Latest Coding Questions Asked to Freshers: Complete Guide with Solutions

The job market for fresh engineers is more competitive than ever. With companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and emerging startups actively hiring, coding interviews have become the primary filter for technical roles. This comprehensive guide covers the most frequently asked coding questions in 2025, complete with detailed solutions and explanations.

Why Coding Questions Matter for Freshers

Coding questions serve as the foundation for technical interviews, regardless of whether you’re applying to product-based companies or service-based organizations. Recent industry analysis shows that over 90% of software engineering roles require candidates to solve coding problems during the interview process.

Current Hiring Trends (2025)

• High emphasis on problem-solving skills over theoretical knowledge
• Live coding sessions becoming more common than take-home assignments
• Data Structures and Algorithms remain the core focus
• Time complexity analysis is expected for most solutions
• Multiple programming languages accepted (Python, Java, C++, JavaScript)

Most Asked Coding Questions by Category

1. Basic Programming Fundamentals

These questions test your understanding of core programming concepts and are typically asked in the first round of technical interviews.

def reverse_string(s):
    # Method 1: Using slicing (most Pythonic)
    return s[::-1]

# Method 2: Using two pointers
def reverse_string_two_pointer(s):
    chars = list(s)
    left, right = 0, len(chars) - 1
    
    while left < right:
        chars[left], chars[right] = chars[right], chars[left]
        left += 1
        right -= 1
    
    return ''.join(chars)

# Method 3: Using recursion
def reverse_string_recursive(s):
    if len(s) <= 1:
        return s
    return s[-1] + reverse_string_recursive(s[:-1])

# Example usage
print(reverse_string("Hello World"))  # Output: "dlroW olleH"

public class ReverseString {
    // Method 1: Using StringBuilder
    public static String reverseString(String s) {
        return new StringBuilder(s).reverse().toString();
    }
    
    // Method 2: Using character array
    public static String reverseStringArray(String s) {
        char[] chars = s.toCharArray();
        int left = 0, right = chars.length - 1;
        
        while (left < right) {
            char temp = chars[left];
            chars[left] = chars[right];
            chars[right] = temp;
            left++;
            right--;
        }
        
        return new String(chars);
    }
    
    // Method 3: Using recursion
    public static String reverseStringRecursive(String s) {
        if (s.length() <= 1) return s;
        return s.charAt(s.length() - 1) + 
               reverseStringRecursive(s.substring(0, s.length() - 1));
    }
}

def is_prime(n):
    # Handle edge cases
    if n <= 1:
        return False
    if n <= 3:
        return True
    if n % 2 == 0 or n % 3 == 0:
        return False
    
    # Check for divisors from 5 to sqrt(n)
    i = 5
    while i * i <= n:
        if n % i == 0 or n % (i + 2) == 0:
            return False
        i += 6
    
    return True

# Example usage
print(is_prime(17))  # Output: True
print(is_prime(4))   # Output: False
print(is_prime(29))  # Output: True

public class PrimeChecker {
    public static boolean isPrime(int n) {
        if (n <= 1) return false;
        if (n <= 3) return true;
        if (n % 2 == 0 || n % 3 == 0) return false;
        
        for (int i = 5; i * i <= n; i += 6) {
            if (n % i == 0 || n % (i + 2) == 0) {
                return false;
            }
        }
        return true;
    }
    
    // Simple approach for beginners
    public static boolean isPrimeSimple(int n) {
        if (n <= 1) return false;
        
        for (int i = 2; i * i <= n; i++) {
            if (n % i == 0) return false;
        }
        return true;
    }
}

# Recursive approach
def factorial_recursive(n):
    if n <= 1:
        return 1
    return n * factorial_recursive(n - 1)

# Iterative approach
def factorial_iterative(n):
    if n <= 1:
        return 1
    
    result = 1
    for i in range(2, n + 1):
        result *= i
    return result

# Example usage
print(factorial_recursive(5))  # Output: 120
print(factorial_iterative(0))  # Output: 1

public class Factorial {
    // Recursive approach
    public static long factorialRecursive(int n) {
        if (n <= 1) return 1;
        return n * factorialRecursive(n - 1);
    }
    
    // Iterative approach
    public static long factorialIterative(int n) {
        if (n <= 1) return 1;
        
        long result = 1;
        for (int i = 2; i <= n; i++) {
            result *= i;
        }
        return result;
    }
}

2. Arrays and Strings

Array and string manipulation questions are among the most frequently asked in coding interviews, especially for freshers.

def find_max(arr):
    if not arr:
        return None  # or raise an exception
    
    max_val = arr[0]
    for i in range(1, len(arr)):
        if arr[i] > max_val:
            max_val = arr[i]
    return max_val

# Example usage
nums = [3, 7, 1, 9, 2, 8, 5]
print(find_max(nums))  # Output: 9

public class FindMaximum {
    public static int findMax(int[] arr) {
        if (arr.length == 0) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Array is empty");
        }
        
        int max = arr[0];
        for (int i = 1; i < arr.length; i++) {
            if (arr[i] > max) {
                max = arr[i];
            }
        }
        return max;
    }
}

def is_palindrome(s):
    # Simple approach
    s = s.lower().replace(' ', '')
    return s == s[::-1]

