15 Most Asked Java Interview Questions for Senior Developers



  1. What are the key differences between HashMap and ConcurrentHashMap?
    • Answer: HashMap is not synchronized and can be accessed by multiple threads simultaneously, potentially leading to data inconsistency. ConcurrentHashMap allows safe concurrent access by using segment-based locking, ensuring thread safety without locking the entire map.
  2. Explain the difference between Comparable and Comparator in Java.
    • Answer: Comparable is used for natural ordering by implementing the compareTo() method in the class itself. Comparator is used to define custom ordering outside the class by implementing the compare() method, allowing more flexible sorting strategies.
  3. What is the Java Memory Model (JMM)?
    • Answer: The Java Memory Model defines how threads interact through memory and what behaviors are allowed in concurrent environments. It specifies rules for visibility, ordering of reads/writes, and volatile, ensuring consistent access to shared variables in a multithreaded environment.
  4. What are the differences between checked and unchecked exceptions in Java?
    • Answer: Checked exceptions are exceptions that must be handled or declared in the method signature (e.g., IOException). Unchecked exceptions (runtime exceptions like NullPointerException) do not need to be declared or handled explicitly and can occur during execution.
  5. Explain the concept of volatile keyword in Java.
    • Answer: The volatile keyword ensures visibility of changes to variables across threads. When a variable is declared volatile, it guarantees that reads and writes to that variable are directly done from and to the main memory, ensuring the latest value is visible to all threads.
  6. What is the ForkJoinPool in Java, and how does it work?
    • Answer: The ForkJoinPool is part of Java’s concurrency framework designed to split tasks into smaller sub-tasks (fork) and then join their results to improve performance in parallel processing. It is particularly useful for divide-and-conquer algorithms like recursive tasks.
  7. What are the differences between String, StringBuilder, and StringBuffer?
    • Answer: String is immutable, meaning its value cannot be changed after creation. StringBuilder and StringBuffer are mutable. StringBuffer is thread-safe (synchronized), while StringBuilder is not, making StringBuilder faster in single-threaded environments.
  8. Explain the concept of garbage collection (GC) in Java.
    • Answer: Garbage collection is Java’s automatic memory management process, which reclaims memory occupied by objects that are no longer referenced by the application. The GC runs periodically, removing objects from the heap that are no longer reachable to prevent memory leaks.
  9. What is the use of the transient keyword?
    • Answer: The transient keyword is used to mark a variable as non-serializable. When an object is serialized, the variables marked as transient are excluded from the serialization process, meaning their values will not be persisted.
  10. What is the difference between Executor and ExecutorService?
    • Answer: Executor is a simple interface for executing tasks, while ExecutorService extends Executor and provides more advanced features like thread pool management, task lifecycle management (submit, shutdown), and future task execution with results.
  11. Explain the difference between a soft reference and a weak reference in Java.
    • Answer: A soft reference allows an object to be collected only when memory is low, while a weak reference allows an object to be collected more aggressively during garbage collection. Soft references are ideal for caching, while weak references are useful for memory-sensitive applications.
  12. What are the different types of class loaders in Java?
    • Answer: The Bootstrap ClassLoader loads core Java classes (rt.jar). The Extension ClassLoader loads classes from the ext directory. The Application ClassLoader loads classes from the application’s classpath. Custom class loaders can also be implemented for specific use cases.
  13. How does the try-with-resources statement work in Java?
    • Answer: Introduced in Java 7, try-with-resources automatically closes resources (like file streams) when the try block completes, reducing the need for explicit finally blocks. Classes used in try-with-resources must implement the AutoCloseable interface.
  14. What is the difference between Thread and Runnable?
    • Answer: Thread is a class representing a thread of execution, and it can be started directly by calling the start() method. Runnable is a functional interface that defines a single run() method. Runnable can be passed to a Thread constructor, allowing for more flexible and reusable thread management.
  15. What are design patterns commonly used in Java?
    • Answer: Common design patterns in Java include:
      • Singleton (ensures only one instance of a class),
      • Factory (provides a method to create objects),
      • Observer (defines a subscription mechanism),
      • Builder (helps construct complex objects step by step),
      • Decorator (adds functionality dynamically to objects).

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