Top 65+ Informatica Interview Questions and Answers

1.1K

Informatica continues to be a leading ETL and data integration tool, making it a valuable skill for job seekers. Interviewers often test candidates on core concepts, real-world applications, and problem-solving abilities. This guide features 65+ essential Informatica interview questions and answers, covering everything from fundamentals to advanced scenarios.

If you are preparing for a role in data management, ETL development, or system administration, these questions will sharpen your knowledge and improve your chances.

Fun Fact: In India, Informatica developers with 2 to 5 years of experience earn between ₹3.8 Lakhs and ₹10 Lakhs per year.

Basic Informatica Interview Questions

Here is a list of basic Informatica interview questions and answers:

1. What is Informatica PowerCenter, and what are its primary components?

Informatica PowerCenter is an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool used for data integration. Its main components include:

• Repository Service – Manages metadata and version control.
• Integration Service – Executes workflows and data transformation.
• Repository – Stores metadata, mappings, and workflows.
• Workflow Manager – Designs ETL processes.
• Workflow Monitor – Tracks workflow execution.
• Designer – Creates mappings and transformations.

2. How does ETL differ from ELT in data processing?

ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes data transformation before loading it into the target system, making it suitable for structured environments like data warehouses. ELT (Extract, Load, Transform) loads raw data first and then processes it within the destination system, commonly used in cloud-based and big data platforms for better scalability.

3. Can you explain the concept of data warehousing and its importance?

A data warehouse is a centralized storage system that collects, processes, and stores structured data from different sources for reporting and analysis. It enables businesses to analyze historical data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. Informatica plays a crucial role in extracting, cleaning, and loading data into warehouses efficiently.

4. What are the different types of transformations available in Informatica?

Transformations modify data during the ETL process. Some common types include:

• Expression Transformation – Performs row-wise calculations.
• Lookup Transformation – Retrieves data from a reference source.
• Aggregator Transformation – Performs calculations like sum, average, and count.
• Joiner Transformation – Joins data from multiple sources.
• Sorter Transformation – Sorts data based on defined keys.

Informatica Questions in Interview for Freshers 

Here are some common Informatica interview questions answers for freshers:

5. How do you create a mapping in Informatica?

To create a mapping in Informatica:

1. Open PowerCenter Designer and connect to the repository.
2. Select Mapping Designer and create a new mapping.
3. Drag source definitions from Source Analyzer.
4. Apply necessary transformations (e.g., filters, lookups).
5. Define the target table in Target Designer.
6. Link source, transformations, and target.
7. Save and validate the mapping.
8. What is a session in Informatica, and how is it configured?

A session is a task in Informatica that runs a mapping. To configure a session:

• Open Workflow Manager, create a session under Task Developer.
• Assign the session to a mapping.
• Define properties like source, target, and transformation settings.
• Set error handling, logging, and partitioning options.
• Save and include it in a workflow.

7. Describe the use of the Source Qualifier transformation.

Source Qualifier transformation acts as an intermediary between Informatica and relational source systems. It:

• Filters, sorts, and joins data before loading it into the pipeline.
• Converts SQL queries for relational databases.
• Improves performance by applying query optimizations at the source level.

8. What are mapping parameters and variables?

• Mapping Parameters – Constant values assigned before a session runs (e.g., file paths, table names).
• Mapping Variables – Dynamic values that change during session execution, useful for incremental data loads.

Note: If you don’t have any Informatica interview experience, focus on understanding key concepts and review common questions for freshers. 

Informatica Interview Questions for Experienced

Let’s go through important interview questions on Informatica for experienced candidates:

9. How do you optimize performance in Informatica mappings?

• Use pushdown optimization to process transformations in the database.
• Minimize the use of lookup transformations and enable caching.
• Reduce the number of staging tables to limit I/O operations.
• Use partitioning to process large datasets in parallel.
• Optimize SQL queries in the Source Qualifier transformation.

