82 interview questions for the Spring framework to hire the best software engineers

If your hiring process is moving along smoothly, you may be at the stage where you need to start interviewing software engineers working with the Spring framework, but your list of questions may still look thin.

To hire the best Spring developer, you need to thoroughly assess applicants’ knowledge and skills. To do this, consider using a Spring online test – and then interview the best applicants. 

In this article, you’ll find a list of 82 Spring interview questions to ask candidates and find the perfect fit. 

Let’s dive in.

12 general interview questions for the Spring framework 

Use these 12 general interview questions for the Spring framework to evaluate your programmers’ knowledge and skills.

1. Explain what Spring is.

2. Explain what Spring AOP is.

3. Name two advantages of using Spring AOP.

4. Name the main features of the Spring framework.

5. Explain what Spring configuration files are.

6. Name the different components of Spring applications.

7. Name five advantages of using the Spring framework.

8. Name a few advantages of the Spring JdbcTemplate.

9. What specific skills do you use when working with the Spring framework?

10. Do you have any weaker skills related to Spring that you’d like to improve?

11. Name three modules of the Spring framework.

12. What do you like the least about Spring?

7 general interview questions for Spring and answers to review your candidates’ knowledge

Below, we’ve provided answers to seven crucial interview questions for Spring framework programmers to help you review your applicants’ responses. Check the answers to prepare for the interview.

1. Do you have any weaker skills related to Spring that you’d like to improve?

Candidates may mention that they must work on their Java coding skills related to algorithms or data structures, or another area in which they’d like to gain more knowledge. 

No matter which skill they mention in response to this interview question, consider whether they are working on improving them. Ask your applicants whether they are passionate about developing their abilities, and check their portfolio to determine if they’re eager to grow and learn more.

2. Name three modules of the Spring framework.

There are several critical modules of the Spring framework. Your applicants may mention a few examples, such as the Spring core container, the AOP, aspects and instrumentation, and the data integration or access modules. 

Skilled applicants should be able to describe these modules and define them. They may mention that modules are the methods or functions that a Spring developer can use elsewhere and that they are the smallest bit of software.

3. What specific skills do you use when working with the Spring framework?

As well as Java, candidates may also mention that object-oriented programming knowledge and experience with Git are their go-to, specific skills. Always look for signs that they have used these skills in recent projects and are keen to continue improving them. 

For example, they may have used Java in the Spring framework for a side project or show evidence that they have used their experience with Git to make progress on big projects quickly and efficiently. You can assess these skills with a Java or Git test.

4. Name five advantages of using the Spring framework.

There are plenty of advantages to using the Spring framework. Can your applicants name five? If they’re experts, they may explain that: 

• Spring has predefined templates

• It’s easy to complete tests with Spring

• The framework is lightweight

• Spring has powerful abstraction capabilities

• Spring enables fast development

5. Name the different components of Spring applications.

Exceptional candidates will know the different components of applications developed with Spring. When you ask your applicants this interview question, listen for responses that mention the following points:

• An interface that defines functions

• A bean class that has properties and functions

• Bean configuration files that have information for classes

• User programs that use the functions

6. Explain what Spring AOP is.

Do your candidates know that AOP means aspect-oriented programming? Can they explain that this programming method permits a programmer to complete a modularization process for crosscutting concerns? Can they also provide examples of crosscutting concerns they can modularize, including transaction management and logging?

7. Explain what Spring configuration files are.

Let’s suppose your applicants know and understand the Spring framework in depth. In that case, they should understand that Spring configuration files are XML files that feature class information and information related to the configuration of the classes. 

Skilled applicants should also know that programmers must plan and write these XML files correctly to simplify the management process for large projects.

55 Spring interview questions about definitions

Here are 55 interview questions about the Spring framework related to definitions that would enable you to assess applicants’ technical knowledge and expertise with Spring.

