Software Engineering Fundamentals interview questions

Showing 961–990 of 1208 results

• Implement a Simplified std::vector with Manual Memory ManagementMedium

  Tests practical systems programming in C++, specifically decoupling raw memory allocation from object construction, managing dynamic capacity growth, and adhering to the Rule of Five.

  SIG (Susquehanna)Software EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Index a CSV Movie Catalog for Fast Year-Range QueriesEasy

  Design an immutable movie catalog that parses CSV data and supports fast, inclusive year-range queries using binary search or indexing.

  SIG (Susquehanna)Software EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Trees and Binary Search Trees: Taxonomy, Invariant, and Traversal/SearchMedium

  Tests understanding of binary tree taxonomy, global BST invariants versus local parent-child checks, and efficient tree search under range constraints.

  SIG (Susquehanna)Software EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Choose DynamoDB vs MySQL for a backendMedium

  This question tests your ability to evaluate database technologies based on specific application requirements, trade-offs in consistency models, and operational scalability.

  SalesforceSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Convert a Sorted Doubly Linked List to a Balanced BST In PlaceMedium

  Tests in-place pointer manipulation and bottom-up tree construction by converting a sorted doubly linked list into a height-balanced binary search tree in linear time.

  SalesforceMember of Technical StaffSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Explain the Recursion Tree of Merge SortMedium

  Explain the merge sort recursion tree from a five-element example through the general recurrence. Derive per-level work, uneven split height, Theta(n log n) time, merge-buffer space, call-stack depth, stability, and empty-input handling.

  SalesforceMember of Technical StaffSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• How do you perform a thorough code review?Hard

  This task evaluates a candidate's code-review proficiency across security, correctness, data modeling, concurrency, reliability, and maintainability when inspecting Python backend and SQL-based database code, and is categorized under Software Engineering Fundamentals.

  SalesforceSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnline Assessment
• Multi-tenant resource allocator: entity model, lifecycle state machine, optimistic lockingMedium

  Low-level design question for a senior backend role: model a multi-tenant resource allocation module where customers request and release resources. It tests compact class design, an explicit resource lifecycle state machine, optimistic locking under concurrent requests, and tenant isolation enforced in code.

  SalesforceSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOther
• Find Duplicate Files by Content with Efficient I/OHard

  Find content-identical files with size filters, streaming digests, exact collision checks, bounded I/O, and explicit handling of changing or unreadable files.

  Salient AiSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Build a CSV-to-JSON Classification ServiceEasy

  Implement a resilient data pipeline service that parses CSV records, enriches them using an external classification client with validation and retries, and writes ordered, structured JSON Lines output safely.

  Scale AIBackend EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Debug a Project Assignment CodebaseMedium

  Tests your ability to manage state, enforce filtering rules, and maintain clean public API contracts in an asynchronous or stateful task assignment system.

  Scale AISoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Design CSV upload endpoint with GPT classificationMedium

  Implement a backend processing pipeline that parses an uploaded CSV file, enriches each text record via an external classification client, and persists structured results to a local JSON store.

  Scale AISoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Design and Simulate a Four-Player Card GameMedium

  Work through a three-stage object-oriented card game covering dealing, follow-suit trick state, configurable scoring, and deterministic tests.

  Scale AISoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Implement Hook and Modify UI InteractionsMedium

  This question evaluates a candidate's ability to implement reusable React hooks, manage asynchronous data fetching with loading/error/refetch semantics, transform API responses, and wire component state for modal, collapsible list, and button-driven UI interactions.

  Scale AISoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Compare JavaScript == and === operatorsMedium

  This question evaluates understanding of JavaScript equality semantics and type coercion, assessing a candidate's competency in language-specific comparison behavior and recognition of subtle runtime differences.

  Schneider ElectricSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Explain Spring Dependency Injection and Choose an Injection StyleEasy

  Tests core knowledge of Spring's Inversion of Control (IoC) container, trade-offs between constructor, setter, and field injection, bean lifecycle, and dependency resolution strategies.

