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EXL Service Data Scientist Interview Questions and Answers

Updated 27 May 2025

12 Interview questions

A Data Scientist was asked 4w ago
Q. How would you train a sentence classification model?
Ans. 

Train a sentence classification model using labeled data, feature extraction, and machine learning algorithms.

  • Collect a labeled dataset of sentences with corresponding categories (e.g., positive, negative, neutral).

  • Preprocess the text data: tokenize, remove stop words, and apply stemming or lemmatization.

  • Convert sentences into numerical features using techniques like TF-IDF or word embeddings (e.g., Word2Vec, GloV...

A Data Scientist was asked 4w ago
Q. What is the difference between a normal LSTM and a bi-directional LSTM?
Ans. 

Normal LSTM processes data in one direction, while bi-directional LSTM processes data in both forward and backward directions.

  • Normal LSTM reads input sequences from start to end, capturing temporal dependencies in one direction.

  • Bi-directional LSTM consists of two LSTMs: one processes the input sequence forward, and the other processes it backward.

  • This dual processing allows bi-directional LSTMs to capture context ...

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A Data Scientist was asked 4w ago
Q. Given a list of numbers, create a dictionary where the key is a unique value and the value of this key is the number of occurrences within the given list. Please share your screen and write Python code for ...
Ans. 

Create a dictionary from a list where keys are unique numbers and values are their counts.

  • Use Python's built-in collections module, specifically Counter, to simplify counting occurrences.

  • Example: For the list [1, 2, 2, 3], the output should be {1: 1, 2: 2, 3: 1}.

  • Alternatively, use a loop to iterate through the list and build the dictionary manually.

A Data Scientist was asked 4w ago
Q. Do you have knowledge of LangGraph or other libraries for AI agents?
Ans. 

LangGraph is a library for building AI agents that can understand and generate natural language.

  • LangGraph allows for the creation of conversational agents that can engage in dialogue.

  • It supports various natural language processing tasks, such as sentiment analysis and text summarization.

  • Example: Using LangGraph to build a chatbot that can answer customer queries in real-time.

  • The library integrates with machine lea...

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A Data Scientist was asked 6mo ago
Q. How do you handle missing values?
Ans. 

Handling missing values is crucial for accurate data analysis and model performance.

  • 1. Remove missing values: If the dataset is large, consider dropping rows or columns with missing values. Example: df.dropna() in pandas.

  • 2. Imputation: Replace missing values with statistical measures like mean, median, or mode. Example: df.fillna(df.mean()) for mean imputation.

  • 3. Predictive modeling: Use algorithms to predict and ...

A Data Scientist was asked 6mo ago
Q. What is overfitting?
Ans. 

Overfitting occurs when a model learns noise instead of the underlying pattern, leading to poor generalization on new data.

  • Overfitting happens when a model is too complex, capturing noise in the training data.

  • Example: A polynomial regression model with a high degree may fit training data perfectly but perform poorly on test data.

  • Signs of overfitting include a large gap between training and validation accuracy.

  • Tech...

A Data Scientist was asked
Q. How do you handle an imbalanced dataset?
Ans. 

Handling imbalanced datasets involves techniques like resampling, using different algorithms, and adjusting class weights.

  • Use resampling techniques like oversampling the minority class or undersampling the majority class.

  • Utilize algorithms that are robust to imbalanced datasets, such as Random Forest, XGBoost, or SVM.

  • Adjust class weights in the model to give more importance to the minority class.

  • Use techniques lik...

Are these interview questions helpful?
A Data Scientist was asked
Q. How would you measure model effectiveness without using any confusion matrix metrics, given the data is highly imbalanced?
Ans. 

One way to measure model effectiveness without using confusion matrix metrics is by using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC).

  • Calculate the AUC-ROC score to evaluate the model's ability to distinguish between positive and negative classes.

  • AUC-ROC considers the entire range of classification thresholds and is insensitive to class imbalance.

  • Higher AUC-ROC score indicates better model per...

A Data Scientist was asked
Q. What is the BLEU score in Regression?
Ans. 

Blue score is not a term used in regression analysis.

  • Blue score is not a standard term in regression analysis

  • It is possible that the interviewer meant to ask about another metric such as R-squared or mean squared error

  • Without further context, it is difficult to provide a more specific answer

A Data Scientist was asked
Q. What is the difference between bagging and boosting?
Ans. 

Bagging and boosting are ensemble learning techniques used to improve model performance.

  • Bagging involves training multiple models on different subsets of the training data and combining their predictions through averaging or voting.

  • Boosting involves iteratively training models on the same data, with each subsequent model focusing on the errors of the previous model.

