15 min Java test before interview???

nads

hi my girlfriend just out of college has got an interview which involves a 15 min test in java beforehand. she's worried about it, and i'm just wondering in 15 mins what would she most likely be facing, questions to answer in english, or do some little coding calculations.
its for some hedge funds type place in D4 i think aswell.

Cheers

Khannie

I've given java technical interviews. If she's programmed Java recently, she'll be fine. They wont expect her to know everything. What's the job?

For interviews in the past, I've either been asked questions to see if I know the language (what's wrong with this code) or algorithmic questions (write a program to reverse a string kinda thing) or design (how would you go about designing a monopoly game).

15 minutes isn't enough for a full-on design or algorithmic test, so she'll likely get language based questions (what's the difference between an Integer and an int, for example). They wont expect her to know all the answers to these either. All in all, nothing to worry about.

edit: as phil said, there'll probably be "what's wrong with this" kinda questions too. Nothing to worry about.

Evil Phil

It will be coding calculations. She'll probably get a sheet of paper with a few problems on it that she will have to solve. Shouldn't be too difficult as she's a graduate.

nads

cheers, the job is Junior Java Analyst Programmer, where there'd be a lot of error solving and design in it, thanks for the pointers lads

NutJob

Some of the questions i got on tests

-String to int conversion
-reverse a string
-what's wrong with this piece of code (small problems)
-How would you find a string in a string

For junior positions it'll be kept simple

don't worry if you don't know an answer or two some tests are designed to see how you'll work under stress.

Hobbes

15 mins will probably mean its mainly multiple choice and will probably cover standard gotchas like for example

class Sample {
  int i;  

  public void SampleMethod() { 
     int j;
     System.out.Println(i + j);
  }
}

Hobbes

Oh yea and not all companies but some use the test to gauge the level of your skills rather then if you get the job or not. For example I have known people who have gotten 2 correct out of 15 yet still got the job.

It is also used to gauge the level of BS that may be spouted in the interview.

radioactiveman

Hi I've had interview tests as well that tested you on abstract classes and interfaces and the differences between them, threads - ie knowing how to create them properly, also pieces of code and questions after asking what the result will be - or if it will crash
good luck:)

robydrupo

NutJob wrote:

Some of the questions i got on tests

-String to int conversion
-reverse a string
-what's wrong with this piece of code (small problems)
-How would you find a string in a string

For junior positions it'll be kept simple

don't worry if you don't know an answer or two some tests are designed to see how you'll work under stress.

is it similar to a little version of SCJP?

damnyanks

It could be just to ensure she isnt bull****ting on her CV. A lot of people can get through a copm sci degree by copy paste sadly.

Hobbes

robydrupo wrote:

is it similar to a little version of SCJP?

At a guess I'd say no. Most of these tests tend to be simple.

robydrupo

ok. In general, wich are the steps for getting a developer job in Ireland? is there always a technical test?

aidan_walsh

robydrupo wrote:

ok. In general, wich are the steps for getting a developer job in Ireland? is there always a technical test?

Its all highly dependant on the employer in question, tbh.

smcelhinney

OP, would be interesting if you replied with what the actual questions were?

Khannie

robydrupo wrote:

ok. In general, wich are the steps for getting a developer job in Ireland? is there always a technical test?

In general, yes. In fairness, you'd be mad not to technially test someone for a developer job.

OP, I'd also be interested in hearing what the questions were like.

cousin_borat

old favourite is having a WHILE or FOR loop and some sort of post or pre increment function on a variable i and the question asks you to state whats the value of i after the loop executes.

rsynnott

Every interview I've ever had which involved a programming question was along the "design an algorithm to do such-and-such in pseudocode", but then again, they generally weren't for this sort of job.

Civilian_Target

Most java tests I can think of, that I've done have asked:

- What is overloading and why do we need it?
- What is encapsulation, pros and cons?
- What is a Java bean?

Other one's I've been asked that are a bit more obscure include:
- Name the 3 types of EJBs and explain what they do.
- How would you use a synchroised method, and how many threads are too many threads?
- What do you have to be careful of if you change the implementation of the methods in the generic Object class?
- What is aspect oriented java programming, and why is it useful?
- Whats the difference between an abstract class and an interface?

NutJob

robydrupo wrote:

is it similar to a little version of SCJP?

No. They tent to be simple questions but do expect OO type questions here also like classes/interfaces/refrencing elements.....

They wont be anywhere near SCJP level.

There just to see can you do the basics.

scojones

Whenever I have had a coding test in an interview it has always been some string manipulation. Count the number of words in this sentence:

My name is sjones, and I'm 23 years young.

rsynnott

robydrupo wrote:

ok. In general, wich are the steps for getting a developer job in Ireland? is there always a technical test?

I got two by participating in programming competitions, more or less

nads

Hi, cheers lads
There was 4 problems, could be done in pseudocode if needs be,
1) Reverse a string
2) delete a duplicate out of an array
3) do some kind of a count on a byte 0f02 or something
4) read in a 3-line file and add the numbers from that file