Cognizant interview experience Real time questions & tips from candidates to crack your interview
Programmer Analyst Trainee
Cognizant
3 rounds | 7 Coding
problems
Selected Interview preparation journey
Journey
Hello !! My name is Divya, I am 2023 batch B.Tech graduate in Information Technology from KIET Group Of Institutions (Ghaziabad).My journey from being a beginner to securing a job interview at an IT company as a fresher has been a challenging yet rewarding experience.I started by immersing myself in the basics of programming and computer science, learning languages like C and Java. I didn't just stick to textbooks; I actively worked on personal projects to apply what I learned.
To complement my technical skills, I explored data structures, algorithms, and software design principles. I engaged in coding competitions and collaborated on open-source projects to sharpen my problem-solving abilities.
Internships played a pivotal role, providing hands-on experience and a glimpse into the real-world IT landscape. I faced challenges along the way, but I never gave up. I adapted to new technologies and remained committed to learning.
As I prepare for this job interview, I reflect on my journey with gratitude for the lessons learned and the growth achieved.
Application story
I applied for the Cognizant on-campus drive during my final year of college, for the GenC Elevate profile. The process consisted of three rounds:
Round 1- online test assessment
Round 2- communication assessment
Round 3-technical + HR interview.
After attending a pre-placement talk, the online assessments were conducted using the Mettle Secure Browser.
Candidates cleared online test, underwent virtual communication assessment on Mettle Secure Browser (MSB) after a week.
Final Shortlisted candidates received Superset interview links with batched timings over 3-4 days. I had my interview on the fourth day, assessing technical skills, problem-solving and interpersonal . Results announced after around 20 days, and successful candidates, including me, received Cognizant offer letters.
Why selected/rejected for the role?
I got selected for this role due to a strong educational background in computer science, technical knowledge, and effective communication of passion for technology. Previous rejection emphasized the importance of thorough interview preparation .
Preparation
Duration: 2 months
Topics: Data Structures,JAVA,OOPS,DBMS,SQL,Logical Reasoning
Tip 1 :Practice coding on platforms for improved problem-solving skills.
Tip 2 :Prepare for common interview questions and practice your answers.
Tip 3 :Practice communication and English proficiency before interviews.
Application process
Where: Campus
Eligibility: No backlogs and 60% throughout in Academics
Tip 1:Keep the resume to one page in length.
Tip 2:Create a dedicated section for technical skills. Include programming languages, software tools, and technologies you're proficient in.
Tip 3:Showcase personal coding or tech-related projects.
Interview rounds
01
Round
Easy
Online Coding Test
Duration120 minutes
Interview date13 Aug 2022
Coding problem3
ROUND 1:ONLINE CODING TEST - The online exam was a virtual drive conducted on Mettle Secure Browser (MSB) and the test started at 10:00 AM.The test duration was of 120 minutes with Camera and Web proctoring.It consisted of 5 questions (3 coding questions, and 2 based on MySQL and DBMS).Coding questions were of easy to moderate difficulty and we had to pass all the given test cases there.SQL queries were easy.
I could solve 2 coding questions completely and both the SQL queries.
Hence I got shortlisted for the next round.
1. Coding Question
Ritik wants a magic board, which displays a character for a corresponding number for his science project. Help him to develop such an application. For example when the digits 65,66,67,68 are entered, the alphabet ABCD are to be displayed.
(Learn)
Problem approach
Step 1- Define the mapping between numbers and characters. In the provided example, it's clear that the
numbers 65, 66, 67, and 68 correspond to the characters 'A', 'B', 'C', and 'D', respectively. So,
create a data structure or a lookup table that stores these mappings.
Step 2- For each input number, used the defined mapping to find the corresponding character.
To do this, you can look up the input number in your mapping data structure or use a mathematical
formula to convert the number to a character. In most programming languages, you can do this by
typecasting the number to its character representation.
Step 3- Return the output
2. Common Elements
Moderate
35m average time
70% success
0/80
Asked in companies
Given two 1-dimensional arrays containing strings of lowercase alphabets, print the elements that are common in both the arrays i.e. the strings that are present in both the arrays.
