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C Programming Mock Interview Questions
1. What is the difference between ++i and i++?
Answer:
++i is pre-increment: increments the value and returns the incremented value.
i++ is post-increment: returns the original value, then increments.
int i = 5;
printf("%d", ++i); // 6
printf("%d", i++); // 6 (then becomes 7)
2. What is a dangling pointer?
Answer:
A pointer pointing to a memory location that has been freed or deleted is called a dangling pointer.
3. Difference between malloc() and calloc()?
Answer:
● malloc() allocates memory but does not initialize it.
● calloc() allocates and initializes all bits to zero.
4. What is the output?
int x = 10;
printf("%d %d %d", x++, ++x, x++);
Answer: Output is undefined (compiler-dependent). Because the variable x is being modified more
than once between sequence points.
5. Can a const variable be modified in C?
Answer:
By standard, const variables can't be modified. But using pointer tricks, it is possible (not
recommended).
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6. What is the difference between typedef and #define?
Answer:
● typedef is used to define new type names.
● #define is a preprocessor directive for constants or macros.
typedef unsigned int ui; // ui can now be used as an alias
#define PI 3.14 // replaces PI with 3.14 before compilation
7. What is a static variable in C?
Answer:
A static variable retains its value between function calls and has internal linkage (limited to file
scope).
8. Difference between call by value and call by reference?
Answer:
● Call by value: copy of actual argument is passed, original is not modified.
● Call by reference: address of variable is passed, original value can be modified.
9. What is recursion? Give an example.
Answer:
Recursion is when a function calls itself.
Example:
int factorial(int n) {
if(n==0) return 1;
return n * factorial(n-1);
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Write a C function to reverse a number.
int reverse(int num) {
int rev = 0;
while(num > 0) {
rev = rev * 10 + num % 10;
num = num / 10;
}
return rev;
}
✅ C++ Programming Mock Interview Questions
1. What is the difference between struct and class in C++?
Answer:
● struct members are public by default.
● class members are private by default.
2. What is a virtual function?
Answer:
A function declared with the virtual keyword in a base class and overridden in the derived class,
allowing runtime polymorphism.
3. Explain Constructor Overloading.
Answer:
Multiple constructors with different parameter lists in the same class. Example:
class Demo {
public:
Demo() {}
Demo(int x) {}
Demo(int x, int y) {}
};
4. What is a pure virtual function?
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Answer:
A virtual function with = 0, making the class abstract.
class Shape {
public:
virtual void draw() = 0;
};
5. What is the output?
class A {
public:
A() { cout << "A"; }
~A() { cout << "a"; }
};
class B {
public:
B() { cout << "B"; }
~B() { cout << "b"; }
};
int main() {
A a;
B b;
}
Answer: Output: ABba (Constructors are called in order of declaration, destructors in reverse order)
6. What is the difference between compile time and runtime polymorphism?
Answer:
● Compile-time: Function/Operator overloading.
● Run-time: Virtual functions and method overriding.
7. What are friend functions?
Answer:
Friend functions can access private and protected members of a class.
class A {
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private: int x = 10;
friend void show(A);
};
void show(A a) {
cout << a.x;
8. What is the use of this pointer?
Answer:
It is an implicit pointer that refers to the current object of a class.
9. What is the difference between shallow copy and deep copy?
Answer:
● Shallow Copy: Copies only references (pointer values).
● Deep Copy: Creates a new object and copies actual content.
10. Print sum of all elements in a vector
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
vector<int> v = {1, 2, 3, 4};
int sum = 0;
for (int i : v) sum += i;
cout << "Sum = " << sum;
}
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Java Programming Mock Interview Questions
1. What is the difference between == and .equals() in Java?
Answer:
● == compares references (memory addresses).
● .equals() compares object contents (logical equality).
2. What is method overloading vs method overriding?
Answer:
● Overloading: Same method name, different parameters, same class.
● Overriding: Same method name and parameters in child class.
3. What is the output?
class A {
void show() { System.out.println("A"); }
}
class B extends A {
void show() { System.out.println("B"); }
}
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
A obj = new B();
obj.show();
}
}
Answer: B (due to runtime polymorphism)
4. Explain final, finally, and finalize.
Answer:
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● final: keyword to mark constant, method that can't be overridden, or class that can't be
extended.
