Oracle Interview Experience | On-Campus FTE (Server Technology)

Oracle visited NIT Calicut in the month of August, with two profiles on offer – Server Technology (ST) and Applications Development (APPS). Most candidates applied for both profiles, however, due to a large number of applicants (close to 150 from bachelors and masters combined after the online test), application towards only one post was considered, the choice being made by the company itself in a seemingly random fashion. 

Online Test:

An online test was conducted for all the candidates consisting of a few straight forward coding questions, error detection in code snippets, few java and OOPS questions, quant and a couple of basic English questions. There were multiple sections, each timed individually. 

The Interview:

After the PPT, all selected candidates were given a paper containing two separate questions. 

1. Given a string remove all adjacent equivalent characters. (to be done recursively)
2. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/find-maximum-possible-stolen-value-houses/

The solution to any one question was to be written down without the aid of any inbuilt functions, along with all assumptions made. A time of 1 hour was given, which was more than sufficient. 

Round 1:

This round was pretty basic and seemed like an elimination test. A sizable chunk of candidates was eliminated in this round. 

The first round was mainly based upon the written test. The interviewer quizzed me on my solution and gave me a modification question to solve. After he was satisfied with my solution, he asked me a few basic networks, DBMS questions. He asked me which language I prefer to code in and why. Since I answered that I prefer python, he asked me why I don’t use java as often and to highlight the contrast between python and java. He also quizzed me upon the set up that I use to code and why I so (from an OS and hardware perspective). 

Round 2:

Most of the interviews in this level were taken by senior-level executives of the company. 

My interviewer kicked things off with a substring search question, which I solved using a variation of the Rabin-Karp algorithm. This was to be written down within 10 minutes. I also explained an approach similar to the KMP algorithm. He was very impressed with my approach. He then asked me to write an algorithmic solution to the Egg Dropping puzzle, which I also managed in the first try. 

Further he asked a few questions on linked lists, circular linked lists, and a few basic questions on trees. He switched subjects and we had a discussion on networks- in-depth working of network devices, routing protocols, explanation of the OSI stack and what devices operate at which level. 

He then asked me about my area of interest, to which I replied Machine Learning and Data Mining. We had a basic discussion on the different projects I had done with ML and DM techniques and why I selected those in particular. He also asked me what the difference between DM and ML was. 

He then asked me about my background, my schooling, my hobbies and the internships I did. He asked me if I have any questions for him, to which I asked a replied with a few questions on some of the business and technical decisions that Oracle had made. 

The entire ordeal lasted for around 1 hour. He was very happy with my performance in this round and sent me directly to an HR person. 

Round 3:

This interview was taken by an HR Manager. He was extremely friendly and quizzed me on my hobbies and interests. After the pleasantries, he set up a few managerial situations and tried to judge my response to them. He asked me a few basic questions on my technical choices and about my location preference. 

Round 4:

This was the final round. About 10 people from ST and around 14 from APPS were selected for this round. It was a pure HR round containing questions like why Oracle?, what do you think you will gain by joining us? and a few questions about the PPT. 

17 students were selected at the end- 7 from ST and 10 from APPS. Furthur 3 were shortlisted and they were selected on a later date. 

GeeksforGeeks was my impetus for preparation. I truly would have been lost without it. 

Prepare well for your interviews and present all you know with the utmost confidence. Don’t hesitate to point out that you aren’t fully sure of a few answers. Good luck and Godspeed!