15 Core CSE Fundamentals Every Software Engineer Should Master

At ForumDE, we believe that a strong foundation in Computer Science is the key to cracking top software engineering interviews. Many candidates struggle not because they lack intelligence — but because they haven’t strengthened the basics.

Here’s a quick guide to the 15 most important CSE fundamentals every software engineer should master before stepping into an interview room.

1) Database Management Systems

Understand ACID properties, joins, and transaction handling to design reliable databases and avoid data anomalies.

2) Operating Systems

Grasp the concepts of processes, threads, scheduling, and deadlocks to understand how systems manage resources efficiently.

3) Computer Networks

Learn OSI/TCP models, network protocols, and routing to build scalable, connected applications.

4) System Design Basics

Get familiar with load balancing, caching, microservices, and the CAP theorem — vital for designing real-world systems.

5) Git & Version Control

Know how to commit, merge, branch, and collaborate effectively using Git and GitHub.

6) Memory Management

Differentiate between stack vs heap, and understand garbage collection for performance optimization.

7) Multithreading & Concurrency

Master mutexes, semaphores, and how to handle race conditions for efficient, thread-safe programs.

8) SQL Queries

Be confident with CRUD operations, SQL functions, and normalization techniques.

9) API Design

Design robust APIs using REST principles, rate limiting, and authentication standards.

10) Security Fundamentals

Learn about encryption, JWT, and how to protect applications from common vulnerabilities.

11) Data Structures

Strengthen your understanding of trees, graphs, hashing, and queues — the backbone of coding interviews.

12) Algorithms

Work on sorting, searching, and time complexity analysis to improve coding efficiency.

13) Error Handling & Debugging

Use logs and exception handling effectively to troubleshoot and maintain stable code.

14) Testing

Understand unit testing, integration testing, and mocking frameworks to ensure high-quality code.

15) Code Review & Collaboration

Learn how to conduct pull requests, review peers’ code, and maintain overall code quality in team environments.