Agent Ambo · Upskill
Software Developer interview cheat sheet
The Software Developer facts interviewers expect you to know cold. Ten minutes of revision the night before.
AmboQuick revision
- Big O order
- O(1) < O(log n) < O(n) < O(n log n) < O(n²) < O(2ⁿ).
- Hash map
- Average O(1) insert and lookup; worst case O(n) with collisions.
- Binary search
- Needs sorted data; O(log n); watch mid = lo + (hi − lo) / 2.
- BFS vs DFS
- BFS uses a queue and finds shortest paths in unweighted graphs; DFS uses a stack or recursion.
- Two pointers
- Common for sorted arrays, pairs and windows; usually O(n).
- SOLID
- Single responsibility, Open/closed, Liskov, Interface segregation, Dependency inversion.
- Process vs thread
- Processes have separate memory; threads share memory and need synchronisation.
- ACID
- Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability.
- HTTP status codes
- 200 OK, 201 Created, 400 Bad Request, 401 Unauthorised, 404 Not Found, 500 Server Error.
- Idempotent methods
- GET, PUT and DELETE can repeat safely; POST usually cannot.
Must-know topics
Rehearse these out loud
- Find the first non-repeating character in a string.
- What happens when you type a URL into the browser?
- Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
Revision is good. Practice is better.
- 1Ambo reads your resumeYour skills, projects, years and the role you want next.
- 2Then where you’re interviewingAnd how interviewers there question people like you.
- 3It maps every topic they could askMust-know first, your own projects included, built into short daily lessons.
- 4You practise, then get certifiedInterview Q&A after every lesson, then three proctored rounds ending in a voice interview with Ambo.
Questions, answered.
How should I use this Software Developer cheat sheet?
Revise it the night before and the morning of your interview, then say each answer out loud. It covers Big O order, Hash map and Binary search and more.
Is a cheat sheet enough to clear the interview?
It helps you recall facts quickly, but interviewers test how you apply them and follow up on your answers. Practise answering, not just reading.
How is this different from a list of interview questions?
A list is the same for everyone. Ambo builds your course from your resume, your target role and where you're interviewing, then writes every lesson from the interviewer's point of view: what they'll ask, a strong answer, and the follow-up they'll use to test you.
What is the certification test?
Three camera-proctored rounds that unlock one after another: an objective round, a hands-on round (coding or practical tasks for your role) and a voice interview with Ambo, who asks live follow-ups on your answers. Pass all three within 14 days to become TickBig Certified for 12 months.
Revise it, then rehearse it.
Ambo interviews you on Software Developer topics and follows up on what you say.