Upload Button Icon Add office photos
Engaged Employer

i

This company page is being actively managed by Cognizant Team. If you also belong to the team, you can get access from here

Cognizant Verified Tick

Compare button icon Compare button icon Compare

Filter interviews by

Cognizant Software Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Updated 28 Jun 2025

100 Interview questions

A Software Engineer was asked 1mo ago
Q. What is the Singleton design pattern?
Ans. 

The Singleton design pattern restricts a class to a single instance and provides a global access point to that instance.

  • Ensures a class has only one instance.

  • Provides a global point of access to that instance.

  • Useful for managing shared resources, like database connections.

  • Implemented using private constructors and static methods.

  • Example in Java: public class Singleton { private static Singleton instance; private S...

A Software Engineer was asked 1mo ago
Q. How does a Hashmap work internally?
Ans. 

A HashMap uses a hash table to store key-value pairs, allowing for efficient data retrieval and storage.

  • HashMap uses an array of buckets to store entries, where each bucket can hold multiple entries in case of collisions.

  • A hash function computes an index based on the key, determining where to store the value in the array.

  • When two keys hash to the same index, a collision occurs, which is typically handled using cha...

Software Engineer Interview Questions Asked at Other Companies

asked in Qualcomm
Q1. Four people need to cross a bridge at night with only one torch t ... read more
asked in Capgemini
Q2. In a dark room, there is a box of 18 white and 5 black gloves. Yo ... read more
Q3. Tell me something about yourself. Define encapsulation. What is i ... read more
asked in Paytm
Q4. Puzzle : 100 people are standing in a circle .each one is allowed ... read more
asked in TCS
Q5. Find the Duplicate Number Problem Statement Given an integer arra ... read more
A Software Engineer was asked 2mo ago
Q. Explain what an executable file is.
Ans. 

An .exe file is an executable file format used to run programs on Windows operating systems.

  • Executable Format: .exe files contain a program that can be executed directly by the operating system.

  • Windows OS: Primarily used in Windows environments, .exe files are not natively supported by other operating systems like macOS or Linux.

  • Installation Packages: Many software applications are distributed as .exe files, such ...

A Software Engineer was asked 3mo ago
Q. How would you copy data from an on-premise SQL server to ADLS, and from ADLS to Azure SQL?
Ans. 

Transfer data from on-premise SQL Server to Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) and then to Azure SQL Database efficiently.

  • Use Azure Data Factory: Create a pipeline in Azure Data Factory to copy data from SQL Server to ADLS using the Copy Data tool.

  • Linked Services: Set up linked services in Azure Data Factory for both the on-premise SQL Server and ADLS to facilitate data transfer.

  • Integration Runtime: Use a Self-hosted ...

What people are saying about Cognizant

View All
a junior software engineer
1w
Job offer in Malaysia - legit or scam?
Hey everyone, I received a job proposal from Mindgraph for a Junior Mainframe Developer position in Malaysia (onsite). Not sure if it's a real deal. They found my resume on Naukri and the offer includes: * Experience: 3+ years on cardlink, VSAM, CICS, JCL * Location: Malaysia (Accenture client in Kuala Lumpur) * Notice: 0-60 days * Benefits: One-way ticket, 1-week stay, medical insurance, visa. Has anyone heard of Mindgraph or had a similar experience? Note : This is a permanent position with Mindgragh and you need to work with our client Accenture - Malaysia (Kaula Lumpur) & we will provide one way Air Ticket from India - Malaysia, 1 Week Accommodation, Medical Insurance and will take care of the Visa process also. Any insights would be appreciated!
Got a question about Cognizant?
Ask anonymously on communities.
A Software Engineer was asked 4mo ago
Q. What is the use of lookup activity?
Ans. 

Lookup activity is used in Azure Data Factory to retrieve a single row from a dataset based on a specified key.

  • Lookup activity is used to retrieve data from a database or file system in Azure Data Factory.

  • It can be used to perform lookups on tables, views, or files.

  • The lookup activity requires a dataset and a query to specify the data to retrieve.

  • It is commonly used in data integration pipelines to fetch reference...

A Software Engineer was asked 6mo ago
Q. What are the basic Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts, including polymorphism and inheritance?
Ans. 

OOP concepts include encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction.

  • Encapsulation: Bundling data and methods that operate on the data into a single unit (class).

  • Inheritance: Allows a class to inherit properties and behavior from another class.

  • Polymorphism: Objects of different classes can be treated as objects of a common superclass.

  • Abstraction: Hides complex implementation details and only shows the ne...

A Software Engineer was asked 6mo ago
Q. What is the difference between a list and a tuple in Python?
Ans. 

List is mutable and can be modified, while tuple is immutable and cannot be changed.

  • Lists are defined using square brackets [], while tuples are defined using parentheses ().

  • Elements in a list can be changed, added, or removed, while elements in a tuple cannot be modified once it is created.

  • Lists are typically used for collections of similar items that may need to be modified, while tuples are used for fixed colle...

Are these interview questions helpful?
A Software Engineer was asked 7mo ago
Q. What is the difference between a physical file and a logical file?
Ans. 

Physical file stores data on disk, while logical file is a view of data from physical files.

  • Physical file contains actual data on disk

  • Logical file is a view of data from one or more physical files

  • Physical file is used for storage and retrieval of data

  • Logical file simplifies data access by providing a single view of related data

  • Changes to physical file structure affect all logical files based on it

A Software Engineer was asked 7mo ago
Q. How do you declare a file?
Ans. 

To declare a file in software development, you typically need to specify the file type, name, and location.

  • Use a file declaration statement in the programming language you are using (e.g. 'File myFile = new File("example.txt");' in Java)

  • Specify the file type if necessary (e.g. '.txt' for text files, '.csv' for CSV files)

  • Provide the file name and location within the declaration statement (e.g. 'example.txt' or 'C:/...

A Software Engineer was asked 7mo ago
Q. What are arrays, and how do they work?
Ans. 

Arrays are data structures that store multiple values of the same type in a single variable, allowing efficient data management.

  • Arrays are indexed collections, meaning each element can be accessed using its index. Example: `String[] fruits = {"Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"};`

  • They have a fixed size, defined at the time of creation. Example: `int[] numbers = new int[5];` creates an array of 5 integers.

  • Arrays can hold p...

Cognizant Software Engineer Interview Experiences

214 interviews found

Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Selected Selected
Round 1 - Technical 

(5 Questions)

  • Q1. What is Adls?how is it works
  • Ans. 

    Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) is a scalable data storage service for big data analytics in the cloud.

    • ADLS is designed for big data analytics, allowing storage of large amounts of unstructured data.

    • It integrates seamlessly with Azure services like Azure Databricks and Azure HDInsight.

    • ADLS supports hierarchical namespace, enabling efficient organization of data in directories.

    • It provides fine-grained access control usin...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. What is integration pipeline?how is it work?
  • Ans. 

    An integration pipeline automates the process of integrating code changes into a shared repository, ensuring quality and consistency.

    • Continuous Integration (CI) is a key component, where developers frequently merge code changes.

    • Automated tests run on each integration to catch bugs early, e.g., unit tests, integration tests.

    • Build automation tools like Jenkins or Travis CI are often used to manage the pipeline.

    • Deployment...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. Copy data from one on premise sql server to Adls and Adls to Azure SQL?
  • Q4. What is Azuredata bricks?
  • Q5. What is cluster? How is it work?
  • Ans. 

    A cluster is a group of interconnected computers that work together to perform tasks as a single system.

    • Clusters improve performance by distributing workloads across multiple machines.

    • They provide redundancy; if one node fails, others can take over (e.g., database clusters).

    • Common types include load-balancing clusters and high-availability clusters.

    • Examples include Hadoop clusters for big data processing and Kubernetes...

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - I am not advice the tips
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
No response

I applied via Company Website and was interviewed in Nov 2024. There were 3 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

Standard quantitative questions accompanied by logical reasoning and related topics.

Round 2 - Technical 

(4 Questions)

  • Q1. Asked about my projects.
  • Q2. What are the basic Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts, including polymorphism and inheritance?
  • Ans. 

    OOP concepts include encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction.

    • Encapsulation: Bundling data and methods that operate on the data into a single unit (class).

    • Inheritance: Allows a class to inherit properties and behavior from another class.

    • Polymorphism: Objects of different classes can be treated as objects of a common superclass.

    • Abstraction: Hides complex implementation details and only shows the necessa...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. Can you explain React, how it functions, and the related concepts?
  • Ans. 

    React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces.

    • React allows developers to create reusable UI components.

    • It uses a virtual DOM for efficient rendering.

    • React uses a declarative approach to define how the UI should look based on the application state.

    • It supports server-side rendering for improved performance.

