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What are Common Software Engineering Interview Questions?

G. Wiesen
G. Wiesen

Common software engineering interview questions can vary greatly depending on the type of work a person is looking for within the information technology (IT) industry. Software engineering can cover a wide range of positions, and these different positions will likely have different interview questions. Someone interested in programming or writing code, for example, should expect questions about syntax and programming in various languages, while someone looking to work in software testing will often be asked about documentation and testing procedures. There are also software engineering interview questions that will typically be based on a person’s previous experience and certification in working with different software.

Software engineering interview questions are those questions that will typically be asked of someone interested in employment as a software engineer. A software engineer can do many different things in different companies and aspects of the IT industry, and so the questions someone should expect can also vary quite widely. In general, an applicant should expect software engineering interview questions specific to the job he or she is interested in and with regard to his or her previous experience.

Software engineer interview questions cover topics such as syntax and programming.
Software engineer interview questions cover topics such as syntax and programming.

Someone interested in working in software programming, for example, should expect software engineering interview questions specific to the requirements of programming. These questions will typically be used to determine how adept a person is with programming and can include anything from simple questions about programming language syntax to more general questions about different approaches or philosophies regarding coding. A prospective programmer might be asked software engineering interview questions about specific programming languages or software used at the place where he or she is interviewing, so determining what programs and languages are used before an interview can be helpful.

Software engineering interview questions will typically be based on a person’s previous experience and certification.
Software engineering interview questions will typically be based on a person’s previous experience and certification.

Software engineering interview questions for someone interested in working as a software tester, on the other hand, will likely revolve around testing procedures and practices. The applicant might be asked about how to properly document bugs or changes that need to be made, as well as methods used to stress test programs and systems for errors or potential problems. There may be some overlap in the types of questions asked of these different positions, but an applicant should be prepared for questions specific to his or her desired position.

Most job interviews include questions about work ethic and past employment, as well as about practical skills.
Most job interviews include questions about work ethic and past employment, as well as about practical skills.

It is also likely that someone will be asked software engineering interview questions regarding his or her previous experience and professional certification. This can include questions about people the applicant worked with or other companies he or she worked for, often to determine how well the applicant can work as part of a larger team. Since certification can often be provided by a number of different sources, an applicant might also be asked about how he or she was certified for using certain software or programming languages.

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    • Software engineer interview questions cover topics such as syntax and programming.
      By: nyul
      Software engineer interview questions cover topics such as syntax and programming.
    • Software engineering interview questions will typically be based on a person’s previous experience and certification.
      By: silver-john
      Software engineering interview questions will typically be based on a person’s previous experience and certification.
    • Most job interviews include questions about work ethic and past employment, as well as about practical skills.
      By: WavebreakmediaMicro
      Most job interviews include questions about work ethic and past employment, as well as about practical skills.
    • How a candidate deals with stress may be addressed during a software engineering interview.
      By: Photosebia
      How a candidate deals with stress may be addressed during a software engineering interview.