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Computer programmemer Interview Questions

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Computer programmemer interview questions and answers.

  1. What type of software development process do you follow when developing a new software application? See answer
  2. What aspect of software development do you feel is the hardest part for a computer programmemer? See answer
  3. How do you keep current with recent software development trends and new coding languages that come into use? See answer
  4. What is the computer language that you most enjoy using while developing new applications or supporting existing ones? See answer
  5. If you were on a development team, what area of development would you prefer to be assigned? See answer
  6. Do you have experience working on older applications? See answer
  7. Do you have experience with an Agile software development process? See answer
  8. How important is unit testing to your process? See answer
  9. Describe a time you experienced a conflict with a team member and how you resolved it. See answer
  10. How would you explain an API to a non-technical client? See answer
  11. What was a critical decision you made on a previous project, and how did you approach deciding? See answer
  12. What was your most successful programmeming project, and what did you learn from it? See answer
  13. What is your experience with object-oriented programmeming? See answer
  14. What about our company can help you reach your programmeming goals? See answer
  15. Describe how you would approach reviewing another team member’s code.
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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Computer programmemer Interview Questions and Answers

What type of software development process do you follow when developing a new software application?

The aim of this question is to discover the applicant's familiarity with the stages of the software development cycle and their order. What to look for in an answer:

  • Experience using the software development cycle
  • Understanding of how the stages lead into one another
  • Ability to expand on each stage and its importance

Example:

"I prefer to follow the stages of the software development cycle by beginning with planning and designing. Then I move into implementation and testing of the application. The next step is deploying the application and maintaining the application so that it continues to work optimally."

What aspect of software development do you feel is the hardest part for a computer programmemer?

The aim of this question is to determine what their strengths and weaknesses are as computer programmemers to determine if they align with the needs of your team. What to look for in an answer:

  • Specific capabilities that line up with needs on your team
  • A solution for dealing with their weaknesses
  • Familiarity with solutions to common software development obstacles

Example:

"One aspect of computer programmeming that I struggle with is interpreting code that various coders have worked on in the past. I address this issue by doing my research on the application and speaking with coders who are familiar with the programme to find the original intention of the code."

How do you keep current with recent software development trends and new coding languages that come into use?

This question aims to find out if the candidate likes to learn new concepts and will continue to develop their skills while working at your company. What to look for in an answer:

  • Recent courses the applicant has taken to update their skills
  • Subscriptions to IT publications
  • Personal projects the applicant pursues in their free time

Example:

"I'm passionate about recent developments in computer programmeming, so I subscribe to several publications that keep me informed. I'm also currently working on a side project that has allowed me to challenge myself and develop new skills."

What is the computer language that you most enjoy using while developing new applications or supporting existing ones?

This question aims to discover what languages the applicant is familiar with because different applications can use different languages, which means their strength may determine what team will suit them best. What to look for in an answer:

  • The applicant's favourite language
  • Whether the applicant is comfortable with multiple coding languages
  • Insight into the applicant's preferences

Example:

"I enjoy working with procedural programmeming because of its multiple variables. However, I have a lot of experience with C Language and Javascript, so I'm very comfortable using these languages as well, and I could contribute meaningfully to projects using these languages."

If you were on a development team, what area of development would you prefer to be assigned?

This question aims to discover what the applicant's preferences are for working on a team and what stage of development  they're most excited about. This can help you place them on a team. What to look for in an answer:

  • What development phases interest the applicant
  • The applicant's teamwork experience
  • Where the applicant's skills are strongest

Example:

"I prefer to work in the testing stage of development because I enjoy identifying bugs and finding solutions. It can be very rewarding to be part of a team that solves a hard problem during testing, which makes the work very exciting and rewarding."

Do you have experience working on older applications?

This question aims to discover the applicant's ability to work on applications that may have more than one coder or that they may not be familiar with using. They may also work with applications that are no longer supported. What to look for in an answer:

  • How the applicant approaches code they may have trouble interpreting
  • How the applicant deals with applications whose developers may no longer support it
  • How adaptable they are when dealing with applications that aren't familiar to them

Example:

"I understand that there can be issues when working with an older application. I have experience working with legacy applications and figuring out how to interpret code even if I'm not familiar with the application or the code is no longer supported."

Describe how you would approach reviewing another team member's code.

