Hello everyone,
I would like to share my interview experience for admission to the MTech CSE (Network and Information Security) program at IITH under the self-sponsored category in 2022. This is a regular 2-year Mtech program, similar to the Mtech TA through GATE, with the only difference being a higher fee compared to admission through GATE. Additionally, TAship is not compulsory for self-sponsored students.
I had industry experience in Cyber Security which was one of the main factors in opting for specialization in Networks and Security. Now coming to the selection process, initial shortlisting for interviews was done on the basis of GPA with consideration being given to any publications, experience, etc. No written exam was done due to the pandemic situation. So the interview was also done in online mode. The interview was scheduled in the morning and in my panel there were two professors. My interview went around 20-25 minutes.
Professor A – Questions: Tell me about yourself.
- What is your favorite subject? Which other subjects did you prepare for the interview?
- Design an algorithm to find two numbers in an unsorted array such that their sum is equal to a given target. Please provide the time complexity.
- How would you optimize the algorithm you just described to reduce its time complexity?
- Is it possible to further optimize the algorithm using pointers?
- Describe the recurrence relation of quicksort.
- Give the time complexity of quicksort and give examples for the worst case and best case.
At this point, the interview had already exceeded the allotted time of 25 minutes, so the second professor did not ask any questions, and the interview was concluded.
Overall, I believe my interview went well, and I was successfully selected for the MTech program at IIT Hyderabad. From my experience, I can emphasize that preparing for Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) is crucial for clearing such interviews. It is also beneficial to have a solid understanding of the basics and fundamentals of Networks.
I hope my experience can provide some insights and guidance for future applicants.