Top 45 Software Engineering Interview Questions and Answers

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A software engineering career path involves designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software applications. As a software engineer, you’ll work with programming languages, frameworks, and tools to solve complex problems and build scalable systems. You’ll also collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, and quality assurance engineers. You will find these questions helpful if you are trying to land a software engineering job as a:

• Software Engineer
• Software Development Engineer
• Software Quality and Assurance Engineer
• System Engineer
• Software Architect
• Software Security Engineer, and many more.

We have classified the Software Engineering interview questions into three categories:

1. Basic Software Engineering Interview Questions
2. Intermediate Software Engineering Interview Questions
3. Advanced Software Engineering Interview Questions

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Basic Software Engineering Interview Questions for Freshers

First, let’s look at some of the frequently asked questions that are moderately easy. Most questions that come under this category are definitions and examples. These questions are asked to test your foundational knowledge of the domain. Try to answer the below questions by yourself first to check your knowledge.

Q1. What do you understand by the term Software Engineering?

In a nutshell, Software Engineering refers to the domain of computer science that deals with the comprehensive and systematic designing and development of software from scratch. It also deals with optimization, maintenance, operations, and implementation of the proposed software. The professionals who work in this field are called Software Engineers.

Q2. What is meant by the term ‘Program’?

A computer program refers to a set of written instructions for the computer to be executed to complete a task. It is a component of software written by developers or coders using programming languages like C, CPP, Java, Python, and many more. The computer program in its human-readable state is known as a source code. For example, a code is written in CPP programming language to calculate the consecutive Fibonacci number.

Q3. State the differences between ‘Software’ and ‘Program’.

Q4. Expand the term “COCOMO” and give its definition.

The COCOMO (Constructive Cost Model) model was first proposed by Boehm in 1981. It is most commonly used by software engineers at the time of documentation of the proposed software. A COCOMO model is used to predict the efforts required for development, cost estimation, size estimation, and quality of the to-be-delivered software.

Q5. What are the different phases in SDLC?

SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) is a life cycle model that depicts every procedure needed to move a software product through each stage during its development cycle.

The different stages in the Software Development Life Cycle are – 

• Planning
• Analysis
• Design 
• Development
• Testing
• Implementation
• Maintenance

Q6. State 5 characteristics of efficient software.

The top five characteristics of efficient software are: 

• Reliability
• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Accuracy
• Robustness

Q7. Define Reverse Engineering.

Software reverse engineering is the process of determining a product’s design, functional requirements, and configuration through an analysis of its code. It creates a program database and uses this database to produce information. Reverse engineering aims to simplify the maintenance of the software by making the system easy to understand and creating the documentation for the old system

The main goals of software reverse engineering are –

• Minimization of code’s complexity
• Recovering lost information
• Finding out about the procedure used for the development
• Enhance data abstraction

Q8. Define Programming Language and Framework with examples.

Programming language – A programming language refers to the type of computer language that is readable and understandable by both computer systems and humans (developers). It serves as a medium of communication medium between the computer system and the humans (developer). Generally, the programming language is used to write a set of instructions to perform a specific task. 

Examples of programming language – Some of the prominent examples of programming languages are C, CPP, Java, PHP, Python, and many more.

Framework – A framework is a structure on which you can build software/ a framework is a library of fundamental codes that can be used for various purposes. It is used to make programming in any language easier, at the same time it increases the extendibility of the programming language.  Framework platforms are highly versatile, reusable, and equipped with useful tools that make development more productive.  A variety of software frameworks are available for programmers to choose from to provide the functionality required for various projects. Frameworks are frequently created using well-known programming languages.

Examples of Framework – React JS, Node JS, Express JS, and many more based on JavaScript.

Q9. What is meant by a feasibility study in SDLC?

A feasibility study is used to evaluate and analyze how suitable projects and systems are for further development. It evaluates a software product’s potential to benefit a company from a validity analysis or practical perspective. This study is carried out for reasons, including assessing the suitability of a software product in terms of its development, portability, contribution to an organization’s projects, etc.