    • React can be used with other libraries like Redux for state management.

  • Answered by AI
  • Q4. About my final year project and how would you improve it?
Round 3 - HR 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Can you introduce yourself and provide some information about your family?
  • Ans. 

    I am a software engineer with a passion for coding and problem-solving. I come from a close-knit family with supportive parents and siblings.

    • Software engineer with coding and problem-solving skills

    • Close-knit family with supportive parents and siblings

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. What are your strengths and weaknesses, and how are you addressing your weaknesses?
  • Ans. 

    My strengths include problem-solving and teamwork, while my weaknesses are time management and public speaking. I am addressing my weaknesses by taking time management courses and practicing public speaking.

    • Strengths: problem-solving, teamwork

    • Weaknesses: time management, public speaking

    • Addressing weaknesses: taking time management courses, practicing public speaking

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Be well-prepared for common interview questions and maintain a collection of these questions.
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Not Selected

I appeared for an interview in May 2025, where I was asked the following questions.

  • Q1. What is java?
  • Q2. What are in opps concepts?

Software Engineer Interview Questions & Answers

user image mounika chittinni

posted on 30 Dec 2024

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
Not Selected

I applied via Walk-in and was interviewed in Nov 2024. There were 5 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

Aptitude is one of best round, to improve our skills knowledge technology.

Round 2 - Group Discussion 

GD is one of best round, because I love this round, sharing my knowledge ideas thinking views, to others for company growth organization growth, this round shows how much skills r there in person can be easily identified .

Round 3 - HR 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Urs work experience ?
  • Q2. Urs new skills ?
  • Ans. 

    I have recently acquired skills in machine learning and data analysis.

    • Completed online courses in machine learning algorithms

    • Practiced data analysis techniques using Python and R

    • Attended workshops on deep learning models

  • Answered by AI
Round 4 - One-on-one 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Do u act as team lead?
  • Q2. Urs projects
Round 5 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. On technical how could u work from projects to projects
  • Q2. How many days u will work on single project
  • Ans. 

    The duration of working on a single project varies depending on the project complexity and requirements.

    • The duration of working on a single project can range from a few days to several months or even years.

    • Factors such as project scope, team size, resources, and deadlines influence the duration of the project.

    • For example, a small project with a clear scope may take a few days to complete, while a large-scale project ma...

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Topics to prepare for Cognizant Software Engineer interview:
  • Aws Devops Python
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - U must have confidence, flexible to work in any atmosphere
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Easy
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I applied via Campus Placement and was interviewed in Nov 2024. There were 2 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

Simple aptitude questions, multiple-choice questions, database management systems, and data structures.

Round 2 - Technical 

(3 Questions)

  • Q1. What is the difference between a list and a tuple in Python?
  • Ans. 

    List is mutable and can be modified, while tuple is immutable and cannot be changed.

    • Lists are defined using square brackets [], while tuples are defined using parentheses ().

    • Elements in a list can be changed, added, or removed, while elements in a tuple cannot be modified once it is created.

    • Lists are typically used for collections of similar items that may need to be modified, while tuples are used for fixed collection...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Basic sql queries
  • Q3. Project in detail questions
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Technical 

(5 Questions)

  • Q1. String vs Stringbuffer
  • Ans. 

    String is immutable, while StringBuffer is mutable, allowing for dynamic string manipulation without creating new objects.

    • Strings are immutable: Once created, their values cannot be changed. Example: String str = 'Hello'; str = str + ' World';

    • StringBuffer is mutable: It allows modification of the string without creating a new object. Example: StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer('Hello'); sb.append(' World');

    • Performance:...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Explain Collections
  • Ans. 

    Collections in programming are data structures that store groups of related objects, enabling efficient data management and manipulation.

    • Collections can be categorized into Lists, Sets, and Maps.

    • Lists (e.g., ArrayList) allow duplicate elements and maintain order.

    • Sets (e.g., HashSet) do not allow duplicates and are unordered.

    • Maps (e.g., HashMap) store key-value pairs for efficient data retrieval.

    • Collections provide meth...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. What is OOPS and explain
  • Ans. 

    OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) is a programming paradigm based on objects and classes to structure software design.

    • Encapsulation: Bundling data and methods that operate on the data within one unit (e.g., a class).

    • Inheritance: Mechanism to create a new class using properties and methods of an existing class (e.g., a 'Dog' class inheriting from an 'Animal' class).

