Interview questions for Computer Engineer

1. What is a Computer System?

A computer system is a combination of CPU, memory, and Operating System (OS) and supplementary devices connected to it (keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc.).

2. What do you mean by a Microprocessor?

A microprocessor refers to an integrated circuit functioning as the central processing unit of a computer system.

3. What are the Components of a Computer System? List Them.

A computing system consists of the following components:
• Memory (primary and secondary).
• Central Processing Unit containing the control unit and the arithmetic-logical unit.
• Input and output devices such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, speakers, and more.

4. What is your preferred operating system to use while programming and why?

• This question allows you to learn more about the candidate’s routines and what they’re most comfortable using now. Asking them to justify that decision will give you an idea as to whether they feel comfortable expanding their horizons. Additionally, listening to them talk about their choice of OS can also be a valuable opportunity to see what they value in that OS and their reasoning for why. What to look for in an answer:
• “I prefer Linux when programming as it supports most programming languages and allows you to work with the source code as desired. Plus, it’s free.”

5. Can You List Out Some Popular Operating Systems?

Microsoft Windows, Linux, and OSX are some of the most popular operating systems.

6. What is the Difference Between the Interpreter and Compiler?

There are plenty of differences between a compiler and an interpreter. First, there’s the difference in speed. Interpreted code runs slower than compiled code. The interpreter doesn’t produce an output program so you must evaluate the source while executing the code, whereas the compiler produces an output program as an exe file which you can run separately from the source.
The interpreter is most suitable for the development environment whereas it’s a little challenging to execute the compiler because you can’t predict what would happen at turn time. Moreover, the interpreter takes only one line of code as its input whereas the compiler takes the complete program as its input.
The interpreter remains in the memory during interpretation. On the other hand, the compiler executes the target program separately and doesn’t have to remain in the memory for this process. Finally, the interpreter would show all the errors one-by-one while the compiler would show them all at once after completing the compilation.

7. What are the Various Types of Access Modifiers?

There are four kinds of access modifiers: Default, Private, Public, and Protected. The private modifier makes the class (or method) visible to a specific class while the public modifier makes it visible to everything. The protected modifier would make it visible to particular packages.

8. What do you Mean by SDLC?

SDLC stands for Systems development life cycle or application development life cycle and is the process of creating, planning, deploying, and testing a system. It focuses on producing a software product efficiently.
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9. List a Few Popular Computer Processors?

Intel Core i9, Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5, AMD Ryzen 5, and AMD Ryzen 7 are some of the most popular computer processors.

10. What is a Framework?

A framework is a platform that allows you to create software applications. It gives you the foundation on which you can create a program for a particular platform. It might consist of predetermined functions and classes. You can use a framework to manage the hardware, inputs, and work with the system software.

11. What is bye stream?

Byte stream is most usually used to perform input and output for Unicode having 8 bits.

12. What do you mean by destructor?

Destructor is a class member function that deletes or destructs an object.

13. List out Layers of OSI Model?

Layers of OSI models are: 1) Physical, 2) Application, 3) Presentation, 4) Session, 5) Transport, 6) Network, and 6) Data Link Layer.

14) What is s the primary difference between process and thread?

Process is called as a program which is in execution. Thread is a segment of a process, so; a process can have more than one thread.

15. Explain primary memory

Primary memory, RAM is the main memory of a computer which can be directly accessed by the Central Processing Unit (CPU). It stores temporary information until the process finishes its execution.

16. What do you Mean by a File?

A file is a location that stores data and information. They are always located inside a storage device by using the name assigned to the same. They keep the information either permanently or until you delete it. They are a fundamental component of computer science.

17. What do you mean by a Class and a Superclass?

Class defines the features of an object like how it will respond to a message and what kind of a message the object will react to. A superclass is the basis of the class we consider.

18. What do you mean by a Chipset?

A chipset helps you in controlling the communication between different devices and is crucial for determining whether a computer system is functioning properly or not. It controls the communication between all the computer components such as the CPU, the storage, and the RAM.
It tells you which and how many USB devices your motherboard can support. Primarily, chipsets help a computer system in controlling peripheral components such as the keyboard, monitor, mouse, or printer.

19. What is the World Wide Web (WWW)?

WWW or World Wide Web is a method of accessing information using internet media.

20. What is an Algorithm?

An algorithm is a rule or step-by-step process that must be followed in order to solve a particular problem.

21. What is the operating system?

An Operating system (OS) is a software that acts as an interface between the end-user and computer hardware. Every computer must have at least one OS to run other programs.

22. What is cryptography?

Cryptography is the study of techniques that hide the real meaning of information. It transforms this information into a format that cannot be read by humans and vice versa.