Cognizant Interview Experience | Digital Nurture 3.O - Java FSE

Last Updated : 29 Oct, 2024

Before the interview, I went through several stages of the Cognizant Digital Nurture program. My interview took place in person with two interviewers—one HR representative was present physically, while the other joined via the Superset platform. I logged into Superset before the interview started. Both HR representatives had technical expertise, leading to very few HR questions; the interview was primarily a combination of HR and technical assessments.

Interview Date: September 27, 2024
Duration: 40-45 minutes

The entire interview session was recorded on the Superset platform, which also features built-in online compilers and interpreters for various languages, including SQL, Java, C++, and Python. Since I was interviewing for the Java Full Stack Engineer role, I chose to code in Java, even though I practice DSA primarily in C++.

Interview Structure

  1. Introduction:
    • The interview began with a brief introduction from my side.
  2. Technical Questions:
    • OOP Concepts:
      • Discussed the four pillars of OOP.
      • Asked about different access modifiers.
      • Explained inheritance and its various forms in Java.
      • Provided a real-life scenario to illustrate polymorphism.
    • Major Project:
      • Briefly described my major project, mentioning it was still in progress.
    • Internship Discussion:
      • Discussed my internship with no cross-questions.
    • Resume Projects:
      • Answered questions regarding the tech stacks mentioned in my resume. (O)*
      • Explained what Spring/Spring Framework is. (O)*
  3. Coding Tasks:
    • The interviewers requested coding tasks in Java, observing how efficiently I wrote the code:
      • Write a code to print all the factors of the number 9.
      • Reverse the string "Your_Name".
      • Swap two numbers without using a third variable and again without using addition or subtraction (using the XOR operator).
      • Find the largest and second-largest numbers in the array. (O)*
  4. Database Questions:
    • Discussed the Collection framework and its usage in my projects.
    • Answered questions about SQL, including:
      • The difference between DBMS and RDBMS.
      • Writing a query to fetch the second highest salary from the employee table, explaining the logic.
      • Writing a query to fetch the first three letters of every row in the "Name" column from the employee table, along with an explanation.
  5. SQL Query Challenges:
    • I was given a table schema and asked to code five queries in the compiler:
      • Find names starting with "A".
      • Find different departments in the table.
      • Count the number of employees in each department.
      • Retrieve names of employees who participated in any events (joining another table where EmpID is the primary key).
      • Write a query to select the first four letters of all names in the column, resulting in names like SHYA, SWET, RAHU, etc.
  6. Further Technical Questions:
    • What is MVC?
    • How is Spring Boot different from Spring?
    • Discussed the differences between Delete, Truncate, and Drop, and provided some DDL commands. (O)*
    • Explained exceptions and exception handling in Java, including Try, Catch, and Finally blocks.
    • Differentiated between final, finally, and finalize. (O)*
  7. Conclusion Questions:
    • Asked if I was willing to change tech stacks, particularly in the context of advancing AI technologies.
    • Confirmed my willingness to relocate and work night shifts.
    • I was invited to ask any questions.

Result Date: October 23, 2024
Verdict: Selected for the GenC Next package.

Note: Most interviewees were asked Spring-related questions, whereas I had fewer inquiries on that topic, despite my training in Spring, Hibernate, Spring Boot, and REST API. Out of 54 interviewees, 35 were selected, with 6 for the GenC NEXT role and the rest for the GenC role. It’s essential to study thoroughly during the Deep Skilling Round to secure a Next Role.

Tips for Success:

  • Avoid mentioning unnecessary details on your resume or Superset, as questions can stem from those areas. Even a single tech stack you're unfamiliar with can lead to rejection.
  • Interviewers often look for any mistakes, so be prepared for probing questions.
  • Explain your code as you write it; this gives you an edge.
  • Prepare a solid introduction and aim to impress in the first 10 minutes.
  • If you don't know an answer, move on confidently to the next question.
  • Maintain a positive demeanor throughout the interview.
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