Focus more on Problem solving, core Java and Multithreading.

Below are the topics for preparation:

Modules Sub-Topics

OOPs, classes, interfaces, inner classes, Generics etc

Serialization, custom serialization

Core Java
Collections (Linked HashSet, HashMap, TreeMap etc)

Multithreading (volatile, ThreadPool, Locks etc)

Lists, Trees, Graphs, Queues, Stacks etc

Data Structures
Problem Solving, Time complexity analysis

Design Design principles and data structures in context of some real time problem

Basic SQL Queries

SQL
DB modelling, Query Tuning, Indexes, Qry Plans etc
Spring/ Other
frameworks Spring Core, Dependency Injection, Transaction Management etc

Soft Skills Communication Skills, Adaptable, Never say die attitude

Special focus on the below:

1.Core java Basics:

a. Need to be clear with OOPS principles such as inheritance, Data hiding, Polymorphism, Object
Overloading, Object Overriding etc.

I. Special focus should be on cases where methods are static and tried to be
overridden
II. Special focus should be on cases where methods are Private and tried to be
overridden
III. Special focus should be on cases where methods are variables and tried to be
overridden

b. Scope and visibility of Java variables

Special focus should be on the “protected” keyword

c. Generics
 I. Need to know type erasure and type safety semantics;
II. Need to know why List<String> can’t be type-casted into List <Object>.
III. Need to know the need of wild cards and their usage.

d. Pass by Value-Pass by Copy?

Need to know how java passes object b/w methods call.

Need to know what modifications are allowed in objects/ object references passed to other
methods as arguments.

e. Immutability

Understand the need of immutability

Need to know how to create an immutable class; special focus should be on handling of
mutable references/ collections etc.

2 Serialization:

a. Focus should be on custom serialization involving usage of readObject, writeObjects etc.

b. Understand Serialization in context of singleton using readResolve
c. Need to know Transient keyword and its usage
d. Serialization in context of inheritance and composition (eg. Parent is Serialization and Child is
not and vice versa)

3. Collections:

a. Must know equals/hashcode contract

b. Should be able to explain the inner design of any collections not just the java usage of it e.g.
it would be good to know that TreeMap uses Red-Black tree algorithm and is a height
balanced tree
c. Similarly, it would be great to know the collision Prevention Mechanism in HaspMap using
Chaining
d. Comparison b/w Collections is very important and when to use which one in a given scenario
should be clear.
e. Should be aware if Comparator, Comparable, Un-modifiable collections etc.

4. Multithreading: This is the MOST important area nowadays and interviews go into infinite depth
of any section of Multithreading.

a. Must understand Object Level Vs Class Level Locking

b. Must understand difference among sleep, wait, yield, join, etc.
c. Must understand volatile keyword and its usage
i. Focus should be its difference with synchronization and atomic classes, must
understand alternate strategies to synchronized keyword
d. Must understand Executors Framework, threadhpool etc

i. Should be able to design a threadpool without using executor’s framework

ii. Special focus should be on middleware to manage task while creating a threadpool
e.g blocking queue.
iii. Should know how to size a threadpool.
 e. Should be comfortable with inner design on Multithreading Collection APIs like :

i. Concurrent Hasp Map:

1. Its internal Segmentation, locking mechanism; Fail Fast, Fail Safe Iterators, Concurrent
Modification Exception, Level of Concurrency
ii. Synchronizers: Semaphores, Cyclicbarriers, Countdownlatches

Should understand the internal details of these apis and should be able to create these
apis on your own

f. Need to know various ways to creats Thread : ThreadClass; Runable; Callable etc
g. Need to know what is deadlock, what to do if deadlock happened; how to analyze tread-
dumps.

Data Structures & Problem Solving:

1. Data Structures:

a. Should be well versed with various data structures: Stacks, Queues, Trees,
Graphs etc

b. Should be able to compare various data structures e.g Stack vs Queue etc

c. Should be able to create data structures e.g.

i. Queues using Stacks

ii. Max Depth of a Tree

iii. No of nodes in a Tree

iv. Reverse a list

v. Find Middle of a list

vi. Any many more these kinds of question….

