Samsung Ads QA Engineer Interview Questions & Guide 2026

At Samsung Ads, a QA Engineer plays a pivotal role in securing the quality and reliability of a highly sophisticated, global advertising ecosystem. Samsung Ads operates at the intersection of advanced TV technology, programmatic advertising, and big data, delivering targeted advertising solutions across millions of Samsung Smart TVs and connected devices worldwide. As a QA Engineer, you are not just checking for bugs; you are safeguarding the user experience of millions of active viewers and ensuring that complex ad-delivery pipelines run without friction.

Your work will directly impact critical components of the business, including real-time bidding (RTB) engines, content recommendation systems, and the user interface of Samsung’s Tizen OS. The scale and velocity of the ad-tech space require QA professionals to handle complex data streams, verify precise ad-tracking mechanisms, and validate software across diverse hardware configurations. It is a highly collaborative role that demands close alignment with software developers, product managers, and data engineers to deliver seamless, high-performance ad integrations.

This position is both challenging and rewarding because it combines traditional software testing with cutting-edge ad-tech concepts. Whether you are validating automated ad-insertion workflows or writing test scripts to stress-test high-throughput APIs, your contributions ensure that Samsung Ads maintains its position as an industry leader in Connected TV (CTV) advertising.

The following questions are representative of what you can expect during the hiring process. They are drawn from real reported interview experiences at various Samsung Ads global offices and are grouped by category to help you identify patterns and focus your preparation.

Coding & Data Structures

These questions evaluate your algorithmic thinking, problem-solving speed, and ability to write clean, efficient code. In some locations, you may be asked to write these out on paper or a whiteboard.

Reverse a linked list in-place and explain the time complexity.
Find the first non-repeating character in a string.

Given an array of integers, find two numbers that add up to a specific target.
Implement a function to check if a given string is a palindrome, ignoring spaces and capitalization.
Find the maximum subarray sum using Kadane's Algorithm.

Databases & SQL

Data integrity is crucial in ad-tech. These questions test your ability to query databases and verify that transaction logs and ad-delivery records are accurate.

Write a SQL query to find the second-highest salary from an Employee table.
Explain the difference between an INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, and FULL OUTER JOIN with practical examples.
How would you write a query to find and delete duplicate rows in a database table?
What are database indexes, and how do they impact query performance and write speeds?
Write a query to group ad impressions by region and filter out regions with fewer than 10,000 impressions.

Quality Assurance & SDLC

These questions assess your foundational knowledge of testing methodologies, software lifecycles, and how you design test cases for complex features.

Explain the differences between the Agile and Waterfall SDLC models. Which is better suited for a fast-paced ad-tech environment?
What is the difference between boundary value analysis and equivalence partitioning? Provide an example for an ad-budget input field.
Describe the lifecycle of a bug from discovery to closure. How do you handle a situation where a developer disputes a bug you found?
How do you perform regression testing, and how do you decide which test cases to automate?
What is API testing, and what tools and verification steps do you use to validate a RESTful API?

Behavioral & Situational

These questions help interviewers understand your communication style, how you handle pressure, and your alignment with company culture.

Describe a time when you had to deliver a critical testing project on a very tight deadline. How did you prioritize your tasks?
How do you handle a situation where you discover a critical bug right before a major product release?
Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult stakeholder or developer. How did you resolve the conflict?
Why do you want to work specifically at Samsung Ads, and how does your background align with our ad-tech ecosystem?

Preparing for an interview at Samsung Ads requires a balanced approach that covers both technical depth and behavioral readiness. You must demonstrate that you can think like an engineer while maintaining the rigorous quality-focused mindset of a tester.

Technical Rigor – You must show a strong grasp of computer science fundamentals, particularly in data structures, algorithms, and databases. Interviewers want to see that you can write clean, logical code and write optimized database queries to analyze test data.

Problem-Solving & Logic – Beyond finding syntax errors, you need to show how you approach complex, ambiguous systems. You will be evaluated on your ability to break down a product feature into logical test cases and isolate the root cause of failures.

Collaborative Mindset – As a QA engineer, you sit between product and engineering. You must demonstrate excellent communication skills, showing that you can explain technical bugs clearly to developers and advocate for user experience to product managers.

The interview process at Samsung Ads is structured to evaluate your technical competence, analytical capabilities, and cultural alignment. Depending on your location and experience level, the process generally spans three to four stages. Candidates often highlight that the process is thorough and requires solid preparation, but the recruitment teams are highly responsive and supportive throughout.

