Common Oracle Fusion Technical interview questions cover reporting (BIP vs OTBI), data loading (FBDI, ADFdi, HDL), web services (REST and SOAP) and page personalization. Below are clear, interview-ready answers to each.
Oracle Fusion Technical interviews test your reporting, data-conversion and integration skills. The questions below are the ones consistently asked of technical consultants, grouped by area, with concise, interview-ready answers.
Reporting — BI Publisher & OTBI
What is the difference between BI Publisher (BIP) and OTBI?
BI Publisher produces pixel-perfect, formatted operational documents (invoices, statements, high-volume output) from a data model and template, while OTBI is for real-time, ad-hoc analytical reporting built on predefined subject areas. Use BIP for layout-heavy output and OTBI for interactive analysis.
What are the main components of a BIP report?
A BIP report is made of a data model (the SQL or data source, parameters and lists of values) and one or more layout templates (RTF, Excel or eText) that format the output. It is then registered as a report and can be scheduled and bursted.
What is bursting in BI Publisher?
Bursting splits a single report run into multiple output files delivered to different recipients based on a key — for example generating one payslip PDF per employee and emailing each to the right person in a single run.
What is a subject area in OTBI?
A subject area is a predefined, business-friendly collection of dimensions and facts (for example 'Payables Invoices') that lets you build analyses without writing SQL. Oracle maintains the underlying model, which keeps reports upgrade-safe.
How do you report on data that has no delivered subject area or is needed pixel-perfect?
You use BI Publisher with a custom SQL data model against the application tables and views, because OTBI is limited to delivered subject areas. BIP gives full control over the query and the output layout.
Data Loading — FBDI, ADFdi & HDL
What is FBDI and how does the load work?
File-Based Data Import uses Oracle-provided spreadsheet templates that you populate, generate to CSV, zip and upload, then run an ESS import job. It is the standard tool for high-volume conversions such as suppliers, customers, invoices and GL balances, with error reports for correction.
What is the difference between FBDI and ADFdi?
FBDI is a bulk, file-based load for large volumes run through ESS jobs. ADFdi (ADF Desktop Integration) is an interactive Excel add-in connected live to the application, used for smaller, immediate create/update tasks such as journal or item-class entry.
When would you use HDL instead of FBDI?
HDL (HCM Data Loader) is the loader for Oracle Fusion HCM objects — workers, assignments, salaries — using pipe-delimited .dat files, whereas FBDI is used for ERP/SCM objects. The choice is driven by the module and the business object being loaded.
How do you handle errors in an FBDI load?
After the import job completes you review the process output and error report, correct the source spreadsheet for the failed rows, regenerate the CSV, and re-load only the corrected records — iterating until the data is clean.
Web Services, Extensions & Scheduling
What is the difference between REST and SOAP web services in Fusion?
REST services are lightweight, use JSON over HTTP and are preferred for modern integrations and mobile, while SOAP services use XML and WSDL contracts and are used for more formal, transaction-heavy integrations. Fusion exposes both for most business objects.
What is an ESS job?
Enterprise Scheduler Service (ESS) is the framework that runs and schedules background jobs in Fusion — imports, reports and processes — with parameters, schedules and monitoring. Most FBDI loads and BIP report runs are submitted as ESS jobs.
What is a Sandbox in Oracle Fusion?
A sandbox is an isolated environment where configuration and user-interface changes are made and tested safely. The changes only affect the mainline application once the sandbox is published, which protects the live environment.
What is Page Composer used for?
Page Composer lets you personalise and extend application pages — hiding or relabelling fields, adding descriptive flexfield content and changing layout — usually within a sandbox, without custom code.
What are descriptive and extensible flexfields?
Descriptive flexfields (DFF) add configurable optional attributes to a single record, while extensible flexfields (EFF) support more complex, multi-row and context-driven attributes. Both let you capture business-specific data without customising the base tables.
Answering these confidently, with examples of reports or loads you have built, covers most Oracle Fusion Technical interviews. At LearnwithCR, our Oracle Fusion Technical training builds BIP and OTBI reports, FBDI loads and REST/SOAP integrations live with daily assignments.
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