Q10. Comment on the use of different software development models.

A software project development model is a collection of procedures and methods used in the project’s development. To accomplish the project development objectives, businesses use a variety of software development life cycle models. Depending on the workflow organization strategy used – linear or iterative and the kinds of relationships established between the development team and the client, all SDLC models can be divided into several categories.

There are around 50 accepted different types of Software Development Life Cycle Models present in the domain of Software Engineering. But the most commonly used, accepted, and accurate models are listed below – 

• Agile
• Waterfall
• Iterative
• Spiral
• V-Model
• Prototyping

Q11. Expand the term DFD and explain its usage.

DFD stands for Data-Flow Diagram. A Data-Flow Diagram is a visual representation of how data moves through a system or a process. It gives details about each entity’s inputs and outputs and the process itself. A Data-Flow Diagram lacks loops, decision rules, and control flow. There are four main components in DFD diagrams, they are an entity, a process, a data store, and a data flow.

Q12. Describe Cohesion and Coupling, and state the relationship between them.

Cohesion – The cohesion of a module serves as a sign of its internal relationships. It is an intra-module idea. There are various degrees of cohesion, but typically, software benefits from high cohesiveness.

Coupling – Coupling also serves as a symbol for the connections between modules. It is an inter-module idea. Low coupling is preferred for optimized software.

The relationship between cohesion and coupling is that higher cohesion tends to lead to lower coupling, and vice versa. This is because when the elements within a module are closely related to each other(high cohesion), they are less likely to rely on elements outside of that module(low coupling).

Likewise, when the elements within a module are loosely related to each other(low cohesion), they are more likely to depend on elements outside of that module(high coupling).

Q13. What types of maintenance does software go through?

The Software Development Life Cycle includes software maintenance. Its main objective is to update and alter software applications after delivery to fix bugs and boost performance. A model of the real world exists in software. Wherever real scenarios change, the software must be altered. Software maintenance is a comprehensive operation that involves bug fixes, capability upgrades, replacements or removal of previous features, and optimization.

Q14. What is the difference between Reverse Engineering and Software Re-engineering?

Q15. Define Mocks and Stubs.

Mocks – 

• The objects that store method calls are known as mocks. They are also referred to as dynamic wrappers for dependencies utilized in the tests. 
• Mocks are used to document and validate how the Java classes interact with one another. 
• Mocks should be used when you wish to test the sequence in which functions are called.

Stubs – 

• “Stub” objects are used to generate test responses by storing and retrieving specified data. 
• In other words, a stub is an object that closely resembles a real object and has the bare minimum of test cases required to pass a test.
• Stubs are used when we don’t want to employ objects that would actually return data in a response. 
• A stub is the test doubles variant that is the lightest and most static.
• Verification of the system’s current condition during the testing phase. When code is refactored, stubs can aid by reducing the need to write tests from scratch because they do not take order into account.

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Intermediate Software Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Let’s begin our next section with slightly tougher questions asked by recruiters from top MNCs. These questions are frequently asked in the interviews but require more in-depth knowledge of the domain. Read the questions thoroughly to enhance your knowledge.

Q16. Which SDLC model is preferred the most? And why?

Every SDLC model holds its significance in the market, to consider the best multiple parameters. For example, flexibility, investment, development time, and many more. The agile model covers most of the parameters. 

• The agile model is a type of SDLC model that is used for the development of software. Here, the major components of the software are divided into multiple sub-components, and all the components are worked upon at the same time. 
• As this model combines both incremental as well as iterative models, the requirements are constantly evolving during the process of development, which makes the agile model highly flexible at the time of development. 
• The agile model offers quicker development, quality assurance, and maximum yields in minimum investments. 
• In other SDLC models, dedicated planning is required but in the Agile model, no such dedicated planning is required because the requirement specifications are constantly changing.

Q17. Define Risk Management and also give some examples.

