Mastercard Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

Mastercard, a global technology company in the payments industry, connects and powers an inclusive, digital economy benefiting everyone, everywhere. With a focus on making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible, Mastercard leverages secure data and networks, partnerships, and innovations to help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential.

As a Software Engineer at Mastercard, you’ll be at the forefront of developing high-performance, scalable software solutions for leading global brands. You’ll work alongside with different teams to engineer connections that bridge continents, customers, and communities.

Explore this guide to get detailed insights, commonly asked Mastercard software engineer interview questions, and tips for mastering the interview process. Let’s get started!

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority. However, you can expect the following on a Mastercard software engineer interview:

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV is among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the Mastercard Talent Acquisition Team will contact you and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be part of the screening process.

Sometimes, the Mastercard hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Online Assessment

Before proceeding to technical interviews, you might be asked to complete an online coding assessment. This usually comprises several coding questions, ranging from data structures and algorithms to domain-specific problems related to payments and databases. Expect questions like:

• Strings and JSON parsing
• Database management and queries
• Payment gateway functionalities

This assessment helps Mastercard evaluate your coding skills and problem-solving abilities.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round and online assessment will invite you to the technical screening round. Technical screening for the Mastercard Software Engineer role is usually conducted virtually, including video conference and screen sharing. This stage may involve:

• Discussing previous projects and demonstrating your code.
• System design and architecture questions.
• Coding problems focusing on data structures, algorithms, and coding paradigms (OOP, functional programming).

Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may include:

• DSA question on the string
• How payments work

Onsite Interview Rounds

A second recruiter call outlining the next stage will invite you to attend the onsite interview loop if applicable. This stage varies depending on the role and level, and may include:

• Coding challenges
• Design and architecture discussions
• Behavioral interviews
• Problem-solving case studies

You could expect questions covering Java, OOP concepts, SQL, multithreading, data structures, and other technical domains. A resume-based discussion might also be included to elaborate on your experiences.

Typically, interviews at Mastercard vary by role and team, but commonly Software Engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

1. What are the drawbacks of the given data organization, and how would you reformat it for better analysis?

Assume you have data on student test scores in two different layouts. Identify the drawbacks of these layouts and suggest formatting changes to make the data more useful for analysis. Additionally, describe common problems seen in “messy” datasets.

2. Using the fewest scans, how would you locate a mouse in a 4x4 grid?

You have a 4x4 grid with a mouse trapped in one of the cells. You can scan subsets of cells to know if the mouse is within that subset. Describe a strategy to find the mouse using the fewest number of scans.

3. How would you select Dashers for Doordash deliveries in NYC and Charlotte?

Doordash is launching delivery services in NYC and Charlotte and needs a process for selecting dashers. Describe how you would decide which Dashers to select and whether the criteria would be the same for both cities.

4. What factors could bias Jetco’s boarding time study results, and what would you investigate?

According to a study, Jetco, a new airline, has the fastest average boarding times. Identify potential biases in this result and describe what you would investigate to validate the findings.

5. How would you design an A/B test to evaluate a pricing increase for a B2B SAAS company?

A B2B SAAS company wants to test different subscription pricing levels. Describe how you would design a two-week A/B test to evaluate a pricing increase and determine if it is a good business decision.

6. Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department.

Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department. If more than one person shares the highest salary, the query should select the next highest salary.

7. Write a function to find the maximum number in a list of integers.

Given a list of integers, write a function that returns the maximum number in the list. If the list is empty, return None.

8. Create a function convert_to_bst to convert a sorted list into a balanced binary tree.

Given a sorted list, create a function convert_to_bst that converts the list into a balanced binary tree. The output binary tree should be balanced, meaning the height difference between the left and right subtree of all the nodes should be at most one.

9. Write a function to simulate drawing balls from a jar.

Write a function to simulate drawing balls from a jar. The colors of the balls are stored in a list named jar, with corresponding counts of the balls stored in the same index in a list called n_balls.

10. Develop a function can_shift to determine if one string can be shifted to become another.

Given two strings A and B, write a function can_shift to return whether or not A can be shifted some number of places to get B.

11. How would you handle data preparation for building a machine learning model using imbalanced data?

When preparing data for a machine learning model with imbalanced classes, what steps would you take to address the imbalance and ensure the model performs well?

12. How much should a ride-sharing app budget for a $5 coupon initiative?

A ride-sharing app has a probability p of dispensing a $5 coupon to a rider and services N riders. Calculate the total budget needed for the coupon initiative.

13. What is a confidence interval for a statistic, and why is it useful?

Explain what a confidence interval is, why it is useful to know the confidence interval for a statistic, and how to calculate it.

14. What is the probability of finding an item on Amazon’s website?

Amazon has a warehouse system where items are located at different distribution centers. Given the probability that a specific item X is available at warehouse A (0.6) or warehouse B (0.8), calculate the probability that the item X would be found on Amazon’s website.

15. Is a coin fair if it comes up tails 8 times out of 10 flips?

You flip a coin 10 times, and it comes up tails 8 times and heads twice. Determine if this coin is fair.

16. What are time series models and why are they needed?

Describe what time series models are and explain why they are necessary when less complicated regression models are available.

You should plan to brush up on any technical skills and try as many practice interview questions and mock interviews as possible. A few tips for acing your Mastercard software engineer interview include:

• Know Your Payment Systems: Mastercard’s questions often revolve around their core business, which is payment processing. Understand the basic workings of payment gateways, transaction protocols, and other related technologies.
• Master the Fundamentals: Mastercard places importance on fundamental computer science concepts, especially data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving skills. Be prepared to demonstrate proficiency in these areas.
• Showcase Your Experience: Be ready to describe your previous work experiences, projects, and technical decisions. Excelling in your system and design explanations can help you effectively showcase your technical and architectural skills.

What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at Mastercard?

What is the company culture like at Mastercard?

Mastercard prides itself on a culture of inclusion, decency, and innovation. They value diverse backgrounds and experiences, encourage employees to take ownership, think critically, and engage fully with customers and team members. They emphasize the importance of connecting and powering an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone.

Interviewing for a software engineering position at Mastercard is a multifaceted journey with opportunities to showcase your technical prowess and problem-solving capabilities. The process is designed to be logical and non-rigid, prioritizing real-world problem-solving and communication skills over rote memorization.

While interview experiences can fluctuate—ranging from excellent engagements to some instances of prolonged or poor communication—the overall objective remains consistent: to identify top talent who can thrive in a dynamic, inclusive, and innovative environment. The essence of each interview stage, whether technical or behavioral, is an opportunity to align your skills and values with those of Mastercard.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Mastercard Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about Mastercard’s interview process for different positions.

Good luck with your interview!