scenario and when to use recursion is a helpful interview skill. Early in my career, I was asked a pretty challenging algorithm question that I tried to solve without doing recursion, which was a bad move. I was taught in college to always try iterative first, which just isn’t practical for interviews. Even if you are told that you need recursion, this stumps people; trying to do it iteratively is impossible and you run out of room on the whiteboard. 

Staying calm and composed goes a long way because it is easy to get sidetracked worrying about time limits or feeling pressured by the various life changes you may have to consider when getting a new job. 

LUKE YEN,  ZWIFT

“ How would you rate yourself from 1-10, one being the worst and 10 being the best, at [skill sets]? ”

This is a simple yet incredibly difficult question to answer. Although most of the time the interviewer is genuinely curious how an interviewee rates themselves at a certain skill set, the question might be maliciously intended or create an unconscious bias. If an interviewee answers anything less than five, the follow-up question is usually along the lines of,  “ Why so subpar? ”  Conversely, if an interviewee answers anything greater than seven, get ready for tougher questions to follow. If you answer with anything between six and seven, you run the risk of appearing mediocre.

When I run into a question like this, I usually point out that it’s difficult to answer. It largely depends on my day-to-day condition. I have good days and I have bad days. On days where I feel like I am at the top of my game, I usually rate myself higher overall. But if I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I usually rate myself lower. In addition, as technical knowledge like C/C++ contains a broad scope of different fields, I might rate myself higher in areas I am familiar with and lower where I don’t have as much exposure. This response usually garners follow-up questions geared toward the fields of familiarity. Alter the questioning strategy to your advantage.

SYLVIE SHERMAN,  WEVR

I think questions about the biggest problems one has encountered in the past are really important to answer well, but can be difficult to speak about effectively. For questions like these, I try to follow a format in my answers. 

First, I explain the issue clearly, showing that I understand what the root of it was. Then, I explain what I tried that didn’t work and why. Finally, I explain how I ended up fixing it, the process that led me to that solution and how I’ve used knowledge gained from that experience moving forward. I want to show understanding above all, rather than stress the magnitude or difficulty of the problem.

MICHAEL HUFFMAN,  RAPID7

Unanswerable questions or questions that ask you to judge, guess or hypothesize an answer in a non-technical domain. Examples include, “How many tons of metal were used to construct the Eiffel Tower?” and “How many cars are in Los Angeles?” These pressure you to use creative thinking skills, interpolation and intuition. Great candidates will confidently ask questions, make sound judgement calls when guessing and come much closer than they expect.

SASHA TAILOR,  RIBBON

I had an in-person interview scheduled and not a lot of prep time, and there was going to be a refactoring exercise in a language and framework that I had no experience in. To prepare, I practiced using CodeAcademy and I researched common refactoring problems and best practices. It was clear from my resume that I didn’t know this language. But to manage expectations, I also let them know ahead of time by email, and brought it up in person to my interviewer. I wasn’t able to do the exercise as quickly as I would have liked, but I was able to clearly talk through my thought process and show understanding of the framework. It showed I could communicate and had a steep learning curve, which are valuable assets in an employee.

CHRISTIE RAMSARAN,  THESKIMM

I often find vague interview questions the most challenging. For example, I was once asked how I would replicate a feature from the interviewer’s code editor. Unfamiliar with the feature, I struggled to find an answer. I asked clarifying questions and ultimately responded with the data structure that would best suit the task. In hindsight, I should have spent more time understanding the problem before diving into a response.

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Software Engineer interviews: Everything you need to prepare

Nobody has time to grind hundreds of LeetCode questions, and the good news is that you don't need to do that many to actually get the job at FAANG!

I was frustrated at my job at Grab, a ridesharing company in South-east Asia and wanted to break into FAANG but I wasn't sure how to. After a few months of research, studying and practicing, I interviewed at 11 companies and managed to get 9 offers from top tech companies in the Bay Area - Facebook, Google, Airbnb, Palantir, Dropbox, Lyft, and some startups. It was a tedious process which I don't ever want to go through again. I went through that process but with this guide, you don't have to.

This guide will provide a quick overview of the top tips on how to prepare for a software engineer interview - both technical and non-technical interview rounds. Where relevant, you can delve into greater detail by accessing links in this overview article, or through the website's left sidebar.

How to prepare for your software engineering interview:

• Maximize your chances of being shortlisted
• Find out the interview format
• Pick a programming language
• Sharpen your Computer Science fundamentals for interviews
• Practice for the coding interview
• Prepare for the system design interview (for mid/senior levels)
• Prepare for the behavioral interview
• Negotiating the offer package

Maximize your chances of being shortlisted ​

Do you still have trouble getting shortlisted at some or all of the top tech companies? Your resume could be the issue.

Your resume is the single most important entry point to getting shortlisted in major tech companies like FAANG / MANGA. After getting shortlisted, your past achievements become markedly less important as compared to your coding interview skills - which as we know, can be methodically learnt. Being able to frame your past achievements well enough to get through the screening stage is hence very important.

Unfortunately, even the most qualified candidates I know personally don't know how to write a good resume and fail to get shortlisted. The truth is that when many of us don't get shortlisted at top tech companies like FAANG / MANGA, we tend to think that we were under-qualified - but in most cases, it's probably just the lack of good framing.

If you want to learn how to write a good software engineer resume, I've written a step-by-step guide here on software engineering resume preparation for companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Apple, with examples for your reference as well.

Find out the interview format ​

You may encounter various interview formats in your software engineer interviews (from early to late stage):

Frequency: Occasional

Quizzes are meant to be a first-pass filter as a quick and dirty way of weeding out extremely weak (or even non-technical) candidates. They are structured questions and have clear-cut answers which makes them possible to be administered by recruiters/non-technical folks or automated graders. They are typically done early in the process.

