Node.
js Backend Developer — Technical Interview Q&A Guide
1. Core [Link] & JavaScript (ES6+)
1. What is [Link], and why is it suitable for backend development?
Answer:
[Link] is a JavaScript runtime built on Chrome’s V8 engine. It uses an event-driven, non-
blocking I/O model, which makes it efficient for handling many concurrent requests. This
makes [Link] well-suited for APIs, real-time applications, and microservices where
scalability and performance matter.
2. Explain the event loop in [Link].
Answer:
The event loop allows [Link] to handle asynchronous operations. Tasks like I/O, timers, and
promises are delegated to the system or worker threads. Once completed, their callbacks
are queued and executed sequentially by the event loop, allowing [Link] to stay responsive
without blocking the main thread.
3. Difference between var, let, and const?
Answer:
var: Function-scoped, hoisted, can be redeclared (not recommended).
let: Block-scoped, reassignable.
const: Block-scoped, cannot be reassigned (preferred for safety).
Best practice: use const by default, let only when reassignment is needed.
4. What are promises and async/await?
Answer:
Promises represent the eventual result of an asynchronous operation.
async/await is syntactic sugar over promises that makes asynchronous code look
synchronous, improving readability and error handling using try/catch.
5. How does [Link] handle errors?
Answer:
Synchronous errors: handled with try/catch
Asynchronous errors: handled using .catch() or try/catch with async/await
Global handlers: [Link]('uncaughtException') and
[Link]('unhandledRejection') (used sparingly)
2. [Link] & REST API Development
6. What is [Link] and why is it commonly used?
Answer:
[Link] is a minimal [Link] framework for building web servers and APIs. It simplifies
routing, middleware handling, request/response management, and integrates easily with
databases and third-party libraries.
7. What is middleware in Express?
Answer:
Middleware functions sit between the request and response cycle. They can:
Modify requests/responses
Perform authentication
Validate input
Handle errors
Example: [Link]() for parsing JSON bodies.
8. How do you structure a RESTful API?
Answer:
Use nouns for endpoints (/users, /orders)
Use HTTP methods correctly:
o GET – fetch
o POST – create
o PUT/PATCH – update
o DELETE – remove
Keep controllers thin and business logic in services
9. What is REST and what are its key principles?
Answer:
REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style. Key principles:
Stateless requests
Client-server separation
Resource-based URLs
Standard HTTP methods
Use of HTTP status codes
10. How do you handle validation and error handling in Express?
Answer:
Validation: libraries like express-validator or custom middleware
Error handling: centralized error-handling middleware using next(err)
Always return meaningful status codes and error messages
3. SQL Databases (MySQL / PostgreSQL)
11. How does [Link] connect to SQL databases?
Answer:
Using drivers or ORMs like:
MySQL: mysql2
PostgreSQL: pg
ORMs: Sequelize, TypeORM, Prisma
Connections are usually managed using connection pools for performance.
12. Difference between SQL and NoSQL databases?
Answer:
SQL: Structured schema, relational data, strong consistency (MySQL, PostgreSQL)
NoSQL: Flexible schema, scalability, unstructured data (MongoDB)
This role focuses on SQL for transactional consistency.
13. What are joins? Explain briefly.
Answer:
Joins combine rows from multiple tables:
INNER JOIN – matching records
LEFT JOIN – all left records + matches
RIGHT JOIN – all right records + matches
Used to normalize data and avoid duplication.
14. How do you prevent SQL injection?
Answer:
Use parameterized queries
Avoid string concatenation
Use ORM query builders
Validate and sanitize inputs
4. Authentication & Authorization (JWT, OAuth)
15. What is JWT and how does it work?
Answer:
JWT (JSON Web Token) is a stateless authentication mechanism.
Flow:
1. User logs in
2. Server issues a signed token
3. Client sends token in Authorization header
4. Server verifies token for protected routes
16. Difference between authentication and authorization?
Answer:
Authentication: Who are you?
Authorization: What are you allowed to do?
JWT handles authentication; role checks handle authorization.
17. What is OAuth, at a high level?
Answer:
OAuth allows users to authenticate using third-party providers (Google, GitHub) without
sharing passwords. The app receives an access token to fetch user information.
18. Where should JWTs be stored on the client?
Answer:
Prefer HTTP-only cookies (more secure)
Avoid localStorage for sensitive tokens due to XSS risks
5. Git & Version Control
19. Common Git commands you use daily?
Answer:
git clone
git pull
git checkout -b
git add
git commit
git push
git merge / git rebase
20. Difference between merge and rebase?
Answer:
Merge: preserves history, creates merge commits
Rebase: rewrites history, creates a cleaner linear timeline
21. How do you resolve merge conflicts?
Answer:
Manually edit conflicting files, choose correct changes, then commit after testing.
6. Docker & DevOps Basics (Important for This Role)
22. What is Docker and why is it used?
Answer:
Docker packages applications and dependencies into containers, ensuring consistency across
development, testing, and production environments.
23. Explain a basic Dockerfile for a [Link] app.
Answer:
Use Node base image
Set working directory
Copy package files
Install dependencies
Copy source code
Expose port
Run the app
24. What is the difference between Docker image and container?
Answer:
Image: blueprint/template
Container: running instance of an image
25. What is Docker Compose?
Answer:
It defines and runs multi-container applications (e.g., [Link] + database) using a single
configuration file.
7. Architecture & Design
26. What is MVC architecture?
Answer:
Model: data logic
View: presentation
Controller: request handling
In APIs, views are usually JSON responses.
27. What is a service-based architecture?
Answer:
Business logic is separated into service layers, making code modular, testable, and easier to
scale.
28. How do you ensure scalability in a [Link] application?
Answer:
Stateless APIs
Load balancing
Caching
Database indexing
Horizontal scaling with containers
8. Performance, Debugging & Best Practices
29. How do you improve API performance?
Answer:
Optimize database queries
Use caching (Redis)
Avoid blocking operations
Use async processing
Proper indexing
30. How do you debug a [Link] application?
Answer:
Console logging
Debugger tools
Structured logging
Monitoring errors and performance metrics
31. How do you secure a [Link] backend?
Answer:
Input validation
Authentication & authorization
HTTPS
Rate limiting
Secure headers
Environment variables for secrets
9. Real-World Scenario Questions
32. How would you design a login API?
Answer:
Validate input
Check user existence
Compare hashed password
Generate JWT
Return token securely
33. How would you integrate a third-party API?
Answer:
Use HTTP client (axios, fetch)
Handle retries and failures
Validate responses
Secure API keys using environment variables
34. What happens when your [Link] server crashes?
Answer:
Use process managers (PM2)
Implement logging and monitoring
Restart containers automatically
Investigate root cause via logs