For university graduates and candidates in certain regional hubs (such as India), the process frequently begins with an aptitude and written technical test. This initial filter ensures you possess the fundamental problem-solving skills and logical reasoning required for engineering roles. For lateral hires, the process typically kicks off with a telephonic or online HR screening to discuss your background, followed by a technical screening call with a team lead.

Once you pass the initial screenings, you will move into the core technical rounds. These can be conducted online or onsite. In some locations, like Chennai, candidates are given a written coding test containing several algorithmic questions to solve on paper, followed by a deep-dive technical interview focusing on data structures, algorithms, and SQL. The final stage is a comprehensive behavioral and managerial round, where you will discuss your past projects, situational handling, and alignment with the company's core values.

The timeline above represents the typical progression of a candidate through the Samsung Ads hiring funnel. You should use this visual roadmap to pace your preparation, ensuring you allocate enough time for algorithmic practice before the technical stages and behavioral preparation before the final rounds. While the exact steps may vary slightly depending on your target office and seniority, this flow represents the standard evaluation path.

To succeed at Samsung Ads, you must perform well across several distinct technical and functional domains. This section breaks down the core areas where you will be evaluated.

Coding & Algorithms

Writing code is a standard requirement for QA Engineers at Samsung Ads, particularly for roles involving test automation. You need to prove you can write efficient, maintainable code to automate tests and build internal validation tools.

Be ready to go over:

Array and String Manipulation – Reversing, parsing, and searching data efficiently.
Linked Lists and Trees – Basic traversal, insertion, and manipulation algorithms.
Time and Space Complexity – Calculating Big O notation for your solutions and optimizing them.
Advanced concepts (less common) – Dynamic programming basics and complex graph traversal algorithms.

Example scenarios:

"Write a script to parse a log file and extract all error codes along with their occurrences."
"Implement an algorithm to detect a cycle in a directed graph."
"Given a string containing nested brackets, write a function to verify if the brackets are balanced."

Database Management & SQL

Because Samsung Ads processes massive amounts of telemetry and advertising data, you must be comfortable working with databases. You will be tested on your ability to retrieve, filter, and validate data across relational databases.

Be ready to go over:

Complex Joins – Combining data from multiple tables using various join types.
Aggregation and Filtering – Using GROUP BY, HAVING, and aggregate functions like COUNT, SUM, and AVG.
Subqueries and Nested Queries – Writing queries within queries to isolate specific data sets.
Advanced concepts (less common) – Database normalization, transaction management, and query optimization strategies.

Example scenarios:

"Write a query to find the top three ad campaigns that generated the most revenue in the last 30 days."
"How would you identify duplicate ad impression records in a database table using a single SQL query?"
"Explain how you would test database performance when executing queries on tables with millions of records."

Quality Assurance & Test Design

This area evaluates your core testing mindset. Interviewers want to see how you design test strategies, write comprehensive test cases, and execute different testing methodologies to ensure software quality.

Be ready to go over:

Test Case Design – Creating detailed, logical test cases for both functional and non-functional requirements.
SDLC and STLC – Understanding where testing fits into various software development lifecycles.
API Testing – Validating RESTful APIs, checking status codes, response payloads, and performance.
Advanced concepts (less common) – Performance testing, load testing under high traffic, and security vulnerability testing.

Example scenarios:

"How would you design a test suite for a new ad-targeting feature based on user demographics?"
"Describe your approach to testing an API that handles real-time bidding requests."
"What is your strategy for performing regression testing on a legacy codebase with limited documentation?"

As a QA Engineer at Samsung Ads, your daily activities will revolve around maintaining the high standard of software quality required for a global ad platform.

You will be responsible for designing, writing, and executing comprehensive test plans that cover both manual and automated testing. This involves collaborating closely with development teams during the early stages of product design to identify potential quality risks and define acceptance criteria. You will write automated test scripts to validate APIs, user interfaces, and backend services, ensuring that new features do not introduce regressions into the production environment.

Another critical component of your role is data validation. You will query large databases to verify that ad impressions, user interactions, and financial transactions are recorded accurately. When bugs are discovered, you will isolate the root cause, document the issues clearly in tracking systems, and work with developers to verify the fixes. You will also participate in release management, helping to ensure that deployments to production are smooth, stable, and seamless for millions of end-users.

