The Most Frequently Asked Microsoft Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, especially when you’re applying for a coveted position at a tech giant like Microsoft. To help you prepare, we’ve compiled a list of the most commonly asked Microsoft interview questions, along with tips on how to answer them effectively.

Microsoft Behavioral Interview Questions

Microsoft places a strong emphasis on cultural fit, so you can expect a significant portion of the interview to focus on behavioral questions. These questions are designed to assess your problem-solving skills, work ethic, and ability to collaborate with others.

1. Tell me about yourself.

This seemingly simple question is often used as an icebreaker, but it’s also an opportunity for you to set the tone for the rest of the interview. Avoid reciting your resume verbatim. Instead, provide a concise overview of your background, highlighting your most relevant experiences, skills, and achievements.

Example answer: “I’m a passionate software engineer with five years of experience in developing and maintaining large-scale applications. I thrive in collaborative environments and enjoy tackling complex problems. Throughout my career, I’ve honed my skills in agile methodologies, object-oriented programming, and database management. I’m particularly proud of my work on [project name], where I led a team of developers in implementing a scalable solution that improved performance by 25%.”

2. Why are you interested in working with Microsoft?

This question allows the interviewer to gauge your motivation and understanding of the company’s culture and values. Your answer should demonstrate that you’ve done your research and that your goals align with Microsoft’s mission.

Example answer: “Microsoft has always been at the forefront of innovation, and I’m drawn to the company’s commitment to empowering individuals and organizations through cutting-edge technology. I’m particularly inspired by Microsoft’s focus on accessibility and inclusivity, as well as its efforts to promote sustainability and ethical AI development. I believe that my skills and experience in [relevant area] would contribute to these initiatives, and I’m excited by the opportunity to grow and learn alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry.”

3. Which three characteristics do you believe are required to work at Microsoft?

This question tests your knowledge of Microsoft’s core values and competencies. Refer to the company’s website or other resources to identify the key traits that Microsoft seeks in its employees.

Example answer: “Based on my research, I believe that collaboration, customer focus, and a drive for results are three essential characteristics for working at Microsoft. Collaboration is crucial in a fast-paced, innovative environment, as it allows teams to leverage diverse perspectives and expertise to solve complex problems. Customer focus ensures that Microsoft’s products and services consistently meet the evolving needs of its users. And a drive for results keeps the company moving forward, setting and achieving ambitious goals that push the boundaries of what’s possible.”

4. Describe a time when you took a risk at work.

With this question, the interviewer wants to understand your decision-making process, problem-solving abilities, and how you handle challenging situations. Choose a specific example that demonstrates your resilience, creativity, and ability to learn from mistakes.

Example answer: “In my previous role, our team was tasked with migrating a critical application to a new cloud platform within a tight timeline. While the migration was underway, we encountered a significant issue that threatened to derail the project. Rather than postponing the go-live date, I proposed a risky but innovative solution that involved implementing a temporary workaround. After carefully weighing the pros and cons, we decided to move forward with my approach. Although there were a few minor hiccups, the migration was ultimately successful, and we were able to resolve the issue without causing significant disruptions to our customers. This experience taught me the importance of carefully assessing risks, being proactive, and having contingency plans in place.”

Microsoft Technical Interview Questions

In addition to behavioral questions, you can expect a series of technical questions designed to assess your problem-solving skills, coding abilities, and understanding of computer science concepts.

1. Write a program that prints the k largest elements in an unordered array efficiently.

This question tests your knowledge of data structures and algorithms, as well as your ability to write efficient and readable code. Be prepared to walk through your thought process and explain your approach.

2. Define objects and classes in C++.

This is a fundamental question that assesses your understanding of object-oriented programming principles. Your answer should demonstrate a clear grasp of concepts like encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.

3. Write a function returning true if there is a triplet (a, b, c) that satisfies a^2 + b^2 = c^2 given an array of numbers.

This problem tests your ability to think logically and implement efficient algorithms. Be sure to explain your approach and provide examples to illustrate your solution.

4. How does operator overloading work in C++?

Operator overloading is a powerful feature in C++ that allows you to define the behavior of operators for user-defined data types. Your answer should explain the concept clearly and provide examples to demonstrate its use cases.

5. In C++, how do you allocate and release memory?

Memory management is a crucial aspect of programming, and interviewers may ask questions to assess your understanding of dynamic memory allocation and deallocation in C++.

6. Determine if there are any two integers in the array whose sum equals the provided value, given an array of integers and a value.

This problem tests your ability to implement efficient algorithms and data structures. Be prepared to discuss different approaches, such as brute force and optimized solutions, and analyze their time and space complexities.

7. If any element in the given two-dimensional array is zero, make the entire row and column zero.

This question assesses your problem-solving skills and familiarity with matrix operations. Be sure to walk through your solution step-by-step and discuss any potential edge cases or optimization strategies.

8. Given the head pointers of two linked lists, add them and return the new linked list. Each linked list represents an integer number (each node is a digit).

Linked list problems are common in technical interviews, as they test your understanding of data structures and algorithms. Be prepared to discuss your approach, including any assumptions, edge cases, and time and space complexities.

9. You’re given a linked list with two pointers at each node. The regular ‘next’ pointer is the first. ‘Arbitrary pointer’ is the second pointer, and it can point to any node in the linked list. Your task is to write code that creates a deep copy of the linked list provided.

This problem tests your ability to work with complex data structures and handle edge cases. Be prepared to explain your solution clearly, including any trade-offs or potential optimizations.

10. Display the node values at each level of a binary tree given the root.

Tree traversal problems are common in technical interviews, as they test your understanding of recursive algorithms and data structures. Be sure to discuss your approach, including any assumptions, edge cases, and time and space complexities.

By practicing these questions and honing your technical and behavioral skills, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle Microsoft’s interview process with confidence.