Top 50 Pega Interview Questions [Basic to Advanced] 2024

Are you preparing for a Pega interview? Whether you’re a fresher or an experienced professional, knowing the right Pega interview questions and answers can give you a significant advantage. Pega is a leading software platform that enables organizations to build and deploy enterprise-level applications quickly and efficiently. With its growing popularity, the demand for skilled Pega developers and professionals is on the rise.

In this article, we’ll cover the top 50 Pega interview questions, ranging from basic to advanced levels. These questions will help you assess your knowledge and prepare you for the real interview scenario. So, let’s dive in!

Basic Pega Interview Questions

1. What is Pega?

   • Pega (Pegasystems) is a low-code application development platform that enables organizations to build and deploy enterprise-level applications quickly and efficiently.
   • It provides a model-driven approach to application development, allowing businesses to create and modify applications without extensive coding.

2. What are the key features of the Pega platform?

   • Visual tools for application development
   • Business Process Management (BPM)
   • Case Management
   • Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
   • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and decision management
   • Cloud-native architecture
   • Rapid application development and deployment

3. What is the difference between an activity and a utility in Pega?

   • An activity is an instance of the Rule-Obj-Activity rule type and is the fundamental sequential processing unit in Pega.
   • A utility is a standard activity provided by Pega for utility tasks, and you can create additional ones as needed.

4. Where are work objects stored in the Pega rules database?

   • Work objects are stored in the pc_work table by default.
   • However, you can store work objects in a user-created table by creating a schema similar to pc_work and changing the class group mapping.

5. What is the difference between Edit Validate and Edit Input rules in Pega?

   • Edit Validate rules are used to validate property values using Java code.
   • Edit Input rules convert user-entered data into the required format (e.g., converting a date from MM/DD/YYYY to DD-MMM-YYYY).

6. How do you make a rule a favorite for your manager in Pega?

   • You can delegate the rule to your manager to make it a favorite.

7. How do you import rules using PZInsKey in Pega?

   • Open the rule and get the PZInsKey.
   • Go to prdbutil and use the PZInsKey to export the rule as a ZIP file.
   • Import the ZIP file where you want the rule to be imported.

8. What is the difference between Obj-Open and Obj-Open-By-Handle in Pega?

   • Obj-Open retrieves multiple records from a table based on specified criteria and the given class.
   • Obj-Open-By-Handle opens only one record at a time by passing the pzInsKey as an instance handle.

9. How do you call an activity from JavaScript in Pega?

   javascript

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   let activityKeys = new HashStringMap();activityKeys.putString("pxObjClass", "Rule-Obj-Activity");activityKeys.putString("pyClassName", workclass);activityKeys.putString("pyActivityName", "HistoryAndAttachments");tools.doActivity(activityKeys, workpage, tools.getParameterPage());

10. How do you pass parameters to an activity using JavaScript in Pega?

    javascript

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    pyActivity=GHC-HPlan-CS-Work.ABC&CSR=" + CSR;

Advanced Pega Interview Questions

1. How do you store the instance of a class in a specific database in Pega?

   • Create a separate database table for the working class within the database.
   • Map the class to an external database, and further saves will go to that database.

2. What is the difference between Obj-List and Rdb-List in Pega?

   • Obj-List retrieves a selected set of properties to a page in read-only mode.
   • Rdb-List retrieves an external relational database list.

3. How do you see the values of local variables of an activity in Pega?

   • You can use the log-message method to see the values of local variables.

4. What are the different types of flows in Pega, and when are they used?

   • Spin-off Flow: Used when a work object needs to start the execution of a different flow while continuing parallel processing in the current flow.
   • Split-Join Flow: Used to require multiple subflows to be completed before the current flow continues execution. Subflows can execute asynchronously and in parallel.
   • Split-ForEach Flow: Used to iterate over the pages of a Page List or Page Group property and conditionally start a flow execution for the work object.

5. What is the purpose of the Notify shape in Pega?

   • The Notify shape is used to configure the flow to automatically send notification messages about assignments.

