PowerShell is a powerful scripting language and automation framework developed by Microsoft. Whether you’re a system administrator, DevOps engineer, or IT professional, mastering PowerShell interview questions is crucial for landing your dream job.
In this guide, we’ll cover the top 22 PowerShell interview questions, from basic to advanced levels, ensuring you’re fully prepared for your next technical interview.
Top 22 PowerShell Interview Questions and Answers
1. What is PowerShell?
PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft, consisting of a command-line shell and scripting language. It is built on the .NET framework and is widely used for system administration, automation, and DevOps tasks.
2. What is the basic use of PowerShell?
PowerShell is primarily used for:
- Automating repetitive tasks
- Managing Windows systems and services
- Configuring servers and network devices
- Extracting and processing data
3. What is ISE in PowerShell?
The PowerShell ISE (Integrated Scripting Environment) is a graphical user interface that helps users write, test, and debug PowerShell scripts more efficiently. It includes features like syntax highlighting, tab completion, and debugging tools.
(Note: As of PowerShell 6.0, ISE is no longer updated, and VS Code with the PowerShell extension is recommended.)
4. What is PowerShell best used for?
PowerShell is best used for:
- Automation (batch processing, log management)
- System Administration (Active Directory, Exchange, Azure)
- DevOps & CI/CD Pipelines (Azure DevOps, Jenkins)
- Security & Compliance (auditing, threat detection)
5. What code is used for PowerShell?
PowerShell uses cmdlets (command-lets), which are lightweight scripts written in .NET. Example:
Get-Service | Where-Object { $_.Status -eq "Running" }
6. What are cmdlets in PowerShell?
Cmdlets are lightweight commands that perform specific functions. They follow a Verb-Noun naming convention (e.g., Get-Process, Set-Item).
7. What is the difference between PowerShell and Command Prompt?
| Feature | PowerShell | Command Prompt (CMD) |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Advanced scripting (.NET-based) | Basic batch scripting |
| Output | Objects (structured data) | Text-only |
| Automation | Highly powerful | Limited |
| Extensibility | Supports modules & APIs | Minimal |
8. How do you comment in PowerShell?
- Single-line comment:
# This is a comment - Multi-line comment:
<# This is a multi-line comment #>
9. What is a PowerShell pipeline?
A pipeline allows passing the output of one cmdlet as input to another using the | symbol. Example:
Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending | Select-Object -First 5
10. How do you handle errors in PowerShell?
Use Try-Catch-Finally blocks:
Try {
Get-Item "C:\NonExistentFile.txt" -ErrorAction Stop
}
Catch {
Write-Host "Error: $_"
}
11. What are PowerShell modules?
Modules are packages containing cmdlets, functions, and scripts. Example:
Import-Module ActiveDirectory
12. How do you schedule a PowerShell script?
Use Task Scheduler or the Register-ScheduledJob cmdlet:
Register-ScheduledJob -Name "DailyBackup" -ScriptBlock { Backup-Database } -Trigger (New-JobTrigger -Daily -At "3:00 AM")
13. What is $_. in PowerShell?
$_ refers to the current object in the pipeline. Example:
Get-Service | Where-Object { $_.Status -eq "Stopped" }
14. How do you export data to CSV in PowerShell?
Use Export-CSV:
Get-Process | Export-CSV -Path "C:\Processes.csv" -NoTypeInformation
15. What is Desired State Configuration (DSC) in PowerShell?
DSC is a declarative PowerShell feature for configuration management, ensuring systems remain in a desired state.
16. How do you remotely execute PowerShell commands?
Use Invoke-Command:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName "Server01" -ScriptBlock { Get-Service }
17. What is the difference between -eq and -like in PowerShell?
-eqchecks for exact equality ("Hello" -eq "Hello"→ True)-likesupports wildcards ("Hello" -like "H*"→ True)
18. How do you debug a PowerShell script?
Use Set-PSDebug -Trace 1 or the VS Code PowerShell extension for breakpoints.
19. What is the difference between Write-Host and Write-Output?
Write-Host→ Displays text directly to the console (not captured in pipelines)Write-Output→ Sends objects to the pipeline
20. How do you check PowerShell version?
Download
$PSVersionTable.PSVersion
21. What is PowerShell Remoting?
PowerShell Remoting (using WinRM) allows executing commands on remote machines via Enter-PSSession or Invoke-Command.
22. What are PowerShell workflows?
Workflows allow long-running, parallel, and restartable scripts, useful for complex automation tasks.
People Also Ask
What is the basic use of PowerShell?
PowerShell automates IT tasks like system management, log analysis, and cloud administration.
What is ISE in PowerShell?
PowerShell ISE is an older scripting environment; VS Code is now the recommended alternative.
What is PowerShell best used for?
Best for automation, DevOps, cloud management (Azure/AWS), and security compliance.
What code is used for PowerShell?
PowerShell uses cmdlets (e.g., Get-Service) and supports .NET scripting.
Conclusion
Mastering these PowerShell interview questions will help you excel in system administration, cloud engineering, and DevOps roles. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, understanding PowerShell scripting, automation, and best practices is essential for IT success.
🔹 Pro Tip: Practice these commands in a PowerShell environment to gain hands-on experience!
Would you like a PowerShell cheat sheet PDF? Let us know in the comments! 🚀