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.NET Full Stack Telephonic Interview Questions & Answers

30 questions for the telephonic interview stage — 17 easy, 13 medium.

About the telephonic interview round

The telephonic or screening round is a 15-30 minute call with a recruiter or engineer. It checks your basics, your CV and whether you can explain .NET Full Stack concepts clearly without a screen to point at.

Tips for the telephonic interview round

Keep your CV in front of you and be ready to explain every line on it.
Answer in short, clear sentences; there is no whiteboard, so structure matters.
Take the call somewhere quiet and confirm the time in advance.
Prepare one question to ask the interviewer at the end.

Solved — telephonic interviewStart practicing

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What is the difference between an RxJS Observable and a Promise?

Angular and React Front EndMedium

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A Promise represents a single future value, starts immediately and cannot be cancelled. An Observable can emit many values over time, is lazy until subscribed, and can be cancelled by unsubscribing. RxJS operators like map, debounceTime, switchMap and retry make it powerful for streams such as search boxes or WebSocket data. Angular's HttpClient returns Observables; use the async pipe or toSignal to avoid manual unsubscribe.

What is the difference between var, dynamic and object?

C# FundamentalsEasy

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var is implicitly typed: the compiler infers the real type at compile time, so it is fully type-safe. object is the base type of everything; you need casts to use specific members, and value types get boxed. dynamic skips compile-time checking and resolves members at runtime, so typos fail only when the code runs. Use var for readability, object rarely, and dynamic only for COM interop or truly dynamic data.

Explain First, FirstOrDefault, Single and SingleOrDefault.

LINQ, Collections and GenericsEasy

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First returns the first match and throws if none exists. FirstOrDefault returns the default value, null for classes, if none exists. Single expects exactly one match and throws if there are zero or more than one. SingleOrDefault returns default for zero but still throws for more than one. Use Single when duplicates would indicate a data bug, such as lookup by unique PAN number; otherwise FirstOrDefault is cheaper.

What are DbContext and DbSet, and what lifetime should DbContext have?

Entity Framework CoreEasy

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DbContext represents a session with the database: it holds configuration, the change tracker and connection handling. Each DbSet<T> property represents a table you can query and add to. DbContext is lightweight and not thread-safe, so it should be short-lived; in ASP.NET Core it is registered as scoped, one per request, via AddDbContext. For background services or Blazor, use IDbContextFactory to create contexts on demand.

What is the difference between a clustered and a non-clustered index?

SQL Server and T-SQLMedium

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A clustered index defines the physical order of the table's data, so the leaf level is the data itself, and a table can have only one. A non-clustered index is a separate structure with key values and a pointer back to the row, and a table can have many. Range queries on the clustered key are fast. Non-clustered indexes speed up searches on other columns but add cost to inserts and updates.

What is ASP.NET Core and what are its main features?

ASP.NET Core Web APIEasy

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ASP.NET Core is the open-source, cross-platform framework for building web APIs, MVC sites, Razor Pages, Blazor apps and real-time apps with SignalR on modern .NET. Key features are built-in dependency injection, a configurable middleware pipeline, the fast Kestrel web server, unified configuration and logging, and support for Docker and cloud hosting. It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS and consistently ranks among the fastest web frameworks.

Why is Any() usually better than Count() > 0?

LINQ, Collections and GenericsEasy

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Any() stops as soon as it finds one element, so it is O(1) for most sources, and in EF Core it translates to an efficient SQL EXISTS. Count() may need to walk the entire sequence or run COUNT(*) on the table, which is wasteful just to check for existence. For List<T> or arrays, the Count or Length property is also fine because it is stored, but Any() expresses the intent clearly.

What is the difference between authentication and authorization in ASP.NET Core?

ASP.NET Core Web APIEasy

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Authentication answers who you are: middleware reads a cookie or JWT, validates it and builds a ClaimsPrincipal for HttpContext.User. Authorization answers what you may do: it checks that user against rules such as [Authorize(Roles = "Admin")] or a policy like requiring an Employee claim with a certain department. A missing or invalid identity gives 401 Unauthorized, while a valid user without permission gets 403 Forbidden.

Explain normalisation and the first three normal forms.

SQL Server and T-SQLEasy

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Normalisation organises tables to reduce redundancy and update anomalies. 1NF: each column holds atomic values and there are no repeating groups. 2NF: in 1NF and every non-key column depends on the whole primary key, not part of a composite key. 3NF: in 2NF and non-key columns do not depend on other non-key columns, for example City should not be stored with an order if it depends on the customer. Reporting databases may denormalise for speed.

A report builder concatenates 50,000 rows into one string with += and takes several seconds. What do you change?

C# FundamentalsEasy

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Each += creates a new string and copies everything built so far, so the cost grows quadratically. Replace it with a StringBuilder, ideally created with an estimated capacity, and call Append or AppendLine in the loop, then ToString once at the end. For very large output, write directly to a StreamWriter or the response stream instead of building the whole string in memory.