At the time of development, a large number of problems, risks, faults, and errors can occur which can derail the whole project. To tackle such issues, a system was adopted by developers known as a Risk Management System. 

• Risk management is a type of system that was adopted by developers to manage the issues occurring during the development process. 
• The basic working principle is to identify, address, and eliminate risk. 
• Budgetary problems, timeline slippage, technical faults or errors caused by bugs or incorrect coding, and poorly developed products are some of the frequent problems that can occur during the development process and have an impact on the entire development process.
• All the errors are reported to a product manager who finds all the solutions and delivers the error-free product to the clients/users.

Broadly there are three types of risks – 

• Project Risks
• Technical Risks
• Business Risks

Some of the common examples of errors that can occur at the time of development are insufficient resource allocation, poor management by the team, and schedule slippage.

Q18. Explain Modularization and why it is required.

In a nutshell, modularization refers to when a product or system is broken up into interchangeable modules. Modularization aims to reduce the number of distinct building components (module variants) required to construct a flexible system that allows the production of various requested configurations. A product’s modularity is a measurement of how changeable it is, or how many different configurations you can create using a specific set of building parts.

Benefits of modularization

• The development process is enhanced because when the project is broken into multiple modules, it decreases the need for re-designing.
• Customer value can be increased if the right configurations are applied by the company at the right time.     
• Modularization promotes the advantages of standardization, which lowers the cost of complexity.

Q19. How will you conclude that your code is safe and highly optimized?

While concluding, you need to perform testing on it, which will check that it is passing all test cases. For optimization, multiple parameters have to be checked, namely, code quality, reliability of the product, behavior in real-life scenarios, and utilization of the allocated resources.

Q20. What is meant by system designing in software engineering?

In software engineering, software designing is a process or methodology that is used by system designers to design the system’s architecture, modules, various interfaces, and components. Furthermore, they also deal with the data that will flow through the system. The major tasks performed by system designers are initial designing and pitching, characterization of different entities present in the system, design management, interface creation, based on feedback received making amendments in the system, and many more.

Q21. State the demerits of the waterfall model in SDLC.

The waterfall model is the very first SDLC model produced. It has many advantageous pointers but its replacements were sought because it lacked many parameters. The major issue with the waterfall model is that there is no feedback path, subsequently, it does not work for complex projects or on projects based on an object-oriented approach. 

Progress cannot be measured during the development phase. Once sent for testing, there is no way back if any errors are encountered. The Software Requirements specifications cannot be changed afterward once the project is started.

Q22. Explain the scope of the software.

The scope of the software refers to the features offered by the developed software. Based on this, we can do estimations related to the money spent on the development phase, and the total time taken for the development. The scope covers every aspect of the software to be developed.

Q23. State the differences between flowcharts and algorithms, and give three examples of each.

Q24. What is OOPS in computer science, and mention all the different concepts in OOPS?

OOPs (Object-Oriented Programming) is a paradigm in procedural programming that implements the concept of objects. This makes program code faster for execution and increases code reusability. 

Different concepts that come under OOPs are –

• Polymorphism – It is the way to process a message in more than one way.
• Data Encapsulation – This wraps up the data and associated member functions to work as a single entity.
• Data Abstraction – Showing up only the necessary data
• Data Hiding – It refers to the hiding of data and associated components of a class.
• Inheritance – One class can inherit the features of other classes.

Q25. What is meant by polymorphism? State its types and write a pseudo code depicting the concept of polymorphism.

Polymorphism – Polymorphism is a concept of OOPs. This concept is used to process a single message in more than one way. To understand this, let’s consider person ‘A’ with multiple personality traits. Here, person ‘A’ represents a message, and the multiple traits represent more than one way of behaving.

There are two types of polymorphism

• Runtime Polymorphism – Also known as Dynamic Method Dispatch, this type of polymorphism is attained by the concept of Function Overriding. It is used to resolve function calls to an overridden method during runtime.
• Compile-time Polymorphism – This type of polymorphism is achieved through method overloading. It is because of the concept of method overloading where more than one method is allowed for processing at the same time. This happens at the time of compilation which is why it is known as compile-time polymorphism.

