24 Best Software Engineer Interview Questions (2025)

In 2025, the demand for skilled software engineers will reach new heights as industries across the board—like tech startups and finance giants—continue to invest in their digital transformation. This upward trend in demand means hiring managers and recruiters face ever-greater pressure to identify the best candidates in a tight job market.

Interview questions are a dependable source of information for getting to know both the technical chops and interpersonal skills that characterize a great software engineer. But, when hiring, businesses must also remember that it’s just as significant to gauge a candidate’s problem-solving abilities, teamwork style, and cultural fit to make sure they can work effectively within your organization. Software engineering interviews with the right questions are a good window into all of that.

This article provides a complete list of key software engineering interview questions intended to help you evaluate candidates across various experience levels and specializations—from entry-level engineers to senior developers. We’ll go a little further into the essential technical and behavioral questions for assessing coding skills, collaborative abilities, and leadership potential. If you follow this guide, you’ll be better positioned to identify software engineers with the required technical expertise and also the adaptability and mindset needed to succeed.

Behavioral Interview Questions

Behavioral interview questions are queries that help the interviewer understand how a candidate acted in a certain situation—or, in plain language, how they behaved, usually in a stressful situation. They are helpful for assessing how candidates handle teamwork, communication, and problem-solving in a software development process. Let’s take a look at some examples:

1. Conflict Resolution and Communication Skills

• Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a team member. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?

This question reveals how candidates manage conflicts, handle differing perspectives, and maintain professionalism.

2. Teamwork and Collaboration

• Can you describe an experience where you worked with a cross-functional team to achieve a common goal? What role did you play?

Cross-functional collaboration is common in engineering roles. This question draws attention to the candidate’s ability to work well with different teams.

3. Adaptability to Change

• Describe a situation where project requirements changed mid-course. How did you adapt, and what did you learn?

Adaptability is particularly important in fast-paced tech environments. This question helps evaluate how flexible a candidate is and their ability to pivot under new constraints or timelines.

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How to Assess Problem-Solving and Teamwork Skills

To assess problem-solving and teamwork skills, ask candidates for detailed examples in a way that guides them to walk through specific steps they took to address a problem or promote teamwork, with a focus on their actions and the resulting impact. Take note of empathy, patience, and a proactive approach to technical and interpersonal challenges. Plus, encourage follow-up questions about outcomes, reflections, or lessons learned to gain a more in-depth view of how candidates grow from each experience.

Technical Interview Questions

Technical interview questions are designed to look at candidates’ coding abilities, problem-solving techniques, and depth of technical knowledge. Here are some useful examples:

1. Programming Languages (e.g., Python, JavaScript)

• What’s your preferred programming language, and how have you used it to solve complex problems?

This question brings out the candidate’s expertise in specific languages and their ability to apply them. It also reveals their familiarity with problem-solving within real-world contexts. And, why not, it actually verifies if the candidate has read the job description thoroughly. If they have, they'll bring up the operating systems or stacks that are mentioned in the ad.

2. Algorithms and Data Structures

• Describe a challenging problem you’ve solved with algorithms. What approach did you take?

Strong algorithmic knowledge is fundamental for many engineering roles. This question highlights the candidate’s problem-solving process and familiarity with efficiency considerations in coding.

3. Front-End (for UI-focused roles)

• How do you ensure your web applications are responsive and accessible?

Front-end development demands knowledge of responsive design and user experience principles. This question shows the candidate’s commitment to building accessible, cross-device applications.

4. Back-End (for server-focused roles)

• Based on what you've been checking about our product, what back—end suite would you suggest we build a new app on?

5. Problem-Solving in Real-World Scenarios

• How do you approach code integrity, and what steps do you take to guarantee secure coding practices?

This question reveals the candidate’s knowledge of safe coding practices, particularly in collaborative, multi-developer environments.

Why you Shouldn't Ask about Front-end or Back-end Fundamentals

When you're interviewing, you shouldn't specifically ask the candidates to explain something about a specific scientific software suite, a certain stack, or a certain model. Asking about a conceptual keystone, like, i.e., “Can you explain the MVC architecture?” will simply drive the candidate away from the position. The candidate will want to work in a job where they can put their skills to work. And they might not find professional that a recruiter is requesting them to explain something they're so much more versed about.

It's still way better to ask how they'd solve a certain problem and then check it out with your company's technical staff.

Covering Python, Front-End, Back-End, and Algorithms — From a Non-Technical Standpoint

Following this line, if you need to gauge a certain skill, simply ask how they'd apply to your company. It makes no sense for a non-technical recruiter to ask a candidate how to define what Python is. Instead, asking if the candidate has worked with Python before and how that experience would help nurture them for a new job will be more open-ended and more meaningful. The same applies to front-end roles, back-end positions, or any questions that require knowing about algorithms.

Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions

For senior roles, software interviews should emphasize advanced technical skills, leadership qualities, and project management experience. Senior software developers are often expected to code and also to mentor team members, manage software re engineering (working on a codebase all over again), handle complex architectural decisions, and manage the project timelines of a software development life-cycle.

Basic questions should look at a candidate’s years of experience and ability to deal with demanding projects and peer groups when implementing a software development model.

1. Sample Questions for Leadership

• Can you describe a time when you led a software project from start to finish? How did you manage team dynamics, set goals, and address challenges?
• Tell us about an instance where you had to resolve a conflict between team members or departments. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?

2. Project Management Strategies

• Describe a project where shifting deadlines or resources required you to re-prioritize your work. How did you communicate changes to stakeholders and keep the project on track?
• How do you make sure that both technical requirements and broader business objectives are met in the projects you lead?

3. Advanced Technical Skills

• What’s an example of a recent complex problem you solved, and what advanced techniques or technologies did you use?
• Senior engineers often have to make decisions that impact scalability and performance. How do you approach architectural decisions that ensure long-term stability and flexibility?

Beyond the Basics: Strategic Vision and Mentorship

For senior software engineers, also consider assessing their aptitude for long-term technical strategy and team development. Beyond technical know-how, strong candidates should demonstrate an ability to make strategic decisions that align with the company’s goals, as well as a sense of duty to mentor junior team members. Ask about their experience guiding projects with lasting impact, their approach to staying updated on emerging technologies, and how they contribute to skill development in their teams. Considering that offering a compelling career path is a great retention strategy, recruiters should be asking already if a candidate will deliver their trainees a clear direction for their professional development.

💡 Have they tested their own code? Consider asking your more senior candidates about past instances of unit testing or black-box testing. If they're expected to get into your project's codebase and start contributing, you'll prefer someone who has already audited their own or someone else's code. Someone who has tested code is usually someone who also knows how to come up with solutions for weak spots.

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Entry-Level Software Engineer Interview Questions

For entry-level software engineers, focus on questions that assess core knowledge, enthusiasm to learn, and the ability to work well within a team. Entry-level candidates may lack extensive experience, so it’s key to look at their technical understanding, adaptability, and potential to grow in the role.

1. Sample Questions for Basic Technical Proficiency

• Can you explain a recent coding project you worked on and the challenges you encountered?
• What programming languages and tools are you most comfortable with, and what motivates you to keep learning?

2. Problem-Solving and Learning Ability

• How did you learn to program in the first place? Why did you pick those programming languages out of all the ones that are out there in the industry?
• Describe a time when you faced a challenging bug or problem in your code. How did you approach solving it?
• How do you handle receiving feedback on your work, and can you give an example of how feedback helped you improve?

3. Teamwork and Adaptability

• Entry-level engineers often collaborate with various team members. How do you approach teamwork, especially when working with senior engineers or learning new tools and processes?
• Can you describe a time when you had to quickly learn a new skill or adapt to a new technology? What was your approach, and what did you take away from the experience?

Specialized Developer Interview Questions

Specialized software engineers, like front-end and back-end developers, have unique skill sets related to their roles. Since recruiters will know less about the topic than them, the key is to ask questions with answers that recruiters can then relay to a technical colleague. Most importantly, they should check if they're conscious about their decisions so that they impact a business in a favorable way. For example, it's a good idea to ask if the engineer took proactive steps to make sure the codebase from a project would continue operating, even if they left said project.

1. Front-End Developer Questions

• Have you worked on web applications that have both a mobile and desktop interface? Of all the tools you tried out, which one did you settle for and why?
• Describe a time when you optimized a website’s user interface. What tools and techniques did you use, and what was the impact on user experience?

2. Back-End Developer Questions

• Can you share an example of when you improved database performance?
• Were you ever requested to integrate an API or to develop an API yourself? Please tell me how you handled it and which practices you used to make sure the API won't break with the slightest change.

Why HR Software Can Help Recruiters Focus on Questions

The best software engineer interviews are those centered around the best questions. And the best questions are those that specifically target a role or character type. For entry-level candidates, recruiters should prioritize questions that demonstrate core knowledge, adaptability, and a commitment to learning. These people need to be prepared to strengthen their skills, so it's important to ask them questions that show how they solve problems, work well with others, and are good at receiving feedback.

For senior engineers, focus on evaluating advanced technical skills, leadership qualities, and the ability to manage complex projects. Questions that go deeper into strategic decision-making or mentorship are especially important for picking out candidates who can make a lasting impact on your team.

Recruiters who want to attract and onboard the best talent should consider using TalentHR. TalentHR is an all-in-one HR platform for all kinds of businesses—from startups to large corporations. For HR departments wanting to hire software engineers, it offers a set of features that includes a Careers page, an AI job ad writer, an applicant tracking system, and, if the candidate becomes a staff member, even an employee management tool. Considering that TalentHR even allows HR teams to onboard candidates, it's safe to say it covers the entire employee lifecycle. The most tedious tasks are automated so that recruiters can focus on asking the right questions.

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