● finally: block that always executes after try-catch.
● finalize(): method called by garbage collector before object destruction.
5. Can we override static methods?
Answer:
No. Static methods belong to the class, not to objects. You can hide but not override them.
6. What are the access specifiers in Java?
Answer:
● private: accessible within class
● default (no modifier): accessible within package
● protected: within package + subclass outside package
● public: accessible everywhere
7. What is an interface? How is it different from abstract class?
Answer:
● Interface: 100% abstract, only method declarations (Java 7).
● Abstract Class: Can have methods with or without body.
interface Drawable {
void draw();
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8. What is garbage collection in Java?
Answer:
Automatic process by JVM to free up memory by destroying unused objects.
9. Explain Exception Hierarchy in Java.
Answer:
● Throwable is the parent class.
○ Error (e.g., OutOfMemoryError) – not meant to be handled.
○ Exception – can be caught.
■ Checked (IOException)
■ Unchecked (ArithmeticException, NullPointerException)
10. What is multithreading in Java?
Answer:
Multithreading allows concurrent execution of two or more threads (independent paths of execution)
to increase performance.
class MyThread extends Thread {
public void run() {
System.out.println("Running thread");
Java:
Program to check if a string is a palindrome
public class Palindrome {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String str = "madam", rev = "";
for(int i = str.length()-1; i >= 0; i--)
rev += str.charAt(i);
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System.out.println(str.equals(rev) ? "Palindrome" : "Not Palindrome");
}
}
Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA) – 5 Questions
1. What is the time complexity of binary search?
Answer:
Time complexity is O(log n) for sorted arrays.
It halves the search space at each step.
2. How is a queue different from a stack?
Answer:
● Stack: Last In First Out (LIFO)
● Queue: First In First Out (FIFO)
Feature Stack Queue
Insert push enqueue
Delete pop dequeue
3. Write a function to check if a string is a palindrome.
Python Code:
def is_palindrome(s):
return s == s[::-1]
Usage:
is_palindrome("madam") → True
4. What is the difference between BFS and DFS?
Answer:
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● BFS: Level-order traversal, uses a queue, good for shortest path.
● DFS: Depth-first, uses a stack/recursion, explores deeper first.
5.What is the difference between a linked list and an array?
Feature Array Linked List
Memory Contiguous memory Non-contiguous
(nodes/objects)
Access Time O(1) (direct access) O(n) (sequential traversal)
Insertion/Deletio Costly (need to shift elements) Efficient (adjust pointers)
n
Size Fixed (unless dynamically Dynamic (grows as needed)
allocated)
✅ React – 3 Questions
1. What is a component in React?
Answer:
A component is a reusable piece of UI, like a function or class returning JSX.
Example:
function Hello() {
return <h1>Hello, World!</h1>;
}
2. What is the difference between state and props in React?
Answer:
Feature Props State
Mutability Read-only Mutable
Scope Passed from Managed within
parent component
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Props: External inputs to components.
State: Local data controlled inside a component.
3. Explain useEffect hook with an example.
Answer:
useEffect() runs side effects (like fetching data, timers).
useEffect(() => {
console.log("Component mounted");
}, []); // empty array = runs once
✅ Python – 8 Questions
1. What are Python's advantages in embedded systems?
Answer:
● Python is easy to write and read, speeding up development.
● MicroPython and CircuitPython are lightweight implementations suitable for microcontrollers.
● Great for prototyping hardware.
● Rich libraries for GPIO, I2C, SPI, and UART (e.g., RPi.GPIO, machine, pyserial).
2. Explain the difference between is and == in Python.
Answer:
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● == compares values.
● is compares object identity (memory address).
a = [1, 2]
b = [1, 2]
print(a == b) # True
print(a is b) # False
3. How does Python handle memory management?
Answer:
● Uses reference counting and garbage collection.
● Memory is allocated on the heap.
● gc module can be used to tune collection.
4. What are decorators? Where can they be used in embedded applications?
Answer:
● Decorators are functions that modify behavior of other functions or methods.