The ideal candidate for a QA Engineer position at Samsung Ads possesses a strong technical foundation combined with excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Must-have skills – Strong proficiency in at least one programming language (such as Python, Java, or JavaScript) for test automation. Solid understanding of relational databases and SQL. Strong knowledge of software QA methodologies, tools, and processes. Experience with API testing tools like Postman or RestAssured.
Nice-to-have skills – Experience in the ad-tech domain, particularly with Connected TV (CTV), programmatic advertising, or real-time bidding (RTB) platforms. Familiarity with automated testing frameworks like Selenium, Appium, or Cypress. Experience with CI/CD pipelines and cloud platforms like AWS.

In terms of experience, candidates typically need a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. Junior roles may accept strong academic projects and basic internship experience, while mid-to-senior level positions generally require three or more years of hands-on experience in software testing and automation.

Q: How difficult is the QA Engineer interview process at Samsung Ads? A: The interview difficulty is generally rated as average to challenging. The process is highly technical, especially in locations like India where written coding tests on paper are common. However, the questions focus heavily on core fundamentals rather than obscure brainteasers, making thorough preparation highly effective.

Q: What is the typical timeline for the hiring process? A: The process can take anywhere from two to six weeks depending on the location, candidate availability, and internal approval timelines. Some offices may experience slight delays between rounds, but candidates generally report that the HR team is highly responsive and keeps them updated.

Q: Does Samsung Ads require QA Engineers to write code? A: Yes. While the depth of coding required depends on the specific level and whether the role is manual or automation-focused, almost all candidates face some form of programming evaluation. You should be prepared to solve basic to medium-level algorithmic questions in your language of choice.

Q: What is the work culture like for QA Engineers at Samsung Ads? A: The culture is highly collaborative, fast-paced, and engineering-driven. QA is treated as a core part of the product lifecycle rather than an afterthought. You will work closely with cross-functional teams and have a significant say in the quality and release readiness of products.

To maximize your chances of success during the Samsung Ads interview process, keep these practical tips in mind:

Practice writing code on paper: Since some onsite rounds require you to write out data structures and algorithms on paper or a whiteboard, practice coding without an IDE. Focus on clear syntax, correct logic, and explaining your thought process aloud as you write.
Brush up on basic ad-tech concepts: While not always a strict requirement, having a basic understanding of Connected TV (CTV), programmatic advertising, ad servers, and real-time bidding will help you stand out. It shows genuine interest in the business domain.
Structure your behavioral answers: When answering situational questions, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Be specific about what you did to resolve a problem or deliver a project, and highlight the positive outcome with data if possible.

Tip

When writing SQL queries during the technical round, always explain your logic step-by-step. Even if you make a minor syntax error, showing the interviewer that you understand how to structure joins, filters, and aggregations is highly valued.

Note

Do not skip practicing basic data structures like linked lists, arrays, and strings. Many candidates focus too much on complex automation frameworks and get caught off guard by fundamental coding questions during the initial technical rounds.

The QA Engineer position at Samsung Ads offers an exceptional opportunity to work on a global, high-scale advertising platform that powers millions of devices. It is a role where your engineering skills, analytical mindset, and attention to detail will directly shape the entertainment and advertising experiences of users worldwide. By combining strong technical execution with collaborative problem-solving, you can make a lasting impact on a rapidly growing business.

To prepare effectively, focus your energy on mastering coding fundamentals, honing your SQL querying skills, and refining your understanding of software testing lifecycles. Practicing real-world scenarios and structuring your behavioral answers will ensure you present yourself as a well-rounded, capable engineer ready to tackle the challenges of the ad-tech space.

The compensation data above represents typical salary insights for engineering roles in this domain. When evaluating an offer, remember that total compensation packages often include base salary, performance bonuses, and other benefits. Your specific offer will depend on your experience level, technical performance during the interviews, and the geographic location of the role.

You can explore more detailed interview insights, real candidate reviews, and comprehensive preparation resources on Dataford to help you ace your upcoming interviews. With focused preparation and a clear understanding of what Samsung Ads looks for, you are well-positioned to succeed. Good luck!

Interview Guides

Samsung Ads QA Engineer interview questions & guide 2026

What is a QA Engineer at Samsung Ads?

Common Interview Questions

Coding & Data Structures

Databases & SQL

Quality Assurance & SDLC

Behavioral & Situational

The questions most likely to come up

See how a strong candidate would approach this

Prioritizing Across Competing Client Projects

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Interview Process Overview

The interview process, end to end

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Coding & Algorithms

Database Management & SQL

Quality Assurance & Test Design

What they actually test for

Key Responsibilities

Role Requirements & Qualifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Other General Tips

Tip

Note

Summary & Next Steps

Other roles at Samsung Ads