Ola Cabs Software Developer Interview Questions, Process, and Tips

Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

Two coding questions were given in the first round to be solved in 60 minutes.

Q1. 
Rearrange Array Elements Problem Statement
Given an array A containing 'N' integers and an integer m, rearrange the elements of the array such that the differences between the array elements and m are sor...read more
Ans. 
Rearrange array elements based on their differences from a given integer.
• Calculate the differences between each element and the given integer.

• Sort the elements based on their differences while maintaining the original order for elements with the same difference.

• Implement a function to rearrange the array elements as per the given criteria.
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Q2. 
Print Nodes at Distance K from a Given Node
Given an arbitrary binary tree, a node of the tree, and an integer 'K', find all nodes that are at a distance K from the specified node, and return a list of th...read more
Ans. 
The task is to find all nodes in a binary tree that are at a distance K from a given node.
• Traverse the binary tree to find the given node

• From the given node, perform a depth-first search to find all nodes at distance K

• Use a list to store the values of the nodes at distance K

• Return the list of values in any order
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

This was a technical round with questions based on DSA, DBMS, Computer Networking and project based questions.

Q1. 
Triangle of Numbers Pattern
Ninja is tasked with printing a triangle pattern based on a given number 'N' for any test case.
Example:
Input:
N = 4
Output:
   1
  232
 34545
4567654
Explanation:
The pat...read more
Ans. 
Print a triangle pattern of numbers based on a given number 'N'.
• Iterate through each row and print the numbers accordingly

• Use spaces to center-align the numbers in each row

• Increment the numbers in each row as per the pattern
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Q2. What is the difference between a web server and an application server?
Ans. 
Web server serves static content over HTTP, while application server runs dynamic content and business logic.
• Web server handles HTTP requests and responses, serving static content like HTML, images, and CSS.

• Application server executes business logic, runs dynamic content, and interacts with databases.

• Web server examples include Apache, Nginx, while application server examples include Tomcat, JBoss.

• Web server focuses on...read more
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Q3. How does the internet work?
Ans. 
The internet is a global network of interconnected computers that communicate using standardized protocols.
• The internet is made up of a vast number of interconnected networks of computers.

• Data is transmitted over the internet using protocols such as TCP/IP.

• Websites are hosted on servers connected to the internet, and users access them using web browsers.

• Internet Service Providers (ISPs) provide access to the internet f...read more
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Q4. Write a SQL query to find the nth highest salary.
Ans. 
SQL query to find the nth highest salary
• Use the 'SELECT DISTINCT' statement to get unique salary values

• Order the salaries in descending order using 'ORDER BY' clause

• Use 'LIMIT' and 'OFFSET' to get the nth highest salary
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Round duration - 30 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

Typical HR round with behavioral problems.

Round duration - 60 Minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

This round was purely based on Data Structures and Algorithms . One has to be fairly comfortable in solving Algorithmic problems to pass this round . Both the questions asked were quite common and luckily I had already prepared them from CodeStudio and LeetCode.

Q1. 
Binary Tree Traversals Problem Statement
Given a Binary Tree with 'N' nodes, where each node holds an integer value, your task is to compute the In-Order, Pre-Order, and Post-Order traversals of the binar...read more
Ans. 
Compute the In-Order, Pre-Order, and Post-Order traversals of a Binary Tree given in level-order format.
• Implement functions to perform In-Order, Pre-Order, and Post-Order traversals of a Binary Tree.

• Use level-order input to construct the Binary Tree.

• Traverse the Binary Tree recursively to generate the required traversals.

• Ensure proper handling of null nodes represented by -1 in the input.

• Return the three traversals as
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Q2. 
Reverse Linked List Problem Statement
Given a Singly Linked List of integers, your task is to reverse the Linked List by altering the links between the nodes.
Input:
The first line of input is an intege...read more
Ans. 
Reverse a singly linked list by altering the links between nodes.
• Iterate through the linked list and reverse the links between nodes

• Use three pointers to keep track of the current, previous, and next nodes

• Update the links between nodes to reverse the list

• Return the head of the reversed linked list
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Round duration - 45 Minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

This round basically tested some concepts from Data Structures and File Manipulation .

