✅ Java Collections Framework: Interview Mastery Guide
(3+ YOE)
🎯 Purpose:
This is your interview-ready reference for Java Collections. Each section includes:
📌 Key Concepts
💭 Common Questions
🧠 Tricks to Remember
💼 Real-world Scenarios
📘 1. What is Java Collections Framework (JCF)?
Definition: A standardized architecture to store and manipulate object groups.
Includes: Interfaces (List, Set, Map), implementations (ArrayList, HashMap), and utility
classes (Collections, Arrays).
🧠 Trick: "ISMIU" = Interfaces, Standardization, Manipulation, Implementation, Utilities
🧩 2. Core Interfaces Hierarchy (Diagram Based)
Iterable
|
Collection Map
/ | \
List Set Queue SortedMap
\
Deque
💭 Interview: “Can you explain the collection hierarchy and where Map fits in?”
🧠 Trick: Remember: L-S-Q-D (List, Set, Queue, Deque)
🟡 3. List Interface
Common Implementations:
✅ ArrayList – Dynamic array
✅ LinkedList – Doubly-linked list
✅ Vector – Legacy synchronized list
✅ CopyOnWriteArrayList – Thread-safe for read-heavy use cases
💭 Questions:
When do you choose ArrayList over LinkedList?
How does CopyOnWriteArrayList achieve thread safety?
🧠 Trick: "FAR" — Fast access → ArrayList, Add/remove → LinkedList, Read-heavy threads →
CopyOnWrite
🟢 4. Set Interface
Key Implementations:
HashSet – No order, backed by HashMap
LinkedHashSet – Maintains insertion order
TreeSet – Sorted set (Red-Black Tree)
EnumSet – Specially optimized for enum types
💭 Questions:
Can TreeSet contain null? What happens?
TreeSet vs HashSet internal structure?
🧠 Trick: "HLTE" → HashSet, LinkedSet, TreeSet, EnumSet (by complexity)
🔵 5. Map Interface
Important Types:
HashMap, LinkedHashMap, TreeMap, ConcurrentHashMap
WeakHashMap, IdentityHashMap, EnumMap, Hashtable
💭 Questions:
Difference between HashMap and ConcurrentHashMap?
Why does HashMap allow one null key?
🧠 Trick: Memorize use cases:
CHM → thread safety
EnumMap → enum keys
LinkedHashMap → access order
WeakHashMap → GC-sensitive
🟣 6. Queue & Deque
Core Types:
ArrayDeque, PriorityQueue, LinkedList, BlockingQueue
💭 Questions:
PriorityQueue order?
Difference between Deque and Queue?
🧠 Trick: "A-P-L-B" → ArrayDeque, PriorityQueue, LinkedList, BlockingQueue
🔴 7. Thread Safety in Collections
Collection Type Thread Safe? Use Instead
ArrayList ❌ CopyOnWriteArrayList
HashMap ❌ ConcurrentHashMap
LinkedList ❌ ConcurrentLinkedQueue
💭 Questions:
Difference between fail-fast and fail-safe?
Why not use Hashtable in modern applications?
🧠 Trick: Modern use = CHM, legacy = HT (avoid)
🧠 8. Deep Internals
HashMap: LinkedList → TreeNode conversion
ConcurrentHashMap: No global lock; uses bin locks + CAS
TreeMap: Red-Black Tree (balanced BST)
💭 Questions:
What triggers resizing in HashMap?
What is the treeify threshold?
Explain lock stripping in CHM.
🧠 Trick: Remember → Load factor 0.75, Treeify = >8, Resize = capacity * LF
🔐 9. Fail-Fast vs Fail-Safe
Type Example Behavior
Fail-Fast ArrayList, HashMap Throws ConcurrentModificationException
Fail-Safe CHM, COWArrayList Works on clone/snapshot
🧠 Trick: Fast = error, Safe = snapshot
🧮 10. Algorithms/Utils
Sorting: Collections.sort, Arrays.sort
Sync: Collections.synchronizedList()
Immutability: Collections.unmodifiableList()
Conversion: Arrays.asList(), List.of()
💭 Questions:
Can Arrays.asList() be resized?
🧠 Trick: Arrays.asList = fixed-size view
🧪 11. Hands-on Scenarios
🔥 Top K frequent elements → HashMap + PriorityQueue
✅ LRU cache → LinkedHashMap + removeEldestEntry()
✅ Word grouping → Map<String, List<String>>
🔐 Thread-safe counter → ConcurrentHashMap + AtomicInteger
🧠 Trick: Use hands-on for behavioral + system rounds
🧰 12. Best Practices
Always override equals() and hashCode() in keys
Use initialCapacity to avoid frequent resizing
Avoid Vector/Hashtable unless legacy is needed
Never use mutable keys in HashMap
🧠 Trick: "IMMUE" = InitialCapacity, Mutable keys = bad, Modern classes only, Unmodifiable =
safe, Equals/hashCode
💬 13. Tricky Interview Qs (Advanced)
HashMap:
What if two keys have same hashCode? (same bucket)
Why power-of-2 array sizes? (index masking)
Can hashCode change after insertion? (don’t allow!)
Concurrent Collections:
How is CHM lock-free? (CAS + sync blocks)
Compare CHM with synchronizedMap
TreeMap / TreeSet:
TreeMap sorting mechanism? (Red-Black Tree)
Can TreeSet hold duplicates? (No, uses compareTo)
Edge Cases:
What happens if key is null in TreeMap?
Can Set store duplicates if hashCode is same? (no, equals blocks it)
🧠 Trick: Practice dry-runs with diagrams. Don’t just read!
🔁 Interview Revision Strategy
☀️Morning: Revise Interface & Hierarchy (10 min)
☕ Midday: Review key implementations (ArrayList, HashMap, TreeSet)
🌙 Evening: Mock Q&A from sections 13 & 11 (30 min)
📌 Tip: Before interview — quickly skim only tricks & Qs.
