Interview questions
Preparing for a data engineering interview at Nihilent? This page contains 30 real interview questions sourced from verified Nihilent interview experiences. Questions are sorted by frequency — the ones asked most often appear first.
Nihilent data engineering interviews typically focus on SQL, Spark/Big Data, and Cloud/Tools. There's a solid mix of fundamental and advanced questions, making it accessible for candidates at multiple experience levels.
Use the difficulty filters above to focus your preparation. For each question, attempt your own answer first, then compare with our expert solution. You can also practice these questions in our AI Mock Interview Coach for real-time feedback.
Explain the differences between Repartition and Coalesce. When would you use each?
Explain the types of triggers in ADF, including schedule, tumbling window, and event-based triggers.
Joins and window functions - INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, FULL OUTER, ROW_NUMBER(), RANK(), DENSE_RANK()
Can you explain the architecture of Apache Spark and its components?
Provide a detailed walkthrough of your career journey
Share examples of successful stakeholder communication
Difference between pipelines and data flows in ADF
Fabric dataflows vs. ADF dataflows
Fabric pipelines vs. ADF pipelines
Running multiple notebooks - dbutils.notebook.run()
Types of Integration Runtimes (IR) - self-hosted, Azure, SSIS
Unity Catalog - role in managing and securing data
Agile Methodologies - sprint planning, standups, retrospectives
Explain your roles and responsibilities in your current project
Highlight the tools and technologies you've used in your current project
Lakehouse vs. Warehouse
Share your journey as a Data Engineer
What role does data lineage play in your current project?
Explain techniques for ensuring data quality in cross-functional team scenarios
Python libraries - Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib for data processing
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