Technical screening questions
Ask for one example per question and listen for specifics.
- How do you design for high availability? A good answer: Multiple zones, failure domains and testing.
- How do you choose between services? A good answer: Requirements, constraints and trade-offs.
- How do you plan a migration? A good answer: Assessment, wave planning and rollback.
- How do you keep cloud cost in check? A good answer: Tagging, rightsizing and reviews.
- How do you secure a multi-account setup? A good answer: Landing zone, identity and guardrails.
Quick screening questions
Use these when you have only a few minutes.
- Walk me through an architecture you designed and its trade-offs.
- How do you plan a migration to the cloud?
- How do you balance cost against reliability?
What separates the levels
Match the level to the requirement before you submit.
- Junior: documents designs.
- Mid: designs components.
- Senior: sets enterprise architecture.
Red flags
Any of these is a reason to probe further.
- Diagrams only, no build experience.
- Cannot explain trade-offs.
- No cost awareness.
Tools you should hear mentioned
A cloud architect with real experience usually names several of these without prompting.
- AWS, Azure or GCP
- Terraform
- Kubernetes
- Well-Architected frameworks
- Networking and identity
- Cost tools
Run the call well
Ask for the last project first, then dig into the second or third question. Take notes on versions, team size and outcomes, and record them with the submission so the vendor’s later technical interview does not surprise you.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a cloud architect screening call take?
Fifteen to twenty minutes is enough to cover the project, three technical questions and availability, rate and work authorization.
Do recruiters need to know the technology?
Working vocabulary is enough. Use the sourcing guide for the role and listen for specifics instead of judging technical depth yourself.