  • Bagging reduces overfitting and variance, while b...

EXL Service Data Scientist Interview Experiences

10 interviews found

Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
No response

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

  • Q1. Introduce yourself
  • Ans. 

    Data scientist with a strong background in statistics, machine learning, and data visualization, passionate about solving complex problems.

    • Educational Background: Master's degree in Data Science from XYZ University.

    • Technical Skills: Proficient in Python, R, SQL, and machine learning libraries like TensorFlow and Scikit-learn.

    • Professional Experience: Worked at ABC Corp, where I developed predictive models that improved ...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Tell me about RAG project which you have mentioned in your resume.
  • Q3. For what purpose are you using langchain in your RAG project?
  • Ans. 

    LangChain enhances RAG projects by streamlining data retrieval and processing for improved AI model performance.

    • Facilitates integration of various data sources, such as APIs and databases, for seamless information retrieval.

    • Enables efficient document processing and indexing, allowing for quick access to relevant data.

    • Supports the creation of custom pipelines for data transformation, enhancing the quality of input for A...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q4. Are you having knowledge of langgraph or other library for AI agents?
  • Ans. 

    LangGraph is a library for building AI agents that can understand and generate natural language.

    • LangGraph allows for the creation of conversational agents that can engage in dialogue.

    • It supports various natural language processing tasks, such as sentiment analysis and text summarization.

    • Example: Using LangGraph to build a chatbot that can answer customer queries in real-time.

    • The library integrates with machine learning...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q5. Can you tell me about models you have used for computer vision project?
  • Ans. 

    I have utilized various models like CNNs, transfer learning, and segmentation techniques for diverse computer vision projects.

    • Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for image classification tasks, e.g., classifying images of animals.

    • Transfer learning with pre-trained models like VGG16 and ResNet for fine-tuning on specific datasets, such as facial recognition.

    • Object detection using YOLO (You Only Look Once) for real-time...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q6. What about deployment of Machine Learning and Deep Learning models?
  • Ans. 

    Deployment of ML/DL models involves integrating them into production systems for real-time predictions and decision-making.

    • Model Serving: Use frameworks like TensorFlow Serving or TorchServe to expose models as APIs.

    • Containerization: Deploy models using Docker to ensure consistency across environments.

    • Monitoring: Implement tools like Prometheus or Grafana to track model performance and data drift.

    • Scaling: Use cloud ser...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q7. How many teams are there within my office?
  • Q8. Why you are looking for job change?
  • Ans. 

    I'm seeking new challenges to grow my skills and contribute to innovative projects in a dynamic environment.

    • Desire for professional growth: I'm eager to expand my expertise in machine learning and data analysis.

    • Interest in innovative projects: I want to work on cutting-edge technologies, such as AI and big data solutions.

    • Cultural fit: I'm looking for a collaborative environment that values creativity and teamwork.

    • Caree...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q9. Why fine-tuning of models is required?
  • Ans. 

    Fine-tuning adjusts pre-trained models to improve performance on specific tasks or datasets.

    • Enhances model accuracy by adapting to specific data distributions.

    • Reduces overfitting by leveraging knowledge from pre-trained models.

    • Saves time and resources compared to training from scratch.

    • Example: Fine-tuning a language model for sentiment analysis on product reviews.

    • Allows for transfer learning, where knowledge from one d...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q10. Tell me about LSTM.
  • Ans. 

    LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) is a type of recurrent neural network designed to learn long-term dependencies in sequential data.

    • LSTMs are used in natural language processing for tasks like language translation and sentiment analysis.

    • They can remember information for long periods, making them suitable for time series forecasting.

    • LSTMs mitigate the vanishing gradient problem common in traditional RNNs.

    • An example applicat...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q11. What is difference between Normal LSTM and bi-directional LSTM?
  • Ans. 

    Normal LSTM processes data in one direction, while bi-directional LSTM processes data in both forward and backward directions.

    • Normal LSTM reads input sequences from start to end, capturing temporal dependencies in one direction.

    • Bi-directional LSTM consists of two LSTMs: one processes the input sequence forward, and the other processes it backward.

    • This dual processing allows bi-directional LSTMs to capture context from ...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q12. How you will train sentence classification model?
  • Ans. 

    Train a sentence classification model using labeled data, feature extraction, and machine learning algorithms.

    • Collect a labeled dataset of sentences with corresponding categories (e.g., positive, negative, neutral).

    • Preprocess the text data: tokenize, remove stop words, and apply stemming or lemmatization.

    • Convert sentences into numerical features using techniques like TF-IDF or word embeddings (e.g., Word2Vec, GloVe).

