Common Java Programming Interview
Questions
I. Core Java & Fundamentals
These questions test your basic understanding of the Java language and its platform.
1. What is Java? What are its key features? (WORA, object-oriented, platform-
independent, robust, secure, multithreaded, etc.)
2. Explain JVM, JRE, and JDK.
3. What are the differences between static, final, and volatile keywords?
4. Explain primitive data types vs. reference data types.
5. What is the difference between == and .equals() in Java?
6. Explain exception handling in Java (try-catch-finally, throws, throw, custom
exceptions).
7. What is the main method in Java? Why is it public static void
main(String[] args)?
8. What is Garbage Collection in Java? How does it work?
II. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) Concepts
OOP is a cornerstone of Java. Be prepared to explain and provide examples for each
principle.
1. What are the four pillars of OOP? Explain each with an example.
(Encapsulation, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Abstraction).
2. What is the difference between an abstract class and an interface?
3. What are Constructors? Explain different types of constructors.
4. What is method overloading vs. method overriding?
5. What are super and this keywords?
III. Collections Framework
A crucial part of Java development. You need to know the hierarchy, common classes, and
their differences.
1. What is the Java Collections Framework? What are its main interfaces?
(Collection, List, Set, Map, Queue).
2. Explain List, Set, and Map interfaces and their common implementations.
3. What is the difference between ArrayList and LinkedList?
4. How does HashMap work in Java? Explain hashCode() and equals() contract.
5. What is the difference between HashMap and Hashtable?
6. Explain Comparable and Comparator interfaces.
7. What is ConcurrentModificationException? How can you avoid it?
IV. Multithreading and Concurrency
Essential for modern, high-performance applications.
1. What is a Thread? How do you create a thread in Java?
2. Explain the lifecycle of a thread.
3. What is synchronization? Why is it important? (synchronized keyword).
4. Explain wait(), notify(), and notifyAll() methods.
5. What is a Deadlock? How can it be avoided?
6. What are ExecutorService and ThreadPoolExecutor?
7. What is ThreadLocal?
V. Java 8+ Features
Modern Java interviews heavily focus on these.
1. What are Lambda Expressions? Give an example.
2. What are Functional Interfaces?
3. Explain the Stream API. What are intermediate and terminal operations?
4. What is the Optional class? How does it help with NullPointerExceptions?
5. What are Default and Static methods in Interfaces?
6. Explain the new Date and Time API (java.time). What are its advantages over
the old java.util.Date and Calendar?
VI. Spring Boot (Common for web/enterprise roles)
If the role involves Spring Boot, these are highly likely.
1. What is Spring Boot? What are its advantages?
2. Explain Spring IoC Container and Dependency Injection (DI).
3. What is Auto-configuration in Spring Boot?
4. What is @SpringBootApplication annotation? What does it comprise?
5. What are Spring Boot Starters? Give examples.
6. How do you handle externalized configuration in Spring Boot?
7. Explain RESTful Web Services in Spring Boot.
8. What are Spring Profiles? How do you use them?
9. What is Spring Data JPA? How does it simplify database interaction?
VII. Microservices (Increasingly common)
If the role focuses on distributed systems.
1. What are Microservices? How do they differ from a Monolithic architecture?
2. What are the benefits and challenges of Microservices?
3. How do Microservices communicate with each other?
(Synchronous/Asynchronous)
4. What is an API Gateway? Why is it used in Microservices?
5. Explain Service Discovery in Microservices.
6. What is the Circuit Breaker pattern?
7. How do you handle distributed transactions in a Microservices architecture?
VIII. Coding Challenges
You will almost certainly be asked to write code. Common topics include:
String Manipulation: Reverse a string, check for palindrome, anagrams, count
character occurrences.
Array Manipulation: Find duplicates, sort arrays, rotate arrays, find max/min.
Data Structures: Implement a custom LinkedList, Stack, Queue. Traverse trees
(BFS, DFS).
Algorithms: Sorting algorithms (Bubble, Insertion, Merge, Quick Sort), Searching
algorithms (Linear, Binary Search), Fibonacci sequence, prime number check.
OOP Design: Design a simple system (e.g., a Parking Lot, ATM, Vending Machine).
Concurrency: Producer-Consumer problem, Dining Philosophers problem,
implementing a thread-safe counter.
Java 8 Streams: Filtering, mapping, reducing collections using Stream API.
Example Coding Challenge (Common):
FizzBuzz: Write a program that prints numbers from 1 to 100. For multiples of 3,
print "Fizz" instead of the number. For multiples of 5, print "Buzz". For numbers
which are multiples of both 3 and 5, print "FizzBuzz".
Reverse a String without using built-in reverse():
Java
public String reverseString(String str) {
char[] charArray = str.toCharArray();
int left = 0;
int right = charArray.length - 1;
while (left < right) {
char temp = charArray[left];
charArray[left] = charArray[right];
charArray[right] = temp;
left++;
right--;
}
return new String(charArray);
}
Tips for Interview Preparation:
Understand the "Why": Don't just memorize answers; understand the underlying
concepts.
Practice Coding: Hands-on coding is crucial.
Explain Your Thought Process: Articulate your approach, consider edge cases, and
discuss time/space complexity.
Be Ready for Follow-up Questions: Interviewers often dig deeper.
Review Your Projects: Be prepared to discuss your past projects.
Stay Updated: Java is constantly evolving; keep an eye on new features.