Note:
An element of one array can be mapped only to one element of the array. For example :
Array 1 = {“ab”, “dc”, “ab”, “ab”}
Array 2 = {“dc”, “ab”, “ab”}
The common elements for the above example will be “dc”, “ab”, and “ab”.
3. SQL Question
Table Name: Employees
Fields:
-employee_id (Primary Key)
-first_name
-last_name
-email
-hire_date
-salary
-department_id (Foreign Key)
Retrieve the names and salaries of employees who work in the 'IT' department.
Problem approach
Tip 1:Before writing SQL code, clearly define what information you need and which tables you'll use. Break the problem into smaller steps if necessary.
Tip 2:Always test your SQL queries with sample data.
02
Round
Easy
Video Call
Duration45 minutes
Interview date20 Aug 2023
Coding problem2
Round 2: ONLINE COMMUNICATION ASSESSMENT- The candidates who had successfully cleared the online test assessment now had to undergo a communication assessment. This round was conducted virtually on Mettle Secure Browser (MSB) after around one week.This test is basically to check your communication and there will be 4 main parameters on which you will be judged: Fluency, Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Sentence Mastery. Test will be divided into three sections:
Reading and Grammar
Comprehension and Listening
Speaking
This was an easy assessment. Just a test of your speaking and listening skills.
1. MCQs
Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is 'E'. (Ignore - the errors of punctuation,if any)
1-The conversation with her
(A) mother had a more profound
(B) affect on her
(C) than
(D) she expected.
(E )No error.
2-Work
A. as quick
B. as you
C. can but
D. as carefully as possible when you take the test.
E. No error.
Problem approach
Ans 1-B
Ans 2-A
2. MCQs
In questions below, each passage consists of six sentences. The first and sixth sentence is given in the beginning. The middle four sentences in each have been removed and jumbled up. These are labelled as P, Q, R and S. Find out the proper order for the four sentences.
S1: The future beckons to us.
P : In fact we have hard work ahead.
Q : Where do we go and what shall be our endeavor?
R : We shall also have to fight and end poverty, ignorance and disease.
S : It will be to bring freedom and opportunity to the common man.
S6: There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full.
Problem approach
Ans-QRPS
03
Round
Easy
Video Call
Duration30 minutes
Interview date24 Aug 2023
Coding problem2
Round 3: TECHNICAL+HR INTERVIEW : The candidates who made it to the final shortlist were sent interview links through the Superset platform by our college. The interview slots were scheduled individually, spread out over a span of 3-4 days. My interview was scheduled on the fourth day.
On the interview day, I received a video call from the interviewer or panelist. This round was Technical +HR . During the interview, the following questions were asked to me.
TECHNICAL:
1.Tell me about Yourself
2.Describe your Project
3.What is REST API?(Learn)
4. Explain Joins in SQL.(Learn)
5. OOPS pillars(Learn)
6.What language are you proficient with?
(I told her JAVA)
7.What are the top Java Features?(Learn)
8.What are lambda expressions in Java.(Learn)
9. Write a Java code sample that illustrates the utilization of an ArrayList along with its inbuilt methods.(Learn)
10.Do you know about Bootstrap?(Learn)
HR:
1.What are your Strengths
2.Are you willing to Relocate?
3.Do you have any questions for me?
That was all. The interview lasted for about 30-35 minutes.
1. Write a Java code sample that illustrates the utilization of an ArrayList along with its inbuilt methods.
(Learn)
Problem approach
Step 1-Import ArrayList from java.util.
Step 2-Declare and initialize an ArrayList with a specified data type.
Step 3-Use add() method to add elements.
Step 4-Use get() method to retrieve elements by index.
Step 5-Use set() method to change element values.
Step 6-Use remove() method with index or object.
Step 7-Use size() method to get the number of elements.
Step 8-Iterate with for-each or traditional for loop.
2. SQL Questions
Explain Joins in SQL.(Learn)
Problem approach
Tip 1:Clearly mention INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, and FULL JOIN, demonstrating your understanding of each.
Tip 2:Illustrate examples or scenarios where each type of join would be applicable.
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Skill covered: Programming
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