    • Sp...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q13. Given a list of numbers, create dictionary where key is unique value and 'value of this key' is number of occurrences within the given list. Share your screen and write python code for this.
  • Ans. 

    Create a dictionary from a list where keys are unique numbers and values are their counts.

    • Use Python's built-in collections module, specifically Counter, to simplify counting occurrences.

    • Example: For the list [1, 2, 2, 3], the output should be {1: 1, 2: 2, 3: 1}.

    • Alternatively, use a loop to iterate through the list and build the dictionary manually.

  • Answered by AI
  • Q14. How to deal with imbalanced dataset?
  • Ans. 

    Imbalanced datasets can skew model performance; various techniques can help mitigate this issue.

    • Resampling techniques: Use oversampling (e.g., SMOTE) or undersampling to balance classes.

    • Use different evaluation metrics: Focus on precision, recall, and F1-score instead of accuracy.

    • Implement cost-sensitive learning: Assign higher misclassification costs to minority class instances.

    • Try ensemble methods: Techniques like Ra...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q15. What are your salary expectations, preferred location and notice period?
  • Ans. 

    I'm seeking a competitive salary, flexible location, and a notice period of two weeks.

    • Salary expectations: Based on market research, I expect a salary in the range of $90,000 to $120,000, depending on the role and responsibilities.

    • Preferred location: I am open to remote work but would prefer a hybrid model with occasional office visits in New York or San Francisco.

    • Notice period: I am currently employed and would need t...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q16. Sort a given list of numbers without using in-built sort function. Need to write python code.
  • Ans. 

    Implementing a sorting algorithm in Python to sort a list of numbers without using built-in functions.

    • Use the Bubble Sort algorithm: repeatedly swap adjacent elements if they are in the wrong order.

    • Example: For the list [5, 2, 9, 1], after one pass it becomes [2, 5, 1, 9].

    • Consider using the Selection Sort algorithm: find the minimum element and swap it with the first unsorted element.

    • Example: For the list [64, 25, 12, ...

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Be confident and well-prepared with the projects which you have mentioned in resume. Job description includes "Generative AI" experience in my case. So, you can prepare according to job description shared by the company.
Interview experience
3
Average
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Not Selected

I applied via Company Website and was interviewed in Jun 2024. There were 2 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

Basic aptitude , tech aptitude

Round 2 - One-on-one 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. What is overfitting
  • Ans. 

    Overfitting occurs when a model learns noise instead of the underlying pattern, leading to poor generalization on new data.

    • Overfitting happens when a model is too complex, capturing noise in the training data.

    • Example: A polynomial regression model with a high degree may fit training data perfectly but perform poorly on test data.

    • Signs of overfitting include a large gap between training and validation accuracy.

    • Technique...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. How to handle missing values
  • Ans. 

    Handling missing values is crucial for accurate data analysis and model performance.

    • 1. Remove missing values: If the dataset is large, consider dropping rows or columns with missing values. Example: df.dropna() in pandas.

    • 2. Imputation: Replace missing values with statistical measures like mean, median, or mode. Example: df.fillna(df.mean()) for mean imputation.

    • 3. Predictive modeling: Use algorithms to predict and fill ...

  • Answered by AI

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-

I appeared for an interview in Nov 2024.

Round 1 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Project related questions
  • Q2. Coding questions
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
No response

I applied via Naukri.com and was interviewed in Feb 2024. There was 1 interview round.

Round 1 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Cross validation
  • Q2. How to handle imbalanced dataset
  • Ans. 

    Handling imbalanced datasets involves techniques like resampling, using different algorithms, and adjusting class weights.

    • Use resampling techniques like oversampling the minority class or undersampling the majority class.

    • Utilize algorithms that are robust to imbalanced datasets, such as Random Forest, XGBoost, or SVM.

    • Adjust class weights in the model to give more importance to the minority class.

    • Use techniques like SMO...

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - most questions will be from your projects/work exp

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

Statistics based questions

Round 2 - Case Study 

Basic case study any topic

Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Technical 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Sql, python, ml based questions
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Hard
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
Not Selected

I appeared for an interview in Nov 2022.

Round 1 - Resume Shortlist 
Pro Tip by AmbitionBox:
Keep your resume crisp and to the point. A recruiter looks at your resume for an average of 6 seconds, make sure to leave the best impression.
View all tips
Round 2 - Technical 

(3 Questions)

  • Q1. Difference between bagging and boosting
  • Ans. 

    Bagging and boosting are ensemble learning techniques used to improve model performance.

    • Bagging involves training multiple models on different subsets of the training data and combining their predictions through averaging or voting.