• What is 4 & 5 (in binary)? Answer: 4
• What is the time complexity of bubble sort? Answer: O(n 2 )

2. Online coding assessment ​

Like quizzes, online coding assessments are usually given early in the process. An algorithm problem is given with well-formed input and output and candidates are expected to write code in an online coding interface to solve the problem. HackerRank is a very common platform for conducting online coding assessments. LeetCode would be a good way to practice for the problem solving aspects of online coding assessments. However, in HackerRank you are typically expected to write code to read from stdin and also print to stdout, which can trip candidates up if they aren't familiar with the APIs.

3. Take home assignment ​

Frequency: Rare

There have been numerous debates on whether asking algorithm questions are a good way of assessing individual abilities as they aren't exactly the most relevant skills needed on a day-to-day basis at a job. Take home assignment is a format designed to address the shortcomings of the algorithm interview by getting candidates to work on larger projects which allow them to demonstrate software design skills.

However, this interview format takes up more time from both the candidates and the company and hence it is not as commonly seen in large companies where they have a high volume of candidates. This format is more common among startups and small companies. Examples

• Build a flights listing app
• Build a kanban app
• Build a snake game

4. Phone screen interviews ​

Frequency: Common

Phone interviews are the most common format and every candidate will face this at least once while interviewing. You will be asked to speak with an interviewer either over a phone call or VoIP (BlueJeans/Skype/Google Hangout). A question will be given to you and you will work on that question using an online collaborative editor (CoderPad/CodePen/Google Docs).

You are usually not allowed to execute the code even if the editor supports execution. So don't rely on that for verifying the correctness of your solution. Formats would differ slightly depending on the roles you are applying to. Many companies like to use CoderPad for collaborative code editing. CoderPad supports running of the program, so it is possible that you will be asked to fix your code such that it can be run. For front end interviews, many companies like to use CodePen , and it will be worth your time to familiarize yourself with the user interfaces of such web-based coding environments.

Check out coding interview best practices as well for do's and don'ts before your phone screen interviews.

5. Onsite ​

Frequency: Almost always

If you have made it to this stage, congratulations! This is usually the final stage before an offer decision. Candidates who made it to the onsite stage will be required to have an in-person interview at the office. If you are an overseas candidate, companies might even fly you in and pay for your accommodations!

The onsite stage usually consists of multiple rounds (coding, system design, behavioral) and is expected to last for a few hours. Since you are onsite, it is possible that you will be asked to do a whiteboard exercise with an interviewer, usually either solving an algorithm question or a system design question. It is also possible that you have to bring your own laptop and work on a project/solve a coding problem on the spot.

For onsite interviews at smaller (non-public) companies, most will allow (and prefer) that you use your own laptop. Hence it is important that you prepare your development environment in advance.

If the company provides lunch, you might also have a lunch session with an employee where you can find out more about the company culture.

Pick a programming language ​

With your resume done, the next step of your software engineering interview journey is a simple one and won't take long - decide on a programming language. Unless you're interviewing for a specialist position like mobile or front end where there are domain-specific languages, you should be free to use any language you want for the algorithmic coding interviews.

Most of the time, you'd already have one in mind - pick the one you use the most and you're the most comfortable with. The most common programming languages used for coding interviews are Python, Java, C++, and JavaScript. I wouldn't recommend learning an entirely new language just for coding interviews as it takes a while (few weeks at least on average) to become proficient enough in a language to wield it comfortably in an interview setting, which is already stressful enough on its own. My personal programming language of choice is Python because of how terse it is and the functions/data structures the standard library provides.

Read more on programming languages for coding interviews: Picking a programming language

Study and practice for coding interviews ​

The next and most important step is to practice solving algorithm questions in your chosen programming language. While Cracking the Coding Interview is a great resource, I prefer learning by actually solving problems.

There are many platforms that can be used for this - such as LeetCode, HackerRank and CodeForces. From my personal experience, LeetCode questions are most suitable for interview preparation whereas HackerRank and CodeForces are more for competitive programming.

However, LeetCode has thousands of questions and it can be daunting to know where to begin, or how to structure your practice. I have provided recommended preparation plans and also structured resources here:

Coding interview study plan ​

The recommended time period to set aside for coding interview preparation is 3 months (11 hours a week i.e. 2-3 hours a day) for a more holistic preparation. I shared my 3 month study plan here , which provides a list of coding interview topics with resources and practice questions that you should work through in order of priority every week. I will also be adding content on recommended 1 month and 1 week study plans soon.

If you have less than 3 months to prepare, you can generate your own study plans using the Grind 75 tool (built by me) which generates recommended study plans for coding interviews based on the time you have left. The algorithm behind it includes a ranking of questions by priority and also a balance between breadth and depth of topics covered.

Resources to use in your practice ​

In the market, there are plenty of resources vying for your attention, plenty of them just vying for your money but not providing any value. If I had to prioritize - these are the top coding interview preparation resources I would use in tandem:

• Grokking the Coding Interview: Patterns for Coding Questions
• AlgoMonster
• My (free) coding interview best practices guide
• My (free) coding interview techniques guide
• My (free) algorithms study guide

AlgoMonster ​

Apart from helping you master important coding interview data structures and algorithm questions through practice and easy to understand guides, AlgoMonster has the added perk of synthesizing common interview question patterns that you could apply to solve any other questions you have never encountered before. Made by Google engineers, this is definitely a quality platform to use as compared to the unstructured nature of LeetCode grinding. Data structures and algorithms questions are covered in all the common languages - Python, Java, C#, JavaScript, C++, Golang, and more. Join today for a 70% discount →

Grokking the Coding Interview: Patterns for Coding Questions ​

This course by Design Gurus expands upon the questions on the recommended practice questions but approaches the practicing from a questions pattern perspective, which is an approach I also agree with for learning and have personally used to get better at coding interviews. The course allows you to practice selected questions in Java, Python, C++, JavaScript and also provides sample solutions in those languages along with step-by-step visualizations. Learn and understand patterns, not memorize answers! Get lifetime access today →

My (free) coding interview best practices guide ​

If you have read the coding interview evaluation rubric used at top tech companies, you may be overwhelmed by the number of items evaluated and how to demonstrate hire behaviors consistently.

This coding interview best practices guide synthesizes actionable recommendations of what to do before, during and after your coding interviews to demonstrate hire signals.

I recommend to internalize and use the guide as an accompaniment while you practice coding interview questions - to ensure that you cultivate good habits and muscle memory with regards to interviews right from the beginning.

My (free) coding interview techniques guide ​

Is there a structured method to increase your chances of finding a good solution to the coding interview question? How about optimizing your approach's time and space complexity? My coding interview techniques guide teaches you a few techniques for handling questions that you have never encountered before - such as problem visualizing, solving by hand, breaking the problem into subproblems, etc.

My (free) algorithms study cheatsheets ​

I'm not sure if these would qualify as an in-depth guide - they are more like 1-page "study cheatsheets" of the best resources to study, best LeetCode questions to practice and the things to remember . However, they ensure you cover all the most important grounds, especially when you have no time. Because these are also the notes that helped me clinch top tech offers - they definitely work.

For more tips on coding interview preparation, refer to my full coding interview preparation guide here.

Try out mock coding interviews (with Google and Facebook engineers) ​

Coding right in front of your interviewer can be a nerve-wracking experience especially if you have never done it before - which is why getting hands-on experience is so important.

interviewing.io is currently the best mock technical interview resource in the market. It allows you to book mock coding interviews with real Google and Facebook engineers, albeit anonymously. You could even book interviews for specific roles like Mobile, Front End, Engineering Management. Even better - if you want to have an easier transition into real world coding interview - you could view recorded interviews and see what phone interviews are like.

Moreover, if you were to do well on your mock interviews, you will be able to unlock the "jobs page" which allows you to book interviews directly with top companies like Uber, Lyft, Quora, Asana and more. I've used interviewing.io both as an interviewer and an interviewee and found the experience to be excellent.

Prepare for the system design interview ​

If you are a mid or senior-level candidate, you may expect system design questions as part of your technical interview. They aren't covered adequately by LeetCode and good resources are still harder to come by.

The objective of system design interviews is to evaluate a candidate's skill at designing real-world software systems involving multiple components.

Utilize the best system design interview preparation resources ​

Some of the best system design interview preparation resources include:

• ByteByteGo - This is a new System Design course by Alex Xu, author of the System Design Interview books, a bestseller on Amazon. The course covers system designs basics, then goes into deep dives of the design of over 10 famous common products (e.g. Designing YouTube , Facebook Newsfeed, etc) and multiple big data and storage systems (e.g. Designing a Chat System ). For each deep dive, concepts are explained and comprehensive diagrams are used, making it very approachable for any seniority level.
• "Grokking the System Design Interview" by Design Gurus - This is probably the most famous system design interview course on the internet and what makes it different from most other courses out there is that it is purely text-based, which is great for people who prefer reading over watching videos (such as myself!). It contains a repository of the popular system design problems along with a glossary of system design basics. I've personally completed this course and have recommended many others to use this. Highly recommended!
• "System Design Interview Course" by Exponent - This course covers system designs basics and has a huge database of popular system design questions with videos of mock interviews. Some of the questions have text answers and a database schema and APIs for reference (which I find helpful). While the subscription might be a little pricey for just the system design interviews content, they also offer quality technical content for Data Structures , Algorithms and Behavioral Interviews . The convenience of a one-stop platform which covers all aspects of technical interview preparation is very enticing.
• "Grokking the Advanced System Design Interview" by Design Gurus - I haven't tried this but it's by the same people who created "Grokking the System Design Interview", so it should be good! In my opinion you probably wouldn't need this unless you're very senior or going for a specialist position.

Check out other Systems Design preparation guides and resources here.

Prepare for the behavioral interview ​

Every top tech company has at least one round of behavioral interviews for software engineers. Typically, behavioral interviews for software engineers include: Sharing about details of previous experiences on resume Providing examples of past situations and behavior that demonstrate certain behavioral attributes (e.g. conflict management, data driven) Sharing of ambitions and career plans

As much as these interviews seem "fluffy" or unstructured, there is actually a structured way to prepare for behavioral interviews:

1. Know the STAR format for answering them ​

The STAR format helps you to organize your answers to behavioral questions. This is most applicable to questions that require you to recount past experiences or behavior.

• Situation : Share details about the situation that gave rise to the task
• Specific benchmarks/outcomes required
• Action : Explain what you did to meet your objectives, describing options you had and how you made decisions
• Results : Describe the outcome of your actions and what you learnt

Read more: The STAR format for answering behavioral questions

2. Practice the most common behavioral questions for software engineers ​

Refer to the top 30 most common behavioral questions for Software Engineers

For more tips on behavioral interview preparation, refer to my full behavioral interview preparation guide here.

Negotiating the software engineer offer package ​

Finally, the last thing you absolutely need to prepare for before your interview is salary negotiation for software engineers. At any point during the interview process, conversation about salary may crop up. We also have in-depth guides about negotiation strategies and software engineer compensation .

And that is all from me - for more detail on each step of the software engineer interview preparation process, do dive into each topic within my handbook through the sidebar or by navigating to the next page!

Table of Contents

• 2. Online coding assessment
• 3. Take home assignment
• 4. Phone screen interviews
• Coding interview study plan
• Resources to use in your practice
• Try out mock coding interviews (with Google and Facebook engineers)
• Utilize the best system design interview preparation resources
• 1. Know the STAR format for answering them
• 2. Practice the most common behavioral questions for software engineers
• Negotiating the software engineer offer package

Software Engineer Interview Guide

Detailed, specific guidance on the Software Engineer interview process - with a breakdown of different stages and interview questions asked at each stage

The role of Software Engineer

Software engineers are responsible for creating and maintaining software products that span from everyday websites and mobile apps to complex operating systems and databases. The field has evolved, especially with the proliferation of software tools and products. 

Software engineers today have a diverse range of projects to work on, from websites to operating systems. Even with respect to future prospects, there are some exciting trends to keep an eye on. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are definitely shaping the landscape. Low-Code Development is simplifying the way companies create software, and Cloud Computing is revolutionising how they host and scale applications. Blockchain technology is gaining traction too.

