NTPC Interview Questions, Process, and Tips for Freshers

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: While preparing the resume I ensured that I write my points in a short and simple manner. My motive behind this was that the reader understands what I want to convey in just one reading.
Tips: Write all your points in a very compact manner. Mention all your activities, your achievements in sports, any distinguishing qualities like leadership and the likes. Also mention about your co-curricular activities in anti-chronological order.

Round: Test
Experience: For the written test of NTPC I searched on the internet and found numerous questions posted by many previous NTPC applicants on different websites. I solved these questions and also tried to understand a general pattern in the questions asked. However finding these questions was not straight forward

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Criteria for participation in recruitment process: 
The company shortlisted candidates based on their CGPA. At the same time it was specified that the applicant should have passed all the courses. Interview Round:  After the short listing process the company conducted only one round of interview. The interview panel comprised of 5 technical personnel and 2 to 3 HR personnel.
The panel began by asking me questions aimed at getting to know me. Unlike the other companies they did not ask me about my strengths or weaknesses neither did they ask me to speak about myself. They simply asked me stuff like ‘Where do you live?’ and some questions on my family background.
NTPC being a power company the technical questions were based on power system and generators. They also asked me to draw the leading phase diagram for generators.
I did not have a lot of clue regarding the last two questions since nothing of that sort had been taught in our course. Next they enquired about my internship. I did my second year internship at Vishakhapatnam in PLC (Programmable Logical Circuits). They asked me to specify the all software that I worked with and to name some other software that could be used in place of those presently being used. In my third year I did my internship in Italy, that internship was based on interfacing of smart grid. They grilled me heavily on that.

I answered the questions based on the knowledge that I possessed, for instance while I was asked a question “Why do you want to join NTPC?’ I answered it by mentioning the good points about NTPC, rather than why I am competent enough to join the company. Also they question you regarding your willingness to go and work in a remote location.
Tips: Have a strong preparation for technical questions. If you are from electrical then have thorough knowledge of electrical machines and power systems and specifically power system protection. Also have lots of knowledge about the company and its activities.
One should be well prepared to answer a wide array of technical questions particularly from motors, power systems and generators.

College Name: IIT ROORKEE
Motivation: The profile offered to me was that of the executive trainee. The company brought out an application form for those interested in participating in their recruitment process. Then I did a research about the company from their official website and also got some information through other websites which I stumbled upon while doing a random search on the internet.

There are some companies that pay a lot of attention to one’s resume whereas the others are interested in knowing your knowledge about the company. NTPC falls in the latter category. Consequently, during the subsequent stages in the recruitment process I was asked a lot of questions pertaining to the work done by the company.

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: The applicants were expected to first fill up an application form. In the application form we were asked to mention our achievements (especially in the field of technology or related to our curriculum). Some of the candidates got selected for the interview round on the basis of their CGPA.
Since I was interested in getting recruited in a core company consequently I had built a technical resume. I had earlier worked in the consulting sector in a start-up – I did not include that in my resume. I refrained from adding any phony or funky stuff which people usually tend to do if they have previously worked in a consulting company. I prepared a simple resume.
Tips: It is very essential for a person wanting to join NTPC to have a good knowledge regarding the company. NTPC is one of Asia’s leading power producing companies, consequently gaining information regarding the company isn’t a difficult task.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: The interviewers started by asking me some HR questions initially. After this they moved over to technical questions. Since the company is mainly involved in power generation, they asked me a lot of questions based on synchronous motors. They asked me to draw the graph and vector diagrams of the synchronous motors. Next they asked me questions about my internships. My internship project was based on distribution transformers; thus they asked me questions pertaining to transformer parts and transformer protection. Some of the questions were:
1) What are the different components of a transformer?
2) How is the protection of a transformer done?
3) How is the synchronous generating protection done?
4) How is the protection of an induction motor done?
5) What are hot spots and how are these detected in a transformer?

The topics taught during the 1st semester of 4th year are particularly important from the safety perspective. I had also done a project on harmonics; correspondingly they asked me questions like:

1) Why do harmonics occur?
2) What are the ways to prevent harmonics?
They also posed a situation that if I were to explain the motors and generators and the difference between them to a layman, how would I do it.

Further they asked some basic questions on relay and inter-conversion between delta and star circuits. They also asked me to specify my opinions on some subjects that are taught to us in the first year like biotechnology whose knowledge acquired in first year proves to be futile in subsequent years.
Tips: For technical questions be prepared for questions on motors, generations, transformers and power system protection.
For the HR question one need not do any specific preparation. However the company did enquire about each and every candidate’s family background. Hence be prepared for similar questions.

College Name: IIT ROORKEE
Motivation: One of my friends had done an internship in the company, from him i got to know about the workplace environment. Also I procured a lot of information regarding the company from some of my seniors who were placed in the company, they also assisted me by providing me with some useful insights regarding the recruitment procedure of the company.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: There were questions on the project done. A real time problem was posed and was asked to solve it using the knowledge of the project. The were technical questions on the basics of DSP and DICA like, What are the different analog to digital and digital to analog conversion techniques? what is the basic principle in DSP? Fourier transforms What are the basic blocks in a DSP? Sampling , Quantization and Encoding etc. In the end he asked me if I was willing to work at NTPC in the micro controller and programming applications. to which i readily agreed.

