Microsoft Interview Questions

Review this list of 211 Microsoft interview questions and answers verified by hiring managers and candidates.
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "What are you strengths -: My strengths would include my eagerness to learn. This allows me to be open to new projects, roles and products and I can give my 100% to achieve the goals expected of me Other strengths would include my collaborative approach to work. I believe a team can achieve tremendous success if shares a common goal, respects other's opinions and contribution and is built on fundamental of trust Finally my biggest strength would be my commitment and passion to solve the custome"

    Amit A. - "What are you strengths -: My strengths would include my eagerness to learn. This allows me to be open to new projects, roles and products and I can give my 100% to achieve the goals expected of me Other strengths would include my collaborative approach to work. I believe a team can achieve tremendous success if shares a common goal, respects other's opinions and contribution and is built on fundamental of trust Finally my biggest strength would be my commitment and passion to solve the custome"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    +22

    "Idea for solution: Reverse the complete char array Reverse the words separated by space. i.e. Find the space characters and the reverse the subarray between two space characters. vector reverseSubarray(vector& arr, int s, int e) { while (s reverseWords(vector& arr ) { int n = arr.size(); reverse(arr, 0, n - 1"

    Rahul M. - "Idea for solution: Reverse the complete char array Reverse the words separated by space. i.e. Find the space characters and the reverse the subarray between two space characters. vector reverseSubarray(vector& arr, int s, int e) { while (s reverseWords(vector& arr ) { int n = arr.size(); reverse(arr, 0, n - 1"See full answer

    Software Engineer
    Data Structures & Algorithms
    +4 more
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    +2

    "I'm going to structure my answer like this so it is easy for both of us to follow up and grasp them easily. Let's first clear out some of the grey areas and make them black and white. Also, decide what are in-scope and out of scope. Second, let's understand what is our goal for improvement - is it the customer experience or any specific feature in mind? for a group of users? Third, I will brainstorm what are the pain points for user personas and solutions to improve them. Fourth, I will priorit"

    Suhasan C. - "I'm going to structure my answer like this so it is easy for both of us to follow up and grasp them easily. Let's first clear out some of the grey areas and make them black and white. Also, decide what are in-scope and out of scope. Second, let's understand what is our goal for improvement - is it the customer experience or any specific feature in mind? for a group of users? Third, I will brainstorm what are the pain points for user personas and solutions to improve them. Fourth, I will priorit"See full answer

    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    +1

    "First find the node that we need to delete. After it's found, think about ways to keep the tree BST after deleting the node. a. If there's no left or right subtree, we found the leaf. Delete this node without any further traversing. b. If it's not a leaf node, what node we can use from the subtree that can replace the delete node and still maintain the BST property? We can either replace the delete node with the minimum from the right subtree (if right exists) or we can replace the delete"

    An D. - "First find the node that we need to delete. After it's found, think about ways to keep the tree BST after deleting the node. a. If there's no left or right subtree, we found the leaf. Delete this node without any further traversing. b. If it's not a leaf node, what node we can use from the subtree that can replace the delete node and still maintain the BST property? We can either replace the delete node with the minimum from the right subtree (if right exists) or we can replace the delete"See full answer

    Software Engineer
    Coding
  • "Think of an operating system (OS) as being similar to a person managing household tasks like you! Imagine you have several chores to do around the house, such as cooking, cleaning, and praying. Each of these tasks is like an individual app. You, in this case, are responsible for ensuring all these tasks are completed smoothly. When you cook, you decide what ingredients to buy, how much of each, and which utensils to use. For cleaning, you assess what surfaces need to be cleaned, whether you need"

    Ekta M. - "Think of an operating system (OS) as being similar to a person managing household tasks like you! Imagine you have several chores to do around the house, such as cooking, cleaning, and praying. Each of these tasks is like an individual app. You, in this case, are responsible for ensuring all these tasks are completed smoothly. When you cook, you decide what ingredients to buy, how much of each, and which utensils to use. For cleaning, you assess what surfaces need to be cleaned, whether you need"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Technical
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  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "The traffic congestion is said to be messedup by vehichles on road.While technically it is said to be a server issue or any other.By using some advanced tech I go to solve that."

    Dheeraj sai P. - "The traffic congestion is said to be messedup by vehichles on road.While technically it is said to be a server issue or any other.By using some advanced tech I go to solve that."See full answer

    Product Manager
    Analytical
    +1 more
  • "I once had to change a decision i had previously made when I got stakeholder feedback that seemed to contradict what was already designed or already even built - such as the way a page was architected or the designs or colors used on a page. I had a justification for all decisions made, but sometimes the stakeholder feedback brings a perspective, such as a part of the user experience, that I had not thought of before. So I then went back to the original design or product and made an adjustment o"

    Sarah K. - "I once had to change a decision i had previously made when I got stakeholder feedback that seemed to contradict what was already designed or already even built - such as the way a page was architected or the designs or colors used on a page. I had a justification for all decisions made, but sometimes the stakeholder feedback brings a perspective, such as a part of the user experience, that I had not thought of before. So I then went back to the original design or product and made an adjustment o"See full answer

    Solutions Architect
    Behavioral
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    Video answer for 'Design a photo app for the blind.'

