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IBM Software Engineer Interview Experiences & Questions

3 candidates share their IBM Software Engineer interviews: each round, the questions asked and the outcome. Latest: May 2026.

What to expect · IBM Software Engineer

Based on 3 real interviews

67%Got an offer
2.3/5Difficulty
2Typical rounds
2 weeksStart to finish

The IBM Software Engineer interview process

Most common round types: Behavioral (1), Coding (1), Data Structures & Algorithms (1), Machine Learning (1), Project Discussion (1), System Design (1).

Real IBM Software Engineer interview questions

  1. Explain the difference between Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs). Coding · Online assessment
  2. "Tell me about yourself." Behavioral · Final / onsite round
  3. Find the shortest path in a graph. Other · Online assessment
  4. Time & work, profit/loss, number series, seating arrangements, data interpretation (bar charts). Moderate difficulty. Negative marking applies. Coding · Online assessment
  5. "Describe a time you faced a conflict in a team. How did you resolve it?" Behavioral · Final / onsite round
  6. Implement LRU Cache. Other · Online assessment
  7. Problem 1: Find all pairs in an array whose sum equals a given target. (Easy — HashMap approach expected.) Coding · Online assessment
  8. "Are you open to relocation? Do you have any concerns about the role?" Behavioral · Final / onsite round
  9. Break down the sentence into its parts of speech elements Other · Technical round
  10. Problem 2: Given a string, return the first non-repeating character. (Easy-medium.) Coding · Online assessment
  11. "Why IBM specifically? What do you know about IBM's current focus areas?" Behavioral · Final / onsite round
  12. Reverse a linked list. Coding · Technical round
  13. What is an example of a poorly designed product? How would you improve it? Coding · Technical round
  14. "What is a deadlock? How can it be prevented?" Coding · Technical round
  15. "Explain normalization. What is the difference between 2NF and 3NF?" Coding · Technical round
  16. "You've listed a REST API project — walk me through how you handled authentication." Coding · Technical round
  17. "What is the difference between an abstract class and an interface in Java? When would you use each?" Coding · Technical round

All 3 IBM Software Engineer interview experiences

Software Developer Engineer InternIBM · May 2026

“The process was really easy just leetcode mediums then a behavioral. I solved the two problems, and then two weeks later got an interview. A week after the interview you should get the offer.”

Rejected2 roundsIntern
Software EngineerIBM · Aug 2024

“The interview process was well-structured and transparent, spanning an online test, two technical rounds, and an HR discussion. The interviewers were approachable and gave me time to think through…”

Got the offer3 roundsEntry level
Software EngineerIBM · May 2024

“The process was very smotth and the interviewer manager was very kind and helpful. The role was on Natural Language processing and IBM Watson Analytics. So the interviewer would like to know more…”

Got the offer1 roundIntern

More: all IBM interviews · Software Engineer interviews at every company

Frequently asked questions

How many rounds are in the IBM Software Engineer interview?

Candidates report a typical 2 rounds, usually including a recruiter screen, online assessment, technical round, final / onsite round.

How hard is the IBM Software Engineer interview?

Candidates rate it 2.3/5 on average (easy), across 3 interviews.

How long does the IBM Software Engineer hiring process take?

About 2 weeks from first contact to decision, based on reported timelines.

What percentage of IBM Software Engineer candidates get an offer?

67% of candidates with a final result got an offer (2 of 3).

What does the IBM Software Engineer interview focus on?

The most common round types are Behavioral, Coding, Data Structures & Algorithms, Machine Learning.