Skip to contentSkip to footer

Software Engineer Interviews

Salaries
Interviews

Software Engineer Interview Questions

Software engineers write programs to design and develop computer software. Interviews are highly technical, so come ready to work through coding problems and math brainteasers. The specific questions you are asked will depend on what type of programming position you are looking for. Try researching a specific software discipline such as web development, application development, or system development.

Top Software Engineer Interview Questions & How to Answer

Question 1

Question #1: How would you describe your programming task process?

How to answer
How to answer: When answering a question about your process or life cycle for software development and engineering, it's helpful to consider every step, beginning with obtaining the requirements for the end product. Include as much detail as possible to help the interviewer learn more about any work you've done as a software engineer and how you handle a task to show your ability to tackle a project from start to finish.
Question 2

Question #2: Which programming languages do you know and prefer?

How to answer
How to answer: An interviewer will want to know what programming languages you're familiar with, as well as which languages you prefer. This question doesn't necessarily have a right or wrong answer, but it does provide insights into your capabilities and coding expertise. If the job listing for which you are interviewing includes specific language knowledge preferences, make sure to include them when outlining the software languages you know.
Question 3

Question 3: What is an example of a successful project that you completed?

How to answer
How to answer: When describing your success with a past project, it's helpful to identify aspects of the project that went well and detail the different task list elements. You can describe the team with whom you worked on the project, how you managed your time, and how you specifically contributed to the project.

419,183 software engineer interview questions shared by candidates

There was for instance a basic coding challenge interview at the start. But a thing I'll mention is, for a high-level company like FB, there was an odd obsession with basics, when people don't work that way -- it's not that it's irrelevant, it's better to be solid than not, but it's a tiny piece of the puzzle that's gating prospective hires. It was strange to not be asked the types of questions that would indicate actual capacity to innovate, manage, etc. I would have only done that kind of challenge for maybe a fresh graduate, not someone who's done real work.
avatar

Software Engineer

Interviewed at Meta

3.5★
Jan 10, 2021

There was for instance a basic coding challenge interview at the start. But a thing I'll mention is, for a high-level company like FB, there was an odd obsession with basics, when people don't work that way -- it's not that it's irrelevant, it's better to be solid than not, but it's a tiny piece of the puzzle that's gating prospective hires. It was strange to not be asked the types of questions that would indicate actual capacity to innovate, manage, etc. I would have only done that kind of challenge for maybe a fresh graduate, not someone who's done real work.

Q1> reverse a inked list and print the reversed list . Ex: 1->2->3 , result:3->2->1 Q2> divider a number by another number and print result and remainder if any. you are not supposed to use "/" and "%" operation
avatar

Software Engineer

Interviewed at Meta

3.5★
May 19, 2015

Q1> reverse a inked list and print the reversed list . Ex: 1->2->3 , result:3->2->1 Q2> divider a number by another number and print result and remainder if any. you are not supposed to use "/" and "%" operation

Viewing 841 - 850 interview questions

Glassdoor has 419,183 interview questions and reports from Software engineer interviews. Prepare for your interview. Get hired. Love your job.