Top 25 Maven Interview Questions and Answers

If you are a software developer or engineer looking for a role at a FAANG+ company, a list of Maven interview questions would definitely be of interest! These interview questions mostly test your knowledge of the software, as well as help you better prepare for your interview.

Maven is a popular software building automation tool designed by Apache Software Foundation. It is primarily used for Java-based programming projects to develop software programs and applications. It can, however, also be used for projects written in other OOP languages, including Scala, Ruby, and C#. But if you’re applying for a developer position, you can definitely expect a few Maven interview questions during the technical phone screen or on-site interview rounds.

If you’re a software engineer, coding engineer, software developer, engineering manager, or tech lead preparing for tech interviews, check out our technical interview checklist, interview questions page, and salary negotiation e-book to get interview-ready!

Having trained over 9,000 software engineers, we know what it takes to crack the most challenging tech interviews. Since 2014, Interview Kickstart alums have landed lucrative offers from FAANG and Tier-1 tech companies, with an average salary hike of 49%. The highest-ever offer received by an IK alum is a whopping $933,000!

At IK, you get the unique opportunity to learn from expert instructors who are hiring managers and tech leads at Google, Facebook, Apple, and other top Silicon Valley tech companies.  Our reviews will tell you how we’ve shaped the careers of thousands of professionals aspiring to take their careers to new heights.

Want to nail your next tech interview? Sign up for our FREE Webinar.

In this article, we’ll look at some popular Maven interview questions and answers to them. These questions often feature during technical rounds at FAANG+ companies. Let’s take a look.

This article will cover the following topics:

• 25 Maven interview questions and answers
• FAQs on Maven’s interview questions

25 Maven Interview Questions and Answers

In this section, we’ll look at some common Maven interview questions and answers that are asked in technical interviews.

Q1: What are the different aspects that the Maven tool manages?

Maven manages the following aspects of project management:

• Building
• Reporting
• Documentation
• Distribution
• Dependencies
• SCMs
• Releases
• Mailing lists
  

Q2: What are the three build life cycles in Maven?

The three build lifecycles in Maven include:

1. Clean: This function cleans up artifacts created by previous builds
2. Default: This function is used to design the application
3. Site: This function generates the site documentation
   

Q3: Why should one use Maven for project management?

Maven works wonders in setting up the project quickly and doesn’t include complex build files like build.xml. The dependencies of your Java project are automatically downloaded by Maven and stored in a local repository and can be retrieved in quick time, whenever needed.

Maven also helps keep the deployment file light and easy to deploy, as it brings all the jars together in a bundle and stores them in the local repository.

Q4: What are the steps involved to install Maven for Windows?

Maven can be installed in multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac. Here are the steps to install Maven for Windows:

• Download the Maven installation file and extract the file
• Add Java_Home and Maven_Home to the environment variables
• IN the Maven variable, add the environment path
• Check the version and verify the authenticity of the software
  

Q5: How do you know what version of Maven you’re currently using?

You can know the current Maven version by typing the command: maven-version.

Q6: What is POM in Maven?

POM in Maven stands for Project Object Model. POM is an XML file in Maven and the fundamental unit that contains crucial information regarding the project and other related configuration details needed to run the project.

Q7: What is a Maven artifact?

An artifact is a Jar file that is usually deployed to a repository. The build function creates artifacts such as a source Jar or a compiled Jar. Every artifact that is deployed comprises an artifact ID, a group ID, and a version string. Artifacts in Maven are identified by these three parameters.

Q8: What is the Maven command to build your site?

The command to build your site in Maven is: mvnsite

Q9: What is the function of the mvnclean command?

The mvnclean command deletes the target directory with all its data before commencing the build process for the project.

Q10. What do you understand about the Maven Build Life Cycle?

A Build Life Cycle in Maven specifies the order in which tasks need to be carried out and accomplished. Every build phase in Maven consists of a set of tasks or goals. This essentially implies that if one build life cycle is executed, all the tasks in that particular phase are executed. If a build phase is executed, the phases before it are executed.

Q11. What are the phases that a clean life cycle in Maven consists of?

A clean life cycle in Maven consists of the following three phases:

• The pre-clean phase
• The clean phase
• The post-clean phase
  

Q12. What is the function of the command -- mvn clean dependency:copy-dependencies package?

This command cleans the entire project and copies the dependencies in the project before packaging it.

Q13. What do you understand about the Maven repository?

A Maven repository is a place where all the artifacts related to the project, such as library jars, project jars, and plugins, are stored in order to be used for different project tasks.

Q14. What are some of the uses of plugins used in Maven?

Plugins in Maven are primarily used to:

• Create code files
• Create Jar files
• Create War files
• Create documentation for projects
• Create detailed project reports
  

Q15. Explain the different types of Maven repositories

There are three main types of Maven repositories. They are:

1. The local repository: A local repository is a folder that is present in your current system/machine. Local repositories are created when you run Maven commands for the first time. The dependencies of your current project can be found in the local Maven repository.
   

2. The central repository: This repository contains a bunch of libraries and dependencies provided by the Maven community. If Maven doesn’t locate a certain dependency in the local repository, it begins searching in the central repository.
   

3. The Remote Repository: If Maven is unable to locate a dependency in the central repository, it halts the build process and returns an error message. To avoid this, the provision for a remote repository has been made. A remote repository is a collection of custom libraries and other dependencies specific to the project.

Q16. What are the different Build Profiles in Maven?

There are three types of Build Profiles in Maven.

1. Per project: This is defined in the POM.xml file
2. Global:  This is defined in the Maven Global XML file: (%M2_HOME%/conf/settings.xml&#41
3. Per user: This is defined in the Maven XML file: (%USER_HOME%/.m2/settings.xml&#41
   

Q17. What are the different phases that a given site life cycle consists of?

The different phases in a site life cycle are:

1. Pre-site
2. Site
3. Post-site
4. Site Deploy
   

Q18. What is the default location of the local Maven repository?

The default location of the local Maven repository is ~/m2./repository

Q19. What are the different types of plugins used in Maven?

There are basically two types of plugins that Maven provides for:

1. The build plugins: These plugins are used during the Build process and can be configured in the <build/> element of the POM.xml file.
2. Reporting plugins: These plugins come into effect during the site generation process. They can be configured in the <reporting/> element of the POM.xml file.
   

Q20. What is an Archetype?

Archetypes are Maven plugins that are used to create the structure of the project in accordance with the specifications of a predefined template.

Q21. What Maven command would you use to create a new project that’s based on an Archetype?

The command used for this function is -- maven archetype:generate.

Q22. When does the “External Dependency” activity come into the picture while executing a Maven project?

The External Dependency feature comes to the fore when dependencies aren’t located in the local repository, and certain libraries need to be fetched from the central repository.

Q23. What do you understand about transitive dependency in Maven?

Transitive dependency is when Maven can automatically locate libraries and other dependencies required for the project without you needing to manually locate these dependencies.

Q24. What are the different dependency scopes in Maven?

Dependency scopes include project dependencies that are in line with the current, active stage of the build process. The different Dependency scopes in Maven are:

1. Compile: This scope specifies that the current dependency is available in the classpath of the current project.
2. Provided: This scope specifies that the web server will provide the dependency during runtime.
3. Runtime: This particular scope indicates that the dependency isn’t needed during compile time and is only needed during execution.
4. Test: This scope indicates that the dependency is available limitedly during the test compilation phase.
5. System: This scope specifies that the system path for the given build phase needs to be provided.
6. Import: This scope indicates that the given POM should be replaced with congruent dependencies in the POM’s <DependencyManagement> section.
   

Q25. How would you run the “clean” plugin during the build process?

You can run the clean plugin by placing it inside the execution tag of the POM.xml file.

FAQs on Maven’s Interview Questions and Answers

Q1. Are you required to know the uses and functions of Maven for technical interviews at FAANG companies?

Yes. If you are coding in Java, you can expect a few questions about the Maven automation tool during the technical phone screen and on-site interviews at FAANG+ companies.

Q2. What are some Maven interview questions that are asked in technical interviews?

Some Maven interview questions that are asked in tech interviews are:

• What are some features of Maven?
• What are the dependencies in Maven?
• What is the biggest advantage of using Maven over other tools?
• What are the different types of repositories in Maven?
  

Q3. Are Maven interview questions asked during the initial recruiter screen and technical phone screen rounds?

Maven interview questions are usually asked during the on-site interview. You aren’t expected to know in-depth answers to questions, as questions won’t be too difficult. Your basic knowledge of the working and functioning of Maven is tested.

Q4. What are some commands that are used in Maven?

Some commands used in Maven include mvn package, mvn install, mvn deploy, mvn compiler:testCompile, mvn dependency:tree, mvn validate, maven clean, and maven compiler:compile.

Q5. What are the types of Maven Plugins?

There are two fundamental Plugin types in Maven - the Build Plugin and the Reporting Plugin. Maven’s Build Plugins are executed at the time of build, while Maven’s Reporting Plugins are executed during the process of site generation.

Gear Up for Your Next Technical Interview

If you’re getting ready for an upcoming technical interview, register for our free webinar to get insightful guidance from industry experts on how to nail technical interviews at top tech companies.

We’ve trained over 9,000 engineers to land multiple offers at the biggest tech companies and know exactly what it takes to nail tough technical interviews.

Sign-up for our free webinar now!