TCS interview experience Real time questions & tips from candidates to crack your interview

TCS Ninja

TCS
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2 rounds | 7 Coding problems

Interview preparation journey

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Preparation
Duration: 6 months
Topics: Data Structures, Algorithms, System Design, Aptitude, OOPS, DBMS, Machine Learning
Tip
Tip

Tip 1 : Practice at least 50 Questions on each topic of data structures
Tip 2 : Try to make your resume of 1 page
Tip 3 : Try to diversify your profile and make at least 3 good projects with GitHub links and images mentioned
Tip 4 : For TCS NQT it should be necessary for you if you prepare Logical Reasoning and Aptitude Questions

Application process
Where: Campus
Eligibility: Above 60% overall in 10th and 12th and 60 % above for Graduation
Resume Tip
Resume tip

Tip 1 : Have at-least 2 good projects explained in short with all important points covered.

Tip 2 : Every skill must be mentioned.

Tip 3 : Focus on skills, projects and experiences more.


 

Interview rounds

01
Round
Medium
Online Coding Interview
Duration180 minutes
Interview date16 Oct 2020
Coding problem2

TCS NQT - In this exam, you will be given 3 hours in which you have to solve aptitude and 2 coding questions. As you are at home you will be monitored regularly by the invigilator through your camera. TCS NQT happens in slots of 3 hours and that will be mentioned in your admit card and will also be communicated by TCS through mail.

1. Glowing Bulbs

Hard
30m average time
60% success
0/120
Asked in companies
TCSJosh Technology Group

There are an infinite number of electric bulbs. Each bulb is assigned a unique integer starting from 1. There are ‘N’ switches also and each switch is labeled by a unique prime number. If a switch labeled with prime integer ‘p’ is turned ON, then all the bulbs having a number that is multiple of ‘p’ will start glowing. For example, if we turn ON the switch labelled 2, then all the bulbs having numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, ... i.e all bulbs with numbers as multiples of 2 will start glowing.

You are given an array/list ‘LABELS’ consisting of ‘N’ unique prime integers representing the label of the switches and an integer ‘K’. Your task is to find the integer assigned to Kth glowing bulb from the start when all these ‘N’ switches are turned ON.

Note :
1. Some bulbs can glow by multiple switches and some are not glowed by any switch.
2. If any of the switches that can glow a bulb is turned ‘ON’, then the corresponding bulb will glow.
Example :
Consider 3 switches with labels [3, 5,  7] and we need to find the 5th glowing bulb from the start after turning these 3 switches ON.
We can see that bulbs numbered  3, 6, 9, 15, 18 …  will glow if the switch having label 3 is turned ON.
The bulbs numbered 5, 10, 15, 20 … will glow if the switch having label 5 is turned ON.
The bulbs numbered 7, 14, 21, 28 … will glow if the switch having label 7 is turned ON.
It implies that bulbs numbered 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 18, 20, 21… will glow when these three switches are turned ON.
The 5th glowing bulb from start is assigned integer 9. Thus, we should return 9.
Problem approach

Step1 : I tried to find if there is any pattern to this question
Step2 : Tried to find the approach
Step3 : Tried to find some Edge Cases 

Try solving now

2. Maximize The Nice Divisor

Moderate
25m average time
75% success
0/80
Asked in company
TCS

There is a fight between Spiderman and the Zombie. Spiderman has to protect the planet earth, and for this, he has to give punches in the head of the zombie. The Spiderman is given an integer ‘N’ and he has to construct a number ‘Num’ such that the count of nice divisors of ‘NUM’ is maximum and the constructed number has at most 'N' prime factors. It is not necessary for all prime factors of ‘NUM’ to be distinct. A divisor of ‘NUM’ is called nice if it is divisible by every prime factor of ‘NUM’. Assuming yourselves as spiderman protect the planet earth by returning the nice divisors of ‘NUM’.

Return the number of nice divisors of ‘NUM’. Since that number can be too large, return it modulo 10^9 + 7.

For Example:

If N = 12, then its prime factors are [2, 2, 3], then 6 and 12 are nice divisors, while 3, 4, and 2 are not.
Problem approach

Step1 : I tried to find if there is any pattern to this question
Step2 : Tried to find the approach
Step3 : Tried to find some Edge Cases 

Try solving now
02
Round
Easy
Face to Face
Duration60 minutes
Interview date31 Oct 2020
Coding problem5

Technical + HR + Managerial round

1. DBMS Questions

1) Second Highest Salary from the table
2) What is Normalization?
3) Difference between delete vs truncate vs drop?
4) Difference between primary key and secondary key?
5) What is Inner Join and Right join?

Problem approach

Tip 1 : Identify if there is any edge case present in the question
Tip 2 : To find the second highest salary in the above table, we will use the concept of the subquery, which means that firstly, we will find the highest salary in the table, and then we will nest that query to a subquery to find the second highest salary in SQL.
Tip 3 : Do practice SQL

Tip 4 : Read DBMS Theory

2. Machine Learning Questions

1) What is Linear Regression?
2) What are the different types of algorithms?
3) Explain the Difference Between Classification and Regression?
4) How to Tackle Overfitting and Underfitting?
5) What is Supervised Learning?
6) What is Cross-Validation?

Problem approach

Tip 1 : Understand how Big Systems work
Tip 2 : Build a Portfolio for Machine Learning Job Applications: Create a Presence on Github and Kaggle
Tip 3 : Learn how to gather the right data.

3. Project Discussion

1) What is the motivation regarding the project you have built?
2) What are the technologies used?
3) Follow up question regarding the projects?

Problem approach

Tip 1 : Don't put anything that you have not built 
Tip 2 : Always attach proofs like a Github link
Tip 3 : Answer the questions asked with confidence

4. Data Structures Question

1) What is an array?
2) What is LinkedList?
3) Difference between Singly LinkedList and Doubly LinkedList
4) Difference between stack and queue

Problem approach

Tip 1 : Solve at least 400 DSA questions
Tip 2 : Regularly practice Algorithmic questions
Tip 3 : Provide all working solutions and try to optimise them

5. Basic HR Questions

1) Why do you want to join TCS?
2) Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
3) If your colleague is in trouble what will you do?

Problem approach

Tip 1 : Don't answer diplomatically
Tip 2 : Don't reply directly try to communicate with the interviewer
Tip 3 : Try to maintain a healthy conversation with the panel

Here's your problem of the day

Solving this problem will increase your chance to get selected in this company

Skill covered: Programming

What is recursion?

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