Top 10 Computer Engineer Interview Questions and Answers [Updated 2024]

Sample Answer
A Relational database is a type of database that organizes data into tables, and these tables can be linked—or related—based on data common to each. This capability enables a relational database to efficiently store large amount of data, and effectively retrieve selected data. In a relational database, each table, which is sometimes called a relation, in a relational database contains one or more data categories in columns, or attributes. Each row, also called a record or tuple, contains a unique instance of data, or key, for the categories defined by the columns. Primary and foreign keys play a crucial role in a relational database. They ensure each record within a table can be uniquely identified and help establish relationships between the tables. SQL is a language used for relational databases to query or get the data out of the database.

Sample Answer
Recursion in computer programming is a method where the solution to a problem depends on solutions to smaller instances of the same problem. A real-life example of recursion could be the Russian doll where each doll contains another smaller doll inside, and so on. Similarly, in programming, a recursive function calls itself to solve a smaller part of the problem until it reaches the base case. On the positive side, recursion makes code cleaner and easier to understand. On the other hand, it can cause stack overflow if the recursion depth is very large.

Sample Answer
A process is an instance of a program in execution, it is a self-contained execution environment and it has its own memory space. Each process provides the resources needed to execute a program. A process has a virtual address space, executable code, open handles to system objects, a security context, a unique process identifier, environment variables, a priority class, minimum and maximum working set sizes, and at least one thread of execution. A thread is the smallest unit of execution within a process. A thread simply executes instructions serially. A process contains the basic resources needed by a program, while a thread can utilize these resources to execute program instructions. Threads within the same process share the same state and memory space and can communicate with each other more easily than if they were separate processes.

Sample Answer
A binary search algorithm is a search method used to find the position of a target value within a sorted array. It works by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half. The procedure starts with an interval covering the whole array. If the target value is less than the value in the middle of the interval, the next interval will be the lower half. Otherwise, it will be the upper half. The search process repeats this procedure until the value is found or the interval is empty. Binary search is used in a variety of computing applications, such as debugging and coding. For instance, in coding, it is used to quickly find a value in a sorted list of values. In debugging, it can be used to help identify a specific point in a large data set where an error occurs.

Sample Answer
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that is based on the concept of ‘objects’. There are four main principles in OOP: encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction. Encapsulation is the concept of bundling the data and methods that operate on the data into a single unit called an object. Inheritance allows a class to inherit properties and methods from another class. Polymorphism allows a single method or object to have many forms. Abstraction hides the complexity and only shows the essential features of the object. Key benefits of OOP include code reusability and modularity, which means that the same code can be used across various programs, thus reducing redundancy. Also, due to encapsulation, data is more secure. OOP also makes troubleshooting easier because when an issue arises, you can typically isolate the problem to a specific object.

Sample Answer
Polymorphism in Object-Oriented Programming is a concept where a name can have many forms. In other words, polymorphism allows methods to be used in the same way even though they may belong to different classes. There are two types of polymorphism – overloading and overriding. Overloading allows different methods to have the same name but different parameters, while overriding allows a child class to provide a specific implementation of a method that is already provided by its parent class. Polymorphism is important because it enhances code reusability and it provides flexibility while developing programs because the method to be invoked is determined at runtime. For example, consider a class called ‘Animal’ and a method within it called ‘sound’. This method is implemented differently in the subclasses ‘Dog’ and ‘Cat’. So, when an object of ‘Dog’ calls ‘sound’, it will bark and when an object of ‘Cat’ calls ‘sound’, it will meow. This is polymorphism.

Sample Answer
A hash table, also known as a hash map, is a data structure that implements an associative array abstract data type, a structure that can map keys to values. A hash table uses a hash function to compute an index into an array of buckets or slots, from which the desired value can be found. Ideally, the hash function will assign each key to a unique bucket, but most hash table designs employ an imperfect hash function, which might cause hash collisions where the hash function generates the same index for more than one key. Techniques like separate chaining or open addressing can be used to handle these collisions. Hash tables are beneficial due to their efficiency. The average time complexity for search, insert, and delete operations in a hash table is O(1).

Sample Answer
Big O notation is used to express the upper bound of an algorithm’s time complexity, giving us an idea of how the run time grows as the input size increases. It’s useful because it helps us analyze the worst-case scenario for an algorithm, which can be important when dealing with large data sets or time-sensitive operations. For instance, if we have a simple search algorithm that checks each element of an array sequentially to find a target value, we’d describe its time complexity as O(n), where n is the size of the array. This means that in the worst-case scenario, where the target value is the last element checked or isn’t in the array at all, the algorithm will have to check n elements. So, the run time grows linearly with the size of the input.

Sample Answer
Agile methodology is a type of project management process, mainly used for software development, where demands and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of cross-functional teams. It advocates adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, and continual improvement, and encourages flexible responses to change. The advantages of Agile include higher product quality, lower risks, faster ROI due to a set pace, increased project control, improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced project predictability.

Sample Answer
TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, which is a suite of communication protocols used to interconnect network devices on the internet. The TCP/IP model consists of four layers: the Network Interface, Internet, Transport, and Application layers. The Network Interface layer is responsible for transmitting data over the network hardware, while the Internet layer is where IP operates, handling the movement of packets around the network. The Transport layer uses TCP to ensure data is reliably transmitted, and the Application layer is where protocols like HTTP and FTP operate, providing human-meaningful interfaces to the network. These layers work together to provide end-to-end data communication.