# Questions to ask in a software engineering interview Ask questions that help you decide whether the work and team fit. Choose topics the interviewer can answer, request a recent non-confidential example, and follow up on uncertainty. Prioritise what affects your decision rather than asking a long list of questions for appearance's sake. About 7 min read. ## On this page - [Use your questions to make a better decision](https://preprole.com/guides/questions-to-ask-interviewers#purpose) - [Build a short list around your actual priorities](https://preprole.com/guides/questions-to-ask-interviewers#shortlist) - [Match the question to the interviewer's experience](https://preprole.com/guides/questions-to-ask-interviewers#who-to-ask) - [Worked example: turn a broad answer into a useful follow-up](https://preprole.com/guides/questions-to-ask-interviewers#follow-ups) - [Separate observations from conclusions](https://preprole.com/guides/questions-to-ask-interviewers#interpret) - [Ask directly while respecting confidentiality and time](https://preprole.com/guides/questions-to-ask-interviewers#boundaries) - [Prepare a decision worksheet before the interview](https://preprole.com/guides/questions-to-ask-interviewers#practice-plan) ## Use your questions to make a better decision Your questions should reduce uncertainty about the opportunity. Start with what affects your decision: the work you would own, how the team delivers, or the support you would receive. You do not need an unusual question to appear thoughtful. A concrete question tied to the job can be more useful than a rehearsed question whose answer does not matter to you. Atlassian's engineering handbook describes interviewing as a chance for candidates and the company to learn about each other. That does not guarantee every interviewer has time for an extended discussion. Check how much time remains and choose a priority. If a key topic needs another person, ask who could clarify it rather than pressing someone to speculate. Reference: [Atlassian: engineering interview handbook](https://www.atlassian.com/company/careers/resources/interviewing/engineering) ## Build a short list around your actual priorities Write down what you need to know before joining this team. Separate requirements from preferences. You might need clarity about on-call responsibilities, while a particular technology is only a preference. This prevents you from spending the available time on an interesting stack discussion while leaving an important working-arrangement question unanswered. Prepare more topics than you expect to ask, then choose based on what the interview already covered. Do not read the whole list at the end or ask a question that has already been answered without acknowledging it. If you need a deeper answer, refer to the earlier point and explain the detail you are trying to understand. - Work: the problems and systems this role would own - Delivery: how changes are reviewed, released, and supported - Management: how priorities, feedback, and disagreements are handled - Growth: which capabilities the role needs and how learning is supported - Constraints: working arrangements or responsibilities that affect your decision ## Match the question to the interviewer's experience Ask a recruiter about process, scheduling, and how to clarify practical arrangements. Ask a prospective teammate about the work they do and how collaboration happens. Ask a manager about ownership, expectations, and support. These are starting points, not rigid boundaries. An interviewer can tell you when a question is better directed to someone else. Use the same underlying concern with different levels of detail. If you want to understand operational load, a recruiter might identify whether the role includes on-call work. An engineer might describe how an incident is handled. A manager might explain how that work affects planning. Avoid interpreting a recruiter who does not know an implementation detail as evidence about the team itself. - Recruiter: Which interview stages remain, and what formats should I prepare for? - Engineer: Could you describe a recent change from review through release? - Manager: What would this person be expected to own after onboarding? - Engineer or manager: How does support work when an unfamiliar system fails? - Manager: Can you describe how feedback led to a change in someone's responsibilities? ## Worked example: turn a broad answer into a useful follow-up A broad answer is a starting point, not proof of a working practice. If someone says the team values quality, ask about a recent decision where quality affected scope or timing. If they describe autonomy, ask which decisions engineers own. Request a non-confidential example so the interviewer can be specific without sharing restricted information. The following exchange is illustrative, not a report about an employer. The follow-up explores the process behind the statement without trying to catch the interviewer out. It gives you information about trade-offs, escalation, and decision ownership. You can then decide whether another question is needed instead of turning the discussion into a long interrogation. > Candidate: How does the team handle release risk? Interviewer: Engineers own quality and move fast. Candidate: Could you share a recent non-confidential example where a release needed more testing or a smaller scope? I would like to understand who