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Software Engineer interview questionsSystem Design round
A 60 min interview plan with a time-boxed script, what each question is for, and the signals to score against. Key skills: Designing scalable and efficient software systems..
System Design Challenge
Design a URL shortening service like TinyURL or bit.ly. Follow-Up Questions: How would you handle generating unique short URLs? How would you ensure that the service is scalable to handle a high volume of requests? How would you handle URL expiration or deletion? How would you ensure reliability and availability of the service?
What this question is for, and what to listen for
Purpose
Assess problem-solving, system design skills, ability to handle scalability, and communication.
Signals to score
- Clearly understands the problem requirements
- Identifies key components of the system
- Proposes a logical architecture
- Considers scalability and performance
- Addresses data storage and retrieval
- Discusses database choices
- Considers caching mechanisms
- Addresses potential bottlenecks
- Considers security aspects
- Communicates ideas effectively
Follow-up questions
- Can you explain how you would generate and store the short URLs?
- How would you handle a scenario where multiple users are accessing the service concurrently?
- What database would you choose and why?
- How would you ensure data consistency?
- How would you handle scaling the database?
If you had more time, what additional features or improvements would you consider for the service?
What this question is for, and what to listen for
Purpose
Assess the candidate's ability to think beyond initial requirements and consider enhancements.
Signals to score
- Suggests valuable additional features
- Considers analytics and tracking
- Mentions custom URL aliases
- Thinks about user management and authentication
- Addresses monitoring and logging
- Discusses ways to improve performance further
- Shows enthusiasm for continuous improvement
Great job on the system design exercise!
What this section is for
Purpose
Provides positive reinforcement and transitions to the closing part of the interview.
Closing
What this section is for
Purpose
Thanks the candidate for their time, provides next steps, and leaves a positive final impression.
Do you have any questions for me about the team or the company?
What this question is for, and what to listen for
Purpose
Gauge the candidate’s curiosity and interest in the role.
Signals to score
- Asks thoughtful questions
- Shows interest in company culture
- Inquires about team structure
- Asks about projects and technologies used
- Expresses curiosity about growth opportunities
- Engages with responses
Follow-up questions
- Is there anything else you'd like to know about the role?
- Do you have any questions about our development processes?
Software Engineer interviews — common questions
- Who is this Software Engineer interview plan for?
- It is written for the interviewer, not the candidate: the hiring manager, engineer or panel member running the System Design round for a Software Engineer role. It gives you a 60 min script to follow in the conversation — 3 questions with what each one is for and the signals to score against — so you are not writing the round from scratch the night before.
- What does the System Design round assess?
- This round is focused on: Designing scalable and efficient software systems.. It works through System Design Challenge and Closing, scoring against 23 observable signals, with follow-up prompts on 2 of the 3 questions for going deeper where an answer is thin.
- How is the 60 min split up?
- System Design Challenge (45 min), Closing (10 min). The timings are there so the round stays on schedule and every candidate gets the same shape of interview — which is what makes two candidates comparable afterwards.
- What other rounds should I run for a Software Engineer?
A single round does not cover a whole role. The other rounds in this library for a Software Engineer: