Per Scholas Software Engineer interview questions & guide 2026

The following questions are representative of the patterns reported by candidates. They are designed to assess your technical foundation, your problem-solving process, and your alignment with the Per Scholas mission of equity and education.

Behavioral and Mission Alignment

These questions evaluate your motivations for joining Per Scholas and your commitment to student success.

• Why Per Scholas?
• Why Software Engineering?

Preparation for Per Scholas should focus on clarity, honesty, and demonstrating your mastery of the fundamentals. Because this role involves training others, your ability to explain how you arrived at a solution is often more important than the solution itself.

Technical Competency – You must have a firm grasp of core programming concepts, specifically Object-Oriented Programming and control flow logic. Interviewers look for your ability to explain these concepts clearly, as you will be expected to teach them to students.

Instructional Mindset – Since the role involves training, you should demonstrate a passion for education and student development. Be ready to articulate how your technical background allows you to add value to a classroom or learning environment.

Problem-Solving Ability – You will be tested on your ability to break down complex problems into simple, manageable steps. Focus on showing your logical process rather than rushing to a final answer.

Cultural Alignment – Per Scholas prioritizes candidates who are committed to the organization’s social mission. Reflect on how your personal and professional values align with the goal of providing high-quality tech training to diverse communities.

The Per Scholas interview process is designed to be straightforward yet rigorous, focusing on identifying individuals who possess both technical aptitude and the patience required for instruction. You can expect a progression that starts with high-level behavioral screening and moves into more specific technical evaluations. The pace is typically efficient, with clear communication between stages.

The philosophy here is to evaluate the "whole candidate." The team wants to see if you can handle the technical challenges of the curriculum while remaining supportive and accessible. You should approach every round—from phone screens to coding challenges—with a focus on clear communication and a genuine interest in the student experience.

This visual timeline illustrates the typical progression from initial screening to technical assessment and final behavioral review. Candidates should use this to pace their preparation, ensuring they are comfortable with both high-level mission alignment and granular technical tasks like pseudocode writing before their final rounds.

Technical Proficiency

This area is evaluated through both verbal explanations of concepts and hands-on coding tasks. You are expected to demonstrate that you can not only write code but also debug it and explain the underlying logic.

Be ready to go over:

• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) – Understand classes, objects, and inheritance.
• Control Flow – Be ready to implement if/else statements to manage logic.

As a Software Engineer and Critical Infrastructure Expert Trainer, your primary responsibility is the delivery of technical curriculum to students. You will be responsible for ensuring that students not only understand the syntax of a language but also the logical architecture of software development.

You will collaborate closely with other trainers and program staff to monitor student progress and adjust instructional strategies as needed. Daily tasks include leading training sessions, conducting code reviews, providing one-on-one mentorship, and evaluating student performance against program milestones. You are the bridge between industry-standard technical requirements and the classroom, ensuring students are prepared for the real-world demands of the workforce.

A strong candidate for this role is someone who combines technical expertise with a service-oriented mindset. You do not need to be a senior architect, but you must have a mastery of the fundamentals that you are expected to teach.

• Must-have skills – Strong foundation in Object-Oriented Programming, logical reasoning, and comfort with basic coding structures (loops, variables, conditionals).
• Communication – Ability to articulate technical concepts to non-experts or beginners.
• Educational Background – Prior experience in tutoring, mentoring, or training is highly valued.
• Nice-to-have skills – Experience with Hackerrank or similar coding assessment platforms, and familiarity with the specific technology stacks utilized in Per Scholas curricula.

Q: How difficult is the interview? A: Most candidates describe the process as average in difficulty. It is not designed to be a "trick" interview, but rather a test of your foundational knowledge and your alignment with the organization’s goals.

Q: What is the best way to prepare for the coding portion? A: Focus on pseudocode and basic logic rather than complex data structures. Practice solving everyday problems using if/else statements and logical sequences.

Q: How long does the process take? A: From the initial phone screen to the final offer, the process is generally fast, often moving within a few weeks. Stay responsive to emails and be ready for a coding challenge to follow your initial interviews.

Q: Does the role involve remote work? A: Yes, many Per Scholas programs are conducted remotely. Be prepared to discuss your ability to manage a virtual classroom and maintain student engagement through a screen.

• Prioritize clarity over complexity: When asked to explain a technical concept, assume the interviewer is checking your ability to teach it to a student. Keep your answers simple and structured.
• Be honest about your background: The interviewers value authenticity. If you don’t know an answer, explain how you would go about finding it.
• Master the fundamentals: Do not spend all your time on advanced frameworks. Ensure you are rock-solid on basic OOP and logical control flow.
• Prepare for aptitude tests: Some stages may include basic math or geometry questions. A quick refresher on speed, time, and basic geometry will serve you well.

The Software Engineer role at Per Scholas is an incredible opportunity to leverage your technical skills for social impact. By focusing on your ability to explain fundamentals clearly and demonstrating a genuine passion for mentorship, you will be well-positioned to succeed in the interview process. Remember that the interviewers are looking for a colleague who can support students through their learning journey.

To continue your preparation, you can explore additional interview insights, practice questions, and specific preparation resources on Dataford. Stay confident, prepare your examples, and focus on the value you can add to the classroom. You have the technical skills and the potential to make a meaningful difference.

The salary data provided reflects the compensation for Critical Infrastructure Expert Trainer roles. Candidates should interpret these ranges as baseline expectations for the specific geographic regions listed, noting that compensation can vary based on local cost-of-living adjustments and individual experience levels.