Q1. 
Intersection of Two Arrays Problem Statement
Given two arrays A and B with sizes N and M respectively, both sorted in non-decreasing order, determine their intersection.
The intersection of two arrays in...read more
Ans. 
The problem involves finding the intersection of two sorted arrays efficiently.
• Use two pointers to iterate through both arrays simultaneously.

• Compare elements at the pointers and move the pointers accordingly.

• Handle cases where elements are equal and update the intersection array.

• Return the intersection array as the result.
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Round duration - 45 Minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

It was in the mid day and since I applied for a Frontend role the discussion was majorly around data structure and bit of Javascript.
The interviewer was helping and good listener.

Q1. 
Merge Two Sorted Linked Lists Problem Statement
You are provided with two sorted linked lists. Your task is to merge them into a single sorted linked list and return the head of the combined linked list.
...read more
Ans. 
Merge two sorted linked lists into a single sorted linked list without using additional space.
• Create a dummy node to start the merged list

• Compare the values of the two linked lists and add the smaller value to the merged list

• Move the pointer of the merged list and the pointer of the smaller value list

• Continue this process until one of the lists is fully traversed

• Append the remaining elements of the other list to the me
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Q2. 
Sort 0 1 2 Problem Statement
Given an integer array arr of size 'N' containing only 0s, 1s, and 2s, write an algorithm to sort the array.
Input:
The first line contains an integer 'T' representing the n...read more
Ans. 
Sort an array of 0s, 1s, and 2s in linear time complexity.
• Use three pointers to keep track of 0s, 1s, and 2s while traversing the array.

• Swap elements based on the values encountered to sort the array in-place.

• Time complexity should be O(N) and space complexity should be O(1).
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Round duration - 60 Minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

It was more of a in depth round on the framework I'm working on and problem solving.

Q1. What is the event loop and what is its significance?
Ans. 
The event loop is a mechanism in programming that allows for asynchronous execution of code.
• The event loop is a key component in JavaScript's runtime environment, responsible for handling asynchronous operations.

• It continuously checks the call stack for any pending tasks and executes them in a non-blocking manner.

• The event loop ensures that the program remains responsive by allowing other code to run while waiting for ...read more
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Q2. Can you provide examples of output-based questions in JavaScript that utilize browser APIs?
Ans. 
Output-based questions in JavaScript using browser APIs
• Example 1: Write a script that uses the Geolocation API to display the user's current location on a map

• Example 2: Create a program that uses the Web Audio API to play a sound when a button is clicked

• Example 3: Develop a web page that uses the Canvas API to draw a simple animation
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Q3. How would you design a system to support localization in a mobile app?
Ans. 
Designing a system to support localization in a mobile app
• Use resource files to store localized strings for different languages

• Implement a language selection feature for users to choose their preferred language

• Utilize localization libraries or frameworks to streamline the process

• Consider cultural differences when localizing content, such as date formats and currency symbols
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Round duration - 75 Minutes
Round difficulty - Hard

It was more of a fitment/managerial round.
Didn't had any coding questions, but was asked more on approaches and optimisations.
Discussions on the project you have worked on.

Q1. You need to find the fastest 3 horses out of a group, given that you can only race 5 horses at a time. How would you approach this problem?
Ans. 
To find the fastest 3 horses out of a group with 5 horses racing at a time, we can use a tournament style approach.
• Divide the horses into groups of 5 and race them against each other. This will give you the fastest horse in each group.

• Take the winners from each group and race them against each other. The top 3 horses in this final race will be the fastest 3 overall.

• Keep track of the results and compare the timings to d
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Q2. How do you debug the root cause of lag on a screen?
Ans. 
To debug lag on a screen, analyze code, check for memory leaks, optimize rendering, and use profiling tools.
• Analyze code to identify any inefficient algorithms or operations causing lag.

• Check for memory leaks that could be impacting performance.

• Optimize rendering by reducing the number of draw calls, optimizing shaders, and minimizing overdraw.

• Use profiling tools like Xcode Instruments or Android Profiler to identify p
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Q3. Can you explain the architecture of the app you have recently worked on?
Ans. 
The app I recently worked on is a social media platform for sharing photos and connecting with friends.
• The app follows a client-server architecture, with the client being the mobile app and the server handling data storage and processing.

• The client side is built using React Native for cross-platform compatibility.

• The server side is implemented using Node.js with a MongoDB database for storing user data and photos.

• The a...read more
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