    "Context Photo app || Click images, videos via mobile app (android, ios) + editing + share + upload Who are we? || Startup who wants to build accessibility apps for the disabled people Why do we want to build this app? || Current apps are not usable by visually impaired, we can bring difference & gain market share. Constraints || To launch in next 12 months Is this app exclusively targeted for blind? || Yes but regular people may also use it but not our main target group **Goa"

    FuzzyLogic - "Context Photo app || Click images, videos via mobile app (android, ios) + editing + share + upload Who are we? || Startup who wants to build accessibility apps for the disabled people Why do we want to build this app? || Current apps are not usable by visually impaired, we can bring difference & gain market share. Constraints || To launch in next 12 months Is this app exclusively targeted for blind? || Yes but regular people may also use it but not our main target group **Goa"See full answer

    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    +2

    "When I transitioned from the Analytics team to the Product team, I faced challenges in gaining the trust of the engineering team. Having previously worked with them in a role where I provided insights rather than defining their priorities, they were initially hesitant to accept my inputs in my new role. This led to some misalignment, as they chose to focus on tasks independently rather than incorporating my recommendations. Recognizing the need to build credibility, I took a proactive approach."

    Shahrukh K. - "When I transitioned from the Analytics team to the Product team, I faced challenges in gaining the trust of the engineering team. Having previously worked with them in a role where I provided insights rather than defining their priorities, they were initially hesitant to accept my inputs in my new role. This led to some misalignment, as they chose to focus on tasks independently rather than incorporating my recommendations. Recognizing the need to build credibility, I took a proactive approach."See full answer

    BizOps & Strategy
    Behavioral
    +1 more
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "During a trip to Japan, I encountered a significant language barrier that influenced how I communicated with others. As I didn't speak Japanese fluently, I had to rely on basic phrases and non-verbal communication to interact with locals. This experience made me realize the importance of understanding cultural diversity. Despite the language barrier, I found that people were patient and understanding. They appreciated my efforts to communicate in their language, even if it was limited. This expe"

    Vikas K. - "During a trip to Japan, I encountered a significant language barrier that influenced how I communicated with others. As I didn't speak Japanese fluently, I had to rely on basic phrases and non-verbal communication to interact with locals. This experience made me realize the importance of understanding cultural diversity. Despite the language barrier, I found that people were patient and understanding. They appreciated my efforts to communicate in their language, even if it was limited. This expe"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • "(i) helped others success Over the years, I’ve had a few non-technical friends who wanted to start companies. Around two years ago, one of these friends reached out to ask for some guidance on how to start. This individual wanted to take the Airbnb model and apply it to outdoor recreational activities, mainly hunting and fishing. His problem was he had no frame of reference for where to start of what kind of effort and investment it would take. Over the course of a couple of conversations I help"

    John F. - "(i) helped others success Over the years, I’ve had a few non-technical friends who wanted to start companies. Around two years ago, one of these friends reached out to ask for some guidance on how to start. This individual wanted to take the Airbnb model and apply it to outdoor recreational activities, mainly hunting and fishing. His problem was he had no frame of reference for where to start of what kind of effort and investment it would take. Over the course of a couple of conversations I help"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "Let me try to explain it with simple life analogy You're cooking dinner in the kitchen. Multithreading is when you've got a bunch of friends helping out. Each friend does a different job—like one chops veggies while another stirs a sauce. Everyone focuses on their task, and together, you all make the meal faster. In a computer, it's like different jobs happening all at once, making stuff happen quicker, just like having lots of friends helping makes dinner ready faster."

    Praveen D. - "Let me try to explain it with simple life analogy You're cooking dinner in the kitchen. Multithreading is when you've got a bunch of friends helping out. Each friend does a different job—like one chops veggies while another stirs a sauce. Everyone focuses on their task, and together, you all make the meal faster. In a computer, it's like different jobs happening all at once, making stuff happen quicker, just like having lots of friends helping makes dinner ready faster."See full answer

    Software Engineer
    Data Structures & Algorithms
    +1 more
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "I first clarified what he needed for the leaderboard meaning did he need a gaming leaderboard system, a stock market leaderboard system where the trades placed would be ranked in terms of values or a coding platform leaderboard where the users are ranked as per the points earned by solving the problem? He answered that he wanted a multipurpose leaderboard system He was specifically interested in the design of the api part Explained him that assuming we had a flask api there would be a get re"

    GalacticInterviewer - "I first clarified what he needed for the leaderboard meaning did he need a gaming leaderboard system, a stock market leaderboard system where the trades placed would be ranked in terms of values or a coding platform leaderboard where the users are ranked as per the points earned by solving the problem? He answered that he wanted a multipurpose leaderboard system He was specifically interested in the design of the api part Explained him that assuming we had a flask api there would be a get re"See full answer