10. Explain the concept of pushdown optimization.

Pushdown optimization shifts transformation logic to the database instead of processing it in Informatica. It improves performance by reducing network traffic and utilizing database indexing. Full pushdown, partial pushdown, and source-side pushdown are the three levels used depending on the scenario.

11. How do you handle error logging in Informatica workflows?

• Enable session logs and set logging levels.
• Use reject files to capture error records.
• Implement an error-handling framework with reprocessing logic.
• Use Debugger in the Designer to troubleshoot mapping errors.

12. Describe the process of implementing Slowly Changing Dimensions (SCD) in Informatica.

SCD handles historical data changes in a dimension table:

• Type 1: Overwrites old data with new data (no history).
• Type 2: Adds a new record with an effective date to track changes.
• Type 3: Maintains a separate column for historical values.

13. How do you use Expression Transformation to perform data manipulation in a mapping?

You might also come across expression transformation in Informatica interview questions like this one. 

Expression Transformation is used to modify data at the row level. For example, to concatenate first and last names:

FULL_NAME = FIRST_NAME || ‘ ‘ || LAST_NAME

It also performs conditional logic using IIF statements, date conversions, and mathematical operations before passing data to the next transformation.

Informatica Interview Questions for 3 Years Experienced

14. What motivated you to specialize in Informatica development?​
15. Describe a challenging project you worked on and how you managed it.​
16. How do you guarantee data quality and accuracy in your ETL processes?

Informatica Interview Questions for 4 Years Experienced

17. How have you kept your Informatica skills current with evolving technologies?​
18. Can you provide an example of a time when you improved an existing ETL process?​
19. What strategies do you use for performance tuning in Informatica?

Informatica Interview Questions for 5 Years Experienced

20. What aspects of Informatica development do you find most rewarding?​
21. Describe a situation where you had to troubleshoot a complex data integration issue.​
22. How do you approach designing scalable Informatica solutions?

Informatica Interview Questions for 7 Years Experienced

23. How has your approach to data integration evolved over your career?​
24. Tell me about a time when you led a team to implement an ETL project.​
25. What are the key considerations when migrating ETL processes to the cloud?

Informatica Interview Questions for 10 Years Experienced

26. What leadership roles have you undertaken in data management projects?​
27. Discuss a significant challenge you faced in ETL architecture design and how you addressed it.​
28. How do you align ETL strategies with overall business objectives?

Informatica Scenario Based Questions

Here are commonly asked Informatica scenario based interview questions and answers: 

29. How would you design a mapping to load only the first and last records from a flat file into the target?

To achieve this, use Sorter and Expression transformations:

• Use a Sorter to sort data by a unique key (if available) or the row order.
• Use Sequence Generator to generate row numbers.
• Use Filter Transformation to select the first row (SEQ_NUM = 1).
• Use Aggregator Transformation without a group-by to get the last row.
• Union both outputs and load them into the target.

30. Describe a solution to handle duplicate records during the ETL process.

• Use Sorter Transformation with “distinct” enabled to remove duplicates.
• Apply Aggregator Transformation with a group-by on unique columns.
• Implement Lookup Transformation to check if records exist before inserting.
• Use SQL Override in the Source Qualifier to fetch only distinct records.

31. How can you implement data validation and cleansing within an Informatica mapping?

• Use Expression Transformation for null handling, date formatting, and string conversions.
• Apply Filter Transformation to remove unwanted records based on validation rules.
• Implement Lookup Transformation for reference data validation.
• Use Data Quality (IDQ) for profiling and cleansing functions.

IICS Interview Questions

Let’s cover some important Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services interview questions and answers: 

32. What are the key components of Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services?

This is one of the most common Informatica IICS interview questions.

• Secure Agent – Executes tasks and connects on-premise sources with the cloud.
• Data Integration – Provides ETL and ELT functionalities.
• Application Integration – Manages real-time data movement across apps.
• API Manager – Supports API-based integration and automation.
• Master Data Management (MDM) – Ensures consistent and accurate data across platforms.

33. How do you configure secure agents in IICS?

• Install the Secure Agent on a machine that has access to source/target systems.
• Register the agent in IICS Admin Console and assign services.
• Verify network connectivity and assign the agent to specific jobs.
• Monitor agent status and logs for any failures.