While salaries in different domains and companies can vary, an average of $175,000 is a solid number, especially with the increasing demand for skilled software engineers.

Let's take a look at the comprehensive software engineering interview process.

There are four main rounds in the SWE (Software Engineering) interview process:

• Phone Screens (usually 2)
• Online Coding Assessment
• (Sometimes) Take-Home Assignment
• Onsite Interview (3–5) 

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Relevant Guides

Software engineer - phone screens.

Phone screens are typically the first step in the software engineer interview process. This initial phone screen is typically with a recruiter, and it serves as a way to get to know you slightly better. The recruiter will inquire about your interest in the role and discuss the basic requirements. 

They might ask:

• Tell me about yourself.
• What interests you about this role?
• Have you worked with [specific technology or skill] before?
• What are your salary expectations?

If it's a match, they help set up the next interview, which is often another phone screen but with the hiring manager. Here, they'll dive deeper. They could inquire about:

• Your technical background and experiences.
• A project you're particularly proud of and your role in it.
• How you approach problem-solving and collaboration.

This stage is also your chance to dig deeper into the company, the role, and the responsibilities. 

These rounds are your chance to ask questions and gather more information about the company and the role. 

The hiring manager might also inquire about your skills.

Software Engineer - Online coding assessment

These usually come early in the process. You're given an algorithm problem with clear inputs and outputs, and you have to write code in an online coding interface to solve it. For instance:

• Given an array, find the two elements that sum up to a specific target.
• Reverse a linked list.
• Implement a basic data structure like a stack or queue.

Platforms like HackerRank are commonly used for this. 

It's a good idea to practise on platforms like LeetCode to sharpen your problem-solving skills. Just be aware that in HackerRank, you might need to handle input and output through stdin and stdout, which can be tricky if you're not familiar with the APIs.

Read these articles

Software engineer - take-home assessment.

It's understood that algorithm questions in interviews might not always reflect the day-to-day job tasks. Take-home assignments are a great alternative, as they let candidates showcase their software design skills on larger projects in a real-world scenario.

However, it's worth noting that this approach can be time-consuming for both candidates and companies. Larger corporations tend to stick with algorithm questions due to the high volume of applicants. Take-home assignments are more common in startups and smaller companies. Here are a few example assignments candidates have reportedly been given:

• Flights Listing App
• E-commerce Website
• Social Media Dashboard
• Food Delivery Service

Software Engineer - Onsite Round

The on-site interviews typically consist of technical interviews, which involve coding and system design, as well as behavioral and cultural-fit interviews. Sometimes, they also have on-site skills tests, which are crucial to ensure that you can effectively handle the responsibilities of the role.

Technical Rounds

Coding Round

During the coding portion of the interview, you'll be asked to solve coding problems in front of the interviewers. This is a great way for potential employers to understand your problem-solving skills, thinking process, strengths, and applied knowledge.

You're typically given to tackle two to three coding problems, where you need to explain your approach as you go along.

Additionally, language knowledge can be a significant part of the interview. If the role you're applying for requires expertise in a specific programming language, be prepared to answer questions about your experience with that language and potentially solve problems using it.

System Design

Another important aspect is software architecture and system design. You may be presented with a high-level concept and a set of parameters or limitations and asked to describe how you would design a system within those constraints. This test assesses your ability to apply your knowledge of software architecture to practical scenarios. Be prepared to articulate your design decisions clearly.

For both the technical rounds, it's essential to prepare thoroughly by reviewing your coding skills, understanding software architecture principles, and being well-versed in the programming languages relevant to the position.

Behavioural Round

This one delves into your personality. The behavioral interview is crucial as it offers employers insights into how you're likely to behave in their work environment, helping them determine if you're a good fit.

Behavioral Interview questions are pretty consistent across different industries because they aim to gauge your workplace behavior. They might ask about your responses to certain scenarios, your self-assessment of skills, and your work-related values. 

However, the questions related to company culture fit can vary significantly from one company to another. This is because they are tailored to the specific culture and work environment of the company you're applying to. 

Be prepared for questions that explore what you seek in a workplace and how much importance you place on the company's mission and values. Be sure to research the company culture beforehand to answer these questions effectively.

Interview Questions

• Do you have experience with [specific programming language]? Can you solve this problem using it?
• Describe how you would design a scalable system for [specific scenario] with the given constraints.
• Tell me about a challenging situation you faced in a previous job. How did you handle it?
• Can you describe a time when you had to work on a project with a tight deadline? How did you manage it?
• What do you consider your greatest strengths in a professional setting, and can you provide an example of when you demonstrated them?
• How do you handle conflicts or disagreements with team members?
• Implement a data structure for a specific use case, like a priority queue or a hash table.
• Write code to perform a complex algorithm, such as Dijkstra's algorithm or A* search.
• Given a real-world problem, design an object-oriented solution with classes and methods.
• Solve a coding problem that involves multiple components and classes.
• Explain the time and space complexity of your code in detail.
• Design a distributed system for a social media platform with millions of users.
• Explain the architecture of a large-scale e-commerce website, including load balancing, caching, and data storage.
• Design a recommendation system for a streaming service like Netflix.
• Describe how you would build a fault-tolerant and scalable messaging service like WhatsApp.

Here are some tips to help you crack those interviews. 

• First and foremost, start your preparation early. The more time you invest, the better you can excel in both technical and behavioural sections. Effective time management is crucial – it's not just about getting the right answer, but doing it within the given time limit. Timed mock tests are your friend.
• Practice, practice, practice. This can't be emphasised enough. Solve coding problems on paper, whiteboards, and computers. Analyse your problem-solving approach to improve. Learning about the company is often overlooked. Research the organisation, its projects, and goals. This knowledge will set you apart and help you ask relevant questions during the interview.
• Have a company-specific approach. Tailor your preparation to align with the company's values and expectations. 
• Finally, our most important tip: Mock interviews—they are invaluable. Practice with technical experts from your target companies—this is possible with Prepfully. You can book a session with SWEs right here. Get feedback, identify areas for improvement, and set yourself up for success. 

