Transport for London Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 19 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Transport for London.
Transport for London
Software Engineer
Entry Difficult Neutral experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Technical screen Phone screen Presentation Background check
Interview formats
Technical Behavioral Presentation Other
First, there's this online test with drag and drop stuff, basically matching things to their values. Then, another online test, similar but with video questions where you get unlimited prep time. If you're super lucky, the final step is the assessment centre, which only a tiny fraction of applicants reach. The assessment centre has a competency interview and a technical test. They're looking at Results Focus, Stakeholder management, Building Capability, and Motivational Fit. They ask more for your opinion and situational stuff, not 'Tell me about a time when....'. So, knowing about stakeholder management helps. The technical test is all about OOP concepts like for loops, inheritance, and abstraction, no matter your programming language. So, brush up on your OOP basics, seriously, or you'll find it tough. It's really competitive, with very few people getting accepted, so it's a lot about luck too, hoping they pick you over everyone else who's trying their best.
Confirmed questions7 questions
- What makes you interested in TfL?
- What about this specific role appeals to you?
- How does this role fit into your long-term career aspirations?
Transport for London
Senior Software Developer
Senior Average Negative experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Take home Technical screen
Interview formats
Coding Technical
The interview process had two rounds. The first round involved a coding challenge where I had to develop an API. I was rejected after this first round. They mentioned they were expecting more test cases. I was quite disappointed because they seemed to overlook the entire application I built, which was functioning correctly and included test cases as per the challenge. The feedback on my application felt a bit unfair.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- I was given a coding challenge for the first round where I had to implement a whole application with test cases.
- My application was rejected stating that they were expecting a few more cases, even though I implemented the whole application which was running successfully and wrote test cases as per the given challenge.
Transport for London
Software Developer
Entry Difficult Positive experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Technical screen Technical screen Technical screen
Interview formats
Coding Technical
I applied for a Software Developer role on the NextGen ticketing system team and went through three rounds. All the rounds were focused on programming, covering Algorithms, Databases, and Web development. The questions felt meaningful and relevant to the team's work, and I especially liked the ones about runtime complexity. Most questions were about programming techniques or specific database application uses, like how to perform certain tasks. The people were friendly. The process felt a bit like a government-affiliated entity, which is different but not in a bad way.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- Could you implement a basic hash-table?
- What are your thoughts on runtime complexity?
- Describe some programming techniques you use.
Transport for London Software Engineer Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Transport for London interview reports.
“Can you list the different HTTP response types?”
Read reports →“Can you explain the reason for using mocks in Test-Driven Development?”
Read reports →“Could you explain coupling? Using a car with parts like the engine and tires as an example, how would coupling apply?”
Read reports →“What are your thoughts on salary for this role?”
Read reports →“Imagine you're at an underground station during the London Marathon. There are major delays, and a frustrated customer needs to get to their destination on time. How would you handle this situation?”
Read report →“What makes you want to join TFL?”
Read report →“What are your thoughts on the advantages of networking within a business environment?”
Read report →“How would you handle a specific application use case in a database, like performing X operation?”
Read report →“Do you find you work better on your own or as part of a group?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 19 Transport for London interview reports.