{"id":28849,"date":"2022-08-29T10:00:48","date_gmt":"2022-08-29T14:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simpleprogrammer.com\/?p=28849"},"modified":"2026-03-11T01:50:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T01:50:43","slug":"programming-interview-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simpleprogrammer.com\/programming-interview-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 109 Scary Coding Interview Questions SOLVED with Answers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Programming<\/p>\n

I know the feeling.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re before a big coding interview.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, you\u2019ve got your education. You’ve become a software developer to the best of your ability<\/a>. You\u2019ve been putting in the coding reps.<\/span><\/p>\n

But still.. Now, months or weeks before the big day..<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly you\u2019re starting to feel.. clueless. And to be honest \u2013 a bit scared.. or more than a bit!<\/span><\/p>\n

[pullquote align=”normal”]<\/span><\/i>What will those mean recruiters<\/em> ask you?<\/strong><\/span> [\/pullquote]<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been through many coding interviews. More recently I\u2019ve been on the other side, too \u2013 as an interviewer. I\u2019ve even written a book<\/a> <\/span>all about programming interviews.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why are coding interviews so hard?<\/h2>\n

Coding interviews ARE getting harder. Programmers are studying more to prepare. It\u2019s getting more competitive. Interviewers adapt — by asking harder questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, it’s just stressful to code under pressure. And the questions are often kept too short<\/a> to be used as a useful screening<\/a> tool. Instead they’re tripping up even good coders.<\/p>\n

But… if you\u2019re smart and disciplined about preparing, you can still dominate that interview<\/u>!<\/span><\/p>\n

Study these questions inside-out.<\/b><\/h2>\n

Today I\u2019ll spill the secret on the questions you face during a <\/span>coding interview<\/span> and how you tackle them successfully.<\/span><\/p>\n

To ace your programming interview<\/a>, you need to prepare with real programming interview questions. Practice on real problems and learn their patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll impress the interviewers with your informed, to-the-point answers, to where <\/span>they\u2019d be dumb not to hire you<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The world needs more great programmers (YOU!!) with well-paid jobs \u2013 so you can keep making the world a better place.<\/span><\/p>\n

I sincerely wish that for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good luck![blank_space height=’0.1em’]<\/span><\/p>\n

[blank_space height=’0.1em’]<\/span><\/p>\n

The 5 Types of Coding Interview Questions to Master<\/h2>\n

Take a moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Put on the shoes of who\u2019s asking you the coding interview questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recruiters want <\/span>the full picture<\/span><\/em>. <\/span>They want to know about:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. your <\/span>CODING KNOWLEDGE<\/b> about basic programming concepts[blank_space height=’1em’]<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. y<\/span>our CODING SKILLS<\/b>, mostly related to data structures<\/i> (arrays, strings, linked lists, binary trees..),\u00a0concepts <\/i>(bit manipulation, design patterns..) &<\/i> algorithms[blank_space height=’1em’]<\/i><\/li>\n
  3. your LOGICAL ABILITY<\/b> in general. Sure,\u00a0 intelligence is mostly inherited. But anyone can work to get everything out of their God-given level of intelligence: By practicing logic puzzles and refining their logic skills. [blank_space height=’1em’]<\/li>\n
  4. your<\/span> PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS<\/b> \u2013 it\u2019s what makes you <\/span>a good programmer vs. \u201cjust a coder\u201d[blank_space height=’1em’]<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. your<\/span> PERSONALITY<\/b> \u2013 and how well it fits their company\u2019s culture & goals. These are the so-called \u201cbehavioral\u201d interview questions.[blank_space height=’0.5em’]<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The 5 categories:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Coding knowledge<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Coding skills<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Logical ability<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Problem-solving<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Personality<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Prepare yourself for questions in each of these areas. You\u2019ll know what\u2019s coming, and you\u2019ll be able to give a smart answer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Show up to your programming interview (in-person or via video<\/a>) well-prepared for these types of questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

      It\u2019s your chance to outshine the other candidates.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Now, on to the <\/span>5 types of coding interview questions you need to master<\/span><\/i>: [blank_space height=’0.1em’]<\/span><\/p>\n

      1. Basic programming interview questions\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

      \"Basic<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Early in the interview (and also throughout), interviewers are looking to test you on your programming fundamentals. <\/span><\/p>\n

      These are questions on general programming terms, concepts, and functions.<\/p>\n

      If you struggle on the basics, they\u2019ll be able to quickly cross you off the list of job prospects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Coding Interview Questions for Freshers<\/strong><\/p>\n