34. What are the differences between IICS and traditional Informatica PowerCenter?

Feature	IICS (Cloud)	PowerCenter (On-Premise)
Deployment	Cloud-based	On-premise
Scalability	Auto-scaling in cloud	Requires manual resource management
Maintenance	Managed by Informatica	Requires admin efforts
Integration	Supports APIs and cloud services	Primarily database and flat files
Licensing	Subscription-based	License-based

35. How would you migrate an on-premise Informatica workflow to IICS?

You might also come across IICS interview questions scenario based like this one.  

• Export the existing mappings and workflows from PowerCenter.
• Convert transformations using Informatica’s Migration Utility (if applicable).
• Reconfigure connections to cloud-based sources and targets.
• Deploy workflows in IICS, ensuring dependencies like lookup tables exist.
• Test and validate data movement to confirm proper migration.

36. How does Cloud Application Integration enhance real-time data processing in IICS?

This is one of the most important IICS CAI interview questions.

Cloud Application Integration enables real-time data movement by supporting:

• Event-driven processing, triggering workflows based on API requests.
• Service orchestration, integrating different cloud and on-premise applications.
• Error handling and retries, improving data consistency.
• Pre-built connectors, making integration faster with services like Salesforce, SAP, and AWS.

Note: Informatica Cloud interview questions often include performance tuning, architecture, security, connectors, data integration, and troubleshooting.

Informatica PowerCenter Interview Questions

Here are some interview questions on Informatica PowerCenter:

37. What is the role of the Repository Service in Informatica PowerCenter?

The Repository Service manages and maintains metadata, including mappings, workflows, and transformations. It:

• Supports versioning and backup.
• Handles multiple users working on different projects.
• Facilitates recovery in case of failures.

38. How do you implement incremental data loading in PowerCenter?

• Use Mapping Variables to store the last processed timestamp.
• Apply Source Qualifier SQL Override to fetch only new records.
• Configure CDC (Change Data Capture) for real-time updates.
• Utilize lookup comparisons to identify and load only changed records.

Informatica MDM Interview Questions

These are common Informatica Master Data Management interview questions and answers: 

39. What is Master Data Management, and how does Informatica MDM facilitate it?

Master Data Management (MDM) centralizes and maintains consistent, clean, and accurate data across systems. Informatica MDM:

• Merges duplicate records, ensuring a single version of truth.
• Manages hierarchies and relationships across entities.
• Applies data governance rules for quality control.

40. Describe the process of configuring match and merge rules in Informatica MDM.

• Define match rules using fuzzy logic (name, address, email similarity).
• Use trust scores to determine if records should merge automatically.
• Configure merge rules to retain the best information from duplicates.
• Apply survivorship rules to define priority attributes (e.g., the latest phone number).

Informatica BDM Interview Questions

41. What is Big Data Management (BDM) in Informatica, and what are its key features?

Informatica BDM processes and integrates large-scale data across Hadoop, Spark, and cloud platforms. Key features include:

• Pushdown optimization for big data processing.
• Connectivity with NoSQL, HDFS, and cloud storage.
• Parallel execution for handling massive datasets.

42. How does Informatica BDM integrate with Hadoop ecosystems?

• Uses native Hadoop connectors for reading/writing data.
• Supports Spark and MapReduce for high-speed processing.
• Runs in-cluster transformations, reducing data movement overhead.

Also Read - Top 100+ Big Data Interview Questions and Answers

ETL Informatica Interview Questions

43. What are the essential steps in designing an ETL process using Informatica?

• Extract: Identify source systems and use Source Qualifier or connectors to extract data.
• Transform: Apply business rules using transformations like Expression, Lookup, Aggregator, and Filter.
• Load: Define target databases, configure insert/update strategies, and handle duplicates.
• Error Handling: Implement reject files, error logs, and email alerts.
• Optimization: Tune performance with indexing, partitioning, and caching.

