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React JS Mock Interview: 20 Questions in 50 Minutes

Four rounds that copy a real interview. Answer aloud, then check the model answers.

Mock interview format

  1. Warm-up · 5 minutes — 4 questions
  2. Technical · 20 minutes — 7 questions
  3. Scenario · 15 minutes — 5 questions
  4. HR & behavioural · 10 minutes — 4 questions

Tip: record yourself and listen back. Most people talk too fast and skip the key idea.

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01

What are React hooks and what are the rules of hooks?

Warm-upReact HooksEasy
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Hooks are functions like useState and useEffect that let function components use state, side effects, context and other React features. Two rules apply: call hooks only at the top level of a component or custom hook, never inside loops, conditions or nested functions, and call them only from React functions. React relies on the call order being the same on every render to match state to each hook.
02

What is React and why is it so widely used for building web interfaces?

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React is an open-source JavaScript library for building user interfaces from reusable components. You describe what the UI should look like for a given state and React updates the DOM efficiently when that state changes. It is popular because of its component model, huge ecosystem, strong job market, React Native for mobile, and frameworks like Next.js that add routing and server rendering on top.
03

Why must Redux reducers be pure functions?

Warm-upState ManagementEasy
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A pure reducer returns new state based only on its inputs and has no side effects: no API calls, no random values, no mutation of arguments. This makes state changes predictable, testable and replayable, which is what enables time-travel debugging in Redux DevTools. Side effects belong in thunks, listeners or RTK Query. Redux Toolkit uses Immer, so draft mutations inside createSlice are still safe.
04

What is the Flux architecture?

Warm-upState ManagementEasy
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Flux is the unidirectional data flow pattern that inspired Redux. Actions describe events, a dispatcher sends them to stores, stores update data and notify views, and views render and trigger new actions. Data never flows backward directly. Redux simplified Flux into a single store with pure reducers. Understanding Flux explains why React state management favours one-way flow over two-way binding.
05

How do you type props for a component in TypeScript?

TechnicalProps and StateMedium
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Define a type or interface and annotate the destructured props. type ProductCardProps = { title: string; price: number; tags?: string[]; onAdd: (id: string) => void; children?: React.ReactNode; }; function ProductCard({ title, price, tags = [], onAdd, children }: ProductCardProps) { return <div onClick={() => onAdd(title)}>{title} - Rs {price}{children}</div>; }
06

What does the 'use client' directive do?

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'use client' at the top of a file marks a boundary: that module and everything it imports become part of the client bundle and can use state, effects, event handlers and browser APIs. It does not mean the component is only rendered on the client; it is still pre-rendered to HTML on the server and then hydrated. Keep 'use client' as low in the tree as possible to send less JavaScript.
07

What do useActionState and useFormStatus do in React 19?

TechnicalReact HooksMedium
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useActionState wraps an action function and returns [state, formAction, isPending]; you pass formAction to a form's action prop and the returned state holds the result, like a validation error. useFormStatus, from react-dom, lets a child component such as a submit button read the pending status of the parent form without prop drilling. Together they remove a lot of manual loading and error state code.
08

Why is user-event preferred over fireEvent?

TechnicalTesting and DebuggingMedium
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fireEvent dispatches a single DOM event, such as one change event. user-event simulates full user interactions: typing fires keydown, keypress, input and keyup for every character, clicking includes pointer and focus events, and it respects disabled elements and visibility. This finds bugs that fireEvent misses. In current versions, call userEvent.setup() and await each interaction because they are asynchronous.
09

Show a Server Function used to handle a form in Next.js.

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A function marked 'use server' runs on the server and can be passed to a form action. // app/actions.ts 'use server'; import { revalidatePath } from 'next/cache'; export async function addTodo(formData: FormData) { const title = String(formData.get('title')); await db.todo.create({ data: { title } }); revalidatePath('/todos'); } // app/todos/page.tsx <form action={addTodo}> <input name="title" required /> <button>Add</button> </form> Always validate input and check authorisation inside the function.
10

How do you test a component that fetches data from an API?

TechnicalTesting and DebuggingMedium
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Mock the network, not fetch itself, using Mock Service Worker (MSW), then wait for the UI. const server = setupServer( http.get('/api/users', () => HttpResponse.json([{ id: 1, name: 'Asha' }])) ); beforeAll(() => server.listen()); afterEach(() => server.resetHandlers()); afterAll(() => server.close()); test('shows users', async () => { render(<Users />); expect(await screen.findByText('Asha')).toBeInTheDocument(); });
11

Write a custom hook to fetch data with loading and error states.