6. What is the purpose of the Ticket shape in Pega?

   • The Ticket shape marks the starting point for exceptions that may arise at any point in the flow, such as a cancellation. It acts as a label for a point in the flow, similar to a programming “GOTO” destination.

7. How do you send multiple correspondences at the same time in Pega?

   • You can use the Application Preflight tool to list each rule in an application that contains a warning message.
   • These warnings may indicate potential issues with guardrails, performance, accessibility, or other notable conditions.
   • You can extend the set of warnings with a custom activity named Rule-ZZZZ.CheckForCustomWarnings.

8. How do you expose a column in a BLOB of the database in Pega?

   • You can use the Modify Database Schema wizard to expose a column in a BLOB of the database.

9. What is the purpose of the Decision shape in Pega?

   • The Decision shape references a map value rule, decision table rule, decision tree rule, or a Boolean expression that, when evaluated, produces a value used as the basis for branching in the flow.

10. What is the purpose of the Fork shape in Pega?

    • The Fork shape represents a point where the flow execution chooses one of a few different paths (connectors) based on tests on the work object.

11. How do you restrict the harness or section to a particular user in Pega?

    • You can use circumstances or different access groups and privilege lists to restrict the harness or section to a particular user.

12. How is a user’s ruleset list formed in Pega?

    • The system adds entries from the following sources in the order listed:
      • Requestor (Data-Admin-Requestor class)
      • Division (as referenced in the Operator-ID instance)
      • Organization (as referenced in the Operator-ID instance)
      • Access Group (as referenced in the Operator-ID instance)
      • Ruleset Versions (prerequisite RuleSets and versions)
      • Operator ID (personal RuleSet, if the user has the ability to check out rules)

13. How do you connect an external Java application without using Connect-Java in Pega?

    • You can use SOAP, JMS, or IAC (Integration Architect) to connect an external Java application without using Connect-Java.

14. What is the purpose of Privileges in Pega?

    • A privilege is an application-specific access control element associated with a class and access role.
    • Privilege rules (instances of Rule-Access-Privilege rule type) offer finer control over access than access roles alone.

15. What is the default property used to route the object in a Routing activity in Pega?

    • For a workbasket: pxRouteTo=Param.AssignTo="workbasket name"
    • For a worklist: pxRouteTo=Param.Worklist="true" && Param.AssignTo="pxRequestor.pyUserIdentifier"

16. What table is used to add a note in Pega?

    • The pc_data_workattach table is used to add a note in Pega.

17. What is the default activity used to create a work object in Pega?

    • There are multiple activities used to create a work object, such as Add, CreateWork, and New.

18. How do you call an activity from Java in Pega?

    java

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    HashStringMap activityKeys = new HashStringMap();activityKeys.putString("pxObjClass", "Rule-Obj-Activity");activityKeys.putString("pyClassName", workclass);activityKeys.putString("pyActivityName", "HistoryAndAttachments");tools.doActivity(activityKeys, workpage, tools.getParameterPage());

19. How do you get a property value from the clipboard using the Java step in Pega?

    java

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    ClipboardPage workpage = tools.findPage(pagename);String propertyName = workpage.getProperty(".pxResults.Risk").toString();

    or

    java

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    String propertyName = tools.findPage("WorkListPage").getProperty(".pxResults.Risk").toString();

20. How do you end a work object in an activity in Pega?

    • You can use JavaScript to end a work object in an activity.

21. What is the purpose of the Split/Join shape in Pega?

    • The Split/Join shape is used to require that multiple subflows of your flow be completed before the current flow continues execution, allowing subflows to execute asynchronously and in parallel.

22. How do you connect to different Pega applications?

    • You can connect to different Pega applications using SOAP, HTTP, JMS, or MQ.

23. What are the different functions used to call an activity from JavaScript in Pega?

    • window.open(urlToRun, "_self");
    • openUrlInSpace(urlToRun, "");

24. How do you pass a page as a parameter to an activity using Java in Pega?

    java

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    // Using Java, you can pass a page as a parameter to an activity

25. What is the difference between inheritance concepts in rules and classes in Pega?

    • Rules Inheritance: Rules inheritance (also called polymorphism) allows a rule created for one class (possibly an abstract class) to be applied to other classes that inherit from it, maximizing rule reuse while allowing localized overriding.
    • Class Inheritance: Class inheritance searches for rules from a concrete, lower class, up the class hierarchy to find available rules. There are two types: directed inheritance and pattern inheritance.

26. How is the performance of your work measured in Pega?

    • DBTrace: A feature in the Performance Analysis Tool (PAL) that creates a detailed log of calls to the PegaRULES database, displaying SQL statements and the time spent for each operation.
    • PAL: Stands for Performance Analyzer, a collection of counters and timer readings stored in the requestor, which application developers can use to analyze performance issues.
    • Alerts: Pega writes performance-related issues or errors to the performance alert log as alert messages.
    • AES: The Application Exception Service (AES) system parses exceptions and stores them in the pegaam_exception table, aggregating them into work objects called AES exception items in the pegaam_exception_work table.

27. What is the purpose of the Preflight tool in Pega?

    • The Preflight tool starts the Application Preflight tool, which reports warning conditions on the rules in your Application RuleSets, indicating potential issues with guardrails, performance, accessibility, or other notable conditions.

28. How do you use the log-message method in Pega?

    • The log-message method is used to log messages during the execution of a Pega application, which can be helpful for debugging and monitoring purposes.

29. What is the difference between Circumstances and Access Groups in Pega?

    • Circumstances: Circumstances are conditions that determine whether a rule instance is applicable in a specific situation.
    • Access Groups: Access groups are collections of users or operators who share the same set of privileges and access rights within an application.

30. How do you handle exceptions in Pega?

    • Exceptions in Pega are processed similarly to alerts. When a Pega server generates exceptions, they are sent via SOAP to the Application Exception Service (AES) system, which parses and stores the exceptions in the pegaam_exception table.

31. What is the purpose of the Map Value rule in Pega?

    • The Map Value rule is used to map input values to output values based on specific conditions or criteria. It is commonly used in decision shapes and can be referenced by decision tables or decision trees.

32. How do you implement error handling in Pega?

    • Error handling in Pega can be implemented using various techniques, such as try-catch blocks, error handlers, and decision shapes with error conditions.

33. What is the difference between Step Status Good and Step Status Fail rules in Pega?

    • Step Status Good is a rule that checks whether the value of the pxMethodStatus property is “Good”.
    • Step Status Fail is a rule that checks whether the value of the pxMethodStatus property is “Fail”.

34. How do you implement business rules in Pega?

    • Business rules in Pega can be implemented using various rule types, such as decision tables, decision trees, and map value rules. These rules encapsulate the business logic and can be easily modified or extended as needed.

35. What is the purpose of the Declare shape in Pega?

    • The Declare shape is used to declare and initialize variables in a Pega flow.

36. How do you implement data validation in Pega?

    • Data validation in Pega can be implemented using various techniques, such as Edit Validate rules, Property Validate methods, and Rule-Obj-Validate rules.

37. What is the difference between Page Validate and Property Validate methods in Pega?

    • The Page Validate method is used to validate all the properties present on a page, including embedded pages, recursively.
    • The Property Validate method is used to impose restrictions on a specific property value.

38. How do you implement security in Pega applications?

    • Pega provides various security features, such as access groups, privileges, operator IDs, and authentication mechanisms, to implement security in applications.

39. What is the purpose of the Data Transform shape in Pega?

    • The Data Transform shape is used to perform data transformations on work objects or other data sources within a Pega flow.

40. How do you implement integration with external systems in Pega?

    • Pega supports integration with external systems through various methods, such as SOAP, HTTP, JMS, MQ, and the Integration Architect (IAC) tool.

These Pega interview questions cover a wide range of topics, from basic concepts to advanced techniques and scenarios. Familiarizing yourself with these questions and their answers will help you prepare thoroughly for your Pega interview and increase your chances of success.

Remember, practice and hands-on experience are key to mastering Pega. Continuously learning and staying up-to-date with the latest developments in the Pega platform will also give you an edge in your career as a Pega professional.

Good luck with your Pega interview!