  SchwabJava DeveloperSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Review a Spring REST Controller for Correctness and Per-Request WasteEasy

  Analyze a flawed Spring Boot REST controller to identify anti-patterns, HTTP status code misuses, concurrency hazards, and unnecessary per-request object allocations. Refactor the implementation to follow production-grade enterprise standards.

  SchwabJava DeveloperSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Production-Ready Event Ingestion Handler: Validation, Idempotent Writes, DLQ, MetricsMedium

  Tests your ability to write production-grade ingestion code that enforces strict schema validation, guarantees idempotent persistence, handles retries and Dead-Letter Queue (DLQ) routing, and emits operational metrics.

  ScribdSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsOnsite
• Explain How You Would Test a SystemEasy

  This question evaluates your ability to design a comprehensive testing strategy for a distributed system, focusing on reliability, observability, and failure modes.

  Shield AiSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Bank Account Simulation Class With Self-Written Tests at 90% CoverageMedium

  A pair-programming exercise: implement a class that simulates bank account operations, write your own tests reaching at least 90% coverage, and then extend the working code with a new requirement. It tests invariant-driven validation, all-or-nothing transfers, meaningful test design, and clean incremental changes.

  ShopifySoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Build an Automatic Refund Decision System in a Pair-Programming SessionMedium

  A pair-programming exercise to build an automatic refund system for an online store, combining light system design with working code across several incremental steps. It tests domain modeling, pluggable eligibility rules, preventing over-refunds and duplicate payouts on retries, and explaining design choices as you code.

  ShopifyMachine Learning EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Design a Robot Operations CLIEasy

  Implement a modular robot controller for a 2D warehouse grid that processes command sequences, enforces boundary and obstacle rules, and returns a detailed execution report.

  ShopifySoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Harden a URL-Caching HTTP Service for ProductionMedium

  This problem tests the ability to scale and harden a simple in-memory cache service, focusing on operational stability, concurrency control, and safe deployment patterns.

  ShopifySoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• How would you improve AI-generated code?Easy

  This question evaluates software engineering competencies such as code review, correctness and edge-case reasoning, API design and readability, test strategy, maintainability and extensibility, and performance and failure-mode analysis within the Software Engineering Fundamentals domain.

  ShopifySoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Parse a CSV and Generate a Gift ExchangeMedium

  This problem tests string parsing, data validation, and algorithm design by requiring the implementation of a secret-santa style matching system from unstructured CSV data.

  ShopifySoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Use AI Responsibly During SQL Pair ProgrammingMedium

  Practice an AI-enabled SQL pair-programming workflow that keeps your reasoning visible. Cover requirement clarification, safe tool boundaries, incremental query design, independent edge-case testing, collaboration, and accountable debugging.

  ShopifyData EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Conversation Agent History: Paginated Fetching, Then Token-Limit CompactionMedium

  Build the message-history layer of a conversation agent: fetch the conversation page by page into one ordered list, then compact it whenever the total token count exceeds a limit by dropping the oldest messages. It tests pagination termination and ordering, running totals, and cheap removal from the front.

  SierraSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Fetch Every Page from a Data API, Then Compact Records to a Token BudgetMedium

  A two-part coding screen: page through a data API until it returns no more records, then, if the fetched records exceed 20,000 tokens, compact them to at most 10,000 tokens by keeping the longest contiguous run that fits. It tests loop termination, failure handling, boundary rules and an efficient way to trim data to a budget.

  SierraSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Load a Support Chat Transcript by Pages, Then Trim to a Token BudgetMedium

  Build the transcript-loading layer for a customer support chat agent: assemble a full conversation from a paginated backend into one ordered list, then trim it down whenever it grows past a token budget by dropping the oldest turns first.

  SierraSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen
• Paginate an Audit-Log API, Then Compact Entries to a Byte BudgetMedium

  Pull every entry out of a cursor-paginated audit-log API, then, if the entries together exceed a byte budget, keep the longest contiguous run of them (in original order) that fits. Tests correct pagination loop termination and an efficient two-pointer scan instead of re-measuring every candidate run from scratch.

  SierraSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineering FundamentalsTechnical Screen