Top 100 Java Interview Questions

Core Java (Basics & OOPs)

1.​ What are the main features of Java?​

Java is object-oriented, platform-independent, secure, robust, multithreaded, and
supports automatic memory management (garbage collection).​

2.​ What is the difference between JDK, JRE, and JVM?​

○​ JVM: Java Virtual Machine runs Java bytecode.​

○​ JRE: Java Runtime Environment contains JVM + libraries.​

○​ JDK: Java Development Kit contains JRE + development tools.​

3.​ What are access modifiers in Java?​

They define access scope: public, protected, default, and private.​

4.​ What is the difference between == and .equals()?​

== compares object references, .equals() compares content.​

5.​ What is a constructor?​

A constructor initializes an object. It has no return type and matches the class name.​

6.​ Can a constructor be private?​

Yes, to restrict instantiation (e.g., Singleton pattern).​

7.​ What is abstraction and encapsulation?​

○​ Abstraction: Hides internal details and shows only functionality.​

○​ Encapsulation: Binds data and methods into a single unit.​

8.​ Explain inheritance.​

One class inherits another's properties/methods using extends.​

9.​ What is method overloading?​

Multiple methods with the same name but different parameters.​
10.​What is method overriding?​
A subclass provides a specific implementation of a method from the parent class.​

Data Types & Control Flow

11.​What are primitive data types?​

byte, short, int, long, float, double, boolean, char.​

12.​What is type casting?​

Converting one data type into another. Two types: implicit and explicit.​

13.​Difference between static and non-static variables?​

Static belongs to class, non-static to instance.​

14.​Difference: final, finally, finalize()?​

○​ final: constant or non-overridable.​

○​ finally: block executed after try-catch.​

○​ finalize(): method before object is garbage collected.​

15.​Use of this and super?​

○​ this: refers to current class object.​

○​ super: refers to parent class.​

Strings

16.​Difference between String, StringBuffer, StringBuilder?​

○​ String: immutable​

○​ StringBuffer: mutable and thread-safe​

○​ StringBuilder: mutable but not thread-safe​

17.​Why are Strings immutable?​
For security, synchronization, and caching.​

18.​How does intern() work?​

Returns canonical representation from string pool.​

19.​equals() vs hashCode()?​
equals() checks equality, hashCode() provides hash value for hashing structures.​

20.​"abc" + 1 + 2 vs 1 + 2 + "abc"?​

○​ "abc" + 1 + 2 → "abc12"​

○​ 1 + 2 + "abc" → "3abc"​

Collections

21.​Difference between Array and ArrayList?​

Array is fixed-size, ArrayList is dynamic.​

22.​What is the Collection framework?​

A set of classes and interfaces for storing and manipulating groups of data.​

23.​List vs Set vs Map?​

○​ List: Ordered, allows duplicates.​

○​ Set: No duplicates.​

○​ Map: Key-value pairs.​

24.​ArrayList vs LinkedList?​
ArrayList is faster in access; LinkedList is better for insertion/deletion.​

25.​HashSet vs TreeSet?​
HashSet is unordered, TreeSet is sorted.​

26.​How does HashMap work internally?​

Uses hashCode() and equals() to store key-value pairs in buckets.​
27.​Can HashMap store null keys?​
Yes, one null key allowed.​

28.​HashMap vs Hashtable?​
HashMap is non-synchronized; Hashtable is synchronized.​

29.​What is ConcurrentHashMap?​
Thread-safe version of HashMap without locking entire map.​

30.​Fail-fast vs fail-safe?​

○​ Fail-fast throws ConcurrentModificationException.​

○​ Fail-safe does not (e.g., CopyOnWriteArrayList).​

Exception Handling

31.​Difference between checked and unchecked exceptions?​

○​ Checked: Compile-time exceptions (e.g., IOException).​

○​ Unchecked: Runtime exceptions (e.g., NullPointerException).​

32.​Explain try-catch-finally with example.​

try-catch handles exceptions; finally always executes.​

33.​Can we have multiple catch blocks?​

Yes, to handle different exception types.​

34.​Difference between throw and throws?​

○​ throw: Used to throw an exception.​

○​ throws: Declares an exception in method signature.​

35.​What happens if there's a return in try and finally block?​

Finally block overrides the return in try block.​
Multithreading & Concurrency

36.​What is multithreading?​
Ability of CPU to execute multiple threads simultaneously.​

37.​Difference between process and thread?​

○​ Process: Independent program execution.​

○​ Thread: Lightweight process within a process.​

38.​How to create a thread in Java?​

○​ Extending Thread class​

○​ Implementing Runnable interface​

39.​Runnable vs Thread class?​

Runnable is preferred as Java supports multiple interface inheritance.​

40.​What is synchronization?​
Prevents thread interference by locking shared resources.​

41.​Difference between wait() and sleep()?​

○​ wait(): Releases lock, used in synchronized context.​

○​ sleep(): Pauses thread, doesn’t release lock.​

42.​What is a deadlock?​
Two or more threads waiting on each other indefinitely for resources.​

43.​How to prevent deadlock?​

Avoid nested locks, use lock ordering, timeout strategies.​

44.​Synchronized method vs synchronized block?​

○​ Method locks entire method​

○​ Block can lock only specific code/objects​

45.​What is volatile keyword?​

Ensures visibility of variable changes across threads.​
Java 8 Features

46.​What are lambda expressions?​

Anonymous functions used to implement functional interfaces.​

47.​What is a functional interface?​

Interface with a single abstract method.​

48.​What is Stream API?​

Enables functional-style operations on data collections.​

49.​Difference between map() and flatMap()?​

○​ map(): transforms elements​

○​ flatMap(): flattens nested structures​

50.​Default and static methods in interface?​

Interfaces can have default and static methods from Java 8.​

Interfaces & Abstract Classes

51.​Difference between abstract class and interface?​

Abstract classes can have state and constructors; interfaces can’t (before Java 8).​

