If you are thinking about cracking an upcoming IBM interview and getting the job of your dreams, have no worries. MindMajix has dug deeper and brought to you 38 IBM interview questions with their respective answers. The team of expert and professional content creators at MindMajix has come up with these helpful and latest IBM interview questions with answers in this blog. Herein, you will find a list of IBM interview questions for freshers and experienced people. Along with that, you will also find HR interview questions and the entire process of selection at IBM.
The International Business Machines Corporation, abbreviated as IBM, is an American multinational corporation that was founded in 1911 and has its headquarters in Armonk, New York. The company has its operations established in more than 175 countries. IBM holds expertise in computer hardware, software, and middleware while providing consulting and hosting services in varying areas. It is the largest industrial research organization in the whole world and has 19 research facilities in 12 countries.
The employees of this organization have received several recognitions for scientific inventions and research. It is one of the largest employers and has more than 297,900 people working from around the world. Undeniably, it is nothing less than a dream to have a job at IBM. However, the hiring process of this company is quite stringent; thus, you should be well-prepared before applying for a vacancy here.
To help you out with just that, MindMajix has brought some of the top IBM interview questions to make the preparation process a breeze for you.
Interview Interview Questions Table Of Content
As far as the interview and hiring process of IBM is concerned, the company has come up with two different rounds, wherein:
*Each of these rounds is an elimination round.*
This round is segregated into four different parts, including:
All in all, there will be 72 questions and you will get 100 minutes to complete them.
Once you have cleared the first round, you will get an email regarding the confirmation of the second round, which is the interview round. It is further divided into two parts:
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There are four diverse but major concepts, such as:
Being one of the essential features of Object-Oriented Programming, Inheritance is the ability of one class to derive traits and features from another class. Derived classes and subclasses are those classes that inherit properties from some other class. A base class or a superclass is one whose member functions and properties get inherited by other classes. Inheritance basically supports the reusability concept.
Encapsulation can be defined as the data binding and the functions that modify it. It means that the variables or data of a class are concealed from other classes and can be accessed only through the member function of that class wherein they are declared.
This one is used to describe the existence of several versions of anything. To put it simply, polymorphism is the ability of the message to be showcased in various ways. For instance, a person may play a gamut of roles simultaneously. They might be a father, a son, a husband, and a CEO - all at once. This results in the same person acting differently based on the situation. This is called polymorphism.
In C++, you have two different types of polymorphism, such as:
It gives just the essential elements and keeps the rest concealed. Data abstraction is referred to the process wherein only the most important parts of a dataset are revealed to the world, and the implementation details are hidden.
Following are the functions of an operating system:
Operating systems are a conduit between the users and the computer hardware. They let the user access the hardware in a completely structured manner.
An operating system monitors the overall system health to help enhance performance. Along with that, it also tracks the time between service requests and system responses to get a detailed understanding of the system’s health. This helps with a performance by offering essential information for debugging.
Operating systems use password protection and varying other security features to safeguard the user data. They also avert unauthorized access to user data and other programs.
An operating system consistently monitors the entire system to discover errors and avoid situations that can lead to the machine's fall.
The operating system is liable for managing main memory, which is also known as primary memory. It is made of many words or bytes, each having its own address. Such memory is fast storage that the CPU can directly access. Before getting executed, a program should be loaded into the primary memory first.
To make usage and navigation more effective, a file system gets organized into varying directories. They might comprise additional files and directories. Besides everything else, an operating system has to track where data is getting stored, the condition of every file, and user access settings.
Primary Memory (Main Memory)
It is the computer memory that gets accessed by the CPU directly. It is made of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and offers a real working space to the processor. Primary memory tracks instructions and data that the processor is currently processing. Random Access Memory (RAM) is one example of primary memory.
Secondary Memory
The second memory’s contents should be transferred to the primary memory before the processor can access them. This is done because the processor is incapable of directly interacting with secondary memory. Some examples of secondary memory are hard discs, USB drives, and other such devices.
