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Boston University Software Engineer Interview Questions

The questions to prepare for a Boston University Software Engineer interview. Questions from real interview reports rank first. Updated weekly.

50questions
~7htotal time
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1
CodingStart here. 13 questions · ~111 min
Linked List ReversalEasy
Practice

Reverse a singly linked list in-place using iterative pointer manipulation.

RecursionLinked ListsArraysBoston University
Object-Oriented vs Functional ProgrammingEasy

Compare object-oriented and functional programming in terms of state, abstraction, side effects, and design tradeoffs.

LanguagestechnicalProgrammingBoston University
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2
Execution8 questions · ~68 min
Balancing Speed Quality and ScopeHard

Describe a time you had to choose between speed, quality, and scope, and how you aligned stakeholders around the trade-off.

Trade-offsRisk AssessmentScope ManagementBoston University
Design an API Under ConstraintsMedium

Design an API by balancing usability, performance, versioning, and operational risk under real product constraints.

Trade-offsRisk AssessmentScope ManagementBoston University
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3
System Design4 questions · ~34 min
Design a Real-Time Chat RankerHard

Design the ML system behind a real-time chat app, including message ranking, retrieval, serving, and feedback loops.

InfrastructureRetrievalBoston University
Design a Scalable Messaging SystemHard

Evaluates your ability to design for scale, reliability, and maintainability in messaging systems.

Feature StoreRetrievalRecommendation SystemsBoston University
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4
Behavioral & Leadership23 questions · ~196 min
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5
More topics2 questions · ~17 min
Handle Database ScalabilityHard

Evaluates your approach to scaling data stores, including design, indexing, and operational considerations.

JoinsData WranglingAggregationsBoston University
Fault Tolerance ExperienceHard

Evaluates how you applied fault-tolerance practices in real engineering work.

InfrastructureDependenciesQualityBoston University
Hands-on SQL practiceWrite and run real queries in the editor. 3 drills · ~30 min
Monthly Sales Trends by CategoryMedium
Practice
Practice drill

Aggregate monthly sales by product category and use LAG to calculate month-over-month changes.

InfrastructureToolsData WranglingTotal Wine & MoreInc.Benjamin Moore
SQL Top N QueryEasy
Practice
Practice drill

Return the 10 most-viewed active California physician profiles using WHERE, ORDER BY, and LIMIT.

RankingSortingAggregationsDoximity
Second Highest Trader SalaryEasy
Practice
Practice drill

Find the second highest distinct salary from a single table using basic PostgreSQL ordering and limiting.

SubqueriesRankingSortingeClinicalWorksInformaticaSpectraforce Technologies
The finish line: interview-readyComplete all 50 questions plus 3 hands-on drills to finish this plan.