2. Problem Solving:

a. Should be well versed with common Searching and Sorting Algorithms

b. Should be able to think in terms of time complexity analysis

 c. Should be able to solve Problem Solving questions like:

i. Find duplicates in an array

ii. Find if String is a Palindrome

iii. Find max sub array within an integer array

iv. Any many more these kinds of question….

Design

1. Should be comfortable with design principles like

a. Programming to interfaces

b. Composition over Inheritance

c. Open-Closed Principle etc etc

2. Should be comfortable with common design patterns like

a. Singleton, factory etc

b. Strategy, Adapter, Decorator, Command etc etc

3. Should be able to apply design principles and design patterns in common real time problems e.g:

a. Design an Air Traffic Controller System

b. Or a Car Parking Lot system

c. Or Producer Consumer Problem etc etc

4. The focus here is on the how well design principles are adhered to and the appropriateness of
the design patterns

Below are the areas for Multithreading :

a. Must understand Object Level vs Class Level Locking

b. Must understand difference among sleep, wait, yield, join etc.

c. Must understand volatile keyword and its usage

i. Focus should be its difference with

synchronization and atomic classes

d. Must understand alternate strategies to synchronized keyword

e. Must understand Executors Framework, ThreadPool etc

i. Should be able to design a ThreadPool without

using executors framework

ii. Special focus should be on middleware to manage

tasks while creating a threadpool e.g blocking queue.

iii. Should know how to size a threadpool

f. Should be comfortable with the inner design of Multithreading Collection APIs

like:

i. Concurrent Hash Map:

1. Its internal Segmentation, Locking mechanism; Fail Fast, Fail

Safe Iterators; Concurrent Modification Exception; Level of
concurrency

ii. Synchronizers: Semaphores, Cyclicbarrier,

Countdownlatches

1. Should understand the internal details of these apis and should

be able to create these apis on your own

g. Need to know various ways to create a Thread: ThreadClass; Runnable; Callable

etc
 h. Need to know what is deadlock; what to do if deadlock happens; how to analyze
thread-dumps

Also go through the below links :

Kindly go through the following links and prepare for your next round :

I request you to prepare on the below areas:-

> http://javahungry.blogspot.com/2013/08/hashing-how-hash-map-works-in-java-or.html
>
> http://javahungry.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-treemap-works-ten-treemap-java-interview-
questions.html
>
> http://javahungry.blogspot.com/2015/02/how-concurrenthashmap-works-in-java-internal-
implementation.html
>
> http://javahungry.blogspot.com/2015/10/how-treeset-works-internally-in-java-interview-
questions.html
>
> http://javahungry.blogspot.com/p/threads.html
>
> http://javarevisited.blogspot.in/2011/04/synchronization-in-java-synchronized.html
>
> http://javarevisited.blogspot.in/2011/06/volatile-keyword-java-example-tutorial.html
>
> http://mrbool.com/working-with-java-executor-framework-in-multithreaded-application/27560
>
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10828863/what-the-use-of-custom-class-loader
>
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10901752/what-is-the-significance-of-load-factor-in-hashmap
>
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11011291/treeset-internally-uses-treemap-so-is-it-required-
to-implement-hashcode-method
>
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/137975/what-is-so-bad-about-singletons
>
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13855013/understanding-java-memory-management
>
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2087469/sort-a-file-with-huge-volume-of-data-given-
memory-constraint
>
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/27325997/how-does-countdownlatch-works-in-java
>
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/56860/what-is-the-liskov-substitution-principle
>
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8161896/example-code-to-show-how-java-synchronized-
block-works
>
> http://tutorials.jenkov.com/java-concurrency/synchronized.html
>
> http://tutorials.jenkov.com/java-util-concurrent/cyclicbarrier.html
>
> http://www.dynatrace.com/en/javabook/how-garbage-collection-works.html
>
> http://www.oracle.com/webfolder/technetwork/tutorials/obe/java/G1GettingStarted/index.html
>
> http://www.programcreek.com/2013/03/hashmap-vs-treemap-vs-hashtable-vs-linkedhashmap/
>
> https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E13150_01/jrockit_jvm/jrockit/geninfo/diagnos/garbage_collect.html
>
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creational_pattern
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOLID_(object-oriented_design)
>
> https://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2009/02/11/solid-development-principles-in-motivational-
pictures/
>
> https://scotch.io/bar-talk/s-o-l-i-d-the-first-five-principles-of-object-oriented-design