Interview Questions on Java
Here are 50 interview questions for a Java Developer role, covering topics like core Java concepts,
object-oriented programming, Java collections, multithreading, exception handling, and Java
frameworks. These questions can help assess a candidate's technical skills, understanding of Java
concepts, and experience in developing Java applications.
1. Core Java Basics
• What are the main features of Java?
• Can you explain the concept of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)?
• What is the difference between JDK, JRE, and JVM?
• Why is Java considered platform-independent?
• What are Java’s access modifiers, and what do they do?
2. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in Java
• What are the four pillars of OOP, and how are they implemented in Java?
• How does Java support encapsulation?
• Can you explain inheritance and how it works in Java?
• What is polymorphism, and what are its types?
• How does method overloading differ from method overriding?
3. Java Data Types and Variables
• What are the different data types in Java?
• What is the difference between primitive data types and objects in Java?
• What are wrapper classes, and why are they used?
• How does Java handle type conversion and type casting?
• What is the significance of the final keyword in Java?
4. Java Operators and Control Flow
• What are the different types of operators in Java?
• How does the switch statement work, and when would you use it?
• What is the difference between == and .equals() in Java?
• Can you explain the for-each loop and when it’s useful?
• How does Java handle exception control flow with try, catch, and finally blocks?
5. Java Collections Framework
• What is the Java Collections Framework?
• How does a List differ from a Set in Java?
• What is a Map, and what are its key methods?
• What are the differences between ArrayList and LinkedList?
• How does a HashMap work, and what is its time complexity for insertion and retrieval?
6. Exception Handling in Java
• What are checked and unchecked exceptions?
• How do you create a custom exception in Java?
• What is the purpose of the throws keyword?
• Can you explain the try-with-resources statement?
• What is the difference between throw and throws?
7. Multithreading and Concurrency
• What is a thread, and how do you create one in Java?
• What is the difference between Runnable and Callable?
• Can you explain the concept of synchronization, and how do you achieve it in Java?
• What are the differences between wait(), notify(), and notifyAll()?
• How does the ExecutorService work, and why is it useful?
8. Java I/O and NIO
• What is the difference between Java I/O and NIO?
• How do you read and write files in Java?
• What is serialization, and how is it implemented in Java?
• How does Java handle character streams vs. byte streams?
• What are channels and buffers in Java NIO?
9. Java 8 and Beyond: New Features
• What are lambda expressions, and how are they used?
• Can you explain the concept of a functional interface?
• What are streams in Java, and how do they differ from collections?
• What is the purpose of the Optional class in Java 8?
• How do default and static methods work in interfaces?
10. Memory Management and Garbage Collection
• How does Java manage memory?
• What is garbage collection, and how does it work?
• Can you explain the different types of garbage collectors in Java?
• What is the purpose of the finalize() method?
• What is a memory leak, and how can you prevent it in Java?
11. Java Annotations and Reflection
• What are annotations, and how are they used in Java?
• What is reflection, and how can it be useful?
• Can you explain the purpose of built-in annotations like @Override, @Deprecated, and
@SuppressWarnings?
• How do you create a custom annotation in Java?
• What are some common use cases for reflection?
12. Java Frameworks and Libraries
• What is Spring Framework, and why is it popular?
• Can you explain dependency injection in the context of Spring?
• What is Hibernate, and how does it relate to JPA?
• How do you handle transactions in Spring?
• What is the difference between Spring Boot and Spring MVC?
13. Design Patterns in Java
• What are design patterns, and why are they important?
• Can you explain the Singleton pattern and how to implement it in Java?
• What is the Factory pattern, and when would you use it?
• How does the Observer pattern work?
• What is the difference between the Adapter and Decorator patterns?
14. Testing and Debugging Java Applications
• What is unit testing, and which frameworks have you used (e.g., JUnit, TestNG)?
• How do you handle exceptions in unit tests?
• What is the purpose of a mock object, and how do you use it in testing?
• Can you explain the concept of test-driven development (TDD)?
• What are some common debugging techniques in Java?
These questions cover various aspects of Java development, from core language concepts to
advanced topics like frameworks and design patterns, to help assess a candidate’s knowledge,
problem-solving skills, and experience with Java technologies.
