I recently participated in the Cognizant on-campus hiring process and got selected for GenC Next (6.75 LPA). Here’s a detailed breakdown of all the rounds, the type of questions asked, and my overall experience.
Round 1: Communication Assessment
Date: 18 November 2025
Mode: Online (Home)
Duration: 60 Minutes
This round focused entirely on communication skills. It included:
- Listening comprehension
- Speaking assessment
- Grammar-based questions
- Sentence correction and verbal ability
The speaking section evaluated pronunciation, clarity, and fluency. Make sure you use a good headset and sit in a quiet environment.
Round 2: Aptitude Test
- Date: 19 November 2025
- Mode: Online (Home)
- Duration: 80 Minutes
This round consisted of 20–30 Quantitative Aptitude Questions
- Profit & Loss
- Time & Work
- Speed, Time & Distance
- Percentages
- Logical reasoning
- 4–5 Gamified Puzzle Rounds
- The gamified section was interesting but required good concentration and quick thinking.
Round 3: Technical Assessment
- Date: 15 December 2025
- Mode: Offline
- Duration: 120 Minutes
- Cluster: Java
This round was based on the selected technical cluster (mine was Java).
Coding Questions (2)
- Print frequency of each character in a string
- String matching problem
SQL Questions (2)
- Given a schema diagram, write queries using joins to generate required results
Java MCQs (10)
- OOP concepts
- Exception handling
- Multithreading
- Core Java fundamentals
The coding level was moderate. Practice string problems and SQL joins thoroughly.
Round 4: First Interview (Technical + HR)
- Date: 17 December 2025
- Mode: Offline (Interview conducted online via Superset platform
- Duration: ~30 Minutes
1. Introduction: The interviewer asked me to introduce myself.
2. Java Questions
- OOP principles
- Multithreading
- Static keyword
- Error handling
- Coding Question: Write a program to print the frequency of each character in a string
3. SQL Questions
- Difference between DELETE, DROP, and TRUNCATE
- What is Index?
- Query to get highest salary employee
4. HR Questions
- Are you willing to relocate?
- Comfortable with night shifts?
- The interview was smooth and mainly focused on core Java and SQL basics.
Round 5: Second Interview (Only for GenC Next / Pro Candidates)
Date: 8 January 2026
Mode: Online (Home via Superset)
Duration: ~40 Minutes
This round was conducted only for candidates who performed well in the technical assessment.
Java Questions
- Basic Java concepts (similar to first interview)
- Write code to find square root of a number using Binary Search
SQL Questions
- Query to get persons whose name contains 'a'
Advanced Java Topics
- Spring Framework
- Spring Boot
- Annotations
REST API
HR Questions
- Similar to previous round
This round focused more on Java-based technologies and backend development concepts.
Final Result
- Selected for: GenC Next
- Package: 6.75 LPA
- Result Declared: 13 February 2026 (via TPO)
- LOI Received: 20 February 2026
- Currently waiting for the Offer Letter (OL) and Date of Joining (DOJ).