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SDE - Intern

Paytm
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3 rounds | 4 Coding problems

Interview preparation journey

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Journey
My journey started with a simple goal—to become really good at problem-solving. In the beginning, I focused heavily on building strong fundamentals in DSA and core computer science concepts. I wasn’t solving problems just for the sake of numbers, but to understand patterns and improve my thinking process. At the same time, I worked on real-world projects to complement my coding skills. One of my key projects was in the AI domain, which helped me explore practical applications of technology and gave me something meaningful to talk about beyond just algorithms. There were phases where things didn’t click immediately—some problems felt too hard, and some concepts took time—but staying consistent made the difference. I kept improving step by step, learning from mistakes, and refining both my technical and communication skills. When the interview opportunity came, I focused on staying calm and confident. Instead of trying to be perfect, I concentrated on explaining my approach clearly, thinking out loud, and connecting concepts logically. That mindset really helped me perform well. Eventually, I secured a 6-month internship with a full-time opportunity at Paytm, which was a big milestone for me. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: Consistency beats intensity. Focus on fundamentals, build meaningful projects, and trust the process—the results will follow.
Application story
I applied for the role through an on-campus opportunity. After submitting my application, I received an online assessment link that tested my problem-solving and basic technical skills.
Why selected/rejected for the role?
I believe I was selected because of my strong fundamentals in DSA and core concepts, combined with my ability to apply them effectively during problem-solving. I was also able to clearly communicate my thought process, which helped the interviewer understand my approach. Additionally, my project experience, especially in AI, demonstrated my practical knowledge and genuine interest in building real-world solutions. Overall, it was the combination of problem-solving skills, clarity of thought, and depth in projects that helped me stand out.
Preparation
Duration: 6 months
Topics: Data Structures, Pointers, OOPS, System Design, Algorithms, Dynamic Programming, Operating System
Tip
Tip

Tip 1: Master fundamentals (DSA + core concepts) — they show up everywhere.

Tip 2: Build 1–2 strong projects — depth matters more than quantity.

Tip 3: Practice explaining your approach — communication is your real edge.

Application process
Where: Campus
Eligibility: 7.5 CGPA, (Salary Package: 12 LPA)
Resume Tip
Resume tip

Tip 1: Include machine learning projects in your resume.

Tip 2: Don’t overhype your CV.

Interview rounds

01
Round
Medium
Online Coding Test
Duration90 minutes
Interview date28 Sep 2025
Coding problem2

1. Trapping Rain Water

Moderate
15m average time
80% success
0/80
Asked in companies
NoBrokerHCL TechnologiesGrofers

You have been given a long type array/list 'arr’ of size 'n’.


It represents an elevation map wherein 'arr[i]’ denotes the elevation of the 'ith' bar.



Note :
The width of each bar is the same and is equal to 1.
Example:
Input: ‘n’ = 6, ‘arr’ = [3, 0, 0, 2, 0, 4].

Output: 10

Explanation: Refer to the image for better comprehension:

Alt Text

Note :
You don't need to print anything. It has already been taken care of. Just implement the given function.
Problem approach

The approach is mainly based on the following facts:

If we consider a subarray arr[left...right], we can decide the amount of water either for arr[left] or arr[right] if we know the left max (max element in arr[0...left-1]) and right max (max element in arr[right+1...n-1].
If left max is less than the right max, then we can decide for arr[left]. Else we can decide for arr[right]
If we decide for arr[left], then the amount of water would be left max - arr[left], and if we decide for arr[right], then the amount of water would be right max - arr[right].

Try solving now

2. LRU Cache Implementation

Moderate
25m average time
65% success
0/80
Asked in companies
HikeSprinklrOYO

Design and implement a data structure for Least Recently Used (LRU) cache to support the following operations:

1. get(key) - Return the value of the key if the key exists in the cache, otherwise return -1.

2. put(key, value), Insert the value in the cache if the key is not already present or update the value of the given key if the key is already present. When the cache reaches its capacity, it should invalidate the least recently used item before inserting the new item.
You will be given ‘Q’ queries. Each query will belong to one of these two types:
Type 0: for get(key) operation.
Type 1: for put(key, value) operation.
Note :
1. The cache is initialized with a capacity (the maximum number of unique keys it can hold at a time).

2. Access to an item or key is defined as a get or a put operation on the key. The least recently used key is the one with the oldest access time.
Problem approach

The idea is to implement using an array to store nodes, where each node holds a key-value pair. The primary operations, get and put, are performed with O(n) time complexity due to the need to search through the array. The size of the array will be equal to the given capacity of the cache.

Try solving now
02
Round
Medium
Face to Face
Duration40 minutes
Interview date11 Oct 2025
Coding problem1

1. Maximum Consecutive Ones

Moderate
30m average time
70% success
0/80
Asked in companies
DelhiveryPayUAmazon

Given a binary array 'ARR' of size 'N', your task is to find the longest sequence of continuous 1’s that can be formed by replacing at-most 'K' zeroes by ones. Return the length of this longest sequence of continuous 1’s.

Try solving now
03
Round
Medium
Face to Face
Duration60 minuted
Interview date11 Oct 2025
Coding problem1

1. Edit Distance

Moderate
30m average time
70% success
0/80
Asked in companies
OYOWalmartSprinklr

You are given two strings 'S' and 'T' of lengths 'N' and 'M' respectively. Find the "Edit Distance" between the strings.

Edit Distance of two strings is the minimum number of steps required to make one string equal to the other. In order to do so, you can perform the following three operations:

1. Delete a character
2. Replace a character with another one
3. Insert a character
Note:
Strings don't contain spaces in between.
Try solving now

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Skill covered: Programming

Which data structure is used to implement a DFS?

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