For freshers, interviews usually focus on a few important things: understanding the skills mentioned on the resume, explaining projects clearly, knowing basic concepts, and showing how they approach problems.
This FAQ covers the questions freshers should be prepared for, along with what the interviewer is usually trying to understand from each question.
Note for candidates – The answers are examples. They should not be memorized word-for-word. A fresher’s answers should be based on their own projects, experience, and understanding.
1. Tell me about yourself.
This is usually one of the first questions in a fresher interview.
The interviewer is NOT looking for a complete history of the candidate. A good answer should briefly cover the candidate’s education, technical interests, projects, and the type of role they are looking for.
For example:
Candidate: “I’m a computer science graduate with an interest in software development. I’ve worked on a few projects using JavaScript and web technologies, which helped me become more interested in application development. I’m currently looking for an opportunity where I can apply what I’ve learned and continue improving my development skills.”
The answer should be short enough to start a conversation. There is no need to explain everything on the resume.
A common follow-up is:
Interviewer: “Tell me about your project.”
This is why candidates should be prepared to explain anything they mention while introducing themselves.
2. Tell me about your project.
This is one of the most important questions for a fresher.
A candidate doesn’t need to have built a complicated commercial application. What matters is whether they understand the project they have mentioned on their resume.
The interviewer may want to know:
Interviewer:
What problem did the project solve?
What technologies were used?
Why were those technologies chosen?
What was the candidate’s contribution?
What problems were encountered?
How were those problems solved?
For example, saying “We built a student management system using React and Node.js” is only the beginning.
The interviewer may then ask:
Interviewer:
“Why did you use React?”
“Why did you use Node.js?”
“How does the frontend communicate with the backend?”
“How did you store the data?”
“What part of the project did you build?”
Candidates should be prepared for these follow-up questions.
3. What exactly did you do in the project?
This question is particularly common when a project was developed by a team.
Instead of simply saying –
Candidate: “We developed the application,” – This is wrong.
the candidate should explain their own contribution.
For example:
Candidate: “I worked on the login functionality and created the API for authentication. I also worked on connecting the frontend login form to the backend.” – This is expected.
The interviewer may then ask technical questions about that particular functionality. This is why candidates should understand the code and functionality they claim to have worked on. Go thorough your project once and try to see if you can highlight a good feature to explain. This shows interest and experience in project.
4. Why did you choose this technology?
If a technology appears on the resume, the candidate should be prepared to explain why it was used.
For example, if a project uses PostgreSQL, the interviewer may ask:
Interviewer: “Why PostgreSQL?”
There isn’t always one correct answer. The important thing is that the candidate understands the decision.
A reasonable answer could be:
Candidate: “The application had structured data and relationships between different entities, so a relational database was a good fit.”
The interviewer may then ask:
Interviewer: “What other databases could you have used?”
The purpose is not necessarily to find the perfect answer. It is to understand whether the candidate has actually worked with the technology or simply followed a tutorial. It is better to explore alternatives in your project and brush up your basic knowledge and difference between different DBs. Need not be in depth.
5. What happens when you don’t know the answer?
Freshers are not expected to know everything. During an interview, candidates will sometimes get questions they have never encountered before.
It is better to honestly say:
Candidate: “I’m not familiar with that yet.” – This is perfectly alright.
If the candidate knows something related, that can also be explained.
For example:
Candidate: “I haven’t worked with Kubernetes yet, but I understand the basic idea of containers. I would need to learn the Kubernetes-specific concepts.” – Expected answer.
Trying to invent an answer is usually worse than admitting that something is not known.
6. What is Git?
If Git is mentioned on the resume, the candidate should at least understand the basic purpose of Git.
A simple answer is:
Candidate: “Git is a version control system used to track changes in source code and collaborate with other developers.”
The interviewer may then continue with questions such as:
Interviewer:
“What is a branch?”
“What is a merge conflict?”
“What is the difference between git pull and git fetch?”
“What does git commit do?”
A candidate who has actually used Git in a project should be able to answer basic questions about the normal Git workflow. Watch any youtube tutorial and practice in free platforms like Github and Gitlab. If you have a github account and have few projects there, it is valuable addition to your resume. You can provide links to your profile. Be sure to keep it completed and active.
7. What is a Git branch?
A branch is a separate line of development in a Git repository.
For example, a developer can create a branch for a new feature, make changes there, test them, and later merge those changes into the main branch.
