McAfee Interview Experience | SDE-2 (4.5 years experienced)
Question Details
This interview was for the SDE-2 position. The recruiter contacted me via LinkedIn.comRound-1 (Online)Question was asked that was based on array data structures and one ja...
Full Details
This interview was for the SDE-2 position. The recruiter contacted me via LinkedIn.com Round-1 (Online) Question was asked that was based on array data structures and one java oops related question. Round-2 1. Hash map vs Concurrent hash map 2. Internal implementation of hash map 3. Spiral Traversal Of Binary Tree 4. Reverse Spiral Traversal of Binary Tree 5. Another data structure related question which I couldn't remember Round-3 1. Explain project in detail 2. Delete node without head pointer 3. Print all paths of Binary Tree 4. Convert Binary tree to Mirror tree 5. Fizz buzz printing Write an efficient program which takes an input argument say n. Start from number 1 to n (inclusive) and if number is multiple of 3 then print "Fizz", if number is multiple of 5 then print "Buzz", if number is multiple of both 3 and 5 then print "FizzBuzz". The interviewer was looking for code with just two 'IF' statements. Round-4 1. Usage of synchronize keyword 2. Find graph type from given coordinates Here we are given 4 types of graphs and we have an API which takes co-ordinates say (x1, y1) and (x2, y2). Everytime the API is invoked it would return the next coordinate in the plane. We have to find the type of graph with minimum number of API invocation. Graph Types were Strictly increasing line, Strictly decreasing line, Increasing then Decreasing plane and Decreasing and Increasing plane. 3. Explain Singleton design pattern 4. Explain Factory design pattern Round-5 This was a non technical round with only behavioral questions. Round-6 1. Dynamic Dispatcher 2. Atomic keyword and volatile keyword 3. Externalizable interface 4. Having a method definition inside an interface but java version is 1.7 hence default shouldn't be used. 5. Usage of try with resource block 6. Difference between upcasting and downcasting and when we should use them. 7. Creating thread without using thread class and runnable interface 8. Shutdown hook 9. 5 features in Java 1.8 and 1.9 10. Executor Pool vs Thread Join Pool 11. There are 3 threads running independently how to ensure 1st thread runs more frequently 12. Different ways of applying lock on hash map 13. How hash set is implemented internally and question if hash set uses hash map internally or hash map uses hash set internally. Round-7 (Hiring Manager) Given a 2D array with 5 Rows and 3 Columns and a number n. Print all combinations of the array elements upto n. Example; Array elements are; a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o If n is 2 then output should be: ad ae af bd be bf cd ce cf If n is 3 then output should be: adg adh adi aeg aeh aei afg afh afi bdg ... (and so on)
About This Question
This is a reported interview question from a mcafee interview for a swe role during the system design round reported in 2025.
It covers the following topics: Oop, Trees, Arrays, Binary Tree, Sql, Graph, Networking, Graphs, Hash Table, Matrix .
About Mcafee Interview Reports
This question was reported by a candidate who interviewed at Mcafee. LeakCode aggregates interview reports from 10+ sources, including 1Point3Acres, Glassdoor, LeetCode Discuss, Blind, Reddit, Indeed, and Nowcoder. Each report is translated where necessary, deduplicated against existing entries, and tagged by company, role, round type, and reporting date.
Use this question as one calibration data point, not a memorization target. Companies typically rotate their question pools every 2-4 months; the exact wording of a 2024 question may differ from what you encounter today. The underlying pattern, difficulty level, and follow-up depth at Mcafee are the higher-signal extractions to take from this report.
For broader preparation context, the Mcafee interview process typically includes a recruiter screen, one or two technical phone screens, and a 4-5 round on-site loop covering coding, system design (at L4+ levels), and behavioral. Reports tagged on LeakCode show the round-by-round distribution and typical difficulty calibration. To browse questions filtered by round type and seniority, use the company hub linked above.
How To Practice This Type of Question
Solve similar problems on LeetCode under timed conditions (25-35 minutes per medium difficulty). The goal is pattern recognition: recognize the underlying technique (sliding window, two-pointer, BFS, memoized recursion, etc.) within 60-90 seconds of reading. Strong candidates verbalize their hypothesis out loud before coding, then iterate based on feedback. Weak candidates dive into implementation immediately, lose time on the wrong approach, and run out of time for follow-ups.
Companies update their question pools every 2-4 months. The exact wording of any given question may have been retired by the time you interview. Focus your prep on the pattern, not the specific problem. The patterns that appear in Mcafee reports consistently are the ones worth investing in; one-off niche problems are not.
During Your Mcafee Round
Apply the standard interview round template: clarify requirements (2-3 minutes), state your approach out loud and confirm direction with the interviewer (3-5 minutes), code with narration (15-25 minutes), test with concrete examples including edge cases (5 minutes), discuss optimization or trade-offs if time permits (5 minutes). This template is universally accepted across FAANG and adjacent companies; deviating from it produces weaker interviewer feedback signal.
The single most predictive failure mode in Mcafee reports tagged "no hire": not asking clarifying questions. Interviewers are explicitly trained to weight this. Strong candidates ask 3-5 clarifying questions even on problems that look obvious; weak candidates dive into code immediately. The clarifying-question check is often the first signal recorded in the interviewer's written notes.