Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
Exam Pattern
2.1.
Round 1(Pre-Qualifier)
2.2.
Round 2(Qualifier)
2.3.
Grand Finale
3.
Interview Experience
3.1.
Technical Round
3.2.
Managerial Round
3.3.
HR Round
4.
Frequently Asked Questions
4.1.
From where can I register for the contest?
4.2.
What is the window limit for each round?
4.3.
How many programming questions will be there in all rounds of Codevita?
4.4.
Can I take a break after some time during the contest?
4.5.
What is the duration of the interview?
5.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024

Selection Process After TCS CodeVita

Author Apoorv Dixit
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Introduction

TCS Codevita is an online coding contest organized by TCS. It is one of the biggest coding contests organized by Tata Consultancy Services. It consists of 3 rounds and based on your performance; you can advance to the next rounds and become eligible for winning prizes or getting an interview call from TCS. Here I will discuss my interview experience and how I got an offer from TCS digital.

Also see Preparation for TCS CodeVita

TCS CodeVita

 

Source: tcscodevita 

Exam Pattern

Codevita consists of three rounds, Pre-Qualifier Round( Round 1), Qualifier Round( Round 2), and Grand Finale. Now let’s discuss these rounds and how you can get an interview call along with my experience. 

Round 1(Pre-Qualifier)

It is an online coding contest in which participants need to solve six coding questions in a time span of 6 hours. You can expect an interview call if you have solved at least one question. But better to solve 2-3 to be assured and don't try to copy codes as the contest has a very strong plagiarism checker. You will then be selected for the role of TCS ninja or TCS digital as per your performance in the interview. In my case, I solved two questions and got an interview call.

Round 2(Qualifier)

The top performers of the zonal round will be promoted to this round, and it's an online round too. You need to solve eight coding questions in a time span of 8 hours. The difficulty level is merely high, so one needs to be well prepared before making an attempt. 

Grand Finale

It is the final round which consists of 10 coding questions, and top performers from the qualifier round will advance to the final round. It is generally held in TCS offices in India. The top three performers will be declared winners and will receive a cash prize, a total of USD 20,000. To learn more details about the Codevita, you can visit the TCS Codevita website.

Also see, TCS NQT

Interview Experience

After solving two questions in Round 1, I got an interview call after two weeks after the release of round 1 results. In TCS interviews generally, there are three rounds, technical, managerial, and HR. In my case, there were three panelists in an online interview, and all three rounds were scheduled at the same time, one after another.

Technical Round

The interviewer presented himself and asked me to do the same. Afterward, the following list of questions was asked me during the Technical Round: 

Note: It is not necessary to expect these questions in your interview; rather similar ones so prepare well. 

Que-1: Which programming language did you use to solve coding problems in Codevita, and why do you prefer that?

I answered C++ and told him about the advantages over languages and why I like it.

Que-2: The interviewer then inquired about the coding problems I had solved and how I had approached them. (Yes, in TCS interviews, they will sometimes ask you about the codes you have written, so it is best if you are familiar with them and can solve them independently.)

I described how I approached problems and how I considered time complexities by looking at constraints to come up with a better solution.

Que-3: This time, he was more interested in other DSA questions: 

  • Toggle the word cases in a given string.
  • Detecting loops in a linked list.
  • Asked me about sorting algorithms and their time complexities.

These were simple questions, and I responded with various approaches ranging from brute force to optimization.

Note: You should be able to analyze the complexities of each step in your code snippet with ease.

Que-4: How can you implement Sudoku Solver?

This was a simple question related to backtracking, so I knew the answer, answered accordingly, and explained it in detail.

Que-5: What is the default value of global and local variables?

I answered the default values of different data types in different scopes.

Que-6: OOPS Concepts.

  • What are static and dynamic polymorphisms?
  • What are class and object? Provide examples. 
  • Create a class Employee working in a company and explain the object in detail. 
  • About Abstract class and friend function.

OOPS, concepts, without a doubt, are the foundation of any high-level programming language; thus, it is critical to have a thorough understanding of each underlined OOPS concept. OOPS is also regarded as a hot topic for technical rounds.  

Que-7: About databases, Normalization, and Acid properties.

I explained that normalization is a method for removing redundant data, and I also discussed normal forms such as 1nf, 2nf, 3nf, and BCNF. While I was explaining, the interviewer asked some follow-up questions. And then, I explained all of the ACID properties using a transaction example.

Que-8: Boolean expressions and their use in programming.

I explained how they are used for comparisons and how different decisions can be made based on their results.

Que-9: What is the role of finally block in exception handling?

I explained how the block always executes and how it is used to clean up codes, as well as other uses of the finally block.

Managerial Round

During the managerial round, the interviewer first asked if I was comfortable working with new technologies that would be available in the future. I responded that I enjoy working on new technologies and learning new things. He then asked me some more questions.

Que-1: Asked me to present my resume, which tech stack I used to build my projects, and why I chose that.

Que-2: I was asked to show Github codes and host links of the projects and what difficulties I faced during the making of the projects.

He asked for an overview and a brief description of the programs I had created, and we discussed them.

Que-3: How do you resolve workplace conflicts within a team working on the same project?
In response to this question, I stated that one should keep to the purpose and allow everyone an opportunity to explain their points of view before resolving the problem peacefully.

HR Round

Some HR questions were: 

Que-1: Why TCS, and what do you know about TATA?

I answered the questions with the achievements of TATA sons and TCS, and the interviewer was quite impressed.

Que-2: Whether I will be willing to relocate, and how will I manage the things like food and all?

I replied I like exploring new places and lived outside home earlier, and I am quite good at managing other things.

Que-3: Asked me to show my college id card and mark sheets for verification.

In the HR round, generally, they ask you this for verification.

So that was all, the interview lasted for 1 hour and 15 minutes. And after a few weeks, I got the email that I had been selected for TCS digital role.

 

You can also check out this video to know the complete roadmap of TCS.

Frequently Asked Questions

From where can I register for the contest?

You can register for the contest from the official code vita website. You need to create an account and fill in the required details to register.

What is the window limit for each round?

The window limit of each round is 24 hours, and during the duration, you can log in to the contest anytime and start solving given coding problems.

How many programming questions will be there in all rounds of Codevita?

Codevita round 1 consists of 6 coding problems; round 2 has eight coding problems and round 3 consists of 10 coding questions.

Can I take a break after some time during the contest?

Yes, you can take a break in between, but you will lose that time because you can not pause the timer or log out session once you get logged in.
 

What is the duration of the interview?

Generally, all three rounds, Technical, Managerial, and HR, are scheduled in the same interview one after another, and the interview is 1 to 1.5 hours.

Conclusion

To summarize the above discussion, we discussed my interview experience and other points related to TCS Codevita, like coding rounds and how you can get an interview call. Here are some more tips for you:

  1. In the coding rounds, don't try to copy code. The contest has a very strong plagiarism checker. Attempt only what you know. If you solved a few questions(1 or 2) only, that would help you get an interview call.
  2. Don't get panicked if all three interviews TR, MR, and HR rounds get scheduled simultaneously. Just be confident and try to explain things clearly.
  3. Show a bit of enthusiasm and enjoy the process.
     

You can also try some Mock TCS Codevita Contests and check out some of the Problems on Coding Ninjas Studio.

Check out TCS Interview Experience to learn about TCS’s hiring process.

Also, check out some Guided Paths for topics such as Data Structure and Algorithms and Competitive Programming along with some Interview Experiences and Interview Bundles all created by industry experts only on Coding Ninjas Studio.

HAPPY LEARNING! 

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