Department for Work And Pensions Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 7 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Department for Work And Pensions.
Department for Work And Pensions
Software Engineer
Senior Average Negative experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Take home
Interview formats
Coding
Applied online, got a bunch of emails asking for proof of ability to do the job as per the spec. Heard nothing for 3 months, then got an email with a coding test and 5 days to complete it. Seriously? 3 months to respond and then a 5-day turnaround? Didn't bother. If this is how they recruit, what's the actual job like?
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you describe in up to 1000 words how you fit the essential criteria from the job ad?
Department for Work And Pensions
Software Engineer
Mid Average Negative experience Decline offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Take home Technical screen Onsite Offer
Interview formats
Coding Technical
Applied on April 17th, got a basic Javascript and TDD coding test on May 10th. Heard back almost 6 weeks later on June 21st for a 60-minute Teams interview, which actually took 90 minutes. The first attempt on June 27th had no one show up due to a system issue, after waiting nearly an hour. Rescheduled for July 7th, where I was grilled for 75 minutes on SQL vs NoSQL, CI/CD, DevOps, code quality, data protection, and more. Unexpectedly got an email on July 24th for another interview, confirmed to be the same one as before due to them losing the results. Received a job offer on July 31st for 40k, which was lower than expected and not discussed earlier. Negotiated based on current offers, and got a revised offer of 45k plus pension on August 2nd. Declined on August 4th. The whole process took a frustrating 14 weeks.
Confirmed questions5 questions
- Can you explain the differences between SQL and NoSQL databases?
- Could you describe CI/CD and outline how you would implement it?
- What are your views on code quality and how do you ensure it?
Department for Work And Pensions
Senior Software Engineer
Senior Average Positive experience Accept offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
There were two interviewers, but one did most of the talking. They started with some questions about me and my CV. Then, I got competency questions about Changing And Improving, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing A Quality Service, and Delivering At Pace. The last part was about my notice period, current salary, and expected salary.
Confirmed questions8 questions
- Can you introduce yourself?
- Can you talk about a time you changed or improved something?
- Can you share an experience of collaborating or partnering with someone?
Department for Work And Pensions Software Engineer Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Department for Work And Pensions interview reports.
“Can you explain the differences between SQL and NoSQL databases?”
Read reports →“Thinking back to high school, what kind of student were you?”
Read reports →“What is your understanding of DevOps and its principles?”
Read reports →“If I were to ask your high school classmates, what would they say they remember you for?”
Read reports →“What is your notice period?”
Read report →“What methods do you use for protecting data?”
Read report →“What is your current salary?”
Read report →“Could you describe CI/CD and outline how you would implement it?”
Read report →“What is your expected salary?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 7 Department for Work And Pensions interview reports.