Here is a detailed differentiation between primary memory and secondary memory for a better understanding:
Primary Memory (Main Memory) |
Secondary Memory |
It is a temporary memory storage. |
It is a permanent memory storage. |
It is instantly accessible by the CPU/processor. |
It is not instantly accessible by the CPU/processor. |
It can either be volatile (requiring electricity to store the information) or non-volatile. |
It is non-volatile (it doesn’t need electricity to store the information). |
The devices used are semiconductor memories. |
The devices used comprise optical or magnetic memories. |
It has a higher cost. |
It has a lower cost. |
Processes
It is a program that is being executed currently. A process control block is responsible for controlling any type of process. This block also stores the register, process priority, CPU, process ID, process state, and other data. When one process generates another process, a new process is created. Generally, a process is isolated and takes a long time to complete; thus, it does not share a memory with any other processes.
Threads
It is referred to a segment of the process, meaning that a process can have several threads in it. For a thread, there are three states: running, ready, and blocked. Compared with processes, threads can terminate quickly, but they don’t get isolated.
Here is a detailed differentiation between processes and threads for a better understanding:
Processes |
Threads |
Takes a long time to create one process |
Takes less time to create |
Takes a long time to change contexts from one process to another |
Takes less time to change contexts from one thread to another |
As far as intercommunication is concerned, its method is not efficient |
As far as intercommunication is concerned, its method is more efficient |
Different processes use diverse memory locations and don’t have one recollection |
Memory gets shared among several threads in a single process |
Every process has an individual address space, process control block and stack |
All the threads share the same process control block but address space, thread control blocks, and stack are unique |
A Database Management System (DBMS) is a computerized system that stores data. Users of this system have the competency to execute several operations, such as database structure maintenance, data manipulation, and more.
Some benefits of a DBMS over traditional file systems are
An accumulation of things stored in contiguous memory locations is an array. The objective here is to put those things together that are similar. By adding an offset to a base value, the position of every element can be calculated simply.
In the real world, the following are some array applications:
Related Article - Array Interview Questions |
Let’s consider two sheep approaching each other on a log of wood hanging above a flowing river. Once both of them come in front, none can move. The same situation takes place in operating systems when two or multiple processes share resources while waiting for those resources that other processes hold. In this case, a deadlock is reached.
Here are some prerequisites for a deadlock:
At the point of entry, if an expression or condition becomes true, control gets passed to the loop’s body. This loop type is called an entry control loop, as it regulates the entry of the loop. It comprises “for loops” and “while loops.”
Procedural programming involves the concept of imploring processes, which came out from structured programming. Also known as functions, subroutines or routines, procedures are the collection of instructions that should be followed. In a program, any process can be called by other processes or programs at any point.
Here is the difference between procedural programming and object-oriented programming:
Procedural Programming |
Object-Oriented Programming |
Herein, a program gets divided into little modules, which are known as functions. |
Herein, a program gets divided into different components, known as objects. |
It uses the top-down methodology. |
It uses a bottom-up methodology. |
It is difficult to add new functions and data. |
It is simple to add new functions and data. |
It doesn’t allow overloading. |
It feasibly allows overloading. |
It is insecure as it doesn’t have an accurate way to conceal data. |
It is safe as it can hide data easily. |
sudo is referred to as Super Users DO. Often, this command is used in Linux as a prefix to a command that can be run only by superusers. Upon using “sudo” as a prefix to a command, you will find it running with enhanced privileges, letting you gain accurate permissions to run a command as a superuser. It is equivalent to the “run as administrator” option.
If you wish to use the sudo command, you must have an entry in the sudoers file, which can be found at “/etc/sudoers.” To investigate or change the sudoers file, you must use the sudo command. To edit this file, you must use the “visudo” command.
Virtual memory is a method to allocate storage that allows you to address the secondary memory as the main memory. Herein, addresses generated by a program get converted into machine addresses automatically. Also, they are different from those addresses that the memory system uses to designate physical places of storage.
Schedulers are specialized computer programs that regulate the process scheduling in different ways. Their primary objective is to decide the jobs that should be entered into the system and the processes to execute.
The three types of schedulers are
Also known as task scheduler, it helps determine the applications put into the system for processing. It chooses processes from the ready queue and loads them into memory for CPU scheduling before they can be executed. The main task of LTS is to provide a balanced mix of varying operations, such as CPU-bound workloads and I/O-bound workloads.
MTS is used to exchange processes in the primary memory. It frees the RAM that is used by the processes. This results in the minimization of the extent of multiprogramming. Thus, this scheduler is liable for swapped-out processes.
