Software Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Last updated on Feb 06, 2023
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Software Engineer Interview Questions

Software Engineering, a branch of engineering that is associated with software product development. Very well-defined scientific principles, methods and procedures are used to develop software in software engineering. In this article, there are top software engineering interview questions that will help the candidates who are preparing for the position. In software engineering, the user requirements are analyzed firstly and then the product is designed, developed, tested and deployed accordingly to those requirements. Someone who wants to be a good software engineer should have extensive knowledge of programming languages, software development, and operating systems, and then they should know how to apply the principles of engineering to the development of the software. The software engineering interview questions and answers will increase the chances of the selection of the candidates.

Most Frequently Asked Software Engineer Interview Questions

Here in this article, we will be listing frequently asked Software Engineer Interview Questions and Answers with the belief that they will be helpful for you to gain higher marks. Also, to let you know that this article has been written under the guidance of industry professionals and covered all the current competencies.

Q1. What are the differences between the extensions EXE and DLL?
Answer

Both EXE and DLL are extensions of a file but both are different. The EXE extension is used to make any file executable and on the other hand, DLL extension is used with the files that can be loaded and executed by other programs dynamically. A single file with a DLL extension can be used by many different programs. The DLL files can help in reducing the space taken by individual files of the programs.

Q2. What are the black box and white box testing?
Answer
Black-Box Testing White-Box Testing
In this type of testing the developer who is testing the software has no knowledge about the internal working of a software system. In this type of testing, the developer who is testing the software checks the internal functioning of the system.
The area on which black-box testing focuses on is the behavior of the software The testing is based on code statements, branches, conditions or paths used to develop that software.
The testing was done from the perspective of an external or an end-user The testing was done from the perspective of an internal functioning tester. This type of testing is called low-level testing.
Q3. What are the different phases of the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)?
Answer

STLC is a series of activities that are done for the purpose of testing the software. It defines what activities are to be done and on what sequence.

There are generally 6 phases of Software Testing Life Cycle:
  • Requirement Analysis
  • Test Planning
  • Development of Test Cases
  • Setup of the Ideal Environment for Testing
  • Execution of Test
  • Closure of the Test cycle
Q4. Write the syntax for the try and catch block for exception handling in Java.
Answer

In Java, there is an inbuilt function to handle exceptions. The normal code for which exception has to be handled first goes in the “try” block and the code for handling the exception goes into the “catch” block.

Below is the syntax for the try and catch block:

try{
   statement(s)
}
catch (exceptiontype name){
   statement(s)
}

Note: This is one of the software engineering interview questions for experienced candidates.

Q5. Describe the process of software development in brief?
Answer

Software development can be defined as the process of programming, designing, documenting, testing and creating software as well as maintaining them. It involves a number of processes that are further divided into several more terminologies that can be combined together to cover the concept of software development.

Processes involved in software development (step by step) are :
  • Conceive
  • Specify
  • Design
  • Program
  • Documentation
  • Testing
  • Bug fixing
Q6. Define Computer Software?
Answer

Computer software is the intangible part of the computer system which is created by collecting data along with computer instructions that command the computer how to work. It is contrary to hardware which actually works with the instructions and shows results. The software can be created for numerous purposes such as internet browsing, operating systems, photograph editing, and viewing and so on.

Q7. Who is a Software project manager? What are the roles of a software project manager?
Answer

A software project manager is a person who manages the team for building and managing software. He/She is responsible for the development, maintenance and successful implementation of any software.

Roles of a software project manager is as follows:
  • To lead the team and monitor it
  • To track the progress of software development
  • Documentation of project report
  • Keeping the motivation of the team-high
  • Establishing a link between the clients and the development team.
Q8. Define software scope?
Answer

Software scope can be defined as a boundary that surrounds several activities that are performed to create and deliver a particular software product. The scope of software defines all functionalities as well as details of the software that is meant to deliver as a part of the whole software.

Q9. Explain the Feasibility study?
Answer

The feasibility study is a measure and is done to find out how will software project development be practical and beneficial to the organization. To know about the technical, economic, and operational feasibility of the project, the software analyzed conducts a feasibility study.

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