36 Spring Boot Interview Questions (With Example Answers)

Updated 7 June 2023

Spring Boot is an open-source resource for creating microservices and architecture that help businesses perform more efficiently. If you're interested in applying for a web developer or programmer role, a hiring employer may require you to understand Spring Boot and its basic capabilities. Studying a variety of Spring Boot interview questions can help you ensure you're well-prepared for a potential job interview. In this article, we list some general, experience-related and in-depth questions you may encounter and provide several example answers you may refer to during your interview preparation.

12 general Spring Boot interview questions

Hiring managers may ask job candidates general Spring Boot interview questions to learn about their interest in the position and identify their general knowledge about programming and Spring Boot. Discovering this information can not only help prospective employers learn about your personality and working style. It can also inform their judgement whether you're a good fit for the position and the company's working environment. Below are 12 general questions you may encounter during a job interview:

What interests you about this company and position?
Why are you searching for a new job?
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work?
How might your previous employers describe your working style?
What type of team structure do you prefer?
What's your biggest strength as a programmer?
What's your biggest weakness as a programmer?
Have you ever performed in a high-pressure environment? If so, how did you manage the situation?
What are your favourite programming languages and why?
Tell me about one or two of your most significant career achievements.
What are your salary expectations?
Describe three personality traits that make an efficient programmer.

10 questions about experience and background

After opening with some general questions, an interviewer may ask you some more advanced questions about your experience and background. The purpose of this is typically to help determine your level of knowledge of and expertise with Spring Boot. Learning this information can inform a hiring manager about whether you're a candidate who's capable of performing the position's requirements. To help you prepare, here are 10 questions about experience and background:

Explain what Spring Boot is in simple language.
Describe a situation where you successfully used Spring Boot.
What are some key differences between Spring and Spring Boot?
Do you have any experience setting up a Spring Boot project?
What certifications do you have that make you a qualified candidate for this position?
Tell me about some relevant skills you've recently developed as a Spring Boot programmer.
Explain what Spring Boot CLI is and describe some of its benefits.
How much experience do you have using Spring Initialiser?
Tell me about a time you made an error using Spring Boot. How did you rectify the situation?
Do you have any experience creating simple Spring Boot applications?

10 in-depth interview questions

At various stages of an interview, a hiring manager may ask you in-depth questions about Spring Boot. These might include hypothetical scenarios requiring you to explain how you might use Spring Boot or advanced questions about software tools and Spring Boot applications. Here are 10 in-depth questions you may find useful when preparing for a job interview:

Suppose you had to enable a debugging log in a Spring Boot application. How might you approach this situation?
How do you disable a specific autoconfiguration class?
What are some ways you stay informed about the latest developments in programming and Spring Boot?
Explain what Spring Boot dependency management is.
Is it possible to create a non-web application in Spring Boot? If so, how might you accomplish this?
Describe how you might disable the autoconfiguration in Spring Boot.
What is the process of registering a custom autoconfiguration with Spring Boot?
Explain some major advantages of using Spring Actuator?
Describe the flow of HTTPS requests through the Spring Boot application.
Outline some common Spring Boot CLI commands.

4 interview questions with example answers

Reviewing some interview questions you may encounter and preparing your answers can help you build confidence for a job interview. Here are four interview questions with example answers you may find beneficial during your interview preparations:

1. Describe your experience with Spring Boot.

If you're preparing for a Spring Boot programmer vacancy, an interviewer may ask you to describe some of your key experiences using Spring Boot. Spring Boot is an excellent tool to help create applications, so discussing your experience with it can assure a hiring employer you're knowledgeable about its main functionalities. As you answer this question, try to give an example illustrating how you used Spring Boot in a current or previous role and what results you achieved by doing so.

Example: 'In my previous role as a web developer, I used Spring Boot to develop microservices infrastructure. The company was experiencing bandwidth issues, so using Spring Boot resolved these problems and allowed us to increase the number of users on our proprietary software platform.'

2. What skills are highly beneficial for a Spring Boot programmer to have?

You may encounter a question such as this because it helps hiring managers assess whether you're aware of the requisite skills to perform effectively as a Spring Boot programmer. A useful way to prepare for this question is to review the job posting and note two or three skills the employer has listed as desirable abilities. Referencing these in your interview and explaining their significance may show the interviewer you're a knowledgeable programmer and leave a positive impression on them.

Example: 'I believe some of the most instrumental skills for a Spring Boot programmer to have include domain modelling, security, testing and architecture knowledge. My deep knowledge of architecture and security is perhaps my greatest asset as a programmer. I've completed multiple certifications in IT security and pride myself on my ability to use my skills to create secure microservices architecture.'

3. What do you understand by dependency injection and Spring IoC container?

Spring uses a special design principle called the inversion of control (IoC), which manages wiring dependencies, and the dependency injection (DI) is one of its aspects. An interviewer may ask you a specific question like this one to determine if you have strong technical knowledge of Spring Boot. When answering technical questions such as these, aim to provide clear and concise answers.

Example: 'IoC gives objects dependencies rather than creating or searching for dependent objects. The DI states we do not create objects manually. We describe the process of their creation instead. This means that, when we run the application, the IoC container loosely couples the components and services described by required classes.'

4. Explain what a microservice is.

A hiring manager may ask you this question to identify how well you understand microservices. Because this is a broad question, it can be an excellent opportunity to give a thorough answer and showcase your expertise. To answer this question efficiently, prepare an answer that other people can understand, even if they aren't technically savvy.

Example: 'Microservices are small, contained pieces of architecture that make up part of a larger service. By using microservices, businesses can divert traffic from one service to many smaller ones, making for more efficient use of resources and end-user experience.'

Spring Boot interview tips

Here are several tips you may consider as you prepare for a job interview:

Provide concise answers. Aiming to communicate concise answers can help you engage the listener by providing them with direct answers that address exactly what they want to know. Keeping your answers succinct can also allow you more time to ask the hiring manager questions at the end of the interview.
Promote your soft skills. Although most of your interview may focus on your technical abilities, it can benefit you to showcase some of your desirable soft skills as well, such as time management, interpersonal communication and adaptability. Highlighting your soft skills may help you differentiate yourself from other candidates who have a similar level of experience and qualifications.
Research the hiring company. As you prepare for an interview, consider conducting research on the hiring company to learn about its values, achievements and work environment. This can help you leave a positive first impression, as it shows you're serious about securing the position with the company.