I had to apply for the company through a separate resume as prescribed by the company.There was a retired IAS officer in the selection panel . He was the chairman of the selection committee at NTPC. We had a pre placement talk at 5 pm on the previous day we were called for the interview. There were 12 students short listed for the interview from ECE department. Out of them ,only 9 turned up.There were technical people to ask questions separately for each of the branches.Applications from the students from branches of ECE, EEE and Mechanical were invited.The interviews for the ECE department started after EEE and Mechanical were done. I had a interview of hardly 20 minutes.I was made very comfortable in the interview and did not panic at any point of time. The results were out soon after the interviews finished. I was happy when my name was read out in the list of students selected for the job. There were 4 students selected from ECE. One from each category, General, OBC, SC and ST.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: The HR round did not look very formal. I didn't even know when it started. When I entered the room , I saw around 7 to 8 people. I had to greet each of them and then took my seat when asked to. Then the selection committee chairman took my resume out, which was already given to him, and looked at my address. It said Kaghaznagar . He asked me about my father and my place of schooling and intermediate. I replied. Then having seen my address and schooling done near Ramagundam, he asked about my visit to NTPC. I told him that I did not go inside but had a view from outside. He asked me what I thought about the tall structures at NTPC. Later I learned that they were built to send out steam.Then he was impressed with my marks in the 10th and 12th classes but was not happy when he looked into my gradual decrease in the cgpa. Any way I was partly successful in convincing him for the fall in my cgpa. After this, a person sitting next to him, probably the technical staff at NTPC , had a round of technical discussion with me which I was very much comfortable with.

General Tips: In the pre placement talk, NTPC was highlighted much. The salary was good enough and the compensations and benefits were convincing. He also indicated that the placement will be given mostly in remote and rural areas. He warned people looking to work from metros not to join in NTPC. He also gave me enough time to ponder over my decision of joining the company once I got selected in it. Cgpa was indeed a factor in the selection process but it was not everything. Good luck.
College Name: NIT WARANGAL

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Only few basic questions were asked.They asked many questions from power plant engineering viz. details of
rankine cycle and few other questions. Thermodynamics and heat transfer was some other important topics.In crude they asked the most basic things of whatever topic they choose. They give much stress on the training done by students and to few students they asked maximum questions from training.NTPC interview was the easiest interview i faced. They made us comfortable to talk in either Hindi or English.In fact they cracked few jokes as well in front of students to make them feel comfortable. For me NTPC interview was less tense than any of the lab viva

Round: HR Interview
Experience: They asked just about family background to everyone. They did not ask anything other in HR.To few they ask about
there academic background as about there 10th and 12th.

General Tips: If you are sort listed on cgpa basis then interview will be the only way to selection.They will ask just basics of whatever they ask.In fact they can ask anything,but surely will ask basics. No need to panic before interview as the mood of interview will be lightest.Training should be prepared well especially those who have done there training in NTPC. WISHING EVERYONE ALL THE BEST.
College Name: NIT WARANGAL

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: There was no aptitude test and the candidates were shortlisted for the interview based on their c.g.p.a.During the technical interview they first asked me regarding the whole operation of a thermal power plant.Then they asked me questions related to microprocessor,particularly on interrupts and interfacing.They also asked some basic questions in networking.Finally,they asked me about my project details.It was a good learning experience.The NTPC selection panel members were friendly and so,I felt really comfortable during the interview.There was no separate HR round.At the beginning of the technical interview they had asked me to tell them about my family background and how I got into NIT Warangal

General Tips: Be strong with the basics since they ask only fundamental questions.The ECE students must have a good
knowledge of microprocessor.Prepare well beforehand how to answer the HR questions.Be smart and confident during the interview.
Skills: Microprocessor
College Name: NIT WARANGAL

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: They asked me Networking questions and some questions on Compilers. some simple questions like: 
1.What does a compiler do. 2.What are single pass and multiple pass compilers. 3.What is a parser. Coming to networking : What is the protocol used to connect two computers, OSI layers TCP/IP layers. Some questions were also on communications. Overall the interview is cool. All that you need is to be cool and confident with basics right in your pocket

Round: HR Interview
Experience: 1.The first question I faced was "You have started with very good cgpa, what happened later" as my cgpa graph was declining.
2.Who is the recent Indian cricketer who got place in indian cricket team for Sri Lankan tour; ans: It was Ravinder Jadeja I answered. They asked about all his achievements, what he is, which state, which place. I answered all those questions. Then they asked me about cricket as am a college team cricket player.They asked some general knowledge questions to relax us. Overall its so cool. They were friendly and said about their experiences with students who ask details about where they are going or be placed etc. Its much about test for your personality and humour.

General Tips: Be descent and do not talk about the issues like : Where will I be placed, what's the salary/perks etc., as he told me in the interview that many people will ask about these details. Do not let your chances go off easily. Its the best chance to get into a prestigious company.
College Name: NIT WARANGAL