    • Polymorphism: Ability to present the same interface for...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q4. What is Arrays and explain
  • Ans. 

    Arrays are data structures that store multiple values of the same type in a single variable, allowing efficient data management.

    • Arrays are indexed collections, meaning each element can be accessed using its index. Example: `String[] fruits = {"Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"};`

    • They have a fixed size, defined at the time of creation. Example: `int[] numbers = new int[5];` creates an array of 5 integers.

    • Arrays can hold primit...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q5. What is hashcode and explain
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

A challenging session featuring mathematical questions, puzzles, and a game round.

Round 2 - Coding Test 

It is quite easy and manageable to solve.

Round 3 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Coding Question
  • Q2. HTML,CSS,Data Structure,OOPS
Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. How to declare file
  • Q2. Difference between Physical file and logical file

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
3
Average
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Not Selected

I applied via Campus Placement and was interviewed in Sep 2024. There were 3 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

General aptitude questions

Round 2 - Coding Test 

Basic coding question

Round 3 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Basics of SQL and cloud
  • Q2. Some Python programming question

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - we must be strong in basics
Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-

I applied via Campus Placement

Round 1 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Python Data types
  • Q2. What is immutability

Cognizant Interview FAQs

How many rounds are there in Cognizant Software Engineer interview?
Cognizant interview process usually has 2-3 rounds. The most common rounds in the Cognizant interview process are Technical, Aptitude Test and HR.
How to prepare for Cognizant Software Engineer interview?
Go through your CV in detail and study all the technologies mentioned in your CV. Prepare at least two technologies or languages in depth if you are appearing for a technical interview at Cognizant. The most common topics and skills that interviewers at Cognizant expect are Spring Boot, Java, Software Engineering, Microservices and Javascript.
What are the top questions asked in Cognizant Software Engineer interview?

Some of the top questions asked at the Cognizant Software Engineer interview -

  1. 2.What programming language are you proficient with...read more
  2. two puzzles: 1. how can you cut a cake in 8 pieces in minimum number of cuts(an...read more
  3. 1. Project description 2. Technologies used in recent project 3. What is depend...read more
What are the most common questions asked in Cognizant Software Engineer HR round?

The most common HR questions asked in Cognizant Software Engineer interview are -

  1. What are your strengths and weakness...read more
  2. Where do you see yourself in 5 yea...read more
  3. Tell me about yourse...read more
How long is the Cognizant Software Engineer interview process?

The duration of Cognizant Software Engineer interview process can vary, but typically it takes about less than 2 weeks to complete.

Tell us how to improve this page.

Overall Interview Experience Rating

4.2/5

based on 163 interview experiences

Difficulty level

Easy 28%
Moderate 71%
Hard 1%

Duration

Less than 2 weeks 58%
2-4 weeks 32%
4-6 weeks 6%
6-8 weeks 1%
More than 8 weeks 3%
View more
Cognizant Software Engineer Salary
based on 17.8k salaries
₹2.3 L/yr - ₹14.7 L/yr
11% less than the average Software Engineer Salary in India
View more details

Cognizant Software Engineer Reviews and Ratings

based on 1.2k reviews

3.7/5

Rating in categories

3.6

Skill development

3.6

Work-life balance

3.3

Salary

3.4

Job security

3.6

Company culture

3.0

Promotions

3.4

Work satisfaction

Explore 1.2k Reviews and Ratings
Software Engineer - FSE

Chennai

4-6 Yrs

₹ 3.6-20 LPA

Software Engineer

Hyderabad / Secunderabad

3-6 Yrs

₹ 4.1-7.5 LPA

Software Engineer

Chennai

5-8 Yrs

Not Disclosed

Explore more jobs
Associate
73.2k salaries
unlock blur

₹5.1 L/yr - ₹14.4 L/yr

Programmer Analyst
56.2k salaries
unlock blur

₹2 L/yr - ₹8 L/yr

Senior Associate
52.8k salaries
unlock blur

₹9 L/yr - ₹28.8 L/yr

Senior Processing Executive
29.8k salaries
unlock blur

₹1.4 L/yr - ₹9 L/yr

Technical Lead
18.1k salaries
unlock blur

₹6 L/yr - ₹25.5 L/yr

Explore more salaries
Compare Cognizant with

TCS

3.6
Compare

Infosys

3.6
Compare

Wipro

3.7
Compare

Accenture

3.8
Compare
write
Share an Interview