Skills and Qualifications Required for a Software Engineer

Here are the skills and qualifications that a software engineer requires.

• A Bachelor's Degree in Software Engineering provides a competitive advantage, demonstrating knowledge and experience in developing complex systems. It offers foundational knowledge and specialisation in areas like network administration, software security, and user interface design. Often, a bachelor's degree is a minimum requirement for higher-level roles.
• Software engineers need a mix of technical and non-technical skills, including proficiency in languages like JavaScript, Linux/Unix, and more, as well as the ability to transform requirements into designs, analyse complex technical information, and write detailed technical specs. Soft skills like communication, collaboration, problem-solving, organisation, time management, and project management are equally vital
• Internships which have helped you build skills, connections, and professionalism in software engineering can be a huge plus, especially if you're a fresher.
• Entry-level experience involves working on small projects or components of larger projects, understanding business needs, coding, debugging, and testing
• Software engineers should consider industry-specific certifications such as AWS Certified Developer, MCSD, OCJP, and CCNA to demonstrate expertise and stay updated on industry trends.
• For career advancement, a Master's Degree in Software Engineering or a related field can provide specialised skills and open doors to higher-level positions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What technical topics are commonly covered in Software Engineer interviews?

Is there a coding assessment or programming component in the Software Engineer interview process?

How can I prepare for technical interviews in the Software Engineer interview process?

Are there behavioral or situational interview questions in the process?

What should I know about the company's culture during the interview process?

Relevant interview guides

• Coding , Software Development

Caltech Bootcamp / Blog / /

A Guide to Software Engineer Interview Questions

• Written by John Terra
• Updated on February 27, 2024

Interview preparation is critical. If you’re ready for whatever a recruiter asks you, you will be more confident and have a greater chance of completing the interview. To that end, we present a collection of the most commonly asked software engineer interview questions, divided into beginner and experienced sections.

Although we can only anticipate some of the questions you may encounter, we include various technical interview questions software engineers could face.

Let’s begin by exploring what a software engineer does, then move on to the actual software engineer and software developer interview questions (and answers!). Finally, we will share an online full stack web developer program you can take to gain the knowledge and skills you need to back up your answers.

What Does a Software Engineer Do?

Software engineers apply their knowledge of programming languages and engineering principles to develop software solutions for end users, designing and developing business applications, operating systems, computer games, network control systems, and middleware.

The occupations of “software engineer” and “software developer” are frequently used interchangeably. However, software developers focus on writing specific scalable, efficient, and maintainable code, integrating APIs, building and maintaining database systems, etc. In contrast, software engineers plan, design, develop, and construct a whole software or computer system.

So, software development is, in fact, a part of the software engineering process. The software developers work with clients to determine their wants and lead the design implementation team. In contrast, software engineers build the needed systems.

Since the two positions share significant overlap, the following software engineer interview questions could be used to prepare for interviews for either job. We’re offering ten questions per skill level.

Software Engineer Interview Questions for Beginners

• Name the primary software categories.

The categories are:

• Application software
• Artificial Intelligence software
• Embedded software
• Scientific software
• System software
• Web Applications
• What’s the primary difference between computer software and a computer program?

Computer programs are pieces of programming code that perform a well-defined task. Computer software includes programming code, plus all documentation and user guides.

• Define a framework

Frameworks are a popular method of developing and deploying software, consisting of tools that facilitate software development by providing information on how to build it on an abstract level instead of giving exact details.

• Name the six major software characteristics.

The six characteristics are:

• Functionality. The things that software is intended to do.
• Efficiency. The software can use the provided resources in the best ways possible. When you increase software efficiency, it improves resource utilization and consequently reduces cost.
• Reliability. The probability of failure-free operational software within an environment.
• Usability. This refers to the customer’s experience while using the software and determines user satisfaction.
• Maintainability. How easy it is to repair, improve, and understand the software code.
• Portability . The ease with which the software can be moved from one environment to another.
• What are the stages of the software development life cycle (SDLC)?

The stages are:

• Requirements gathering and analysis
• Coding and implementation
• Maintenance
• Name the different SDLC models and which is generally recognized as the best.

The SDLC models are:

• Agile Model
• Big bang model
• Incremental model
• Iterative model
• Spiral model
• Waterfall model

Agile is generally considered the best SDLC model and is most often used in the IT industry since it’s a fusion of incremental and iterative approaches that are especially well-suited for flexible environments.

• What does CASE stand for, and what are the different CASE tools?

CASE stands for Computer-AidedSoftware Engineering. The tools are:

• Code Generation Tool
• Document Production Tool
• Requirement Analysis Tool
• Reverse Engineering Tool
• Structure Analysis Tool
• Software Design Tool
• Test Case Generation Tool
• What are the advantages of the incremental model?

The advantages are:

• It can deliver iterations faster
• Development occurs in parallel to each other
• Developers can reduce the initial delivery cost by using this model
• The client or user can provide feedback at every level, which helps minimize unexpected requirement changes
• Developers can identify and manage risks on a module-by-module basis
• Explain verification and validation.

Verification is the process of ensuring the software accomplishes its objectives without defects. It determines if the product being developed is correct or not and whether it meets specifications. Verification is mainly focused on functionality. On the other hand, validation determines whether the software meets the required standards or, put another way, whether the software meets the product’s established quality criteria.

• Explain prototyping and POC.

A prototype is a working model of the software but with limited functionality. The prototype may contain the logic used in the final software program and, consequently, is an additional work that must be considered in the calculation. Users can use prototyping to review and test the developer’s proposals before implementation. Prototyping also aids in comprehending user-specific details that the developer may have otherwise missed during the product development stage. On the other hand, Proof of Concept (or POC) is a method used to validate a concept or idea’s practicality. This stage occurs before the beginning of the software development process. A mini project is built based on technical capability and business model to see if a concept can be executed.

Software Engineer Interview Questions for Experienced Professionals

• What is a feasibility study in the context of software engineering?