● Useful in embedded systems for:
○ Logging
○ Execution time measurement
○ Access control for critical sections
def logger(func):
def wrapper():
print("Starting function")
func()
print("Ending function")
return wrapper
@logger
def blink_led():
print("LED ON")
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5. How do you handle real-time constraints in Python for embedded systems?
Answer:
● Python isn't real-time by default.
● Use MicroPython or embedded C extensions for time-sensitive parts.
● Use hardware timers, interrupts, and optimize using uasyncio (asynchronous I/O).
6. What are Python's mutable and immutable data types?
Answer:
Mutable Immutable
List, Dict, Int, Float, Str,
Set Tuple
7. What is list comprehension? Give an example.
Answer:
A concise way to create lists.
squares = [x**2 for x in range(5)]
# Output: [0, 1, 4, 9, 16]
8. **What are *args and kwargs in Python?
Answer:
● *args: Variable number of positional arguments
● **kwargs: Variable number of keyword arguments
def demo(*args, **kwargs):
print(args, kwargs)
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demo(1, 2, a=3, b=4)
# Output: (1, 2) {'a': 3, 'b': 4}
SQL Programming – 5 Mock Interview Questions
1. What is the difference between WHERE and HAVING clause?
Answer:
Clause Use With Filters Rows Based On Used With
Aggregation
WHERE Tables Individual rows ❌ No
HAVIN
G
GROUP BY
results
Aggregated data ✅ Yes
Example:
-- Use WHERE before grouping
SELECT department, COUNT(*)
FROM employees
WHERE salary > 30000
GROUP BY department
HAVING COUNT(*) > 5;
2. Write a query to fetch the second highest salary from the employees table.
Answer:
SELECT MAX(salary)
FROM employees
WHERE salary < (SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employees);
Alternate (using LIMIT - MySQL):
SELECT salary
FROM employees
ORDER BY salary DESC
LIMIT 1 OFFSET 1;
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3. What is the difference between INNER JOIN and LEFT JOIN?
Answer:
Join Type Returns
INNER Matching rows from both tables only
JOIN
LEFT JOIN All rows from left table + matching rows from right (or NULL if no
match)
Example:
SELECT a.name, b.department_name
FROM employees a
LEFT JOIN departments b
ON a.department_id = b.id;
4. What is a subquery? Write a nested subquery example.
Answer:
A subquery is a query inside another query.
Example:
SELECT name
FROM employees
WHERE salary > (SELECT AVG(salary) FROM employees);
Here, the inner query calculates the average salary, and the outer query selects employees with salary
above average.
5. How do you find duplicate records in a table?
Answer:
SELECT name, COUNT(*)
FROM employees
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GROUP BY name
HAVING COUNT(*) > 1;
This groups by name and shows only those having more than 1 occurrence.
Embedded Systems – Mock Interview Questions with Answers
1. What is the difference between microprocessor and microcontroller?
Answer:
Feature Microcontroller Microprocessor
Components CPU + RAM + ROM + Only CPU
I/O
Application Embedded systems General-purpose
systems
Power Low High
consumption
2. Explain polling vs interrupts.
Answer:
● Polling: CPU continuously checks the status of a device.
● Interrupt: Device signals CPU when it needs attention (more efficient).
3. How do you interface a sensor like DHT11 or MPU6050 with a microcontroller using Python?
Answer:
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● Use machine or Adafruit libraries (MicroPython/CircuitPython).
import dht
import machine
sensor = dht.DHT11(machine.Pin(14))
sensor.measure()
print(sensor.temperature())
4. What is the role of RTOS in embedded systems?
Answer:
● RTOS ensures deterministic task scheduling.
● Handles multitasking, priority, timing, and resource management.
● Used when Python is combined with firmware via dual-core MCUs (e.g., ESP32 with
MicroPython on one core, RTOS on another).
5. What are some Python libraries used in embedded systems?
Answer:
● machine: For GPIO, PWM, ADC (MicroPython)
● uasyncio: Lightweight async I/O
● time: For delays, timestamps
● pyserial: Serial communication with embedded devices
● Adafruit_BBIO, RPi.GPIO: Raspberry Pi GPIO
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