Contlo interview experience Real time questions & tips from candidates to crack your interview
SDE - Intern
Contlo
2 rounds | 6 Coding
problems
Rejected
Interview preparation journey
Journey
I started my DSA journey in the second year of my graduation and solved questions on coding platforms as well. In total, I solved over 1000 DSA questions and participated in contests. However, DSA alone is not sufficient to secure a position, so I also studied computer fundamentals such as OOP, DBMS, OS, and CN. Since most startups require development skills, I worked on web development projects using the MERN stack.
Application story
I applied through campus recruitment and completed an online assessment with several data structures and algorithms (DSA) questions, which I managed to solve within the allotted time. Following that, I was shortlisted for an interview process consisting of three rounds: two technical interviews and one HR interview.
Why selected/rejected for the role?
I was rejected for this role because I was unable to solve a difficult DSA question on trees. I was able to write a brute force approach but could not optimize the solution. I believe this was the reason I did not proceed to the next round.
Preparation
Duration: 20 months
Topics: Data Structure, OOP, DBMS, Computer Networks, Operating System, ReactJS, MongoDB, NodeJS, SQL
Tip 1: Be consistent in solving DSA questions daily (aim for 500 questions).
Tip 2: Try to solve a question before jumping to the solution.
Tip 3: To learn development, don’t just watch tutorials—create as many projects as you can.
Application process
Where: Campus
Eligibility: 7+ CGPA
Tip 1: Focus on creating good projects, avoiding clones or simple to-do list apps.
Tip 2: Participate in hackathons or contribute to open-source projects.
Interview rounds
01
Round
Medium
Online Coding Test
Duration90 minutes
Interview date25 Dec 2023
Coding problem3
They first shortlist the students before giving the OA. Then there were 3 DSA questions. The camera and mic were on.
1. Delete Node In A Linked List
Easy
15m average time
80% success
0/40
Asked in companies
Using pointers, loop through the whole list and keep track of the node prior to the node containing the last occurrence key using a special pointer. After this just store the next of next of the special pointer, into to next of special pointer to remove the required node from the linked list.
Problem approach
Traverse the linked list, keep the last value and cope to the next node. Delete the last copied value
2. Sort An Array of 0s, 1s and 2s
Easy
10m average time
90% success
0/40
Asked in companies
Given an array A[] consisting of only 0s, 1s, and 2s. The task is to sort the array, i.e., put all 0s first, then all 1s and all 2s in last.
Problem approach
A more efficient way to sort an array containing 0s, 1s, and 2s is to first count the occurrences of each value. Let's use variables count0, count1, and count2 to represent the number of 0s, 1s, and 2s, respectively.
First, you count how many 0s, 1s, and 2s are in the array. Then, you traverse the array a second time and fill it with count0 0s, followed by count1 1s, and finally count2 2s.
3. Cyclically Rotate An Array By One
Easy
10m average time
90% success
0/40
Asked in companies
Given an array, the task is to cyclically rotate the array clockwise by one time.
Problem approach
To cyclically rotate an array, use two pointers: one at the start and one at the end. Swap the elements at these pointers and move the pointers towards each other until they meet.
02
Round
Medium
Video Call
Duration45 minutes
Interview date3 Jan 2024
Coding problem3
One DSA question and two SQL queries
1. Maximum Path Sum
Moderate
20m average time
80% success
0/80
Asked in companies
Given an undirected tree with n nodes and n−1 edges, where each node has an associated price, the task is to determine the maximum possible difference between the maximum and minimum path price sums for any root choice. The price sum of a path is the total of the prices of nodes on that path, and the goal is to maximize the incurred cost, defined as the difference between the maximum and minimum path price sums for all paths starting from the chosen root.
Problem approach
Was not able to solve this question.
2. DBMS
What are SQL dialects? Give some examples.
Problem approach
Tip 1:Have a good knowledge of DBMS
Tip 2:Should a good knowledge of SQL
3. DBMS
How to find the values in a text column of a table that start with a certain letter?
Problem approach
Tip 1: Should have good practice with SQL queries
Tip 2: Should cover every question of each format
Here's your problem of the day 
Solving this problem will increase your chance to get selected in this company
Skill covered: Programming
Which keyword is used for inheritance?
Choose another skill to practice
Similar interview experiences
SDE - 1
3 rounds | 7 problems
Interviewed by OYO
Selected 
4152 views
0 comments
0 upvotes
SDE - 1
2 rounds | 5 problems
Interviewed by Meesho
Rejected
6195 views
0 comments
0 upvotes
SDE - 1
3 rounds | 9 problems
Interviewed by Salesforce
Selected 3098 views
0 comments
0 upvotes
System Engineer
2 rounds | 2 problems
Interviewed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
Selected 2659 views
0 comments
0 upvotes
Companies with similar interview experiences
SDE - Intern
3 rounds | 6 problems
Interviewed by Amazon
Rejected
15156 views
4 comments
0 upvotes
SDE - Intern
4 rounds | 7 problems
Interviewed by Microsoft
Selected 14998 views
1 comments
0 upvotes
SDE - Intern
2 rounds | 4 problems
Interviewed by Amazon
Selected 9977 views
2 comments
0 upvotes