44. How do you handle error logging and recovery in ETL workflows?

• Use session logs for debugging errors.
• Implement reject files to capture faulty records.
• Use error tables to store incorrect data and reprocess it later.
• Configure workflow restartability to resume failed jobs from the last successful step.

Also Read - Top 40+ ETL Testing Interview Questions and Answers

Teradata Informatica Interview Questions

Here are some common Teradata interview questions for Informatica developers: 

45. How do you optimize Informatica mappings when loading data into Teradata?

• Use Bulk Loading instead of row-by-row inserts.
• Enable Teradata Parallel Transporter (TPT) for high-speed data loads.
• Optimize lookup transformations by enabling caching.
• Use Pushdown Optimization to execute transformations in Teradata.

46. What considerations are there for handling large volumes of data between Informatica and Teradata?

• Use partitioning to distribute workload across nodes.
• Avoid excessive joins and aggregations in Informatica; push them to Teradata.
• Monitor skewed data distribution to prevent performance bottlenecks.

Informatica Developer Interview Questions

Let’s go through interview questions and answers on Informatica for developers:

47. What are mapplets, and how are they used in Informatica?

Mapplets are reusable transformation logic that can be embedded in multiple mappings. They help in standardizing business rules and reducing redundancy.

48. How do you implement parameterization in Informatica mappings?

• Use parameter files to define dynamic values for sources, targets, and transformations.
• Apply mapping variables for incremental loads and date-based filtering.

49. What techniques do you employ for performance tuning in Informatica workflows?

You might also come across Informatica performance tuning interview questions like this one. 

• Minimize lookups by enabling caching and using SQL overrides.
• Use partitioning to parallelize data processing.
• Filter early in the pipeline to reduce data movement.
• Push transformations to the database whenever possible.

Informatica Admin Interview Questions

50. How do you manage user permissions and roles in Informatica?

In Informatica, user permissions and roles are managed through the Administrator Console:

• Assign users specific roles like Developer, Administrator, or Operator.
• Configure repository privileges to grant access to folders, workflows, and mappings.
• Use LDAP authentication for centralized user management.
• Monitor user activity through logs and audit trails to track security changes.

51. What steps do you take to troubleshoot a failed session in Informatica Administrator?

• Check the session log in Workflow Monitor to identify errors.
• Verify source and target connections for any connectivity issues.
• Examine transformation logic for unexpected nulls or data mismatches.
• Review the error handling configuration in the session properties.
• Restart the session and monitor for repeated failures.

IDQ Interview Questions

Here are some common Informatica data quality interview questions and answers:

52. How does Informatica Data Quality (IDQ) improve data governance?

IDQ improves data governance by:

• Profiling data to detect inconsistencies.
• Applying business rules to maintain accuracy.
• Implementing match and merge rules to handle duplicates.
• Generating data lineage reports for audit compliance.

53. What are the key components of IDQ, and how do they work together?

• Data Profiling – Scans datasets for anomalies.
• Data Standardization – Applies rules to format and clean data.
• Matching and Deduplication – Identifies and merges duplicate records.
• Address Verification – Validates postal addresses.

Note: IDQ Informatica interview questions include data profiling, data quality transformations, rule specifications, scorecards, and performance optimization.

Informatica QA Interview Questions

54. How do you perform data validation and reconciliation testing in Informatica?

• Extract data from source and target for comparison.
• Use SQL queries to validate row counts and column values.
• Apply checksum techniques to detect data corruption.
• Automate comparisons with QA scripts to guarantee accuracy.

55. What common defects do you look for when testing Informatica workflows?

• Data truncation errors due to incorrect datatype mapping.
• Transformation logic failures causing unexpected data.
• Performance issues from inefficient queries.
• ETL job failures due to dependency conflicts.

Informatica Java Interview Questions

56. How can Java be integrated into Informatica mappings using Java Transformation?

Java Transformation allows executing custom logic in Informatica mappings. It supports:

• String manipulation (format conversions).
• Custom validation rules for complex calculations.
• API calls to external applications.

