Technical interview questions and answers are the foundation of any Data Structure Interview because companies use DSA to test your problem-solving ability, logic building, and coding efficiency. Data Structures such as arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs form the backbone of programming, making this topic one of the most important parts of technical rounds. In campus placements and company-specific interviews conducted by TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, and Capgemini, these questions decide whether a candidate has strong fundamentals. This guide covers the most important and frequently asked Data Structure interview questions with clear explanations, helping freshers and job seekers understand concepts easily. Preparing these questions improves performance in coding tests, whiteboard interviews, and online assessments.
Computer science professionals should complement their algorithmic knowledge with C language implementation and Java programming techniques
Showing 10 of 108 questions
61. Does the minimum spanning tree of a graph give the shortest distance between any 2 specified nodes?
No.Minimal spanning tree assures that the total weight of the tree is kept at its minimum. But it doesn't mean that the distance between any two nodes involved in the minimum-spanning tree is minimum.
62. Which is the simplest file structure?
(a) Sequential
(b) Indexed
(c) Random
(d) Sequential
63. Whether Linked List is linear or Non-linear data structure?
According to Access strategies Linked list is a linear one.
According to Storage Linked List is a Non-linear one.
64. What is the difference between a Stack and an Array?
i) Stack is a ordered collection of items
ii) Stack is a dynamic object whose size is constantly changing as items are pushed and popped .
iii) Stack may contain different data types
iv) Stack is declared as a structure containing an array to hold the element of the stack, and an integer to indicate the current stack top within the array.
ARRAY
i) Array is an ordered collection of items
ii) Array is a static object i.e. no of item is fixed and is assigned by the declaration of the array
i
65. What do you mean by recursive definition?
The definition which defines an object in terms of simpler cases of itself is called recursive definition.
66. What is sequential search?
In sequential search each item in the array is compared with the item being searched until a match occurs. It is applicable to a table organized either as an array or as a linked list.
67. What actions are performed when a function is called?
When a function is called
i) arguments are passed
ii) local variables are allocated and initialized
ii) transferring control to the function
68. What actions are performed when a function returns?
i) Return address is retrieved
ii) Functions data area is freed
iii) Branch is taken to the return address
69. What is a linked list?
A linked list is a linear collection of data elements, called nodes, where the linear order is given by pointers. Each node has two parts first part contain the information of the element second part contains the address of the next node in the list.
70. What are the advantages of linked list over array (static data structure)?
The disadvantages of array are
i) unlike linked list it is expensive to insert and delete elements in the array
ii) One cant double or triple the size of array as it occupies block of memory space.
In linked list