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DevOps Engineer interview questionsTechnical Interview round

A 60 min interview plan with a time-boxed script, what each question is for, and the signals to score against. Key skills: DevOps Practices, Tools Proficiency, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, Configuration Management.

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Introduction

5 min
•

Hi, I’m [YOUR_NAME], and I’m a [YOUR_TITLE] at [COMPANY_NAME]. I’m excited to learn more about your experience today.

•

Could you briefly introduce yourself and share what attracted you to apply for this position?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess communication skills, alignment with the role, and initial confidence.

Signals to score

  • Clear introduction provided
  • Relevant experience mentioned
  • Motivations for applying explained
  • Alignment with team values
  • Specific skills highlighted
  • Response is concise and organized
  • Understanding of role requirements

Follow-up questions

  • What excites you most about this position?
  • How does your background align with our team’s work?
•

Great, thank you for sharing! In the next 45-50 minutes, we’ll talk about your experience and how you work in a team. After that, you can ask any questions you have about the role or the company.

DevOps Practices

10 min
•

Can you explain the core principles of DevOps and how they benefit a development team?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Evaluate understanding of DevOps principles.

Signals to score

  • Clear explanation of principles
  • Benefits to team productivity
  • Emphasis on collaboration
  • Continuous improvement mentioned
  • Understanding of automation
  • Focus on customer satisfaction
  • Knowledge of feedback loops

Follow-up questions

  • What are the main goals of DevOps?
  • How does DevOps improve team collaboration?
•

How do you implement DevOps practices in your current or previous role?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess practical application of DevOps practices.

Signals to score

  • Specific practices mentioned
  • Tools used in implementation
  • Examples of successful projects
  • Challenges faced and overcome
  • Continuous integration/deployment
  • Automation of processes
  • Collaboration with teams

Follow-up questions

  • Can you describe a project where you applied DevOps?
  • What tools did you use to implement DevOps?

Tools Proficiency

10 min
•

Which DevOps tools are you most proficient in, and how have you used them?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess familiarity and expertise with DevOps tools.

Signals to score

  • Tools like Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes
  • Experience with CI/CD pipelines
  • Configuration management tools
  • Monitoring and logging tools
  • Automation tools
  • Examples of tool usage
  • Problem-solving with tools

Follow-up questions

  • What is your experience with CI/CD tools?
  • How have you used Docker in your projects?
•

Can you describe a challenging problem you solved using a DevOps tool?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess problem-solving skills using DevOps tools.

Signals to score

  • Clear problem description
  • Tool used to solve the problem
  • Steps taken to resolve issue
  • Outcome of the solution
  • Lessons learned
  • Collaboration with team
  • Innovation in solution

Follow-up questions

  • What was the problem you faced?
  • Which tool did you use to solve it?

Continuous Integration/Deployment

10 min
•

How do you ensure a smooth CI/CD pipeline in your projects?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Evaluate understanding of CI/CD processes.

Signals to score

  • Steps for smooth CI/CD
  • Tools used for CI/CD
  • Automation in CI/CD
  • Testing in CI/CD
  • Monitoring and feedback
  • Handling failures
  • Continuous improvement

Follow-up questions

  • What tools do you use for CI/CD?
  • How do you handle failures in the pipeline?
•

Describe a time when you improved a CI/CD process.

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess experience in enhancing CI/CD processes.

Signals to score

  • Specific improvements made
  • Tools and techniques used
  • Impact on project delivery
  • Challenges faced
  • Collaboration with team
  • Continuous improvement focus
  • Positive outcomes

Follow-up questions

  • What changes did you make to the CI/CD process?
  • How did these changes impact the project?

Configuration Management

10 min
•

What configuration management tools have you used, and how do they benefit a project?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess familiarity with configuration management tools.

Signals to score

  • Tools like Ansible, Puppet, Chef
  • Benefits to project consistency
  • Automation of configurations
  • Version control
  • Simplification of management
  • Examples of tool usage
  • Problem-solving with tools

Follow-up questions

  • How do these tools help in managing configurations?
  • Can you give an example of using a configuration management tool?
•

How do you handle configuration drift in your projects?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess problem-solving skills in configuration management.

Signals to score

  • Understanding of configuration drift
  • Tools used to manage drift
  • Steps taken to prevent drift
  • Monitoring and alerts
  • Collaboration with team
  • Continuous improvement
  • Successful outcomes

Follow-up questions

  • What is configuration drift?
  • How do you prevent it in your projects?

Closing

5 min
•

Do you have any questions for me about the team or the company?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Gauge the candidate’s curiosity and interest in the role.

Signals to score

  • Thoughtful questions asked
  • Interest in company culture
  • Curiosity about growth expressed
  • Questions about role raised
  • Inquiries about team challenges
  • Engagement with responses shown
  • Desire to learn next steps
  • Focus on company values expressed

Follow-up questions

  • What interests you most about this team?
  • Are there any areas of the role you’d like to explore further?
•

Thank you for your time today. We’ll be in touch soon regarding the next steps.

Use Template
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Interview Template
Position
DevOps Engineer
Round
Technical Interview for 60 min
Key skills
DevOps Practices, Tools Proficiency, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, Configuration Management

DevOps Engineer interviews — common questions

Who is this DevOps Engineer interview plan for?
It is written for the interviewer, not the candidate: the hiring manager, engineer or panel member running the Technical Interview round for a DevOps Engineer role. It gives you a 60 min script to follow in the conversation — 10 questions with what each one is for and the signals to score against — so you are not writing the round from scratch the night before.
What does the Technical Interview round assess?
This round is focused on: DevOps Practices, Tools Proficiency, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, Configuration Management. It works through Introduction, DevOps Practices, Tools Proficiency, Continuous Integration/Deployment, Configuration Management and Closing, scoring against 66 observable signals, with follow-up prompts on all 10 questions for going deeper where an answer is thin.
How is the 60 min split up?
Introduction (5 min), DevOps Practices (10 min), Tools Proficiency (10 min), Continuous Integration/Deployment (10 min), Configuration Management (10 min), Closing (5 min). The timings are there so the round stays on schedule and every candidate gets the same shape of interview — which is what makes two candidates comparable afterwards.
What other rounds should I run for a DevOps Engineer?

A single round does not cover a whole role. The other rounds in this library for a DevOps Engineer: