Candidates describe NASA software interviews as conversational and largely behavioral. Internship reports skip coding, while one software developer reported two rounds covering OOP fundamentals and systems topics.
$127K
Avg. Base Comp
$157K
Avg. Total Comp
Not reported
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
NASA software interviews in the reports we have lean conversational. Three of the four candidates were interviewing for internships, and each described a relaxed exchange about background, motivation and past projects rather than a coding test. The fourth, a software developer, went through two rounds that were noticeably more technical. All four ended in offers.
For internship-style interviews, expect to explain why you want to work at NASA and walk through a project you are proud of. One candidate sat with five or six engineers and an HR representative and answered only behavioral questions, including how they got through a difficult project. Another had a phone call of about 20 minutes. A third was asked a few light Linux and memory questions and a question about contributing to diversity and inclusion, and said reading up on the division's research beforehand would have helped.
The developer report is the closest to a full-time software role. The first round covered object-oriented programming fundamentals, with concrete examples of inheritance, abstraction, encapsulation and polymorphism. The second was more relaxed in tone but went deeper, touching systems administration and how interfaces communicate across Java and Python, plus a question about overcoming a challenge. That candidate said the emphasis depended on the team, and the process took a couple of months including security clearance work.
Prepare a few project stories with clear obstacles and outcomes, brush up on OOP basics, and bring real questions about the team's work.
Synthesized from 5 candidate reports by our editorial team.
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Real interview reports from people who went through the Nasa - National Aeronautics And Space Administration process.
I got connected to NASA through my physics professor, who was sharing applications to the California space grant consortium. That connection turned out to be huge. There was an initial interview with my professor first, then I had to talk to a representative from the consortium program. The whole process felt pretty relaxed and straightforward—nothing overly formal or intense.
The actual interview itself was easygoing. They asked me about my background and why I wanted to work at NASA, which felt more like a conversation than an interrogation. There were a few technical questions sprinkled in—some stuff about Linux and memory, nothing too deep—but mostly they wanted to understand who I was and what drew me to the work. They also asked about a project I'd worked on and my thoughts on contributing to diversity and inclusion, which was a bit different from typical interviews but not difficult.
What I wish I'd known going in is that preparation really does matter, even though the interview itself is relaxed. Reading up on their research and the specific work happening in the division I was applying to would've helped me give better answers. Also, don't underestimate the power of reaching out directly—emails to the right people can open doors. The whole thing came together pretty quickly for me, and I ended up getting an offer. It wasn't a grueling technical gauntlet like some big tech interviews, but that's partly what makes NASA different.
Prep tip from this candidate
Familiarize yourself with NASA's research areas and the specific projects of the division you're applying to—reviewers emphasized reading their papers beforehand. Be ready to discuss your motivation for working at NASA and your stance on diversity and inclusion initiatives, as those came up repeatedly and seem to matter to their hiring process.
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| Why Do You Want to Work With Us | |
| Your Strengths and Weaknesses | |
| 2nd Highest Salary | |
| Closest SAT Scores | |
| Employee Salaries | |
| Subscription Overlap | |
| Empty Neighborhoods | |
| Top Three Salaries | |
| Monthly Customer Report | |
| Merge Sorted Lists | |
| String Shift | |
| Rolling Bank Transactions | |
| Customer Orders | |
| Comments Histogram | |
| Top 5 Turnover Risk | |
| Like Tracker | |
| Random SQL Sample | |
| Weighted Keys | |
| Flight Records | |
| Prime to N | |
| Largest Salary by Department | |
| Upsell Transactions | |
| Top 3 Users | |
| Raining in Seattle | |
| Over-Budget Projects | |
| Slacking Employees Salaries | |
| First Touch Attribution | |
| Job Recommendation | |
| Over 100 Dollars |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
One software engineering intern reached NASA through a physics professor who shared California space grant consortium applications. That candidate first spoke with the professor, then with a consortium program representative, and said emailing the right people helped open doors. This is a single report, so the way in may differ by program and role.
Internship candidates describe relaxed conversations about their background, why they want NASA and the projects they have worked on. One phone interview lasted about 20 minutes and centered on motivation and experience. Another candidate got a few light Linux and memory questions plus a question on contributing to diversity and inclusion.
A Pathways internship candidate met about five or six people, including engineers and an HR representative, and faced no coding at all. After introductions and a role overview, the questions covered proud projects, strengths and weaknesses, and how they overcame obstacles on a difficult project. The candidate said each applicant got a consistent set of questions.
The software developer candidate went through two rounds. The first tested object-oriented fundamentals, with concrete examples of inheritance, abstraction, encapsulation and polymorphism. The second was more relaxed but more technical, covering systems administration, how interfaces communicate across Java and Python, and a behavioral question about overcoming a challenge. The candidate said emphasis varied by team and that security clearance work stretched the process to a couple of months.
