Prepare for your next ML interview with these essential machine learning interview questions! Learn key concepts like training vs. test sets, popular algorithms (Linear Regression, SVM, Random Forest), classifiers, and model selection. Understand why data splitting matters and see real-world examples. Perfect for aspiring data scientists and ML engineers—boost your knowledge and ace your interview.
Machine Learning Interview Questions
Mastering machine learning interview questions is crucial for landing top AI/ML roles. These questions test your fundamental understanding of key concepts like algorithms, model evaluation, and real-world problem-solving. By preparing targeted ML interview questions, candidates demonstrate technical expertise, analytical thinking, and the ability to apply theory to practical scenarios – exactly what hiring managers seek in data science and machine learning roles
Table of Contents
What is machine learning?
Machine learning is a branch of computer science that deals with system programming to automatically learn and improve with experience. For example, Robots are programmed to perform tasks based on data they gather from sensors. They automatically learn programs from data.
In other words, Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables systems to learn from data and improve their performance without explicit programming. Instead of following fixed rules, ML algorithms identify patterns, make predictions, or take actions based on training data.
What are the Key Points of machine learning?
The key points of machine learning are:
- Learns from Data: Improves accuracy over time with more input.
- Automates Decisions: Used in recommendations, fraud detection, speech recognition, etc.
- Types: Supervised (labeled data), Unsupervised (no labels), Reinforcement (trial & error).
What are “Training Set” and “Test Set”?
In machine learning, the training set and test set are defined as follows:
- Training Set: The portion of data used to train a machine learning model. The model learns patterns from this data.
- Test Set: A separate portion of data used to evaluate the model’s performance after training. It checks how well the model generalizes to unseen data.
Training Set: In various areas of information science, like machine learning, a dataset is used to discover the potentially predictive relationship known as the ‘Training Set’. The training set is an example given to the learner, while the Test set is used to test the accuracy of the hypotheses generated by the learner, and it is the set of examples held back from the learner. Training sets are distinct from the Test sets.
For example, suppose you have 1,000 data points; you might use 800 for training and 200 for testing.
Why Split Data in machine learning algorithms?
In different machine learning algorithms, the data is split into:
- Prevents overfitting (memorizing training data instead of learning useful patterns).
- Measures real-world accuracy before deployment.
Name Five Popular Algorithms of Machine Learning
The five popular algorithms of machine learning are:
- Linear Regression: Used for predicting continuous values and fits a straight line to the data.
- Logistic Regression: Used for binary classification (such as spam detection) and predicts probabilities between 0 and 1.
- Decision Trees: Works for classification and regression (such as load approval) and splits data into branches based on feature values.
- Random Forest: An ensemble method (multiple decision trees combined) that reduces overfitting and improves accuracy.
- Support Vector Machine: Effective for classification tasks (such as image recognition) and finds the best boundary (hyperplane) between classes.
- Neural Networks: deep learning for complex patterns
- K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN): simple, instance-based learning
What is a classifier in machine learning?
A classifier in machine learning is an algorithm that assigns a label or category to input data based on its features. It is used in supervised learning where the model is trained on labeled data to predict discrete outcomes (classes).
What are the key points of a classifier in machine learning?
The key points are:
- Purpose: Categorizes data (e.g., spam vs. not spam, cat vs. dog).
- Examples of Classifiers:
- Logistic Regression
- Decision Trees
- Random Forest
- Support Vector Machines (SVM)
- Neural Networks
- Works by: Learning patterns from labeled training data, then predicting labels for new, unseen data.
Give an example that explains the concept of a classifier in machine learning
An email classifier predicts whether an incoming email is “spam” or “not spam.”
What is Model Selection in Machine Learning?
The process of selecting models among different mathematical models, which are used to describe the same data set, is known as Model Selection. Model selection is applied to the fields of statistics, machine learning, and data mining.
Model selection is the process of choosing the best-performing algorithm (or model) for a given dataset and problem. It involves comparing different models, tuning their parameters, and selecting the one that generalizes well to unseen data.
The key aspects of model selection in machine learning are:
- Performance Comparison – Evaluating models using metrics (e.g., accuracy, precision, F1-score).
- Cross-Validation – Testing models on different subsets of data to ensure reliability.
- Bias-Variance Tradeoff – Balancing underfitting (too simple) vs. overfitting (too complex).
- Hyperparameter Tuning – Optimizing model settings for better performance.
For example, choosing between a Random Forest and an SVM for a classification task based on cross-validation scores.