# Two-pointer approach
def is_palindrome_two_pointer(s):
    # Clean the string
    cleaned = ''.join(char.lower() for char in s if char.isalnum())
    
    left, right = 0, len(cleaned) - 1
    while left < right:
        if cleaned[left] != cleaned[right]:
            return False
        left += 1
        right -= 1
    return True

# Example usage
print(is_palindrome("racecar"))      # Output: True
print(is_palindrome("A man a plan a canal Panama"))  # Output: True
print(is_palindrome("hello"))        # Output: False

public class PalindromeChecker {
    public static boolean isPalindrome(String s) {
        // Clean the string
        String cleaned = s.replaceAll("[^a-zA-Z0-9]", "").toLowerCase();
        
        int left = 0, right = cleaned.length() - 1;
        while (left < right) {
            if (cleaned.charAt(left) != cleaned.charAt(right)) {
                return false;
            }
            left++;
            right--;
        }
        return true;
    }
}

3. Data Structures Implementation

Understanding how to implement basic data structures is crucial for demonstrating your computer science fundamentals.

class Stack:
    def __init__(self, max_size=100):
        self.items = []
        self.max_size = max_size
    
    def push(self, item):
        if len(self.items) >= self.max_size:
            raise Exception("Stack Overflow")
        self.items.append(item)
    
    def pop(self):
        if self.is_empty():
            raise Exception("Stack Underflow")
        return self.items.pop()
    
    def peek(self):
        if self.is_empty():
            raise Exception("Stack is empty")
        return self.items[-1]
    
    def is_empty(self):
        return len(self.items) == 0
    
    def size(self):
        return len(self.items)

# Example usage
stack = Stack()
stack.push(10)
stack.push(20)
stack.push(30)
print(stack.peek())  # Output: 30
print(stack.pop())   # Output: 30

public class Stack {
    private int[] items;
    private int top;
    private int maxSize;
    
    public Stack(int maxSize) {
        this.maxSize = maxSize;
        this.items = new int[maxSize];
        this.top = -1;
    }
    
    public void push(int item) {
        if (top >= maxSize - 1) {
            throw new RuntimeException("Stack Overflow");
        }
        items[++top] = item;
    }
    
    public int pop() {
        if (isEmpty()) {
            throw new RuntimeException("Stack Underflow");
        }
        return items[top--];
    }
    
    public int peek() {
        if (isEmpty()) {
            throw new RuntimeException("Stack is empty");
        }
        return items[top];
    }
    
    public boolean isEmpty() {
        return top == -1;
    }
    
    public int size() {
        return top + 1;
    }
}

4. Mathematical and Logical Problems

These problems test your mathematical reasoning and logical thinking abilities.

def fibonacci_series(n):
    if n <= 0:
        return []
    elif n == 1:
        return [0]
    elif n == 2:
        return [0, 1]
    
    fib = [0, 1]
    for i in range(2, n):
        fib.append(fib[i-1] + fib[i-2])
    return fib

# Recursive approach
def fibonacci_recursive(n):
    if n <= 1:
        return n
    return fibonacci_recursive(n-1) + fibonacci_recursive(n-2)

# Example usage
print(fibonacci_series(10))  # Output: [0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34]

public class Fibonacci {
    // Iterative approach
    public static int[] fibonacciSeries(int n) {
        if (n <= 0) return new int[0];
        if (n == 1) return new int[]{0};
        if (n == 2) return new int[]{0, 1};
        
        int[] fib = new int[n];
        fib[0] = 0;
        fib[1] = 1;
        
        for (int i = 2; i < n; i++) {
            fib[i] = fib[i-1] + fib[i-2];
        }
        
        return fib;
    }
    
    // Recursive approach
    public static int fibonacciRecursive(int n) {
        if (n <= 1) return n;
        return fibonacciRecursive(n-1) + fibonacciRecursive(n-2);
    }
}

Major Companies Hiring Fresh Engineers

Application Tips for Fresh Engineers

Best Practices for Interview Success

Action Steps to Get Started

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Conclusion

Success in coding interviews requires consistent practice, strong fundamentals, and effective problem-solving strategies. The questions covered in this guide represent the most frequently asked problems in 2025 interviews across various companies and difficulty levels.

Remember that coding interviews are not just about getting the right answer – they're about demonstrating your thought process, communication skills, and ability to work under pressure. Practice regularly, stay updated with current trends, and approach each problem with confidence and clarity.

The coding interview landscape continues to evolve, but these fundamental problems and problem-solving techniques remain the cornerstone of technical assessment. With dedicated practice and the right approach, you'll be well-prepared to tackle any coding challenge that comes your way.

Ready to start your coding interview preparation? Begin with the basic problems and gradually work your way up to more complex challenges. Remember, every expert was once a beginner – stay consistent, stay motivated, and success will follow.