The interviewer may ask:
Interviewer: “Why do developers use branches?”
The candidate should be able to explain the practical reason rather than just giving a definition.
8. What is a merge conflict?
A merge conflict happens when Git cannot automatically combine changes from different branches.
For example, two developers may have changed the same part of a file in different ways.
Git identifies the conflicting section, and the developer has to decide which changes should be kept before completing the merge.
A candidate who has actually worked with Git should ideally be able to explain a merge conflict using a simple example. This is slightly advanced concept. Actual git experience is needed. If you are not sure about this, honestly answer that you are not familiar. Do not “over-commit” ( If you got the joke 😀 – author)
9. How are you using AI while developing software?
GenAI is becoming increasingly relevant in software development, so freshers may be asked how they use AI tools.
A candidate might use AI to:
Understand unfamiliar code
Generate a starting point for a solution
Write unit tests
Debug errors
Explain documentation
Generate SQL queries
Refactor code
Learn a new technology
The important part is understanding that AI-generated code should not simply be copied and used without review.
A follow-up question could be:
“What do you do when AI gives you incorrect code?”
The candidate should be able to explain how they verify, test, and correct AI-generated code. Take a look at this article on how AI is used in industries to understand more. To prepare specifically on Gen AI related interview questions, read this article on GenAI Interview questions.
10. What happens if AI gives you incorrect code?
AI tools can produce code that looks correct but contains bugs, uses an incorrect API, has security problems, or does not actually solve the requirement. A developer should therefore be able to review and test AI-generated code.
A good answer could be:
“AI can give me a starting point, but I verify the code by understanding what it does, testing it, and checking the relevant documentation when necessary.”
This shows that the candidate understands AI as a development tool rather than a replacement for programming knowledge.
11. What is an LLM?
This is a wrong answer. Interviewer does not want to know the Full Forms.
Candidate: “LLM stands for Large Language Model.” – This is wrong.
Instead, a simple explanation is:
Candidate: “An LLM is a machine learning model trained on large amounts of data that can understand and generate human language.” – This is acceptable.
Depending on the role, the interviewer may continue with questions about tokens, prompts, context, hallucinations, or how LLMs can be used in software applications.
For a general software developer role, a basic understanding may be sufficient unless the job specifically requires AI knowledge.
12. What are AI hallucinations?
An AI hallucination is when an AI model produces information that sounds correct but is actually incorrect or unsupported.
For example, an AI coding tool might suggest a function that doesn’t exist in a particular library.
This is why developers should verify AI-generated information instead of assuming that the response is correct.
13. What should a fresher know about their resume?
One of the simplest ways to prepare for an interview is to go through the resume carefully. Anything mentioned on the resume can become an interview question.
If a candidate lists five programming languages, the interviewer may ask about any of them.
If three projects are listed, the interviewer may choose one and ask detailed questions about it.
If a technology is listed as a skill, the interviewer may ask a basic question about that technology.
The safest approach is to avoid listing technologies simply because they appeared in a job description or were used briefly in a tutorial. It is better to have fewer skills that can be explained confidently than a long list of technologies that the candidate barely knows.
14. What does an interviewer look for in a fresher?
A fresher is not expected to have years of professional experience. Interviewers generally want to see whether the candidate has a reasonable understanding of programming fundamentals, can explain what they have worked on, can think through problems, and is willing to learn.
Communication also matters. A candidate doesn’t need to know the answer to every question. What matters is how they respond when they know the answer, when they don’t know it, and when the interviewer asks a follow-up question.
15. How should a fresher prepare for an interview?
Instead of trying to memorize hundreds of questions, start with the resume.
For every project, prepare to explain:
What the project does
Why it was built
What technologies were used
Why those technologies were chosen
What the candidate personally worked on
What problems were encountered
How those problems were solved
Then revise the fundamentals related to the technologies on the resume.
Finally, practice explaining concepts in simple language.
An interview is not a written examination. The interviewer can ask a follow-up question based on almost anything the candidate says.
The best preparation is therefore not memorizing perfect answers. It is understanding the projects, technologies, and concepts well enough to have a conversation about them.
The questions asked in a fresher interview will vary from company to company, but the underlying goal is usually similar: understand what the candidate knows, how they think, and whether they have the foundation and learning ability needed to grow into a software developer.
Here is a guide on a simple yet ignored skill(Agile) freshers overlook. If you are interested to update your knowledge on additional skills, continue there.