It is also known as CPU scheduler. The primary objective of STS is to enhance the system performance on the basis of pre-set criteria. The CPU scheduler chooses a process from the ones that are ready to be executed and provides it CPU time. And then, it selects the next process to execute.
Python is both interpreter and a compiled language. Herein, programs get compiled first, and then they are interpreted. However, Python deletes the compiled parts the moment you execute the code.
Here are the major differences between overloading and overriding:
Overloading |
Overriding |
It is compile-time polymorphism. |
It is run-time polymorphism. |
It takes place within the class. |
It takes place in two classes along with inheritance relation. |
It may or may not need inheritance. |
It always requires inheritance. |
It must have a different signature and the same name. |
It must have the same signature and the same name. |
The below-mentioned table clears the difference between abstract class and interface:
Abstract Class |
Interface |
It is designed to be a parent class. |
It is the class’s blueprint that contains abstract methods. |
It can be declared through “Abstract.” |
It can be declared through “Interface.” |
It does not support multiple inheritances. |
It supports multiple inheritances. |
It supports non-static, static, non-final and final variables. |
It supports static and final variables. |
Function Overloading
There are multiple definitions of this function, including modifying the signature, i.e., the return type, the data type of parameters, and the number of parameters.
Here is a program showcasing an example of function overloading in this language:
using namespace std;
void overloadedMethod(int x)
{
cout << "Inside Overloaded Method 1" << endl;
}
void overloadedMethod(float x)
{
cout << "Inside Overloaded Method 2" << endl;
}
void overloadedMethod(int x1, float x2)
{
cout << "Inside Overloaded Method 3" << endl;
}
int main()
{
int x = 5;
float y = 5.5;
overloadedMethod(x);
overloadedMethod(y);
overloadedMethod(x, y);
return 0;
}
Output
Inside Overloaded Method 1
Inside Overloaded Method 2
Inside Overloaded Method 3
Function Overriding
Function overriding is a process of overriding a base class function with the same signature in the derived class.
Here is a program showcasing an example of function overriding in this language:
class Test
{
public:
virtual void print(){ cout << "Testing Function"; }
};
class Sample: public Test
{
public:
void print(){ cout << "Inside a Sample Function";}
};
int main()
{
Test obj = new Sample();
obj.print();
return 0;
}
Output
Inside a Sample Function
Each transaction in a DBMS has to follow a pre-set of guidelines. ACID attributes are related to such characteristics. They are defined as mentioned below:
This showcases that a transaction either doesn’t occur at all or at once. There is no intermedia route, meaning you will not find any steps to transactions. Every transaction is seen as a single entity that is either incomplete or complete. It comprises these two steps:
Atomicity is often known as the “all or nothing rule.”
To ensure the database’s consistency, integrity constraints must be satisfied before and after the transaction. It is related to the database’s accuracy.
This property ensures that varying transactions run concurrently without creating problems in the database. Here, non-interfering transactions get executed. Changes made in one transaction aren’t displayed in other transactions until the change is either committed or put to memory. With this feature, you can ensure that consequently running transactions offer the same situation as if they were running in order.
This property makes sure that once a transaction is completed, the database modifications and updates get written and saved to memory and that they make it through the system failure. Such changes get stored in non-volatile memory permanently. Thus, the transactional results don’t ever get lost.
Structure
Also known as a structure, it is a user-defined data type in the programming language that lets you mix data items of different types. It is used to signify a record.
The syntax for structure is
struct structureName
{
member definition;
member definition;
...
member definition;
};
Here is an example to understand it better:
struct student
{
int id;
char name[50];
string branch;
};
Union
It is a special data type that lets you store several data types in a single memory space. While a union can have several members, only one is worth it at a time.