made that call and how the team handled the deadline. If the answer mentions a review process, a further question is which changes require that review and who helps when reviewers disagree. ## Separate observations from conclusions After the conversation, record what the interviewer actually said and the context in which they said it. Distinguish a concrete example from an aspiration, and your interpretation from both. One person's account may describe their own team or a recent exception rather than every team in the organisation. Ask how broadly the example applies before drawing a larger conclusion. Treat unresolved details as questions to check, not as automatic warning signs or proof of a good fit. Different interviewers may have different information. If answers conflict, ask for clarification without accusing either person of dishonesty. The aim is an informed decision based on enough evidence, not a numerical culture score built from a few polished conversations. - Observation: the specific answer or example you heard - Interpretation: what you think it may mean for the role - Unknown: what the conversation did not establish - Next check: who can clarify the remaining point ## Ask directly while respecting confidentiality and time Practical questions about compensation, working arrangements, accessibility needs, and operational duties can affect whether the role works for you. Raise them with the appropriate contact rather than treating them as forbidden topics. Frame the question around what you need to understand. Do not claim a legal entitlement or assume a policy from an unrelated location; confirm applicable arrangements directly. Avoid requesting internal incident documents, customer information, source code, or private feedback about another employee. Ask for a general or anonymised example instead. If time runs out, state the unresolved topic and ask whether a follow-up is possible. Keep only notes you are permitted to keep, and do not record, upload, or share a transcript without the required permission. ## Prepare a decision worksheet before the interview Choose three priorities and write one question for each. Next to each question, note who is likely to know the answer and what kind of example would help. Say the questions aloud and shorten wording that needs a long introduction. The questions should invite a conversation, not require the interviewer to remember a paragraph of qualifications. Practise one follow-up for a vague answer, then stop. Repeatedly rephrasing the same question can consume the remaining time without improving the evidence. After the real interview, fill in the observation, interpretation, unknown, and next-check fields. Compare opportunities using your own priorities rather than the number of enthusiastic phrases an interviewer used. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many questions should I ask? Use the time available and prioritise what affects your decision. One question with a useful follow-up can be more informative than reading several unrelated questions. Prepare backups in case earlier discussion answers your first choices, and check whether the interviewer has time before introducing another topic. ### What if the interviewer has already answered my questions? Acknowledge what you learned and ask for a relevant detail if one remains unclear. You can also say that the conversation covered your main topics. Do not invent a question for appearance's sake or repeat an answered question without explaining why you need clarification. ### Can I ask about on-call work or work-life boundaries? Yes, if those responsibilities affect your decision. Ask about the actual arrangements, support, and recent examples rather than assuming a policy. A recruiter may clarify the formal role, while a teammate or manager can describe how the work is handled in practice. ### Can an AI mock interview tell me whether a company is a good employer? No. An AI Interviewer can help you rehearse asking a question, but its generated answer cannot establish current conditions at a real company. Ask people with direct knowledge, check unresolved details, and separate evidence from your interpretation before deciding. ## Practise the next answer Rehearse saying two questions aloud and responding to a vague answer with one focused follow-up. A Mock Session can help you practise delivery, but AI-generated answers cannot establish a real employer's culture or current working conditions. Ask the actual interviewer about the team. Use permitted notes afterwards to separate what you learned from what you still need to check. Practise for your job: https://preprole.com/setup ## Sources and scope Employer sources describe their own processes, which may change. The exercises and illustrative examples are PrepRole editorial guidance, not employer questions or hiring criteria. - [Atlassian: engineering interview handbook](https://www.atlassian.com/company/careers/resources/interviewing/engineering) ## Related guides - [Prepare questions for the recruiter screen](https://preprole.com/guides/recruiter-screen-preparation) - [Discuss ownership and support with a hiring manager](https://preprole.com/guides/hiring-manager-interview-preparation) - [Debrief the conversation using permitted notes or a transcript](https://preprole.com/guides/real-interview-debrief) AI feedback can be wrong. A practice Verdict is not a hiring decision.