The Online Assessment primarily focused on problem-solving and Data Structures & Algorithms. There were 4 coding questions with increasing difficulty levels ranging from easy to highly challenging. Problem 1 (Easy) The first question was a Greedy Algorithm based problem. The solution required identifying the optimal choice at every step and implementing it efficiently. The problem was straightforward once the greedy observation was made, and I was able to solve it completely. Problem 2 (Medium) The second question was of medium difficulty and involved: Priority Queues (Heaps) Sorting Careful handling of multiple conditions Although the concepts involved were standard, the implementation was lengthy and not very straightforward. The challenge was more about correctly interpreting the requirements and handling edge cases rather than discovering a complex algorithm. I successfully completed this problem as well. Problem 3 (Hard) The third problem was significantly more challenging. It involved a matrix/grid traversal scenario where a person travels from a starting point to a destination while collecting resources (loot) along the path. After reaching the destination, the person had to return to the starting position. However, during the return journey, cells that had already been looted became inaccessible because they were considered occupied by police. The problem essentially required: Multiple DFS traversals State management between journeys Careful path selection Optimization of collected rewards The question resembled advanced grid DP/DFS problems where decisions made in the first traversal directly affect the second traversal. Although I developed the approach, the implementation was considerably difficult due to the large number of states and constraints involved. Problem 4 (Very Hard) The final problem was the most complex of the assessment and required advanced algorithmic thinking under time pressure. It was designed to differentiate top-performing candidates and involved multiple layers of optimization and edge-case handling. Overall, the Online Assessment was considerably more DSA-focused than I initially expected.
After clearing the Online Assessment, I was shortlisted for the technical interview. The interview began with coding and problem-solving discussions. DSA Questions I was asked to solve two coding problems: Problem 1: Greedy Algorithm The first question required identifying a greedy strategy and justifying why the local optimum would lead to a globally optimal solution. The interviewer was interested not only in the implementation but also in the reasoning behind the approach and its time complexity. Problem 2: Dynamic Programming The second question involved: Recursion Memoization Dynamic Programming state design I first explained the recursive solution and then optimized it using memoization. The interviewer asked follow-up questions regarding state transitions, overlapping subproblems, and complexity analysis. Core Computer Science Subjects After the coding discussion, the interview moved towards fundamental computer science concepts. Questions were asked from areas such as: Operating Systems Database Management Systems Computer Networks Object-Oriented Programming concepts The interviewer focused on understanding conceptual clarity rather than expecting textbook definitions. Project Discussion The interviewer then reviewed my projects and asked questions regarding: Project architecture Technologies used Design decisions Challenges faced during implementation Possible improvements and scalability considerations The discussion was interactive and focused on assessing practical software development experience