
Data Engineering Job Interview Warm‑Up: 30 Real Coding & System‑Design Questions
The world of data engineering has rapidly emerged as a critical pillar for businesses, enabling them to extract insights from vast amounts of information and power data-driven decision-making. From building scalable ETL pipelines to designing real-time streaming infrastructures and cloud data warehouses, data engineers are in high demand across every industry—from tech giants to healthcare providers to financial institutions. If you’re seeking a data engineering role, you may already know that interviews can be rigorous, spanning software development, database design, distributed systems, and cloud computing. Many organisations need engineers who can handle both traditional batch processing and cutting-edge real-time analytics frameworks, all while keeping data secure, consistent, and optimised. In this guide, we’ll explore 30 real coding & system-design questions that often come up in data engineering interviews. From classic coding challenges to architecture-focused scenarios, these questions will help you gauge your readiness and build confidence before stepping into that interview room. If you’re actively searching for new data engineering opportunities in the UK, www.dataengineeringjobs.co.uk is a fantastic resource. It features a wide range of vacancies—from junior data engineering positions to senior-level cloud architecture roles. Let’s dive in so you can approach your next interview with insight and poise.