ServiceNow Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

ServiceNow is a leading enterprise software company that enables digital workflows to drive business growth. Their technology ensures seamless operations for over 7,700+ customers, including approximately 85% of the Fortune 500®. Recognized as one of FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® and World’s Most Admired Companies™, ServiceNow is driven by innovation and a passion for making the world work for everyone.

The role of a Software Engineer at ServiceNow entails building high-quality, scalable, and reusable code while enforcing best practices in software engineering architecture. Candidates should have strong skills in data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented design. The role offers opportunities to work on innovative projects, contribute to new product features, and collaborate with various teams. Experience in JavaScript and familiarity with modern UI frameworks are key to success in this position.

This guide from Interview Query provides insights into the interview process, common ServiceNow software engineer interview questions, and valuable tips to help you prepare.

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority; however, you can expect the following on a ServiceNow software engineer interview:

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your application is shortlisted, you will be contacted by a recruiter from ServiceNow’s Talent Acquisition Team. During this preliminary call, the recruiter will verify your experiences and skill level and may inquire about your interest in the role and the company.

Sometimes, the hiring manager might join the call to answer your questions about the job and conduct a preliminary technical and behavioral interview. This call typically lasts about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Passing the initial recruiter call will earn you an invitation to a virtual technical interview. This interview, conducted via video conferencing, generally lasts about an hour and focuses on assessing your technical skills. Expect questions about algorithms, data structures, JavaScript, and other relevant technologies mentioned in the job description.

For roles requiring a demonstration of practical skills, you may be asked to solve coding problems in real time or complete a take-home assignment. Topics could include linked lists, search algorithms, sorting techniques, and SQL queries.

Onsite Interview Rounds

The next stage usually involves onsite interviews, which may include multiple rounds focusing on various aspects of software engineering. These interviews assess your coding skills, understanding of system design, and knowledge of frameworks like React, Angular, and Node.js.

You might be asked to present your solution during one of these onsite rounds if given a take-home assignment. Behavioral questions and discussions about past projects and experiences are also common.

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

1. Would you think there was anything fishy about the results of an A/B test with 20 variants?

Your manager ran an A/B test with 20 different variants and found one significant result. Would you suspect any issues with the results?

2. How would you set up an A/B test to optimize button color and position for higher click-through rates?

A team wants to A/B test changes in a sign-up funnel, such as changing a button from red to blue and/or moving it from the top to the bottom of the page. How would you design this test?

3. What would you do if friend requests on Facebook are down 10%?

A product manager at Facebook reports a 10% decrease in friend requests. What steps would you take to address this issue?

4. Why would the number of job applicants decrease while job postings remain the same?

You observe that the number of job postings per day has remained constant, but the number of applicants has decreased. What could be causing this trend?

5. What are the drawbacks of the given student test score datasets, and how would you reformat them for better analysis?

You have data on student test scores in two different layouts. What are the drawbacks of these formats, and what changes would you make to improve their usefulness for analysis? Additionally, describe common problems in “messy” datasets.

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 merge two sorted lists into one sorted list.

Write a function to merge two sorted lists into one sorted list. Bonus: Determine the time complexity.

8. Create a function missing_number to find the missing number in an array.

You have an array of integers, nums of length n spanning 0 to n with one missing. Write a function missing_number that returns the missing number in the array. Complexity of (O(n)) required.

9. Develop a function precision_recall to calculate precision and recall metrics.

Given a 2-D matrix P of predicted and actual values, write a function precision_recall to calculate precision and recall metrics. Return the ordered pair (precision, recall).

10. Write a function to search for a target value in a rotated sorted array.

Suppose an array sorted in ascending order is rotated at some pivot unknown to you beforehand. You are given a target value to search. If the value is in the array, return its index; otherwise, return -1. Bonus: Your algorithm’s runtime complexity should be in the order of (O(\log n)).

11. How would you evaluate whether using a decision tree algorithm is the correct model for predicting loan repayment?

You are tasked with building a decision tree model to predict whether a borrower will repay a personal loan. How would you evaluate whether a decision tree is right for this problem?

12. How would you evaluate the performance of a decision tree model before and after deployment?

Assuming you proceed with a decision tree model, how would you assess its performance before deployment and after it is in use?

13. How does random forest generate the forest, and why use it over logistic regression?

Explain how a random forest algorithm generates its forest. Additionally, why might you choose random forest over logistic regression for certain problems?

14. When would you use a bagging algorithm versus a boosting algorithm?

Compare two machine learning algorithms. In which scenarios would you prefer a bagging algorithm over a boosting algorithm? Provide examples of the tradeoffs between the two.

15. How would you justify using a neural network model and explain its predictions to non-technical stakeholders?

Suppose your manager asks you to build a neural network model to solve a business problem. How would you justify the complexity of the model and explain its predictions to non-technical stakeholders?

16. What metrics would you use to track the accuracy and validity of a spam classifier for emails?

You are tasked with building a spam classifier for emails and have completed a V1 of the model. What metrics would you use to track its accuracy and validity?

17. Is this a fair coin?

You flip a coin 10 times, and it comes up tails 8 times and heads twice. Based on this outcome, determine if the coin is fair.

18. Write a function to calculate sample variance from a list of integers.

Create a function that outputs the sample variance given a list of integers and round the result to 2 decimal places.

Example: Input: test_list = [6, 7, 3, 9, 10, 15] Output: get_variance(test_list) -> 13.89

19. Write a function to return the median value of a list in O(1) time and space.

Given a list of sorted integers where more than 50% of the list is the same repeating integer, write a function to return the median value in O(1) computational time and space.

Example: Input: li = [1,2,2] Output: median(li) -> 2

Here are some tips on how you can ace your ServiceNow software engineer interview:

1. Prepare Thoroughly on Core Concepts: ServiceNow interviews often include questions on data structures, algorithms, object-oriented programming, and design patterns. Make sure you are comfortable with these topics.

2. Hands-On Practice: Practice solving programming problems and system design questions. Interview Query is a great resource for practicing these types of questions.

3. Understand the Company Culture: ServiceNow values innovation and problem-solving. Demonstrate your enthusiasm for tackling complex problems and ability to work well in a collaborative environment.

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

How important is JavaScript in the ServiceNow software engineer interview?

JavaScript is highly emphasized in ServiceNow interviews. Candidates should be well-versed in JavaScript fundamentals, including questions that test practical implementation and problem-solving skills using JavaScript.

What are some common topics or problems candidates face in the interview?

Candidates often encounter problems involving linked lists, binary trees, sorting algorithms, and concepts related to Java or other object-oriented programming languages. Design and implementation tasks such as designing an elevator system or implementing an LRU cache are also common.

To ace your ServiceNow interview, ensure you are well-prepared for data structures, algorithms, JavaScript, and system design. Moreover, understanding DevOps tools like Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, and Azure could be crucial, alongside core computer science and database management concepts.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main ServiceNow 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 ServiceNow’s interview process for different positions.

Good luck with your interview!