Const and Not Const

Understanding const qualifiers in C++ code

This is an easy C++ language-knowledge question that tests your grasp of const correctness and how the compiler enforces it across variable declarations and method signatures. Many candidates misread const placement or forget how it interacts with pointers and references.

To approach this, you need to parse const qualifiers carefully—noting where they bind (to the variable, the type, or the pointer itself) and whether methods are marked const. Walking through what the compiler allows and disallows at each line, then tracing the actual runtime values, is the core skill being tested.

• Const-qualified variables and their mutability rules
• Const member functions vs. const objects
• Pointer-to-const and const-pointer distinctions