This question aims to discover if the applicant is comfortable with teamwork. They need to interpret other team members' code fairly and constructively. What to look for in an answer:

  • How are their communication skills
  • How comfortable are they working with others
  • Are they able to focus on others' code to benefit the team

Example:

"I believe that teamwork is essential for developing innovative computer programmes. I'm always excited to review another team member's code because it's a chance to learn something and improve the overall project. I would speak with the team member about their intention and then carefully review their code and provide thoughtful feedback."

Do you have experience with an Agile software development process?

This question aims to figure out how the applicant feels about the Agile development process, which can help you figure out what their strengths may be within your company's process. What to look for in an answer:

  • Open-mindedness
  • Experience working with this process and their feelings on it
  • Ideals about development processes that fit with your company

Example:

"I have used the Agile development process before and found it to be very productive. I learned a lot from my previous experience that I'm ready to bring my knowledge to a new team to contribute to a growing method to create the best process possible."

How important is unit testing to your process?

This question aims to determine the candidates' attitude towards unit testing, which is essential to development but can also be time-consuming and repetitive. A strong candidate will value unit testing. What to look for in an answer:

  • Dedication to solving bugs and making sure they don't reappear
  • Emphasis on testing to create a superior product
  • Whether they favour test-driven or behaviour-driven development

Example:

"I believe that unit testing is essential for the development and maintenance of a powerful computer programme, so I'm very adamant about focusing on unit testing before deploying an application. I favour test-driven development on my personal projects as well."

Describe a time you experienced a conflict with a team member and how you resolved it.

This question aims to discover how the applicant performs under stress when working with a team. Preserving team morale is important for every project, and a strong candidate will work to improve team relations. What to look for in an answer:

  • An emphasis on teamwork
  • Strong communication skills
  • Solution-oriented and emotional maturity

Example:

"I previously worked on a team where another programmemer and I had a disagreement about how to move forward with developing an application. We had to bring our discussion to the rest of the team so that we could weigh the options as a group and move forward collabouratively."

How would you explain an API to a non-technical client?

This question aims to determine how strong the applicant's communication skills are, especially when communicating with clients or others who may not have their technical background. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to translate the technical language for those not in computer programmeming
  • Strong communication skills
  • Ability to communicate complex ideas easily and in different ways

Example:

"I would start by describing that an API stands for application programmeming interface. Then I would explain that it's a term that's used in a variety of programmeming contexts, but basically, it's how a piece of software can use another piece of software by specifying where the two connect."

What was a critical decision you made on a previous project, and how did you approach deciding?

This question aims to determine if the candidate can use their own judgement and how confident they are when making decisions. A strong candidate should feel comfortable taking the lead on projects. What to look for in an answer:

  • Analytical ability
  • Able to evaluate issues quickly and clearly
  • Confidence in their decision-making ability

Example:

"I made a critical decision on a previous project that led to new innovations in programmeming. I found a bug, and instead of fixing it the quickest way, I decided to investigate solutions that would not only fix the bug but also improve the programme. This decision had a positive effect on the end result of the project."

What was your most successful programmeming project, and what did you learn from it?

This question determines what kind of work the applicant prefers to do, and what previous lessons or tools they can bring to your team. A strong candidate can identify successful tactics and replicate them on new projects. What to look for in an answer:

  • How the applicant defines success
  • What types of projects they're passionate about
  • Skills they've learned that they can bring to your team

Example:

"I recently worked with a team on an application that was implemented across the healthcare industry to help ease recording keeping and save time for hospital administrators. I learned that teamwork and a passion for helping people make for a successful project."

What is your experience with object-oriented programmeming?

This question aims to determine the candidate's familiarity with very common aspects of computer programmeming topics. An experienced applicant will have interacted with OOP previously. What to look for in an answer:

  • Experience with OOP
  • Ability to describe what the purpose of OOP is and terms associated with it
  • Previous experience in computer programmeing that established a basic understanding of common practises 

Example:

"I have used OOP before because it's pretty standard in the industry. I'm familiar with the concepts of classes and objects and how they can structure a software programme into reusable pieces of code."

What about our company can help you reach your programmeming goals?

This question aims to determine the applicant's ambition and motivation to complete future goals. A strong candidate will have personal goals that align with the stated responsibilities of the position. What to look for in an answer:

  • Personal drive
  • Goals that align with the needs of the position
  • A desire to continue to learn and grow as a computer programmemer

Example:

"This company specialises in application creation in the healthcare field, which is something that I'm very passionate about and feel can help me achieve my goals. I hope to work on an application that assists in internal surgeries, which is a personal goal of mine, and I believe that this company can help me learn valuable skills to meet that goal."

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