Why should you avoid async void methods?

Async Programming and MultithreadingMedium

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An async void method cannot be awaited, so the caller does not know when it finishes. Exceptions thrown inside it cannot be caught by the caller; they go to the synchronization context and can crash the process. It is also hard to unit test. Use async Task instead. The only accepted use of async void is for event handlers, such as button click handlers in desktop apps, where the signature is fixed.

When would you choose an array, a List<T> or a LinkedList<T>?

LINQ, Collections and GenericsEasy

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An array has a fixed size and fastest index access, good when the count is known. List<T> wraps a resizable array, with O(1) index access and amortised O(1) add at the end, and is the default choice for most code. LinkedList<T> gives O(1) insert and remove at a known node but O(n) access by index and poor cache locality, so it is rarely the better option in practice.

What is a delegate in C#?

OOP in C#Medium

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A delegate is a type-safe reference to a method with a specific signature, similar to a function pointer but checked by the compiler. You can pass methods as parameters, store them and call them later. Delegates can be multicast, holding several methods that run in order. Lambdas, LINQ, events and callbacks are all built on delegates, and the built-in Func and Action types cover most needs.

How are events different from plain delegates?

OOP in C#Medium

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An event is a delegate wrapped with restricted access. Outside the class, subscribers can only add or remove handlers with += and -=; they cannot invoke the event or overwrite the whole list with =. This protects the publisher. The standard pattern uses EventHandler<TEventArgs> with sender and args. Remember to unsubscribe long-lived subscriptions, otherwise the publisher keeps subscribers alive and causes memory leaks.

What is the difference between a shallow copy and a deep copy?

OOP in C#Medium

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A shallow copy duplicates the object but its reference fields still point to the same child objects; MemberwiseClone and record with-expressions do this. A deep copy duplicates the whole object graph, so changes to the copy never affect the original. Deep copies are usually written by hand or by serialising and deserialising. ICloneable is avoided because it does not say which kind of copy it returns.

An API creates a new HttpClient inside a using block for every outgoing call, and under load you see socket exhaustion errors. How do you fix it?

ASP.NET Core Web APIMedium

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Disposing HttpClient does not immediately free the underlying socket; connections stay in TIME_WAIT, so thousands of short-lived clients exhaust ports. A single static client fixes that but misses DNS changes. The recommended fix is IHttpClientFactory: register builder.Services.AddHttpClient<PaymentClient>() and inject the typed client. The factory pools and rotates handlers, and you can add resilience with Microsoft.Extensions.Http.Resilience for retries and timeouts.

Show how to stream data with IAsyncEnumerable.

Async Programming and MultithreadingMedium

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public async IAsyncEnumerable<Order> GetOrdersAsync( [EnumeratorCancellation] CancellationToken ct = default) { await foreach (var o in _db.Orders.AsNoTracking().AsAsyncEnumerable().WithCancellation(ct)) yield return o; } // consumer await foreach (var order in service.GetOrdersAsync()) Console.WriteLine(order.Id); Items are produced and consumed one at a time asynchronously. ASP.NET Core can stream an IAsyncEnumerable result as JSON without buffering the whole list.

When would you use a HashSet<T>?

LINQ, Collections and GenericsEasy

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HashSet<T> stores unique values with O(1) average lookup, add and remove. Use it when you need fast membership checks, such as checking if an email already exists in a batch of 1 lakh records, or to remove duplicates. It also supports set operations like UnionWith, IntersectWith and ExceptWith. It does not keep insertion order or allow index access; use SortedSet<T> if you need sorted unique values.

Which HTTP status codes and methods should a REST API use, and what is the difference between PUT and PATCH?

ASP.NET Core Web APIEasy

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GET reads, POST creates, PUT replaces, PATCH partially updates and DELETE removes. Return 200 OK for success with a body, 201 Created with a Location header after POST, 204 No Content after delete, 400 for invalid input, 401 unauthenticated, 403 forbidden, 404 not found, 409 conflict and 500 for server errors. PUT sends the full resource and is idempotent; PATCH sends only changed fields.

Explain the transient, scoped and singleton service lifetimes.

ASP.NET Core Web APIEasy

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Transient services are created every time they are requested, suitable for lightweight stateless helpers. Scoped services are created once per HTTP request and shared within it; DbContext is registered as scoped. Singleton services are created once for the whole application lifetime, suitable for caches and configuration. Choose based on state: anything holding per-request data must not be singleton, and singletons must be thread-safe.

What are generics and what benefits do they give?

LINQ, Collections and GenericsEasy

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Generics let you write classes and methods with a type parameter, such as List<T> or Repository<T>, that work with any type while staying type-safe. Benefits are compile-time checking instead of casts, no boxing for value types, and code reuse. For example, one generic Result<T> type can wrap any API response. The CLR creates specialised code for value types and shares code for reference types.

Implement global exception handling that returns ProblemDetails.

