Top 20 coding questions you should know

Applying to a job role as a coder? One of the most important things that you should know is how to answer coding questions that are likely to be asked to you during the interview. Interviews for coding jobs are your opportunity to prove your ability to solve problems creatively and explain complex concepts through coding. To help you do well in these interviews and enable you to build a successful career as a coder, we share a list of important coding interview questions in this blog.

Top 20 important coding interview questions you should know

This section details the top 20 most commonly asked coding questions at interviews with their answers. It is good to know these questions to crack the next interview and boost your chances of securing the job.

Q1. What is a conditional statement?

This is one of the most important coding interview questions that you may be asked. In the world of programming, a conditional statement facilitates the execution of code blocks. This however depends on the truth or falsehood of a given condition. Some of the common conditional statements include words like ‘else’, ‘if’, and ‘switch’.

Q2. What is recursion? 

Recursion refers to a method of programming that includes a function, which calls itself for problem-solving. This method is rather helpful in solving issues that can be further divided into smaller and analogous sub-problems.

Q3. What programming languages are you experienced working with?  

This is a subjective question, but also one of the top programming questions for jobs in coding. The interviewer may want to know more about your expertise in specific programming languages. Make sure to highlight all the ones you are skilled in.

Q4. Walk me through a project that you are currently working on or have worked on in the recent past. 

You can throw light on a key project that you may be currently engaged with or have contributed to at any time in the past. Give a detailed overview of the project, the role you played, and the technologies that you employed. Also, highlight the challenges that you had to overcome (if any) and the overall result of the project.

Q5. How do you ensure that your code is readable by other developers?

This is yet another of the top programming questions for jobs that would require you to share some tips or best practices followed. A few examples include comments, modular code, code reviews, clear variable names, consistency in style, testing, etc.

Q6. How do you ensure that your skills are sharp and up to date?

This question too involves sharing some helpful tips on how to stay relevant in the industry, especially in the ever-evolving tech era. Participating in workshops, discovering useful practical applications of your work, attending online certification courses, and updating yourself to the latest news are a few ways.

Q7. Tell me about a time when you had to explain a complex technical concept to a team member from a non-technical background.

This is one of the most commonly asked among the top programming questions for jobs in coding and you can use the STAR method to answer it. STAR is the popular acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. It is a popular technique used by most candidates to answer questions in coding interviews, wherein they structure their answers to showcase their skills and abilities. In this particular scenario, you can begin by sharing the situation that you were in with another team member, the concept that needed to be explained, the way you simplified it for their easy understanding, and the positive result that emerged in the end.

Q8. Explain the concept of time complexity in algorithms.  

Time complexity is essentially a measure of how efficient an algorithm is. This is assessed by the time taken to run an algorithm as a function of the input size. 

Q9. Can you explain the differences between SQL and NoSQL databases?

SQL stands for Structured Query Language and its data model is rather different from that of a NoSQL database. SQL databases, for instance, make use of tables, are relational in nature, and ensure data integrity and consistency. In contrast, NoSQL databases use different data models such as document, graph, key-value, and column-family. They are also non-relational and offer higher flexibility compared to their counterparts. 

Q10. How do you handle exceptions and errors in your code?

 One of the must-know coding questions for interviews, the answer to this lies in using try-catch blocks. Code is placed in the try block, which may raise an exception; while in the catch block, the method to handle the exception is specified. This includes displaying a user-friendly error message, logging in, or taking specific actions to recover from the situation. 

Q11. What is the purpose of a loop in programming?  

In the world of programming, loops are used for repeating a specific code block more times than one. Loops can be particularly helpful in making iterations over data structures, performing repetitive tasks, and offering solutions to problems involving more than one iteration. 

Q12. What is debugging?   

Among the many must-know coding questions is the one to define debugging. It refers to the process of identifying and solving errors in a program. These errors are better known as bugs. The process involves tracing the code to identify specific issues and make the required changes to ensure the smooth operation of the program.

Q13. What are the differences between linear and non-linear data structures?

Linear data structures generally follow a strict sequence, whereas non-linear data structures allow scope for complex relationships. 

Q14. Describe a time when you faced a challenge in a project that you were working on and state how you overcame it. 

This is one of the must-know coding questions in all tech interviews wherein you’d be required to explain the challenge in detail to the interviewer. You would also need to structure your response following the STAR approach defined earlier, sharing the role you played in the project, the actions you took to overcome the challenge in question, and the positive results of those actions.

Q15. Give an example of a project where you had to learn a new programming language or technology. How did you learn it?

This is your chance to showcase the acquisition of a new skill. Start with describing the need for learning the skill – whether inspired by peers or part of a new course undertaken. Then highlight any challenges in the process (if any) and the impact of the skill learned on the overall success of the project. 

Q16. What are your interests outside of programming?

This is also a more subjective question and helps break the ice between the interviewer and the candidate. You can share your hobbies and interests to showcase a well-rounded personality. 

Q17. How do you get started on a new coding project?

This is an important question and may require you to demonstrate practical skills in solving key coding problems for interviews. Highlight your structured methodology to begin work by understanding the project and its specific requirements. The next stage is planning, followed by code design and testing. Collaborating with other team members and documentation are also crucial stages in the process. The code is then deployed and through regular maintenance tasks, bugs can be identified and rectified. 

Q18. What is the significance of version control and which version control systems are you familiar with? 

Version control systems are critical in programming for managing changes in code. They are also effective tools used in collaboration. They help oversee and record alterations, revert adjustments, simplify cooperation, and address disputes. Some of the popular version control systems include SVN, Git, and Mercurial.

Q19. What is a design pattern in software development? Can you give an example?

This is a popularly asked question as part of key coding problems for interviews. It refers to a reusable solution to common problems in software design. A design pattern offers a template to structure code for effectively solving a specific issue. The Singleton pattern is a famous example of a design pattern.

Q20. What is object-oriented programming?

It is used for organizing code with objects by using encapsulation, polymorphism, classes, and inheritance to solve complex problems. 

Pursue an online MCA from Sikkim Manipal University 

We learned about the top questions asked of prospective candidates at coding job interviews. One of the best ways to address key coding problems for interviews is to pursue a professional degree program that empowers students in the ever-changing world of Information Technology. Sikkim Manipal University offers an online MCA degree on the Online Manipal platform to enable students to thrive in varied coding roles. 

The course is designed to help impart the desired skills for solving essential coding problems for developers. In addition, the course focuses on advanced programming languages, Artificial Intelligence, computer applications, and deep learning.  

Conclusion

One of the prerequisites for clearing a job interview for a coding role in the software programming industry is to find solutions to essential coding problems for developers. This blog aimed to highlight the top 20 questions that most interviewers ask potential candidates appearing for job interviews for coding roles. The foundational stage for coding is laid out in the online MCA degree, a two-year postgraduate course offered by Sikkim Manipal University. Take the first step to a rewarding career in coding with the Online Manipal program.