1. Explain what IOC means.

2. Explain what DI means.

3. Explain what an IOC container does in Spring.

4. Name two examples of IOC containers.

5. Explain how ApplicationContext is different from BeanFactory.

6. Define auto wiring in Spring.

7. Name two transaction management supports that Spring offers.

8. Explain what JoinPoint does.

9. Explain what Pointcut is in Spring AOP.

10. Explain what Aspect is in Spring AOP.

11. Explain what Introduction does.

12. Explain what a target object is.

13. Explain what an interceptor is.

14. Explain what weaving is.

15. Name three examples of AOP implementation.

16. Describe what the @RequestMapping annotation does.

17. Explain what the ViewResolver class does.

18. Explain what constructor injection is.

19. Explain what setter injection is.

20. Explain what interface injection is.

21. Explain the difference between constructor and setter injection.

22. Explain what Spring beans are.

23. What are inner beans in Spring?

24. Name five examples of auto wiring in Spring.

25. Explain what advice is.

26. How are concern and crosscutting concerns different in Spring AOP?

27. Explain what a proxy is in the Spring framework.

28. What does the DispatcherServlet do in Spring?

29. What is a controller in the Spring MVC framework?

30. Explain what a dependency is.

31. Explain what loose coupling is.

32. Explain what a component scan is.

33. Explain what @Primary is.

34. Explain what @Qualifier is.

35. Explain what CDI means.

36. Explain what ViewResolver is in Spring MVC.

37. Explain what model is in Spring MVC.

38. Explain what a Spring Form Tag is. 

39. Explain what path variables are.

40. Explain what form backing objects are.

41. Explain what session attributes are.

42. Explain what init binders are.

43. Outline what the CommandLineRunner is.

44. Outline what the Entity Manager is.

45. Explain what the MultipartResolver is.

46. Explain why session scope is essential.

47. What is construction-based dependency injection?

48. Explain what the ContextLoaderListener is.

49. Outline what the hibernate ORM framework is.

50. Explain what the Before advice type is.

51. Explain what the AfterReturning advice type is.

52. Explain what the AfterThrowing advice type is.

53. Explain what the After advice type is.

54. Explain what the Around advice type is.

55. Name some advantages of the Spring MVC framework compared with other MVC frameworks.

10 Spring interview questions and answers about definitions

Here, we’ve got the answers to 10 of the interview questions related to technical knowledge from the previous section to help you review your programmers’ knowledge.

1. Explain how ApplicationContext is different from BeanFactory.

Do your applicants know that while BeanFactory and ApplicationContexts are both interfaces, they are defined differently? 

Programmers define BeanFactory in org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory, while they define ApplicationContexts in org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext. 

Applicants may explain that while BeanFactory uses lazy initialization, ApplicationContext uses eager initialization. Do your applicants know that BeanFactory does not support internationalization, while ApplicationContext does?

2. How are concern and crosscutting concerns different in Spring AOP?

One of the major differences between concern and crosscutting is that concern refers to a behavior sought in an application’s module, while a crosscutting concern can influence the whole application.

Can your applicants cite a couple of examples to distinguish between them? Applicants may mention that concern is normally a functionality that a Spring developer seeks to implement, while cross cutting examples include data transfer or security.

3. Explain the difference between constructor and setter injection.

There are a few critical differences between constructor and setter injection. 

Can your applicants explain that constructor injection doesn’t have a partial injection, while setter injection can? Do they know that constructor injection cannot override a setter property while the setter injection can override the constructor property? 

Can your candidates also explain that constructor injection is best for several properties while the setter injection is ideal for only a few?

4. Explain what model is in Spring MVC.

In Spring MVC, a model is ideal for working with a container that holds the application’s data. The data may be in many forms, such as an object or a string. Applicants may know that a Spring developer can create and pass the model to the view. 

5. Name some advantages of the Spring MVC framework compared with other MVC frameworks.

Applicants who fully understand the Spring MVC framework should recognize its advantages. 

Can they explain that each role has a specialized dedicated object? Do they know that a Spring developer doesn’t need to duplicate the code? Instead, they can use existing objects as a command. 

Can they also explain that validation and customizable binding are available in the Spring MVC framework?

6. Outline what the hibernate ORM framework is.

The hibernate ORM framework refers to the hibernate object-relational mapping framework. Applicants should know that this process involves mapping a relational database table to an application domain model object and vice versa (mapping an application domain model object to a relational database table).

7. Explain what the Before advice type is.

Applicants may know that the Before advice type can execute and implement a crosscutting concern before a join point. They may also explain that it cannot prevent execution flow from continuing to the join point. Only when the advice throws an exception can it stop an execution flow. 

Applicants should know that they can use the @Before annotation to use the Before advice type.

8. Explain what the AfterReturning advice type is.

Candidates who understand the Spring framework should know that the AfterReturning advice type can execute and implement a crosscutting concern after the join point completes without throwing any exceptions. 

Applicants should understand that they can use the @AfterReturning annotation to use the AfterReturning advice type.

9. Explain what the AfterThrowing advice type is.

Can your applicants clearly explain that they can use the AfterThrowing advice type to implement a crosscutting concern when a method throws an exception? Do they know that the @AfterThrowing annotation will implement the AfterThrowing advice type in the Spring framework?

10. Explain what the After advice type is.

Applicants who have used the Spring framework frequently should know that the After advice type will execute a crosscutting concern no matter how the join point exits.

Otherwise said, this advice type is ideal whether the join point exits with a normal return or an exception. Programmers can use the @After annotation to implement the After advice type.

15 Spring interview questions related to processes 

Check the 15 interview questions for Spring related to processes in this last section. Ask your applicants some of these questions to review how they handle complex processes using the Spring framework.