52.​Can we create an object of an interface?​

No.​

53.​Can interfaces have constructors?​

No.​

54.​What happens if a class does not implement all interface methods?​

It must be declared abstract.​

55.​Can a class implement multiple interfaces?​

Yes, Java allows multiple interface inheritance.​
Garbage Collection

56.​How does garbage collection work in Java?​

JVM automatically deletes unreachable objects.​

57.​Types of references in Java?​

Strong, Soft, Weak, Phantom.​

58.​Difference between System.gc() and Runtime.gc()?​

Both request garbage collection, but JVM may ignore.​

59.​What is a memory leak in Java?​

Unused objects remain referenced and not garbage collected.​

60.​Can we force garbage collection in Java?​

No, we can only request it.​

Serialization & Deserialization

61.​What is serialization in Java?​

Converting an object into a byte stream for storage or transmission.
62.​How to make a Java class serializable?​
Implement the Serializable interface.
63.​What is serialVersionUID?​
It’s used to verify compatibility between sender and receiver during deserialization.
64.​What happens if a class has a non-serializable field?​
Mark it as transient to skip during serialization.
65.​Difference between Serializable and Externalizable?​
Serializable is a marker interface; Externalizable gives full control over
serialization via readExternal() and writeExternal().

Inner Classes

66.​What is an inner class?​

A class defined within another class.
67.​What are anonymous inner classes?​
Classes without a name used for instantiating classes with certain methods, usually in a
single statement.
68.​Can static classes be inner classes?​
Yes, called static nested classes.
69.​Difference between static and non-static inner classes?​
Static inner classes can’t access outer class members directly; non-static can.
70.​Use cases for inner classes?​
Event handling, grouping classes logically, increasing encapsulation.

Java Memory Model & Performance

71.​What is the memory structure of JVM?​

JVM memory is divided into Method Area, Heap, Stack, PC Registers, and Native
Method Stack.
72.​What is PermGen and Metaspace?​
PermGen (Java 7 and earlier) stored metadata; replaced by Metaspace in Java 8.
73.​What is heap and stack memory?
○​ Heap: Used for dynamic memory allocation.
○​ Stack: Stores method calls and local variables.
74.​How to avoid memory leaks?​
Remove unused object references, close resources, use profilers.
75.​Tools to analyze memory usage in Java?​
VisualVM, JConsole, JProfiler, Eclipse MAT.

Keywords & Modifiers

76.​What is the use of transient keyword?​

Used to indicate that a field should not be serialized.
77.​Difference between static block and constructor?​
Static block runs once when class is loaded; constructor runs on object creation.
78.​Can we override static methods?​
No, static methods are hidden, not overridden.
79.​Can main() be overloaded?​
Yes, but JVM always calls the standard main(String[] args).
80.​Why is the main method static?​
So JVM can invoke it without creating an object.

Design Principles & Patterns

81.​What is SOLID in Java?​

A set of design principles: Single Responsibility, Open-Closed, Liskov Substitution,
Interface Segregation, Dependency Inversion.
82.​Explain the Singleton Design Pattern.​
Ensures only one instance of a class exists using a private constructor and a static
method.
83.​What is Factory Design Pattern?​
Creates objects without exposing instantiation logic to the client.
84.​What is Observer Design Pattern?​
Objects (observers) subscribe to events from another object (subject) and get notified
when state changes.
85.​Best practices for Java programming?​
Follow naming conventions, write clean code, use design patterns, handle exceptions
properly, write unit tests.

Coding Challenges (Popular)

86.​Reverse a string without using built-in methods.​

Use a loop or StringBuilder with reverse logic.
87.​Check if a number is a palindrome.​
Convert to string, reverse it, and compare.
88.​Find duplicate elements in an array.​
Use HashSet or nested loops.
89.​Implement Fibonacci series using recursion.​
if(n<=1) return n; else return fib(n-1)+fib(n-2);
90.​Find the first non-repeated character in a string.​
Use LinkedHashMap to count frequencies.
91.​Sort an array without using sort().​
Implement bubble sort, selection sort, or insertion sort.
92.​Check if two strings are anagrams.​
Sort both strings and compare or use character counts.
93.​Custom implementation of HashMap?​
Create an array of LinkedLists and use hashCode() to place entries.
94.​Producer-consumer problem using threads.​
Use wait(), notify(), synchronized block or BlockingQueue.
95.​Count frequency of each word in a sentence.​
Split string, use HashMap for counting.
Advanced & Tricky Questions

96.​Compile-time vs runtime polymorphism?

○​ Compile-time: method overloading
○​ Runtime: method overriding
97.​Can a class be both abstract and final?​
No, abstract needs subclassing; final prevents it.
98.​What is method hiding?​
Static method in subclass with same signature as in superclass.
99.​How does autoboxing/unboxing work?​
Automatic conversion between primitives and wrapper classes.
100.​ What is the diamond problem and how does Java handle it?​
Occurs with multiple inheritance; Java avoids it by allowing multiple interfaces but not
classes. Interfaces don’t carry state, so no ambiguity.