    Software Engineer
    System Design
  • "Abstract class A class that can have Abstract methods - without implementations and Concerete Methods i.e with implementation. Can have private, protected and public access modifiers. Supports Single inheritance i.e a class can extend only 1 abstract class Can have constructors Mainly used when sharing common behaviors Interface Class A collection of abstract methods ( can have static and default methods also - onwards of java 8) Public, static, final are the access"

    Sue G. - "Abstract class A class that can have Abstract methods - without implementations and Concerete Methods i.e with implementation. Can have private, protected and public access modifiers. Supports Single inheritance i.e a class can extend only 1 abstract class Can have constructors Mainly used when sharing common behaviors Interface Class A collection of abstract methods ( can have static and default methods also - onwards of java 8) Public, static, final are the access"See full answer

    Software Engineer
    Coding
    +2 more
  • "Understanding: Understand the reason for the pushback? Is the pushback related to any program constraints such as schedule, cost, quality, or scope? Is this pushback from a single stakeholder or a majority of the stakeholders? Working towards overall program goal: Explain how your idea is tied to the overall program's success metric or the goal Bring in data points to echo the above point Bring in examples of how this approach has helped in the past or with other competitors "

    Saran V. - "Understanding: Understand the reason for the pushback? Is the pushback related to any program constraints such as schedule, cost, quality, or scope? Is this pushback from a single stakeholder or a majority of the stakeholders? Working towards overall program goal: Explain how your idea is tied to the overall program's success metric or the goal Bring in data points to echo the above point Bring in examples of how this approach has helped in the past or with other competitors "See full answer

    Customer Success Manager
    Behavioral
  • "Recently, I was listening to an episode of Lenny Rachitsky’s podcast (aptly named Lenny’s Podcast), where he interviews Christian Idiodi, talking about the essence of product management. In the open sequence, Christian talks about the essence of this job being “you wake up on behalf of someone else, and you have to do it well enough that they give you something back in return.” This statement really struck a chord with me and resonated with why I love being a product manager. Customers and their"

    John F. - "Recently, I was listening to an episode of Lenny Rachitsky’s podcast (aptly named Lenny’s Podcast), where he interviews Christian Idiodi, talking about the essence of product management. In the open sequence, Christian talks about the essence of this job being “you wake up on behalf of someone else, and you have to do it well enough that they give you something back in return.” This statement really struck a chord with me and resonated with why I love being a product manager. Customers and their"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "That is a great product opportunity. I see the vision to drive engagement by building a reward based experience to encourage kids to login to the app and track their books and trigger a visual pleasing experience when the child completes a book. The more complex the book, the bigger the reward."

    Christina Z. - "That is a great product opportunity. I see the vision to drive engagement by building a reward based experience to encourage kids to login to the app and track their books and trigger a visual pleasing experience when the child completes a book. The more complex the book, the bigger the reward."See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "Imagine a blockchain as a magical, unchangeable diary that keeps track of all the candies you share with your friends. Whenever you share a candy, you write it down in this special diary, and your friends also write it down in their diaries. But here's the cool part – all the diaries are connected and can talk to each other! So, when you want to know who has borrowed your candy or if you borrowed candy from someone else, you just check this special diary. It shows you the history of all the can"

    Maedu E. - "Imagine a blockchain as a magical, unchangeable diary that keeps track of all the candies you share with your friends. Whenever you share a candy, you write it down in this special diary, and your friends also write it down in their diaries. But here's the cool part – all the diaries are connected and can talk to each other! So, when you want to know who has borrowed your candy or if you borrowed candy from someone else, you just check this special diary. It shows you the history of all the can"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
    +1 more
  • "In the Transformer architecture, the decoder differs from the encoder primarily in its additional mechanisms designed to handle autoregressive sequence generation. Here's a breakdown of the key differences: Self-Attention Mechanism: Encoder: The encoder has a standard self-attention mechanism that allows each token to attend to all other tokens in the input sequence. Decoder: The decoder has two types of self-attention. The first is the same as in the encoder, but the second is mas"

    Ranj A. - "In the Transformer architecture, the decoder differs from the encoder primarily in its additional mechanisms designed to handle autoregressive sequence generation. Here's a breakdown of the key differences: Self-Attention Mechanism: Encoder: The encoder has a standard self-attention mechanism that allows each token to attend to all other tokens in the input sequence. Decoder: The decoder has two types of self-attention. The first is the same as in the encoder, but the second is mas"See full answer

    Data Scientist
    Statistics & Experimentation
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "A load balancer, web application servers and a large database. Database is the core of the application containing the songs and tags related to each song. Application server will provide the search interface to find songs, play them and search them in specific categories or channels."

    Soraya B. - "A load balancer, web application servers and a large database. Database is the core of the application containing the songs and tags related to each song. Application server will provide the search interface to find songs, play them and search them in specific categories or channels."See full answer

    Product Manager
    Technical
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