    • Boosting involves iteratively training models on the same data, with each subsequent model focusing on the errors of the previous model.

    • Bagging reduces overfitting and variance, while boosti...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. How would you measure model effectiveness without using any of confusion matrix metrics given the data is highly imbalanced
  • Ans. 

    One way to measure model effectiveness without using confusion matrix metrics is by using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC).

    • Calculate the AUC-ROC score to evaluate the model's ability to distinguish between positive and negative classes.

    • AUC-ROC considers the entire range of classification thresholds and is insensitive to class imbalance.

    • Higher AUC-ROC score indicates better model performa...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. What is Blue score in Regression
  • Ans. 

    Blue score is not a term used in regression analysis.

    • Blue score is not a standard term in regression analysis

    • It is possible that the interviewer meant to ask about another metric such as R-squared or mean squared error

    • Without further context, it is difficult to provide a more specific answer

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Topics to prepare for EXL Service Data Scientist interview:
  • Machine Learning
  • Statistics
  • Regression Analysis
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - prepare for an end-to-end ML case study. Model evaluation metrics and model building approaches

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
3
Average
Difficulty level
Easy
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I applied via Approached by Company and was interviewed before Sep 2023. There was 1 interview round.

Round 1 - One-on-one 

(3 Questions)

  • Q1. Statistics basic questions
  • Q2. Linear regression vs logistics regression
  • Ans. 

    Linear regression is used for continuous variables, while logistic regression is used for binary classification.

    • Linear regression is used to predict continuous values, such as predicting house prices based on square footage.

    • Logistic regression is used for binary classification, such as predicting whether an email is spam or not.

    • Linear regression assumes a linear relationship between the independent and dependent variab...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. Cross entropy vs binary cross
  • Ans. 

    Cross entropy is a general term for loss functions used in classification tasks, while binary cross entropy is specifically used for binary classification tasks.

    • Cross entropy is a measure of the difference between two probability distributions, often used in multi-class classification tasks.

    • Binary cross entropy is a specific form of cross entropy used for binary classification tasks, where the output is either 0 or 1.

    • C...

  • Answered by AI

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
3
Average
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I applied via Naukri.com and was interviewed before Jun 2023. There were 2 interview rounds.

Round 1 - One-on-one 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Questions on Data Analysis
Round 2 - Behavioral 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Questions to check the culture fit

I applied via Recruitment Consultant and was interviewed in Jul 2021. There were 3 interview rounds.

Interview Questionnaire 

1 Question

  • Q1. Use case for insurance domain
  • Ans. 

    Predicting insurance claims using machine learning algorithms.

    • Fraud detection in insurance claims

    • Risk assessment for insurance policies

    • Pricing optimization for insurance products

    • Customer segmentation for targeted marketing

    • Predictive maintenance for insurance assets

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Be prepared with one use case in story telling way

EXL Service Interview FAQs

How many rounds are there in EXL Service Data Scientist interview?
EXL Service interview process usually has 1-2 rounds. The most common rounds in the EXL Service interview process are Technical, One-on-one Round and Aptitude Test.
How to prepare for EXL Service Data Scientist 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 EXL Service. The most common topics and skills that interviewers at EXL Service expect are Python, Machine Learning, SQL, Data Science and NLP.
What are the top questions asked in EXL Service Data Scientist interview?

Some of the top questions asked at the EXL Service Data Scientist interview -

  1. How would you measure model effectiveness without using any of confusion matrix...read more
  2. What is Blue score in Regress...read more
  3. Given a list of numbers, create dictionary where key is unique value and 'value...read more

Tell us how to improve this page.

Overall Interview Experience Rating

3.9/5

based on 9 interview experiences

Difficulty level

Easy 17%
Moderate 67%
Hard 17%

Duration

Less than 2 weeks 50%
2-4 weeks 50%
View more
EXL Service Data Scientist Salary
based on 198 salaries
₹12.9 L/yr - ₹24 L/yr
12% more than the average Data Scientist Salary in India
View more details

EXL Service Data Scientist Reviews and Ratings

based on 18 reviews

3.3/5

Rating in categories

3.2

Skill development

3.7

Work-life balance

2.5

Salary

3.4

Job security

3.2

Company culture

2.7

Promotions

2.8

Work satisfaction

Explore 18 Reviews and Ratings
Data Scientist Machine Learning Modeling

Gurgaon / Gurugram,

Bangalore / Bengaluru

4-9 Yrs

Not Disclosed

GenAI Data Scientist

Noida,

Gurgaon / Gurugram

+1

2-5 Yrs

₹ 10-27.5 LPA

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