Interview Questions to Ask a

Senior Software Engineer ( Java

)| Xobin [Downloaded]
We at Xobin reached out to over 70+ Hiring teams to curate the best interview
questions. We didn't stop there.
We went ahead to understand what type of answers differentiated the top candidate
from the rest. Here is what we've got for you.
Role-specific skills to look for: Thorough knowledge of Software development,
object-oriented designs, databases, and expertise in Java, J2EE, and frameworks like
Struts, Play, etc.
Soft skills to look for: Communication skills, problem-solving, analytical skills,
teamwork, leadership, and adaptability..

Pro Tip: Always screen before your interview. Use Online

Assessment to screen applicants for a Senior Software Engineer (
Java ) position before blocking your time for an in-person interview.

Compilation of Senior Software Engineer (

Java ) Questions
Role-Based Interview Questions to ask a Senior
Software Engineer ( Java )

Interview Questions to Ask a Senior Software Engineer ( Java )| Xobin [Downloaded] 1

 💡 List out some of the highlights of Java.

Purpose of the question: A candidate applying for a language-specific job role must
deeply understand its pros and cons, hence this question can help in understanding if
the candidates know about the same.
What to listen for in candidate response: Top candidates would list out the various
benefits and highlights of Java while comparing it with other languages.

💡 What do you know about Busy spinning?

Purpose of the question: This question tests a candidate’s in-depth knowledge of

multithreading, since it is one of the key concepts of Java programming, hence an
applicant for this job role must be able to explain.
What to listen for in candidate response: Top candidates would explain what is busy
spinning and why it is used in Java.

💡 What is Read-Write Lock?

Purpose of the question: This question is designed to make sure the candidate has
extensive knowledge of Java and its functions.

What to listen for in candidate response: Look for the specific terms that explain
Read-Write Lock.

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 💡 What are the key differences between the pre-emptive threading model and
the cooperative threading model?

Purpose of the question: This question is designed to test the candidate’s knowledge
of the architecture of threads, as a Java programmer a candidate must be aware of
these topics.
What to listen for in candidate response: Listen for the terms and reasons of
difference between the pre-emptive threading model and the cooperative threading
model.

💡 Which design patterns have you used in any Java project?

Purpose of the question: Knowledge and experience with design patterns are crucial
to this function, hence a candidate must have some hands-on experience with concepts
like these as a programmer.
What to listen for in candidate response: Ideal candidates would list out the design
patterns they have experience with and what was each of them used for.

💡 How do volatile keywords affect thread performance?

Purpose of the question: You can ask this question to test the candidate’s knowledge
of some advanced Java-script concepts.

What to listen for in candidate response: A candidate would describe with the reason
why or why not volatile keywords affect thread performance.

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 💡 What is the structure of Java Heap?

Purpose of the question: A person working with Java must understand the functioning
of JVM. This question is designed to test the candidate’s knowledge of Java’s
functioning.

What to listen for in candidate response: Listen for the specific terms that explain the
Java Heap and its structure.

💡 Give a short description of any Java EE platform API.

Purpose of the question: Since one of the major technical requirements for a senior
software engineer( Java) is experienced with the Java EE platform, hence an applicant
for this role must be able to explain the same.

What to listen for in candidate response: A top candidate would list out some of the
Java EE platforms and would give a description of one or more among them.

💡 How do you prevent SQL Injection in Java Code?

Purpose of the question: This question tests the candidate’s knowledge of J2EE and
Java EE. As this job position requires an understanding of J2EE, hence this question is
designed to test the same.

What to listen for in candidate response: An ideal answer would include the method
of preventing SQL Injection in Java Code and how it is a security threat.

Interview Questions to Ask a Senior Software Engineer ( Java )| Xobin [Downloaded] 4

 💡 What’s the relationship between a code point and a coding unit in Unicode?

Purpose of the question: Using this question the candidate’s knowledge of Unicode
can be tested.
What to listen for in candidate response: Listen for the specific terms that distinguish
between a code point and a coding unit in Unicode.

Situational Interview Questions to ask a Senior

Software Engineer ( Java )

💡 How do you ensure effective team collaboration?

Purpose of the question: As Software engineering requires consistent and open

collaboration and shared working environments, therefore this question is designed to
test the candidate’s communication skills.

What to listen for in candidate response: Look for evidence of communication and
collaboration skills.

💡 Describe a time when you managed both development and operational

processes.

Purpose of the question: This question is designed to understand how the candidate
applied their leadership skills to direct effective processes between teams.

What to listen for in candidate response: Top candidates would describe their
experience with planning workflow, gaining input, and delegating team roles.

Interview Questions to Ask a Senior Software Engineer ( Java )| Xobin [Downloaded] 5

 💡 Why do you want to work for our company?

Purpose of the question: This question is designed to know what kind of information
does the candidate has about your company culture and what has excited them to join
your organization.

What to listen for in candidate response: Listen for the detail about what has driven
the candidate to work for your organization.

💡 What skills do you think are necessary for this job role?

Purpose of the question: Since software developers rely on a combination of technical

knowledge and transferable skills to be successful. Therefore it is important for an
applicant for this role to show the required skills.

What to listen for in candidate response: Look for evidence of the required skills for
this job role.

💡 How do you keep your skills up to date?

Purpose of the question: Being updated with the latest trends in the market is a sign
of a top candidate.

What to listen for in candidate response: Look for evidence of the understanding of

the new trends in the candidate.

💡 Do you enjoy working in a team or alone?

Interview Questions to Ask a Senior Software Engineer ( Java )| Xobin [Downloaded] 6

 Purpose of the question: This question is designed to understand if the candidate is a
team player or loner.

What to listen for in candidate response: An ideal candidate should be able to work
in both situations.

💡 How do you work under pressure?

Purpose of the question: The question is designed to understand if the candidate can
handle pressure or not and if they can, how they do that.
What to listen for in candidate response: Top candidate would elaborate their time
management skills with the help of their past experiences.

💡 How do you navigate in a challenging situation? Please provide an example.

Purpose of the question: Problem-solving skill is extremely critical for this function and
with an example, you can understand how the candidate handles difficult situations.
What to listen for in candidate response: The top candidate would show evidence of
analytical and problem-solving skills.

💡 What are your salary expectations?

Purpose of the question: This question is helps in understanding what the market is
currently paying for certain qualifications, experience, and skills.
What to listen for in candidate response: Top candidates would give the range of
salary they expect.

Interview Questions to Ask a Senior Software Engineer ( Java )| Xobin [Downloaded] 7

 💡 Do you have any questions for us?

Purpose of the question: The question is designed to know how interested the
candidates are in your company.
What to listen for in candidate response: Top candidates would ask questions and
show interested in the job and company-related details.

Start Optimizing your Senior Software Engineer ( Java ) Hiring today

Find and hire talent with confidence. If your candidate doesn’t know the answer to the
above questions and you’re hiring for a Senior Software Engineer ( Java )`` position,
then they’re obviously not a great fit.

Prepared and Curated by Xobin Team

Interview Questions to Ask a Senior Software Engineer ( Java )| Xobin [Downloaded] 8