1. When does Spring perform weaving?

2. When and how would you use the singleton scope in Spring?

3. When and how would you use the prototype scope in Spring?

4. Name four ways you can use the Spring framework.

5. Describe the bean lifecycle and processes in the container.

6. Which limitations have you encountered with auto wiring, and how did you overcome them?

7. Which method would you use to avoid catching exceptions for certain technologies?

8. Which method would you use to access Hibernate with Spring?

9. How would you debug a problem using the Spring framework?

10. How would you complete form data validation in Spring MVC?

11. Which method would you use to find details about an application environment?

12. Explain why cloud skills and knowledge are essential for using Spring.

13. Explain why microservice knowledge is vital for using Spring.

14. Explain how you would retrieve ServletConfig objects in Spring bean.

15. Explain why BindingResults is essential.

7 Spring interview questions and answers related to processes

Here are seven Spring interview questions and answers related to processes you can use to assess your applicants’ knowledge.

1. Which method would you use to avoid catching exceptions for certain technologies?

Your applicants should be familiar with different methods to avoid catching exceptions for specific technologies. 

Can they explain that the Data Access Object support is one option that programmers use to work easily with specific technologies, switch between them, and code while forgetting about catching exceptions for each of them? 

Applicants may mention a few examples of technologies that can benefit from this method, such as JDBC or Hibernate.

2. Which method would you use to access Hibernate with Spring?

Can your applicants name some techniques they can use to access Hibernate with Spring? 

The first method they may describe is the inversion of a control method, where programmers use a Hibernate template and a callback. The second method they may describe is the AOP interceptor node, where programmers may extend HibernateDAOSupport and apply the node.

3. Explain why BindingResults is essential.

If Spring developers want to detect errors in forms that they receive, they can use the BindingResults interface and invoke it with minimal effort. They will have to use the parameter in the code after the object is validated.

4. Explain how you would retrieve ServletConfig objects in a Spring bean.

Can your applicants explain how to retrieve ServletConfig objects in a Spring bean? Experts should know developers can get the ServletConfig objects using the @Autowired annotation. They may also demonstrate that it’s possible to implement spring-aware interfaces to retrieve the ServletConfig object.

5. Explain why microservice knowledge is vital for using Spring.

Since Spring developers and engineers use a microservice architecture frequently, applicants should understand its advantages. 

Are they aware that microservices can increase code flexibility? Can they explain that microservices enable software engineers to deliver code in smaller pieces, making it easier to maintain?

6. When does Spring perform weaving?

Skilled interviewees will know that weaving enables engineers to link aspects with objects or applications to make advised objects, but can they explain when software engineers can complete this process? 

Experienced applicants will know that they can complete weaving at compile, load, or runtime. 

7. How would you complete form data validation in Spring MVC?

The best way to complete form data validation in Spring MVC is to use the validator object and implement the validator interface. Engineers can use a custom validator class to implement the ValidationUtils class if they want to validate form fields.

At which point during the hiring process should you use interview questions for the Spring framework?

The best moment to use the Spring interview questions from this article is after you have sourced and assessed applicants using a skills test.

At this stage, you can invite your most skilled candidates to an interview and use interview questions to filter the best Spring programmers.

If you complete the hiring process in this order, you’ll be able to: 

• Filter out unskilled applicants early on with the help of skills tests 

• Assess candidates’ skills and expertise accurately

• Avoid unconscious bias when hiring 

In short, skills tests enable you to invite to interviews only the applicants who have the necessary skills to succeed and help you hire a diverse team of experts.

Which skills can you evaluate with a skills assessment?

If you pick TestGorilla, you can assess up to five skills with a single assessment. You can evaluate applicants’ experience with Spring, other Spring-related skills, their knowledge of other frameworks and programming languages, and even cognitive ability.

From Java debugging skills to technical knowledge of Git, the skills you can assess are endless. 

Skills assessments enable you to get an in-depth evaluation of your candidates’ abilities and select the best applicant for your team.

Assess software engineers’ skills with our interview questions for the Spring framework

If you need to hire a programmer with strong knowledge of the Spring framework, you must have the right interview questions before you begin interviewing applicants. 

To help you, in this article we’ve compiled 82 interview questions for the Spring framework. Use them to assess your applicants and compare their answers to the sample answers we’ve provided above.

But remember, the best way to evaluate applicants is to first use skills tests and then interview only the best ones from the bunch. 

The results from the skills tests will show you which applicants have the skills, knowledge, and passion to join your team and succeed – and concentrating only on top talent will enable you to select the best candidate easily. 

Hire skilled programmers effortlessly with TestGorilla: Use a Spring online test and our interview questions for Spring to hire a pro. Sign up for a TestGorilla free plan.