57. What are some use cases for using Java in Informatica?

• Parsing JSON/XML data before loading into databases.
• Encrypting/decrypting sensitive data in transit.
• Calling external REST or SOAP web services for live data integration.

Also Read - Top 50+ REST API Interview Questions and Answers

UNIX Informatica Interview Questions

58. What UNIX commands do you frequently use when working with Informatica workflows?

• grep – Searches for errors in log files.
• tail -f – Monitors session logs in real-time.
• awk – Formats and filters data in flat files.
• ps -ef | grep pmserver – Checks running Informatica services.

59. How do you schedule Informatica workflows using a UNIX cron job?

• Use crontab -e to open the scheduler.
• Add a schedule entry like:

0 2 * * * /path/to/pmcmd startworkflow -sv ServiceName -d DomainName -u User -p Password -f FolderName -w WorkflowName

• Save and exit. The job runs at 2 AM daily.

Informatica Production Support Interview Questions

60. How do you troubleshoot a long-running session in a production environment?

• Check session logs for bottlenecks.
• Analyze Source Qualifier SQL for optimization.
• Reduce lookup cache size if memory-intensive.
• Implement partitioning to parallelize data processing.

61. What steps do you follow for Informatica job failure analysis and resolution?

• Identify the error code in session logs.
• Verify connectivity to source/target databases.
• Re-run the workflow with debugging enabled.
• Check for deadlocks or database locks.

Informatica Project Related Interview Questions

62. Can you describe a challenging Informatica project you worked on and how you handled it?

“I worked on a real-time data processing project where the challenge was handling high-velocity streaming data. We:

• Implemented Informatica CDC to capture incremental changes.
• Used partitioning to parallelize ETL tasks.
• Tuned SQL queries and index usage for better performance.”

63. How do you ensure data consistency and quality in an Informatica project?

• Use Data Profiling to detect errors before loading.
• Implement lookup and validation checks to filter incorrect data.
• Set up error logs and alerts for rejected records.

Informatica Manager Round Interview Questions

64. How do you handle tight deadlines and multiple ETL projects simultaneously?

“I prioritize tasks based on urgency and impact. I:

• Break projects into smaller milestones.
• Automate routine tasks using parameterized workflows.
• Conduct regular team sync-ups to track progress.”

65. What steps do you take to mentor junior Informatica developers?

“I provide hands-on training, review their mappings, and assign real-world scenarios to solve. I also encourage them to explore performance tuning techniques.”

How do you align Informatica development with business goals?

“I work closely with business analysts to understand data requirements. I focus on:

• Optimizing ETL performance to improve reporting.
• Ensuring data accuracy for critical decision-making.
• Automating repetitive processes to save time.”

Also Read - Top 20+ Python Interview Questions for Data Analyst

Company-Specific Informatica Interview Questions

Infosys Informatica Interview Questions

1. What is loads in Informatica?
2. What experience do you have with Informatica?
3. What is your experience with performance tuning in large-scale Informatica implementations?
4. Explain a real-world scenario where you optimized an ETL process for better efficiency.

Deloitte Informatica Interview Questions

1. What is checksum terminology in Informatica? Where do you use it?
2. How to handle changing source file counts in a mapping?
3. What are your strategies for managing ETL dependencies across multiple data sources?
4. How does Informatica Cloud Integration differ from PowerCenter in terms of scalability?

This is one of the most common Deloitte IICS interview questions.

5. What are the key challenges in implementing Informatica MDM in an enterprise environment?

You might also come across Deloitte Informatica MDM interview questions like this one. 

Note: Deloitte interview questions for Informatica focus on ETL concepts, performance tuning, error handling, and cloud integration.

Mindtree Informatica Interview Questions

1. What are cubes and OLAP cubes?
2. What is ETL pipeline?
3. How do you design an Informatica mapping to process unstructured data?
4. What challenges have you faced while integrating Informatica with third-party systems?

Wipro Informatica Interview Questions

1. What is a Normalizer transformation?
2. What are your best practices for handling data transformation logic in Informatica?
3. How would you troubleshoot a scenario where an Informatica mapping fails intermittently?