A feasibility study measures software products regarding how helpful product development will be for the organization from a practical standpoint. Feasibility studies are done for many reasons, including determining if a software product is appropriate regarding development, implementation, and project value to the company. Feasibility studies concentrate on these areas:

• Economic feasibility
• Technical feasibility
• Operational feasibility
• Legal feasibility
• Schedule feasibility
• What are black box and white box testing?

Black box testing is a method of high-level testing with a primary goal of evaluating functionalities from a behavioral standpoint. The tester doesn’t test the code but uses the program to see if it functions as expected. You perform white box testing when you have insights into the code or broad information about the software’s architecture. It’s also known as clear box testing and falls under the classification of low-level testing. White box testing is mainly concerned with integration and unit testing and requires programming expertise or at least a solid grasp of the code used to implement a particular functionality.

• Define concurrency.

Concurrency describes a set of mechanisms and techniques that let the software perform many tasks simultaneously. Developers can achieve concurrency using languages like C++ or Java since these languages support the thread concept. You must have new hardware and software features to achieve concurrency.

• What are software metrics, and what are they suitable for?

Software Metrics are quantitative measures of program properties that can be utilized for an extensive range of things like analyzing software performance, planning, estimating productivity, etc. Software metrics include code complexities, load testing, average failure rate, stress testing, lines of code, etc. The benefits of software metrics include:

• Cost reduction
• Increased ROI (return on investment)
• Reduced workloads
• Highlights areas for improvement
• What is adaptive maintenance?

Adaptive maintenance is the modifications and updates a customer needs to run the product on new platforms, operating systems, hardware, or applications.

• What’s a Level-0 Data flow diagram?

The highest abstraction level of the DFD is called Level 0, but it is also called context level DFD. This displays the entire information system as one diagram.

• What distinguishes quality assurance from quality control?

Quality assurance checks if the correct processes are followed while developing software, while quality control deals with maintaining the software product’s quality. Quality assurance is preventative; quality control is corrective.

• Explain software configuration management.

Software Configuration Management (SCM) occurs during the Software Development Life Cycle and is a method of systematically managing, organizing, and controlling changes in code, documents, and other entities. Its primary purpose is to enhance production while making as few errors as possible.

• What’s the difference between cohesion and coupling?

Cohesion describes relationships within modules, and increased cohesion is ultimately good for software. Coupling describes the relationships between modules and should be avoided.

• What does OSI stand for, and what are its model layers?

OSI stands for Open Systems Interconnection (OSI). Its model layers are:

• Physical, which transmits raw bit data over a physical medium
• Data Link, which defines the data format
• Network, which defines the physical path for the data
• Transport and transmit data using protocols
• Session, responsible for ports and session control
• Presentation, displaying data in a usable format
• Application, enabling human-computer interaction
• SPECIAL BONUS SOFTWARE DEVELOPER INTERVIEW QUESTION: List some essential code quality tools you’ve worked with.

Recruiters want to know what kind of experience you have with software engineering and development applications. Here’s a list of some of the most popular ones. Make sure you familiarize yourself with some of them before interviewing.

How to Prepare for a Software Engineer Interview

• Research the company. Conduct research and learn about the position, including expectations, challenges, and likely projects. Interviewers like it when they see that the candidates have gotten acquainted with the organization.
• Match your skills to the job requirements. Prepare answers to interview questions that highlight the skills that the employer needs.
• Give examples of your achievements. Call out noteworthy accomplishments that will show employers examples of how your past performances yielded successful results.
• Make a list of questions for YOU to ask . Interviewers often give applicants a chance to ask questions after the interview. Use this time to ask insightful questions about the position, including what’s expected of you, possible learning/training opportunities, etc.

Do You Want to Learn About Full Stack Web Development?

Full-stack web developers share common ground with software engineers and developers. Full stack development involves creating an application from the front end (users) to the back end (systems) and is a highly sought-after profession. If you’d like full stack web development training, consider enrolling in this web development bootcamp .

This intense, 9-month program teaches you the necessary full stack development skills and AI topics, such as generative AI and prompt engineering, while helping you build your own Git portfolio. According to Indeed.com, full-stack web developers earn an annual salary of $123,900. Sign up for this highly instructive bootcamp and secure the skills needed for an exciting new career. Most importantly, be assured that you can ace software engineer interview questions!

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47 case interview examples (from McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc.)

One of the best ways to prepare for   case interviews  at firms like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, is by studying case interview examples. 

There are a lot of free sample cases out there, but it's really hard to know where to start. So in this article, we have listed all the best free case examples available, in one place.

The below list of resources includes interactive case interview samples provided by consulting firms, video case interview demonstrations, case books, and materials developed by the team here at IGotAnOffer. Let's continue to the list.

• McKinsey examples
• BCG examples
• Bain examples
• Deloitte examples
• Other firms' examples
• Case books from consulting clubs
• Case interview preparation

Click here to practise 1-on-1 with MBB ex-interviewers

1. mckinsey case interview examples.

• Beautify case interview (McKinsey website)
• Diconsa case interview (McKinsey website)
• Electro-light case interview (McKinsey website)
• GlobaPharm case interview (McKinsey website)
• National Education case interview (McKinsey website)
• Talbot Trucks case interview (McKinsey website)
• Shops Corporation case interview (McKinsey website)
• Conservation Forever case interview (McKinsey website)
• McKinsey case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)
• McKinsey live case interview extract (by IGotAnOffer) - See below

2. BCG case interview examples

• Foods Inc and GenCo case samples  (BCG website)
• Chateau Boomerang written case interview  (BCG website)
• BCG case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)
• Written cases guide (by IGotAnOffer)
• BCG live case interview with notes (by IGotAnOffer)
• BCG mock case interview with ex-BCG associate director - Public sector case (by IGotAnOffer)
• BCG mock case interview: Revenue problem case (by IGotAnOffer) - See below

3. Bain case interview examples

• CoffeeCo practice case (Bain website)
• FashionCo practice case (Bain website)
• Associate Consultant mock interview video (Bain website)
• Consultant mock interview video (Bain website)
• Written case interview tips (Bain website)
• Bain case interview guide   (by IGotAnOffer)
• Bain case mock interview with ex-Bain manager (below)