      If you’re a fresher looking forward to your first coding interviews, start with the more basic questions in this article. Once you’ve mastered them, you can move on to more difficult questions, problems, and puzzles. Work on the “freshers” questions first, and you’ll be ready for the most advanced stuff. But it all builds on the basics!<\/p>\n

      So make sure you understand these basic programming concepts:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

      The Top 13 General Coding, Design & Programming Fundamentals Questions<\/span><\/h4>\n

      \"General<\/p>\n

      See how many of these questions you can answer in a row without slowing down.<\/span><\/p>\n

      1. What are the pros and cons of your chosen technology?<\/strong><\/p>\n

      If your favorite technology is Node.js, for example — you need to be able to answer this technical question thoroughly because it’s going to show your depth of knowledge in this specific area. <\/span><\/p>\n

      And since you’re more likely going to be interviewing for a Node.js job<\/a>, pros and cons are often overlooked. And people just go, oh yeah, I use JavaScript<\/a>. I use Node. They don’t actually know the pros to use it, and they don’t actually know the cons. And when they give answers, they might just say, \u201cOh yeah. Object oriented. Oh yeah. Great with memory.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      Don’t be vague. Be to the point. <\/span><\/p>\n

      Find some pros and cons of your technology,\u00a0<\/span>and better yet, find pros and cons of anything on your resume.<\/span><\/p>\n

      2. What are variables? <\/strong> Without variables, you don\u2019t have a program. Variables are values that change within a program, based on the overall conditions and the \u201cwork\u201d the program is doing. Variables are values stored or \u201cdeclared\u201d within the program and represent the working data set for the program. Variables = data sets + algorithms.<\/p>\n

      3. What is inheritance? <\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

      Inheritance is one of the\u00a0core concepts of object-oriented programming\u00a0(OOP) languages. It is a mechanism where you can to derive a class from another class for a hierarchy of classes that share a set of attributes and methods.<\/p>\n

      You can use it to\u00a0declare different kinds of exceptions, add custom logic to existing frameworks, and even map your domain model to a database.\u00a0 (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

      4. What is polymorphism? <\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

      Polymorphism<\/span><\/a> allows new objects in programming to assume the properties of existing objects. The object providing the inherited characteristics is known as a \u201cbase class\u201d or \u201csuperclass.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      This is a program\u2019s ability to process an object differently, according to its type or class. Picture a car versus a tank. Polymorphism would be a system that provides a blueprint for the systems they have in common and works across both types of vehicle.<\/span><\/p>\n

      5. What are pointers? <\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

      Pointers contain memory addresses for other values. Manipulating pointers can save time versus manipulating the data the pointers refer to. This can be an efficient way to write programs that manipulate data.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Pointers are used often in C, but less so in Java.<\/span><\/p>\n

      6. Name four types of storage classes.<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

      Register, static, external, and automatic.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Register:<\/b> These are storage classes kept in the register of the central processing unit.<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Static:<\/b> This is a storage class in which the variable does not change. It is declared at the beginning stages of the programming task.<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. External:<\/b> A storage class local to a piece of hardware, such as device drivers. These say to the compiler: \u201cIf I need this variable again, read it from the external device for the most current value.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. Automatic:<\/b> A storage class in which blocks or functions define local variables.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        7. What is encapsulation?<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

        This is one of the most important concepts in object-oriented design. It involves bundling together a class with a set of instructions. In encapsulation, an object includes not just its data but also functions that can mutate that data. Encapsulation may be used to hide the nature of the data while still facilitating interaction.<\/span><\/p>\n

        8. Name seven data types.<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Floating point<\/strong><\/li>\n
        2. Integer<\/strong><\/li>\n
        3. String<\/strong><\/li>\n
        4. Float<\/strong><\/li>\n
        5. Real<\/strong><\/li>\n
        6. Character<\/strong><\/li>\n
        7. Boolean<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          9. Name six data structure<\/em> types.<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Linked lists<\/strong><\/li>\n
          2. Files<\/strong><\/li>\n
          3. Stacks<\/strong><\/li>\n
          4. Queues<\/strong><\/li>\n
          5. Trees<\/strong><\/li>\n
          6. Graphs<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            10. What is the difference between a \u201cdeclaration\u201d and a \u201cdefinition\u201d of a particular function or variable?<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

            A declaration involves the type and function of an identifier and describes what the linker requires to reference it. A definition describes what the compiler needs to do to interact with the identifier. Sometimes a declaration provides an initial value, and sometimes the definition provides the value.<\/span><\/p>\n

            11. <\/strong>What is the difference between an interpreter and a compiler?<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

            An interpreter executes commands directly, while a compiler converts those commands (the program) from source code to machine code. Compiled programs run faster than interpretive languages and can be used at scale.<\/span><\/p>\n