Accenture Informatica PowerCenter Interview Questions

1. What is the use of bitmap indexes?
2. What are active and passive transformations?
3. How do you handle large volumes of data efficiently in PowerCenter?
4. Explain how you would implement CDC (Change Data Capture) in Informatica.

CGI Informatica Interview Questions

1. How do you approach migrating Informatica workflows from on-premise to the cloud?
2. What Informatica features do you use for real-time data processing?
3. How do you integrate Informatica with API-based data sources?

Informatica Interview Questions Cognizant

1. What are the types of constraints?
2. What are the types of tasks in Informatica?
3. What are some challenges you’ve encountered while working with Informatica?
4. Describe a scenario where you had to troubleshoot a complex ETL failure.

Capgemini Informatica Interview Questions 

1. Can you explain your understanding of Informatica concepts?
2. What are the most important considerations when designing a robust Informatica workflow?
3. How do you manage Informatica repository migration between environments?

Note: Capgemini’s Informatica interview questions typically cover core ETL concepts, real-world problem-solving, and performance optimization. 

Dell Informatica Interview Questions

1. How do you guarantee data security in Informatica workflows?
2. What are your best practices for handling metadata management in Informatica?
3. How do you implement Informatica in a data lake architecture?

L&T Informatica Interview Questions

1. How do you deal with data inconsistencies in ETL processing?
2. What Informatica techniques do you use for optimizing lookup transformations?
3. How would you automate error handling and notifications in Informatica workflows?

NTT Data Informatica Interview Questions

1. What strategies do you use to minimize data processing time in Informatica?
2. How do you design Informatica mappings for near real-time data processing?
3. How do you integrate Informatica with enterprise data governance tools?

TCS Informatica Interview Questions

1. What transformations did use in Informatica?
2. What role does Informatica play in data warehousing projects at scale?
3. How do you handle schema evolution in an Informatica project?
4. What are some advanced tuning techniques you’ve used in Informatica?

IBM Informatica Interview Questions

1. How does Informatica integrate with IBM DataStage and other IBM solutions?
2. What is your approach to debugging complex Informatica mappings?
3. How do you handle Informatica deployments in a DevOps pipeline?

Also Read - Top 25+ DevOps Interview Questions and Answers

PwC Informatica Interview Questions

1. What are the key compliance considerations when working with Informatica in financial industries?
2. How do you implement data lineage tracking in Informatica?
3. What are the best practices for Informatica integration in enterprise-wide data strategies?

Fidelity Informatica Interview Questions

1. How do you guarantee high availability and failover support in Informatica environments?
2. What challenges have you faced in implementing Informatica for financial services?
3. How do you optimize Informatica mappings for risk and compliance reporting?

HCL Informatica Interview Questions

1. Can you explain your experience with ETL transformations?
2. What methodologies do you use for ETL testing in Informatica?
3. How do you handle schema drift in Informatica data pipelines?
4. What are the key considerations for Informatica integration in hybrid cloud environments?

ITC Infotech Informatica Interview Questions

1. How do you implement business rule validation in Informatica workflows?
2. What Informatica strategies do you use for cross-platform data integration?
3. How do you make sure that the Informatica projects are scalable?

JP Morgan Informatica Interview Questions

1. How do you optimize Informatica workflows for financial transaction processing?
2. What is your approach to Informatica performance tuning in high-volume environments?
3. How do you handle Informatica security and data masking in a banking environment?

Tech Mahindra Informatica Interview Questions

1. What is a Join in DBMS?
2. What are the key differences between Informatica BDM and Informatica PowerCenter?
3. How do you manage Informatica projects across multi-cloud platforms?
4. What are some real-world use cases where Informatica improved data quality?

Wrapping Up

And this wraps up the 65+ Informatica interview questions and answers for 2025. Preparing with these questions will help you build confidence and tackle interviews more effectively. Stay updated with the latest trends and keep practicing.

Looking for top Informatica jobs in India? Hirist is the go-to job portal for tech professionals. Find opportunities now!