The syntax for union is
union unionName
{
member definition;
member definition;
...
member definition;
};
Here is an example to understand it better:
union student
{
string name;
string branch;
int phone;
};
Coming to the difference between a struct and a union, this below-mentioned table summarises it all:
Struct |
Union |
It is used to define a structure. |
It is used to define a union. |
The compiler assigns memory to every variable member once variables get declared in a structure. |
A structure’s size is comprehended based on the total size of every data element. |
When a variable gets declared in a union, the compiler assigns memory to such a variable member that has the biggest size. |
In a union, the largest data member gets to determine the union’s size. |
Change in one variable’s value doesn’t impact other variables. |
Change in one variable’s value will impact other variables in the union. |
Every variable member has its individual memory space. |
Members share the memory space with the largest variable in size. |
Multiple variables can get initialized simultaneously. |
Only the first data member can get initialized. |
The definition of a variable assigns memory space for the variable and defines the place to keep it. On the other hand, the objective of a variable declaration is to let the compiler know the variable’s name, the value it comprises, and the starting value (if applicable). In simple words, a declaration provides information regarding the attributes of a variable.
Here is the summarised difference between function/variable definition and declaration:
Definition |
Declaration |
Herein, a function or variable can be defined only once. |
Herein, a function or variable can be declared infinitely. |
During this process, memory gets allocated. |
During this process, no memory gets allocated. |
Definition’s example is: void my_func() { cout << “something printed” << “\n”; } |
Declaration’s example is: void my_func(); |
The table below states a quick difference between merge and quick sort:
Quick Sort |
Merge Sort |
Herein, an array gets divided into any ratio. There is no need to divide the array into equal parts. |
Herein, an array is partitioned only into two halves (n/2) |
The worst-case complication is O(n^2). |
The average and worst instances have the same complications O (n log n). |
Large datasets don’t work well with quick sorting. |
Any type of dataset can work well with merge sorts. |
It doesn’t require additional storage; hence, it is in place. |
It is not implemented because the auxiliary arrays require additional storage. |
It is desirable for arrays. |
It is desirable for linked lists. |
In the given question, the array is sorted. You can use this array attribute and binary search to find the first ‘1’ in the array. You can start by searching through the entire array to look for the center element. When it is 0, it will mean that your response is located on the right side of the center element. However, if it is 1, the response can be on the left side.
Here is an example to understand it better:
Input
arr = {0, 0, 0, 0}
Output
-1
Input
arr = {0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1}
Output
4
The code here will be:
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
int searchIndex(int a[], int left, int right)
{
while (left <= right) {
int mid = left + (right - left) / 2;
if (a[mid] == 1 && (mid == 0 || a[mid - 1] == 0))
return mid;
else if (a[mid] == 1)
left = mid - 1;
else
left = mid + 1;
}
return -1;
}
int main()
{
int a[] = {0, 0, 0, 0};
int n = sizeof(a) / sizeof(a[0]);
cout << searchIndex(a, 0, n - 1);
return 0;
}
Output
-1
For this, you will have to go over the string with each character. You remove 32 from the current character and convert it to uppercase if it is put in lowercase. Similarly, if it is in uppercase, add 32 and convert it to lowercase.
Here is an example to understand it better:
Input
“miNDmajIX”
Output
“MIndMAJix”
Here is the code for it:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void caseChange(string& str)
{
int len = str.length();
for (int i = 0; i < len; i++) {
if (str[i] >= 'a' && str[i] <= 'z')
{
str[i] = str[i] - 32;
}
else if (str[i] >= 'A' && str[i] <= 'Z')
{
str[i] = str[i] + 32;
}
}
}
int main()
{
string str = "miNDmajIX";
cout << "The Original String is: " << str << "\n";
caseChange(str);
cout << "The Changed String is: " << str << "\n";
return 0;
}
Output
The Original String is: miNDmajIX
The Changed String is: MIndMAJix
To discover the total number of solutions, we will have to divide all the set solutions into two different sets.
If the function solve(C[], m, n) has been used to count the number of ways, it can be written as the sum of solve(C[], m-1, n) and solve(C[], m, n) (C[], m, n-Cm). We will use dynamic programming to save the result for a certain n and m value. This decreases the temporal complication to O(nm).
Here is an example to understand it better:
Input
N = 5, C = {11, 23, 43, 7, 12}
Output
0
Input
N = 4, C = { 1, 2, 3}
Output
4
The code for it will be:
#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
int solve(int C[], int m, int n)
{
int dp[n + 1][m];
for (int i = 0; i < m; i++)
dp[0][i] = 1;
for (int i = 1; i < n + 1; i++)
{
for (int j = 0; j < m; j++)
{
int x = (i-C[j] >= 0) ? dp[i - C[j]][j] : 0;
int y = (j >= 1) ? dp[i][j - 1] : 0;
dp[i][j] = x + y;
}
}
return dp[n][m - 1];
}
int main()
{
int C[] = {11, 23, 43, 7, 12};
int m = sizeof(C)/sizeof(C[0]);
int n = 5;
cout << solve(C, m, n);
return 0;
}
Output
0
I have recently completed my Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering. Throughout my academic life, I have been highly focused on the contemporary side of technology, such as machine learning and data mining. C and Java are two of the programming languages that I am competent in.
