Top Full-Stack Developer Interview Questions

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Interview questions say a lot about one’s skills, experience, and ability to think outside the box. Interviewers want to know that their newest employee understands the roles, requirements, and responsibilities of the positions they need to fill.

However, prospective full-stack developers may feel uncertain about what to expect in an interview. Or, perhaps, still determining the answers that will land the job. Fortunately, this article includes analyses of the most common interview questions asked of full-stack developers to help those looking into the field prepare.

What Does a Full-Stack Developer Do?

Tech companies will pay full-stack developers very well because it is one of the more critical roles in the industry. Full-stack developers work on the front end and back end of website development, hence full-stack development. But, full-stack developers are experts with many skills and responsibilities.

Full-stack developers work with both client and server software. But they also lead teams, work with designers, and develop APIs. Developers in this role have mastered HTML and CSS, and they program browsers, servers, and databases.

However, landing the role means acing the interview. After applying for this all-in career, let’s look at what interview questions one can expect.

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Interview Questions for Full-Stack Developers

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The interview gives the employer an idea of which candidate will best fit the job description. Unlike other web development careers, full-stack developers can expect more in-depth questions.

Which Technologies and Languages are Necessary?

Full-stack developers must be familiar with front-end languages like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Back-end language requirements include Java, Python, C++, and Ruby. Proficiency in frameworks like Spring and Spring Boot, PHP, MyBatis, and Hibernate is essential. 

Knowledgeable full-stack developers are familiar with developer libraries, including JQuery, React.js, Ajax, and Angular. Developers must also understand databases and caches ranging from DBMS to Oracle and MySQL. Knowledge of Linux and server experience with Apache and NGINX are also beneficial. 

What Are the Best Languages for Full-Stack Developers?

Ideal full-stack developers are fluent in many programming languages. These developers handle a large variety of problems, websites, and servers. Therefore, it’s essential to brush up on programming languages. 

Full-stack developers need to know at least a few more common languages, such as Python and C++. Ruby, and Java. But proficiency in a few languages is still a great way to start.

What is Pair Programming?

During development, two programmers may work together to complete a project. One programmer will input the code while the other reviews it for accuracy and ensures it is correct. These roles are the driver and the observer. Pair programming is a great way to finish a project efficiently and accurately.

How Do You Stay Up-to-Date with the Latest Full Stack Development? What Are the Latest Trends?

a woman interviewing a developer

Employers need developers who can adapt and foresee changes in current trends. Full-stack developers with a passion for their jobs often stay up-to-date on these trends solely out of interest in the field. 

Framework libraries like Vue and React are the best places to maintain updated web development knowledge. Webinars, friends, colleagues, and online databases are other places competent full-stack developers find up-to-date information. 

Other great answers to these questions include loading CSS or JavaScript asynchronously or optimizing the HTML, CSS, or Javascript code.

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How Can You Decrease Website Load Times?

Load times are essential to a website’s success. Long load times can hurt a company, whether it affects a client or a public website. Full-stack developers need troubleshooting skills and out-of-the-box thinking to resolve wait times. 

Most developers investigate a website’s images first. The easiest fix is reformatting the website’s pictures to optimize the website’s load times. Another issue with long load times is too many redirects. Unnecessary redirects are a severe problem for websites. 

Is There a Difference between Denormalization and Normalization?

Denormalization is when data from multiple tables are combined into one table to query it quickly. It also adds redundancy to achieve faster queries and integrates data in the same database.

On the other hand, normalization removes copies of data and stores consistent data. Normalization aims to clear unused data and reduce duplicates. Unlike denormalization, normalization uses disk space, but changes to the data in a table will not affect its relationship with other tables.

How are GET and POST Different?

GET is a method that requests data from a particular source, while POST sends data to a source. The GET method adds information to the URL, and the length only allows 2,084 characters. POST doesn’t have URL restrictions, but GET does.

Another key difference is that GET is far less secure than POST. Due to the nature of the method’s information in the URL, GET isn’t ideal for sending sensitive information. POST, however, is slightly safer because the browser or server does not save the parameters.

What is a Project You’ve Worked On, and Why Did You Choose It?

Employers love to know more about developers’ past projects. It provides insight into one’s capabilities, creativity, and expertise.

When full-stack developers answer this question, the answer should relate to the methodology, tools, and specific details of the project. The project chosen must demonstrate the interviewee’s expertise in front-end and back-end development, even if one side is stronger than the other. Interviewers only want to ensure that the potential candidate can handle all aspects of the job when necessary.

Ace the Way to Being a Full-Stack Developer

Interviews don’t have to be intimidating or overwhelming. With the proper skill set and quick thinking, navigating the most complex questions is easy. Fortunately, interviewers don’t expect their candidates to be experts in every aspect of the job. Where one lacks easily obtainable skills, one can make up for them with enthusiasm and a little interview preparation.

It’s essential to display honesty and integrity in the interview because most employers place a higher value on quality characteristics than perfection.