Example – Pseudo code to add two numbers to show the implementation of polymorphism

Q26. Differentiate between Black Box Testing and White Box Testing.

Q27. What are the advantages of the Spiral Model? Why is it so popular?

SDLC models are needed to make the software development journey smoother and more systematic. One of these models is the spiral model. The spiral model provides better yields compared to the other alternatives.

Q28. Mention the differences between Quality Assurance and Quality Control. Why these two terms are important in software engineering?

Q29. State the different operations that you can perform in the Stack. Comment on the differences between Stack and Queue.

Different operations are performed using Stack – 

Difference between Stack and Queue – 

Q30. How would you design software? Mention all the steps.

Steps to be followed during the software development process – 

• Market Analysis
• Requirement Gathering
• Product Designing
• Product Coding
• Code Testing
• Deployment of the product
• Product Maintenance and Product Operations

Advanced Software Engineering Interview Questions for Experienced

Q31. In-depth, explain the concept of SDLC.

To plan, develop, and test high-quality software, the software industry employs the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) method. The SDLC’s objective is to produce high-quality software that complies with client/user requirements.

The software development life cycle (SDLC) is a framework that specifies the actions that must be taken at each stage. The SDLC is a software project management technique used within a software company. 

It includes a complete plan explaining how to develop, maintain, replace, and alter or enhance certain software. The life cycle describes a strategy for improving both the general software development process and the overall quality of the finished product.

Q32. What is an SRS document? State its significance.

Software Requirement Specification (SRS) is a type of document that is prepared prior to software development. This document consists of everything required for the development process and for the software’s intended usage. SRS document holds a very important role in the domain of software engineering. It provides critical information to the engineers associated with the project. Moreover, it forms the basic foundation of the entire software development project. 

Q33. Differentiate between Functional and Non-Functional Requirements.

Q34. What is meant by the term Software Testing? Mention the three different types of Software Testing.

Software testing 

Software testing is a principle in the domain of software engineering that refers to the evaluation and verification of the to-be-developed software during the development as well as deployment phase. This concept of software testing was introduced in the field of software engineering to deliver a software product as specified in the SRS document.

The three different types of software testing are – 

• Black box testing
• White box testing
• Grey box testing

Q35. Explain ER diagram and state all three different components.

ER Diagram, also known as Entity-Relationship Diagram or ERD is a type of diagram that is used to represent the relationship between the different types of entity sets stored in the database. ER diagrams help to show the logical structure of databases. 

Different components of the ER Diagram are – 

• Entity represented by a rectangle
• Attribute represented by an ellipse
• Relationship represented by a diamond

Q36. Mention the different objectives that software engineering has.

The basic objective of software engineering is to create a software application that increases quality, reduces cost, and time effectiveness. Software engineering makes sure that the software is consistent and accurate, in addition to being developed on time, within budget, and having the necessary specifications. 

The four main characteristics of software engineering are as follows:

• Efficiency
• Reliability
• Robustness
• Maintainability
• Portable

Q37. Define different types of SDLC models, and mention their significance.

There are different types of SDLC models, each with its own unique approach and characteristics. Here are some common models:

• Waterfall Model- This is a traditional linear model where the development process progresses in a sequential manner, with each phase (such as planning, design, development, testing, and deployment) being completed before the next one begins. It is straightforward and easy to understand, with well-defined stages and documentation. However, it can be rigid and lacks flexibility for changes or iterations.
  Significance- The Waterfall model is useful when requirements are stable and well-defined, and the project scope is clearly defined from the beginning. It is suitable for small projects with minimal changes expected during the development process.

