What makes a good technical interview question?

By considering these attributes, interviewers can design technical questions that effectively evaluate candidates' skills and suitability for the role while providing a positive and engaging experience during the interview process.

A good technical interview question should effectively assess the candidate's problem-solving skills, technical knowledge, and ability to apply concepts to real-world scenarios. Here are some key attributes of a good technical interview question:

  1. Relevance: The question should be directly related to the job role and the skills required for the position. It should cover topics that are essential for success in the role and relevant to the company's technology stack or domain.

  2. Complexity: The question should be challenging enough to evaluate the candidate's depth of understanding and problem-solving abilities. However, it should not be so difficult that it overwhelms or frustrates the candidate.

  3. Clarity: The question should be clearly stated and easy to understand. Ambiguity or confusion in the question can lead to misinterpretation and unfair evaluation of the candidate's skills.

  4. Open-endedness: A good technical question should allow for multiple approaches or solutions. This gives candidates the opportunity to showcase their creativity and critical thinking skills.

  5. Scalability: The question should be scalable in complexity, meaning it can be adjusted to suit candidates with different levels of experience and expertise. This ensures fairness and consistency in the evaluation process.

  6. Real-world relevance: Whenever possible, the question should simulate real-world challenges or scenarios that the candidate may encounter on the job. This helps assess the candidate's ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations.

  7. Engagement: The question should be engaging and interesting, encouraging candidates to fully invest their time and effort in solving it. Boring or uninspiring questions may lead to disengagement and suboptimal performance.

  8. Feedback generation: The question should provide valuable insights into the candidate's thought process, problem-solving approach, and technical proficiency. This allows interviewers to assess not only the final solution but also the candidate's methodology and reasoning.