4. Deloitte case interview examples

• Engagement Strategy practice case (Deloitte website)
• Recreation Unlimited practice case (Deloitte website)
• Strategic Vision practice case (Deloitte website)
• Retail Strategy practice case  (Deloitte website)
• Finance Strategy practice case  (Deloitte website)
• Talent Management practice case (Deloitte website)
• Enterprise Resource Management practice case (Deloitte website)
• Footloose written case  (by Deloitte)
• Deloitte case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

5. Accenture case interview examples

• Case interview workbook (by Accenture)
• Accenture case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

6. OC&C case interview examples

• Leisure Club case example (by OC&C)
• Imported Spirits case example (by OC&C)

7. Oliver Wyman case interview examples

• Wumbleworld case sample (Oliver Wyman website)
• Aqualine case sample (Oliver Wyman website)
• Oliver Wyman case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

8. A.T. Kearney case interview examples

• Promotion planning case question (A.T. Kearney website)
• Consulting case book and examples (by A.T. Kearney)
• AT Kearney case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

9. Strategy& / PWC case interview examples

• Presentation overview with sample questions (by Strategy& / PWC)
• Strategy& / PWC case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

10. L.E.K. Consulting case interview examples

• Case interview example video walkthrough   (L.E.K. website)
• Market sizing case example video walkthrough  (L.E.K. website)

11. Roland Berger case interview examples

• Transit oriented development case webinar part 1  (Roland Berger website)
• Transit oriented development case webinar part 2   (Roland Berger website)
• 3D printed hip implants case webinar part 1   (Roland Berger website)
• 3D printed hip implants case webinar part 2   (Roland Berger website)
• Roland Berger case interview guide   (by IGotAnOffer)

12. Capital One case interview examples

• Case interview example video walkthrough  (Capital One website)
• Capital One case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

13. Consulting clubs case interview examples

• Berkeley case book (2006)
• Columbia case book (2006)
• Darden case book (2012)
• Darden case book (2018)
• Duke case book (2010)
• Duke case book (2014)
• ESADE case book (2011)
• Goizueta case book (2006)
• Illinois case book (2015)
• LBS case book (2006)
• MIT case book (2001)
• Notre Dame case book (2017)
• Ross case book (2010)
• Wharton case book (2010)

Practice with experts

Using case interview examples is a key part of your interview preparation, but it isn’t enough.

At some point you’ll want to practise with friends or family who can give some useful feedback. However, if you really want the best possible preparation for your case interview, you'll also want to work with ex-consultants who have experience running interviews at McKinsey, Bain, BCG, etc.

If you know anyone who fits that description, fantastic! But for most of us, it's tough to find the right connections to make this happen. And it might also be difficult to practice multiple hours with that person unless you know them really well.

Here's the good news. We've already made the connections for you. We’ve created a coaching service where you can do mock case interviews 1-on-1 with ex-interviewers from MBB firms . Start scheduling sessions today!

The IGotAnOffer team

Mr. Max Mautner

The case interview (of software engineering).

Software engineers have two jobs:

• their day job
• their preparation for job interviews

These two jobs do not overlap much.

Preparing for the job interview (separate of preparing for the job) is a valuable activity for software engineers, as it can directly improve your chances of getting the job in the first place.

Given that, I can share from personal experience that the “system design” interview has risen in popularity for software engineering jobs.

Much like consulting firms and case interviews , system design interviews are evaluating:

• your communication abilities,
• your information-seeking abilities,
• your ability to discover constraints of a problem and find a solution that accounts for the constraints

There are a ton of free and paid information resources out there online for helping you prepare for the system design interview.

Specifically, Facebook coaches job applicants (which I was at one time) on how to prepare for these interviews.

They even pay for an online course curriculum that you can study as a job applicant.

To the best of my ability, I followed the interview prep course that Facebook provided and took notes below.

The course lays out a framework for presenting your solution to a system design job interview question:

• what problem is this system trying to address?
• define read/write API specifications (at a high level)
• number of requests/second
• quantity of data I/O (in flight, on disk)–media files (text, image, video)
• entity-relationship diagram between them
• uniqueness constraints
• encryption?
• numerical integrity (integer vs. floating point data truncation) when dealing with $$$
• draw a system diagram
• sketch how requests flow through the system and the system’s components (e.g. load balancer, app-server, database)
• draw element of the system proportionately to cost/”size” (e.g. traffic, # of instances)
• is the system usage uniform? Or spikey?
• pros/cons of sharding, what to shard by (time? tenant?)
• optimize for reads or writes?
• what to cache and how cache is managed/designed
• how to monitor our system’s performance at different points

Now the real question: did this course improve my perceived performance to my interviewers vs. not having consumed this content?

It’s hard to say, but I think so.

Demonstrating familiarity with the system design format shows that:

• you are taking the process seriously
• you are a competitive candidate for roles at other employers
• you might be an effective interviewer of candidates yourself, after you are hired

In conclusion, I would recommend preparating for the system design interview format in your softare engineering job search.

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20+ problem-solving interview questions for software engineer, company news, diversity & inclusion, imocha engineering product updates remote hiring skills assessment.

• Tech Recruitment (230)
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Would you believe knowing your employees' problem-solving skills can help you exert control over the future? Well yes! Problem-solving and problem-solving processes are critical parts of our everyday lives. We ought to develop and refine these skills through day-to-day problems while working in a professional environment.

But did you know you can set a relaxing and streamlined tone throughout the team by learning the candidate's propensity towards problematic situations? When you measure a candidate's problem-solving skills and complexity, you can make informed and logical decisions in critical cases. Therefore, you can hand over the right situation to the right candidate, avoiding all the last-minute hassle and stress among the team.

Want to learn more about problem-solving skills and problem-solving, problem-solving interview questions for software engineers, skills etc.? Keep reading.

What is a problem-solving interview?

Moving on to the next most crucial aspect, how do you define problem-solving interviews?

Problem-solving interviews are mainly used to identify, assess and evaluate an applicant's approach to critical and difficult situations. Since problems are inevitable in every industry, having a candidate with strong problem-solving abilities could be of great use.

