40 questions · from 5 interviews · 2 asked more than once
Avalara interview questions
Every question candidates reported from their Avalara interviews, most frequently asked first. Each links to the write-up it came from, so you can see the round and how it went.
Avalara coding and DSA questions
- 01
Design LRU Cache
Design and implement a Least Recently Used (LRU) cache. The cache should support the following operations efficiently: get(key) which retrieves the value of the key if the key exists, otherwise returns -1. put(key, value) which inserts or updates the value if…
Medium · Asked 2 times · From Avalara | SDE1 | 2024 | Interview Experience
- 02
Valid Anagram
Given two strings, s and t , write a function to determine if t is an anagram of s . An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once.
Easy · Asked 2 times · From Avalara | SDE1 | 2024 | Interview Experience
- 03
Maximize Sum of Adjacent Differences in Permutation
Given an array, for example [a, b, c, d, e, f] , you need to return a permutation of the array where the sum of absolute differences between adjacent elements, specifically (a-b) + (b-c) + ... + (e-f) , is maximized. If there are multiple such permutations…
- 04
Minimum Cost Cyclic Trip to Visit All Cities
This was a graph problem where I needed to visit a set of particular cities and return the minimum cost for visiting all of them in one cyclic trip. The trip must start from city 0 and return back to city 0.
Hard · From Avalara | SDE1 | 2024 | Interview Experience
- 05
Maximize Sum of Differences in Permutation
You are given an array (e.g., [a,b,c,d,e,f] ). You need to return a permutation of this array such that the sum (a-b) + (b-c) + ... + (e-f) is maximized. If there are multiple such permutations, return the lexicographically smallest one.
Medium · From Avalara | SDE1 | 2024 | Interview Experience
- 06
Binary Search on Answer Type Problem
This question was similar to problems that can be solved using a binary search on the answer technique. Similar LeetCode problems include Minimum Time to Complete Trips (Leetcode - 2187) and Koko Eating Bananas (Leetcode - 875) .
Medium · From Avalara | SDE1 | 2024 | Interview Experience
- 07
Minimum Cost Cyclic Trip to Visit Cities
This was a hard graph problem. The objective was to visit a specific set of cities and calculate the minimum cost for a cyclic trip that starts from city 0 and returns to it after visiting all the required cities.
Hard · From Avalara | SDE1 | 2024 | Interview Experience
- 08
Hackerrank API Data Manipulation
I was given an API-based problem on Hackerrank where I needed to call an API and perform specific operations on the response data.
- 09
Design a Singleton Class
Design a thread-safe singleton class, demonstrating different implementation approaches and discussing their pros and cons.
- 10
SOLID Principle - Account Class Design
Given an abstract Account class with withdraw and invest methods, extended by Savings and Current Account . If a new Fixed Deposit class only supports invest , describe the necessary changes to the class hierarchy to adhere to SOLID principles.
- 11
Identify SOLID Principle for Account Design
Identify which specific SOLID principle is primarily addressed or violated by the described account class design scenario, and how to rectify it.
- 12
Multiple Inheritance in Java
Discuss whether multiple inheritance is supported in Java for classes, and if not, explain the mechanisms Java provides to achieve similar functionality (e.g., interfaces).
- 13
Find Loop in Linked List
Explain and compare different algorithms to detect the presence of a cycle (loop) in a singly linked list and potentially find the starting node of the loop.
Medium · From Avalara | SSE | Pune | April 2024 [Offer]
- 14
Integer to Roman
Implement a function that converts an integer (within the range of 1 to 1000, inclusive) to its Roman numeral representation.
Medium · From Avalara | SSE | Pune | April 2024 [Offer]
- 15
OOPS Concepts
Discuss the fundamental concepts of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), including encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction, with examples.
- 16
Interface vs. Abstract Classes in Java
Explain the key differences between interfaces and abstract classes in Java, their use cases, and when to choose one over the other.
- 17
Method Overloading vs. Overriding Identification
Given examples of methods with similar names or signatures, identify whether they represent method overloading or method overriding, and explain the rules governing each.
Avalara system design questions
- 01
Explain ACID Properties
The interviewer asked me to explain the ACID properties of database transactions.
- 02
Microservices vs. Monolith Trade-offs
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages, and appropriate use cases for microservices architecture compared to a monolithic architecture.
- 03
Database Design for Microservices
Explain considerations and best practices for designing databases specifically for microservices architectures, including data ownership and consistency.
- 04
SQL vs. NoSQL in Microservices
Compare SQL and NoSQL databases in the context of microservices, outlining scenarios where each would be a more suitable choice.
- 05
SQL Sharding
Explain the concept of SQL sharding, its benefits, challenges, and different strategies for implementation.
- 06
Database Indexing Trade-offs
Discuss the trade-offs associated with using database indexes, including their impact on read/write performance and storage.
- 07
Kafka Offset ID
Explain what an "offset ID" signifies in Apache Kafka, its role in consumer groups, and how it is managed.
- 08
Kafka Scaling in ECS
Describe strategies and considerations for scaling a Kafka cluster when deployed within an Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service) environment.
- 09
SQS vs. Kafka
Provide a comparative analysis of Amazon SQS and Apache Kafka, highlighting their architectural differences, use cases, and when to choose one over the other.
Avalara behavioural and HR questions
- 01
Why Change Current Organization
I was asked to explain my reasons for wanting to leave my current organization.
- 02
Knowledge of Avalara
I was asked about my understanding and knowledge of Avalara as a company.
- 03
Reason for Changing Current Organization
Explain your motivations and reasons for seeking to change your current organization.
- 04
Knowledge about Avalara
Demonstrate your understanding of Avalara as a company, its mission, products, or services.
Avalara other questions
- 01
Explain Pillars of OOPS
I was asked to explain the fundamental Pillars of Object-Oriented Programming (OOPS).
- 02
Basic Computer Network Questions
The interviewer asked some basic questions related to Computer Networks.
- 03
Browser Storage Mechanisms
I was questioned about different browser storage mechanisms, likely due to their usage in my project.
- 04
JavaScript Core Concepts
I faced questions on various JavaScript core concepts, including hoisting, closures, prototyping, the differences between let and var , and global vs. block scope.
- 05
Threads and Multithreading Concepts
The discussion included questions about the concepts of threads and multithreading.
- 06
SQL Queries with Joins and Window Functions
Given a set of tables, write SQL queries to solve specific problems. One problem required the use of a LEFT JOIN , and another was suitable for solving with window functions like RANK() .
- 07
Debugging a Production Bug
Outline a detailed, systematic approach for identifying, diagnosing, and resolving a bug that has occurred in a production environment.
- 08
SpringBoot Annotations
Discuss common and important annotations used in SpringBoot applications, explaining their purpose and how they facilitate development.
- 09
Spring Autowiring: Constructor vs. Annotation
Compare and contrast constructor-based dependency injection with annotation-based autowiring ( @Autowired , @Qualifier ) in the Spring framework, discussing their advantages and disadvantages.
- 10
JUnit Testing
Explain how to write effective unit tests using JUnit in a SpringBoot application, covering aspects like test setup, assertions, and mocking.
Avalara interview questions FAQ
What questions are asked in Avalara interviews?
Candidates reported 40 distinct questions across 5 Avalara interviews. 17 coding and DSA questions, 9 system design questions, 4 behavioural and HR questions, 10 other questions.
Which Avalara interview questions are asked most often?
The most repeated are "Design LRU Cache" (2 times), "Valid Anagram" (2 times).
How difficult are Avalara interview questions?
Of the questions candidates rated, 13% were easy, 63% medium and 25% hard.