TCS Interview Experience 2023

I wanted to be a part of TCS with not many profound skills in coding and technology, I finally got placed in the TCS Digital cadre of the 2023 batch. In this blog, I’ll share my preparation and knowledge requisites, interview experience, and strategies to help crack the interview.

Intended audience: This article is to motivate and clear inhibitions of engineering students in placements regarding TCS Digital Interview. It is also targeted toward pre-final year students who can align their work direction with the required skill set.

Just like any other struggling computer engineering student who spent 1.5 years of college in lockdown, I was extremely scared that I would get placed in a good company. Though I had a very good CGPA till my 3rd year, I was not confident about competitive programming and technologies. I started my placement preparation 2 months before the NQT exam. I started with Aptitude(Quantitative, Logical, and Reasoning) to begin with and then moved towards coding. I focused more on the basics of coding starting from Arrays and Strings to Optimization Algorithms. After a month, there it was! I qualified in the 1st stage by clearing the Digital NQT exam. The next step was the interview and I had not more than 3 days to prepare for it.

As it is said, your performance in the interview is a reflection of the knowledge you have amassed during the first few years of engineering. Unlike the written exam, the main focus is to be able to communicate our knowledge and explain or define certain concepts and terms. Hence, theoretical knowledge is required. These subjects include-

1. Object Oriented Programming – Polymorphism, Encapsulation, Classes and Objects
2. Data Structures and Algorithms – Queue, Stacks, LIFO FIFO Principles, etc.
3. Database Technologies – DDL DML statements, JOINS, VIEWS, and SUB QUERIES.
4. Latest Technologies – ML, Cloud, Blockchain (Basic idea)
5. Programming Language – Anyone from (C, Python) and (C++, Java)

My TCS Digital Interview lasted for about 45 minutes, comprising the Technical Managerial and HR rounds together. I had almost waited for 1.5 hours in the lobby and was finally let in. There was an identity check so it is advised to have a soft copy of Government ID proof and College ID cards(if fresher) and a list of documents.

Once the verification was done, I was asked to give a quick introduction about yourself.

ROUND 1 [TECHNICAL ROUND]:

• How much do you rate yourself as a coder?

I gave myself a 6 to 7 explaining that I am not good with logic building in programming. Such questions are meant to be answered with honesty, so do not give a high number and get bombarded with difficult questions.

• Discuss the logic to get the first index of 1 from an array of 0’s and 1’s.

Rather than focusing on the solution, they asked me to explain my fundamental thinking process. Best case worst case analysis and questions on optimization searches were asked. Also, the calculation of several iterations to obtain the solution.

• Optimized solution to print a range of prime numbers.

Techniques to reduce iterations, and Basic idea about the sieve algorithm.

• What is the most important function of a C program? Is main() a user-defined or pre-defined function?

It is a pre-declared user-defined function.

• Compare C and Python in their functionalities.
• Explain Encapsulation and where data members are bound.

The data members and member functions are bound inside the class of the object.

• Explain your final year project and the tech stack used. Questions from other projects I had mentioned in my CV were also asked.

The best place to let the interviewer know about your interests and skillsets. Put your best foot in explaining your projects in the best way possible.

• Differentiate between clustering and classification in Machine Learning.
• What is NLP and what few practical applications of NLP?
• What is wrapper class in JAVA?

I did not know the answer as I did not know Java. I said I will read about it.

• Explain the paging and segmentation technique in OS.
• What is a Deadlock? Conditions of a deadlock. How to solve it? (didn’t know how to solve it!)
• Difference between a compiler and an interpreter
• What is a PDA? How is it different from normal automata and Turing machines?
• Types of JOINS in DBMS.
• Difference between UNION and JOIN.
• Types of Cloud and which type is most suitable for an enterprise
• What are the current technologies that are changing the world?
• Basic working flow of blockchain technology
• What is the principle of Sentiment Analysis in NLP?

ROUND 2 [MANAGERIAL ROUND]:

• How will you ensure team spirit in your team?
• What is your idea of a good work culture?
• How will you be an asset to the team you are working with?
• If there is a skill that is required for the project, will you be willing to learn it?

ROUND 3 [HR ROUND]:

• What is your dream company?
• Why TCS?
• How do you think joining TCS will help you achieve your career goals?

Two strengths and weaknesses as a person

The interview was done and I was told that I would receive my results in a few days. In a week, I got an email that I had cleared the interview and placed in TCS Digital!

It is important to keep our calm and display a composed attitude and most important, a willingness to learn when we are not able to answer a question. Some questions might seem easy and are the places to score so extend your conversation about those topics that you are confident about to make the interviewer overlook a few questions that you did not answer.

This was my interview experience. Hope it Helps!

ALL THE BEST!!