• Agile Model- Agile is an iterative and incremental model that focuses on collaboration, flexibility, and customer satisfaction. It emphasizes adaptive planning, teamwork, and continuous improvement throughout the development process. Popular agile methodologies include Scrum, Kanban, and Lean.
  Significance- Agile models are ideal for complex projects with changing requirements or uncertain scope. They allow for regular feedback, quick adjustments, and continuous improvement, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and better adaptability to changing business needs.
• Spiral Model- The Spiral model combines elements of both the Waterfall and Agile models. It involves iterative cycles of planning, risk analysis, development, and testing, with each cycle building upon the previous one. It emphasizes risk management and prototype development.
  Significance- The Spiral model is beneficial for large and complex projects with high risks and uncertainties. It allows for incremental development, regular risk assessment, and flexibility in accommodating changes during the development process.

• V-Model- The V-Model is a variation of the Waterfall model that emphasizes the relationship between testing and development. It has a strong focus on verification and validation activities, with testing being done in parallel with each phase of development.
  Significance- The V-Model ensures early and continuous testing, which results in improved software quality. It helps identify defects early in the development process, reducing the risk of finding critical issues during later stages.

Q38. Differentiate between Beta Testing and Alpha Testing.

Q39. How are Verification and Validation different from each other? Comment.

Both terms sound ambiguous when it comes to their literal meaning. In software engineering, verification is a type of static testing that is carried out to check for the quality assurance of the software to be delivered, which means the designed software is verified as per the requirement specifications. Validation refers to a type of dynamic testing, which is a process of validating the end product as per the client’s true requirements. This is carried out to ensure quality control.

Q40. What are Pointers? Explain its significance.

Pointer stands for a type of variable that is used to store the address of another variable. It is used to point the values stored on another variable’s address. The main significance of the concept of the pointer is that it allows programmers to directly access the memory location of a variable. Pointers are also used for dynamic memory allocation and deallocation. The concept of pointers helps programmers to implement complex data structures, for example, stacks, linked lists, graphs, and many more.

Q41. Why are learning data structure and algorithms so important for being an SDE?

Someone with good Data Structures and Algorithms skills will approach a problem in a better and more efficient way than someone who is not familiar with the concepts of DSA. Data Structures and Algorithms may not be immediately applicable to your line of work in the industry, but it is the base on which computer science is built. 

Data Structures and Algorithms go over detailed solutions to common problems and provide an understanding of how effective each one is to utilize. Additionally, it shows you the methodology for determining an algorithm’s effectiveness. This enables you to pick the best option out of a variety. Candidates’ analytical abilities are tested using data structures and algorithms.

Q42. Why is Web 3.0 taking over Web 2.0?

The third iteration of the web is known as Web 3.0. Decentralization and openness are key tenets of Web 3.0, which will benefit users more. Web 2.0, on the other hand, is the second iteration of the internet, which has been there for the past 20 years. Javascript has been used to develop Web 2.0 with related libraries. Web 2.0 encouraged more connectivity and involvement, but the proposed security mechanism is full of vulnerabilities.

Web 3.0 is taking over Web 2.0 because of the decentralized system, which means users can perform their general web activities but anonymously. While owning the content over the web, users will have control over their data and the flow of their data.

Q43. What is meant by the Waterfall Model in SDLC?

The Waterfall Model is the first SDLC model produced; it is also known as the linear sequential cycle model. In this model, each phase should be completed first before proceeding to the next phase. The feedback path is absent in the whole process. The results produced are based on multiple internal as well as external factors. The waterfall model is preferred for short projects only where there is no ambiguity in the requirement specifications.

Q44. Explain Quality Function Deployment.

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) refers to a well-structured methodology that is used to translate customers’ requirements into a well-organized and customized plan to produce the desired product.

Q45. State the responsibilities of the software project manager.

It is the responsibility of software project managers to plan the project, schedule events and deadlines, budget and allocation, execute the project, and deliver software and online projects. They ensure that the software projects are completed successfully, and they also keep an eye on those working on the projects.

The following duties also are within the scope of a software project manager –

• Project planning
• Project progress tracking
• Resources management and allocation
• Risk management
• Team management

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