Elsevier Principal Software Engineer interview questions
based on 3 ratings - Updated Jul 16, 2025
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Elsevier interviews FAQs
Principal Software Engineer applicants have rated the interview process at Elsevier with 4 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 100% positive. To compare, the company-average is 48.3% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
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I applied through a recruiter. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Elsevier (Bangalore Rural)
Interview
Received direct call from HR. Easy process. Virtual interview - video for L1. It was kind of discussion instead of shooting questions. It was a good discussion with feedback on improvements.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
-Basics questions like introduction.
-Since they were looking for architect level mainly focused on how we follow process in current project, leading experience & designing experience
-Design pattern -design with startegic pattern
Phone interview with the manager and person I was replacing. Questions were mainly of a technical nature. I was honest about not knowing some of the software. The manager was impressed by this.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why werent' you more involved in the admin portions of the software?
I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 1+ week. I interviewed at Elsevier (Oxford, England) in May 2017
Interview
Initial phone screening with lead.
Then onsite a coding exercise.
Onsite a project will be set up in laptop with junit test case which all are failing.
Need to make all junit test cases green.
Then same project in another test case where performance improvement needs to be done.
So there will be discussion around that how to do it.
It was an interesting experience. Though I didnt get this position they were ready to offer me a bit lower level of job which they are trying to find out.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Phone screening is just about personal technical experience.
Question was making a search engine at a basic level.