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Cognizant Software Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Updated 28 Jun 2025

148 Interview questions

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. Explain the React hooks that you have used.
Ans. 

React hooks are functions that let you use state and lifecycle features in functional components.

  • useState: Allows you to add state to functional components. Example: const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

  • useEffect: Enables side effects in functional components. Example: useEffect(() => { document.title = `Count: ${count}`; }, [count]);

  • useContext: Lets you access context values without prop drilling. Example: co...

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What are closures?
Ans. 

Closures are functions that capture the lexical scope in which they were defined, allowing access to variables from that scope.

  • A closure is created when a function is defined inside another function.

  • Closures can access variables from their parent function even after the parent function has executed.

  • Example: function outer() { let x = 10; return function inner() { return x; }; } const getX = outer(); getX(); // ret...

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A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What is the difference between final, finally, and finalize?
Ans. 

final, finally, and finalize are keywords in Java with distinct purposes related to variables, blocks, and garbage collection.

  • final: Used to declare constants. Example: final int MAX_VALUE = 100;

  • finally: A block that executes after try-catch, regardless of exceptions. Example: try { ... } catch { ... } finally { cleanup(); }

  • finalize: A method called by the garbage collector before an object is removed. Example: pr...

🔥 Asked by recruiter 2 times
A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What are the features of Java 8?
Ans. 

Java 8 introduced several new features including lambda expressions, functional interfaces, streams, and default methods.

  • Lambda expressions allow you to write code in a more concise and readable way.

  • Functional interfaces are interfaces with a single abstract method, which can be implemented using lambda expressions.

  • Streams provide a way to work with sequences of elements and perform operations like filter, map, an...

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I have 5+ years of experience in springboot microservices, currently working in CTS and having 10L CTC , wanted to switch in Infosys or Accenture like companies, how much should I ask for 15L-18L ? Just worried if I ask more they can reject my application, please help me with some numbers
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A Software Engineer was asked
Q. Explain method hiding.
Ans. 

Method hiding occurs when a subclass defines a method with the same name as a static method in its superclass.

  • Method hiding is specific to static methods in Java.

  • The static method in the subclass hides the static method in the superclass.

  • Example: If class A has a static method 'display()' and class B extends A with its own 'display()', B's method hides A's method.

  • Method hiding is resolved at compile time, not runt...

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. Which frameworks do you have experience with?
Ans. 

I have experience working with the Angular framework.

  • Developed web applications using Angular framework

  • Implemented features like data binding, routing, and services

  • Worked with Angular CLI for project setup and management

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What are the differences between joins?
Ans. 

Joins are used in databases to combine rows from two or more tables based on a related column between them.

  • Inner Join: Returns rows when there is at least one match in both tables.

  • Left Join (or Left Outer Join): Returns all rows from the left table and the matched rows from the right table.

  • Right Join (or Right Outer Join): Returns all rows from the right table and the matched rows from the left table.

  • Full Join (or...

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A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What is a sequence?
Ans. 

A sequence is a ordered list of elements or events following a specific pattern or order.

  • A sequence can be in ascending or descending order.

  • Examples include Fibonacci sequence, arithmetic progression, and DNA sequence.

  • Sequences can be finite or infinite.

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What are views and materialized views?
Ans. 

Views and materialized views are database objects that store queries and results for easy access and improved performance.

  • Views are virtual tables created by a query, allowing users to access specific data without storing it physically.

  • Materialized views are physical copies of query results that are stored on disk, improving performance by reducing the need to re-run the query.

  • Materialized views need to be refresh...

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What is the difference between procedures and functions?
Ans. 

Procedures do not return values while functions return values.

  • Procedures are a set of instructions that perform a specific task without returning a value.

  • Functions are a set of instructions that perform a specific task and return a value.

  • Procedures are called using the CALL statement in SQL.

  • Functions are called by using their name followed by parentheses containing any arguments.

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.

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
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?
  • Ans. 

    Java is a high-level, object-oriented programming language designed for portability and performance across platforms.

    • Developed by Sun Microsystems in 1995, now owned by Oracle.

    • Java is platform-independent due to the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

    • It follows the principle of 'Write Once, Run Anywhere' (WORA).

    • Java is widely used for building enterprise applications, mobile apps (Android), and web applications.

    • Example: A simp...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. What are in opps concepts?
  • Ans. 

    OOP concepts include encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction, fundamental for object-oriented programming.

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

    • Inheritance: Mechanism where a new class derives properties and behavior from an existing class (e.g., a 'Dog' class inheriting from an 'Animal' class).

    • Polymorphism: Ability to present the same interf...

  • Answered by AI

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.

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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 17.9k salaries
₹2.3 L/yr - ₹14.7 L/yr
12% 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

Coimbatore

5-8 Yrs

Not Disclosed

Software Engineer

Coimbatore

5-8 Yrs

Not Disclosed

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