Here are the core steps the candidate must follow while solving a problem

• Identifying and determining the problem
• Coming up with all possible solutions
• Evaluate and eliminate the option
• Figure out the best solution
• Implement the solution
• Estimate the outcome

What are the key takeaways for effective problem-solving interview questions?

Good problem-solving interview questions are designed to gauge a candidate's aptitude for identifying, analyzing, and resolving intricate issues. The following are some important considerations for formulating and performing successful problem-solving interview questions:

• Adapt questions to job requirements: Questions should be adapted to the particular job requirements. Ask questions that are specifically related to the aptitudes and skills needed for the position.
• Employ behavioral inquiries: Behavioral inquiries ask the candidate to provide concrete examples of times when they have addressed challenges. This method aids in evaluating a candidate's capacity for problem-solving as well as their ability to explain their reasoning.
• Employ open-ended inquiries: Open-ended inquiries provide the applicant the chance to show off their imagination and critical thinking abilities. These inquiries are meant to get the candidate to consider options beyond the obvious.
• Employ hypothetical questions: Using hypothetical questions can help assess a candidate's creativity and problem-solving abilities. These can be used to judge a candidate's capacity for situational analysis and idea generation.
• Suggest follow-up inquiries: The interviewer can go deeper into a candidate's cognitive process with the help of follow-up questions. Also, they can be used to shed light on the candidate's responses and point out any areas that may require further improvement.
•  Analyze your problem-solving abilities overall: It's crucial to consider a candidate's capacity to provide solutions, implement them, and evaluate their efficacy while assessing their problem-solving skills.
• Check for signs of cooperation: Working with people to solve problems is frequently a collaborative process. So, you must look for proof that the applicant can identify challenges and collaborate with others to find solutions.

These important lessons can help interviewers construct problem-solving interview questions that accurately gauge a candidate's capacity to take on challenging situations and come up with workable answers.

Which job positions can use problem-solving interview questions?

Here's the list of job positions that requires problem-solving interview questions:

• IT developers
• Business Analyst
• Data Scientist
• Logistic manager
• Software Technical support
• Senior IT Specialist
• Technical Customer Support
• Software Engineer
• Technical Consultant

Want to assess the candidate's problem-solving abilities within half-time? Try iMocha's   Aptitude assessments.

How to assess problem-solving skills of a software engineer?

Assessing software engineers demands rigorous time and work through thousands of resumes, then interviews. But this entire procedure can be streamlined by using a top leading talent assessment portal such as   iMocha .

iMocha offers that can help recruiters determine the prospect's potential, skills, dexterity, and reliability for the offered position. Using iMocha's world's most extensive content library of 2500+ skills, hiring managers can prepare for various job roles; such recruiters can prepare customized tests for problem-solving interview questions for software engineers to assess non-technical skills.

To assess candidates' technical skills, iMocha offers an exclusive set of AI-driven advanced features such as

• AI-LogicBox;   stimulates a pseudo coding environment resulting in reduced candidate turnover time.
• Live coding interview;   evaluate candidates' logical thinking and problem-solving capabilities remotely
• Code Replay;   enables employers to observe how applicants write code in order to assess their approach to problem-solving.   

We have broken-down problem-solving questions into technical and non-technical categories.

Examples of technical problem-solving interview questions to ask for software engineer

• How would you troubleshoot and debug a system?
• How to scale a web application to handle increased traffic?
• Explain how to implement a load balancer for a web application.
• Explain the approach to resolving a security vulnerability in a software system.
• Explain how you would optimize the performance of a specific algorithm.
• How would you resolve a compatibility issue between different system components?
• Explain the approach to resolving a data integrity issue in a database.
• How would you resolve a configuration management issue in a system?  
• How would you resolve a cross-browser compatibility issue in a web application?  
• Explain implementing a data backup and recovery strategy for a system.  

Examples of non-technical problem-solving interview questions to ask for software engineer  

• Have you experienced a stressful situation? If yes, how did you handle it?  
• How would you handle project deadlines in a situation where a project is falling behind schedule?  
• Can you give an example where you identified a problem and took action to prevent it from happening?  
• How do you stay organized and manage your workload effectively?  
• What are your great learnings from mistakes? How did you manage your mistakes?  
• How do you stay focused and motivated when working on long-term projects or tasks?  
• What strategies did you implement to achieve your goals?  
• How good are you at maintaining documents of your programming work?  
• How do you manage the priority and scope of work?  
• What makes you a great problem solver?  

How to customize problem-solving Interview questions

Integrating iMocha's ready-made job-role-based tests and content library with your own interview questions allows you to create customized problem-solving interview questions for software engineers for any other role.

Software Engineer problem-solving questions will expose candidates to a series of hypothetical scenarios. By analyzing candidates' answers, recruiters will be able to understand and determine the extent to which a candidate can implement their problem-solving questions.  

If you're looking forward to making an informed and data-driven hiring decision, try iMocha's skills assessments. iMocha offers an array of skills assessments, including aptitude, critical thinking, business analysis, cognitive ability, and more. Explore iMocha's vast skill library to find job-specific skill assessments.   

Why should software engineers be tested on their problem-solving abilities?   

Since problems are inevitable in any industry or business, acquiring strong problem-solving skills is indispensable. As a software developer, your ability to detect and solve software issues using deductive reasoning is crucial to your success.

Payal Rajpoot

Understanding talent analytics is vital for your organization's growth. stay ahead of the curve with imocha's insights., subscribe to our blog, related posts, top 12 skills tracking software 2024.

As a business, you need comprehensive and in-depth insights into your talent pool. Insights about your workforce’s skills, experience, and education, among other things.

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Tutorial: Case Studies in Software Engineering

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Runeson, P., Höst, M. (2009). Tutorial: Case Studies in Software Engineering. In: Bomarius, F., Oivo, M., Jaring, P., Abrahamsson, P. (eds) Product-Focused Software Process Improvement. PROFES 2009. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 32. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02152-7_36

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