ASP.NET Core Web APIMedium

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public class GlobalExceptionHandler(ILogger<GlobalExceptionHandler> logger) : IExceptionHandler { public async ValueTask<bool> TryHandleAsync(HttpContext ctx, Exception ex, CancellationToken ct) { logger.LogError(ex, "Unhandled error"); var status = ex is KeyNotFoundException ? 404 : 500; ctx.Response.StatusCode = status; await ctx.Response.WriteAsJsonAsync(new ProblemDetails { Status = status, Title = status == 404 ? "Not found" : "Server error" }, ct); return true; } } // Program.cs builder.Services.AddExceptionHandler<GlobalExceptionHandler>(); builder.Services.AddProblemDetails(); app.UseExceptionHandler();

Tell me about a time you worked under a tight deadline.

SQL Server and T-SQLMedium

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During my internship (Situation) a client demo was moved two days earlier, and the reports page was not ready. My task was to deliver the SQL queries and API for it. I listed must-have reports with my mentor, wrote and tested the three critical queries first, and postponed exports. I stayed in touch with the UI developer every few hours. Result: the demo went well, and we added the remaining features the next week.

What is CORS and how do you enable it in ASP.NET Core?

ASP.NET Core Web APIEasy

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Browsers block JavaScript from calling an API on a different origin (scheme, host or port) unless the server allows it via CORS headers. If an Angular app on localhost:4200 calls an API on localhost:5001, you add a policy with builder.Services.AddCors, allowing that origin with WithOrigins, plus required methods and headers, and call app.UseCors before authorization. Avoid AllowAnyOrigin in production, especially with credentials.

What is deferred execution in LINQ?

LINQ, Collections and GenericsMedium

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Most LINQ operators such as Where and Select do not run when you write them; they build a query that executes only when you enumerate it with foreach, ToList, Count or First. This means the query sees the latest data at enumeration time and can be composed step by step. The catch is that enumerating the same query twice runs it twice, which can mean two database calls. Call ToList to materialise once.

What is the difference between a primary key and a unique key in SQL Server?

SQL Server and T-SQLEasy

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Both enforce uniqueness. A table can have only one primary key, it cannot contain NULLs, and by default SQL Server creates a clustered index for it. A table can have many unique constraints, each allowing a single NULL in SQL Server, and they create non-clustered indexes by default. Use the primary key for row identity, such as EmployeeId, and unique keys for business rules like a unique email or PAN.

What does the lock keyword do?

Async Programming and MultithreadingMedium

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lock ensures that only one thread at a time executes a block of code for a given lock object, preventing race conditions on shared data. It compiles to Monitor.Enter and Monitor.Exit inside try-finally. Lock on a private readonly object, never on this or a string. Since .NET 9 there is a dedicated System.Threading.Lock type that is faster. You cannot await inside a lock; use SemaphoreSlim for async code.

What are the four pillars of object-oriented programming?

OOP in C#Easy

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Encapsulation hides internal state behind methods and properties. Abstraction exposes only what the caller needs, using abstract classes and interfaces. Inheritance lets a class reuse and extend another class. Polymorphism lets one interface have many implementations, so code calls Pay() without knowing whether it is a card or UPI payment. Together they make code easier to change, test and reuse.

What is the difference between WHERE and HAVING?

SQL Server and T-SQLEasy

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WHERE filters individual rows before grouping and cannot use aggregate functions. HAVING filters groups after GROUP BY and can use aggregates like COUNT or SUM. For example, WHERE City = 'Pune' keeps only Pune rows, then GROUP BY DepartmentId HAVING COUNT(*) > 10 keeps departments with more than 10 such employees. Put non-aggregate conditions in WHERE so fewer rows are grouped, which is faster.

Explain the ref, out and in parameter modifiers.

C# FundamentalsMedium

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ref passes a variable by reference; it must be initialised before the call and the method can read and change it. out also passes by reference but need not be initialised, and the method must assign it before returning, as in int.TryParse. in passes by reference as read-only, which avoids copying large structs while preventing changes. Overusing ref and out makes code harder to read, so tuples are often cleaner.

Frequently asked questions

What happens in the .NET Full Stack telephonic interview round?

How do I clear the telephonic interview round?

Keep your CV in front of you and be ready to explain every line on it. Answer in short, clear sentences; there is no whiteboard, so structure matters. Take the call somewhere quiet and confirm the time in advance.

Which round comes next?

A typical order is online assessment, telephonic screening, one or two technical rounds, a managerial round and HR. Use the other round pages to practise each stage.

Practise every interview round

Online Assessment questions Technical Round questions Managerial Round questions Rapid-Fire questions HR & behavioural questions Full mock interview

More ways to practise

Company-wise .NET Full Stack questions Experience-wise .NET Full Stack questions Role-wise .NET Full Stack questions City-wise .NET Full Stack questions Most asked .NET Full Stack questions Scenario-based questions Practical / hands-on questions HR & behavioural questions .NET Full Stack mock interview Online assessment questions Technical round questions Managerial round questions .NET Full Stack topic sheets