TechnicalReact HooksMedium
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A custom hook is a function starting with use that combines other hooks. function useFetch(url) { const [state, setState] = useState({ data: null, loading: true, error: null }); useEffect(() => { const ctrl = new AbortController(); setState(s => ({ ...s, loading: true })); fetch(url, { signal: ctrl.signal }) .then(r => { if (!r.ok) throw new Error(r.status); return r.json(); }) .then(data => setState({ data, loading: false, error: null })) .catch(err => { if (err.name !== 'AbortError') setState({ data: null, loading: false, error: err }); }); return () => ctrl.abort(); }, [url]); return state; }
12

Your team uses the array index as key in a todo list and users report that checkboxes get ticked on the wrong item after deleting a row. What is happening?

ScenarioReact FundamentalsMedium
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When an item is deleted, every later item shifts to a new index, so React matches old state and DOM nodes to the wrong items. Uncontrolled inputs and component state stay attached to the index, not the data. The fix is to use a stable unique id from the data as the key. Index keys are only safe for static lists that never reorder, filter or delete.
13

Where should you store the logged-in user's auth token in a React app?

ScenarioState ManagementMedium
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The safest common choice is an httpOnly, Secure, SameSite cookie set by the server, because JavaScript cannot read it, which protects it from XSS theft. Keep only non-sensitive user info, such as name and role, in React state or context. If you must use tokens in JavaScript, keep the access token in memory, use short expiry and refresh tokens via cookies. Avoid localStorage for tokens.
14

Your Next.js build fails with 'ReferenceError: window is not defined'. Why, and how do you fix it?

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Code that touches browser globals runs during server rendering, where window and document do not exist. This often comes from a library that accesses window at import time or from reading localStorage in render. Fix it by moving browser access into useEffect or event handlers inside a Client Component, checking typeof window !== 'undefined', or loading the library with next/dynamic and ssr: false from a client component.
15

Field data shows poor INP on the 'Add to cart' button of a product page. How do you improve it?

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Profile the click to see what runs. Typical problems are a large synchronous re-render of the whole page, heavy analytics code and expensive state updates in the handler. Update the button feedback first and wrap the non-urgent part (cart drawer, recommendations) in startTransition, defer analytics with setTimeout or requestIdleCallback, narrow which components subscribe to cart state and break up long tasks.
16

An orders table renders 10,000 rows and the page freezes on load and scroll. What would you do?

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First question whether users need all rows at once: server-side pagination or infinite scroll with cursor-based loading may solve it. If a long scrollable list is required, virtualise it with TanStack Virtual so only around 30 rows exist in the DOM. Also memoise row components, avoid heavy formatting in render by precomputing, and move sorting or filtering off the main thread if it is expensive.
17

Tell me about working with a backend team when an API did not match what the frontend needed.

HR & behaviouralNext.js and Advanced ReactMedium
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Situation: the orders API returned deeply nested data and no pagination, making our list screen slow. Task: get a better contract without blocking either team. Action: I shared a proposed response shape with the backend developer, explained the performance impact with numbers and built against a mocked API using MSW meanwhile. Result: they added pagination and flatter fields, and we integrated in two days with no rework.
18

Tell me about a time you had to learn a new tool or library quickly.

HR & behaviouralTesting and DebuggingMedium
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Situation: our project needed to switch from Jest to Vitest with a week's notice. Task: migrate around 300 tests. Action: I read the official migration guide, migrated one folder first to discover patterns, wrote a codemod for jest.fn to vi.fn replacements and documented gotchas for the team. Result: we finished in four days, test runs became much faster, and the guide helped others with later work.
19

Tell me about a React project you built and the hardest problem you solved in it.

HR & behaviouralReact FundamentalsEasy
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Situation: in my final year I built a hostel complaint portal with React, Vite and a Node API. Task: the complaint list became slow and buggy when filters changed. Action: I found I was storing filtered data in state and syncing it with effects, so I derived it during render with useMemo and fixed missing keys. Result: bugs disappeared, the page felt instant, and I learned to keep state minimal.
20

React changes fast. How do you keep your skills current?

HR & behaviouralReact FundamentalsEasy
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I follow the official react.dev blog and docs, read release notes for React, Next.js and the libraries we use, and try new features in a small side project before using them at work. For example, when React 19 introduced Actions and useOptimistic, I rebuilt a form in my practice app first, noted pitfalls, and then shared a short demo with my team before we adopted it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use this mock interview?

Set a 50-minute timer, answer every question aloud (or ask a friend to read them), and open answers only after each round. Note every question where your answer missed the key idea.

How often should I take a mock?

Once a week while preparing and once two or three days before a real interview. The question order is fixed, so for fresh practice use the company and experience pages too.