My weak point is that I won’t rest until I have completed the given task. On the other hand, I consider my strong points to be being responsible, open-minded and trustworthy.
While confidence gives you the positive outlook of winning in different situations, overconfidence says there are no chances of failure - at least not in this life.
Considering that I am a fresher in this stream, I don’t have any previous work experience to showcase. If you hire me, I will be able to sharpen my learnings, acquire new skills and accomplish my goals. This will also help me contribute to the success of your company.
It will be a privilege for me to work with a globally recognised company like yours. Since it has its presence across the world, it can be said that the company is only going to soar high in the future. Thus, it is a good opportunity for me to grow tremendously.
Hard work is putting our sweat and blood into accomplishing a task well within the given deadline. On the contrary, smart work is finding an easier and quicker way to complete that task without compromising quality.
Sure, I can. In fact, I have enough experience working with a group and under tighter deadlines during my academic time.
If a project is urgent and my presence is required, I will be available whenever needed.
I aim to get this job and fit well in your company. My long-term aim is to succeed in every aspect of this company’s operations.
Until it is not coming at the expense of my integrity or other people, I am fine with lying for the company’s sake.
I see myself progressing in this company and accomplishing a higher position wherein I become an invaluable member of this firm.
My parents have been a great source of inspiration for me as they have been constantly on their toes to help you achieve my academic goals. They have been directing me towards the right direction and preventing me from experiencing downfalls.
I would not like to work with somebody who doesn’t respect their or others’ time. Additionally, I prefer staying away from lethargic people and the ones who constantly form excuses to not complete a task.
My work holds more value for me than money. In a way, I think both these factors are inter-related. The better I work, the more I make.
Good communication skills, team bonding, listening traits, understanding skills, and empathy are some of the essential qualities of a team player.
One of the best ways to prepare for an IBM interview is by thoroughly researching the company. Once you have got the hang of it, know everything related to the role you are applying for, including the responsibilities and the types of tasks you will have to handle. And then sharpen your expertise in self-knowledge. Make sure you know enough about yourself so as not to fumble in front of the interviewer. Lastly, stay ready with all the possible IBM interview questions that can come your way.
Basically, as per IBM, the process - from the opportunity to offer (start to end) - can take anywhere between a month and two.
The average salary at IBM is between ₹1,68,000 to ₹13,84,843 a year. On average, the company pays anywhere between ₹10,000 to ₹55,000 a month, depending upon the role you have applied for.
Yes, in a way, it is a bit challenging to get a job at this company. IBM is known for its rigorous hiring process. Also, the difficulty rating for the interview process at IBM is 2.9 out of 5.
The process of recruitment at IBM is conducted in two different rounds. The first round is an online written test wherein your cognitive abilities, English language, learning agility and coding skills are tested. The second round comprises a technical interview round and an HR interview round.
If you are applying for a job at IBM, you will have to go through two rounds of interviews.
Once you have found a role that matches your interest, complete the application process and apply for it. Next, your application will get read by experts at IBM. If selected, you will have to take an assessment test, which will be on the basis of the role you have applied for. The better you do on this test, the more will be your chances of getting selected.
In conclusion, we are definitely sure that these 38 IBM interview questions and answers would be helpful enough for you when it comes to sharpening your knowledge and expanding your skills. With a thorough understanding of the questions and answers mentioned above, you are sure to have an upperhand than your competitors. More so, if you would like to further enhance your knowledge and skills related to IBM, you can find a variety of IBM courses on MindMajix. You can learn a lot from these courses and ace your upcoming interviews like a pro.
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Madhuri is a Senior Content Creator at MindMajix. She has written about a range of different topics on various technologies, which include, Splunk, Tensorflow, Selenium, and CEH. She spends most of her time researching on technology, and startups. Connect with her via LinkedIn and Twitter .