Samsung Software Developer Intern Interview Questions, Process, and Tips

Round duration - 120 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

The round had 2 coding problems to solve with varying difficulty. Each candidate had a different set of questions. The round was around 2 pm. The webcam was turned on to keep an eye on candidates.

Q1. 
Count Leaf Nodes in a Binary Tree
Count the number of leaf nodes present in a given binary tree. A binary tree is a data structure where each node has at most two children, known as the left child and the...read more
Ans. 
Count the number of leaf nodes in a binary tree where each node has at most two children.
• Traverse the binary tree and count nodes with both children as NULL.

• Use recursion to check each node in the tree.

• Leaf nodes have no child nodes.

• Example: For input 20 10 35 5 15 30 42 -1 13 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1, output should be 4.
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Q2. 
0-1 Knapsack Problem Statement
You are tasked with determining the maximum profit a thief can earn. The thief is looting a store and can carry a maximum weight 'W' in his knapsack. There are 'N' items, ea...read more
Ans. 
The 0-1 Knapsack Problem involves maximizing profit by selecting items with known weights and values within a given weight capacity.
• Understand the problem: Given items with weights and values, determine the maximum profit the thief can achieve within the knapsack's weight capacity.

• Dynamic Programming: Use dynamic programming to solve the problem efficiently by considering the weight constraints and maximizing the total...read more
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

This was my first face to face interview and I was very nervous. It was at 10 am in the morning. However, my interviewer was very friendly and asked for my introduction in the beginning. He also gave me hints whenever I felt stuck.

Q1. 
Longest Increasing Subsequence Problem Statement
Given an array of integers with 'N' elements, determine the length of the longest subsequence where each element is greater than the previous element. This...read more
Ans. 
Find the length of the longest strictly increasing subsequence in an array of integers.
• Use dynamic programming to keep track of the longest increasing subsequence ending at each element.

• Initialize an array to store the length of the longest increasing subsequence ending at each index.

• Iterate through the array and update the length of the longest increasing subsequence for each element.

• Return the maximum value in the ar...read more
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Q2. 
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 nodes of the two lists and link them accordingly

• Move the pointer to the next node in the merged list

• Handle cases where one list is empty or both lists are empty

• Time complexity: O(n), Space complexity: O(1)
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Round duration - 30 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

This was my last round and I hoped it to go good just like the other rounds. The interviewer was very straight to point and professional. The interview lasted for 30 minutes.

Round duration - 70 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

Online Coding Round held on CoCubes Platform 
Duration: 70 mins Camera and Mic enabled

Tip: 1) CoCubes platform does allow to use in-built library functions. So one cannot use even in-built sort function.
2) Make sure you write the most optimal code in terms of time complexity.

Questions were put from a question bank so they were different to each candidate. 
Shortlisting for next round was done based on time taken, code readability and hidden test cases clearance.
Around 6 students were selected for next round.

Q1. 
Ceil Value from BST Problem Statement
Given a Binary Search Tree (BST) and an integer, write a function to return the ceil value of a particular key in the BST.
The ceil of an integer is defined as the s...read more
Ans. 
The problem involves finding the ceil value of a key in a Binary Search Tree (BST).
• Traverse the BST to find the closest integer greater than or equal to the given key.

• Compare the key with the current node value and update the ceil value accordingly.

• Handle cases where the key is equal to a node value or falls between two nodes.

• Implement a recursive or iterative solution to efficiently find the ceil value.
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Q2. 
Remove BST Keys Outside Given Range
Given a Binary Search Tree (BST) and a specified range [min, max], your task is to remove all keys from the BST that fall outside this range. The BST should remain vali...read more
Ans. 
Remove BST keys outside given range while maintaining validity of BST.
• Traverse the BST in inorder fashion and remove nodes outside the specified range.

• Recursively call the function on left and right subtrees.

• Adjust the pointers of parent nodes accordingly after removing nodes.

• Ensure the BST remains valid after modifications.

• Return the inorder traversal of the adjusted BST.
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Q3. 
Minimum Insertions to Make a String Palindrome
Determine the minimal number of characters needed to insert into a given string STR to transform it into a palindrome.
Example:
Input:
STR = "abcaa"
Outp...read more
Ans. 
The task is to find the minimum number of characters needed to insert into a given string to make it a palindrome.
• Use dynamic programming to find the longest palindromic subsequence of the given string.

• Subtract the length of the longest palindromic subsequence from the length of the original string to get the minimum insertions required.

• Handle edge cases like an empty string or a string that is already a palindrome.

• Exa...read more
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Round duration - 50 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

Technical Interview held over Skype video call. Interviewer was friendly.
Timing: Around 11 am

I was asked to share my screen and code of any preferred editor.

Q1. 
Merge Sort Linked List Problem Statement
You are given a singly linked list of integers. Your task is to sort the linked list using the merge sort algorithm.
Explanation:
Merge Sort is a divide and conq...read more
Ans. 
Implement merge sort algorithm to sort a singly linked list of integers.
• Divide the linked list into two halves using slow and fast pointer technique.

• Recursively sort the two halves.

• Merge the sorted halves using a merge function.

• Handle base cases like empty list or single node list.

• Ensure the termination of the linked list with -1 at the end.
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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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Q3. 
Implementing a Priority Queue Using Heap
Ninja has been tasked with implementing a priority queue using a heap data structure. However, he is currently busy preparing for a tournament and has requested yo...read more
Ans. 
Implement a priority queue using a heap data structure with push, pop, getMaxElement, and isEmpty functions.
• Implement push function to insert element into the queue

• Implement pop function to remove the largest element from the queue

• Implement getMaxElement function to return the largest element

• Implement isEmpty function to check if the queue is empty
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Q4. 
AVL Tree Insertion Task
Create an AVL tree from scratch. You will be provided with ‘N’ values representing node values you need to insert into the AVL tree. After inserting all values, return the root of ...read more
Ans. 
Implement a function to create an AVL tree from scratch by inserting given values and return the root of the tree.
• Create a Node class with data, left, and right pointers for the AVL tree nodes.

• Implement rotation functions (left rotation, right rotation) to maintain AVL tree balance.

• Update the height and balance factor of nodes after each insertion to ensure AVL tree properties are maintained.
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Q5. 
Longest Palindromic Substring Problem Statement
You are provided with a string STR of length N. The goal is to identify the longest palindromic substring within this string. In cases where multiple palind...read more
Ans. 
Given a string, find the longest palindromic substring, prioritizing the one with the smallest start index.
• Iterate through the string and expand around each character to find palindromes

• Keep track of the longest palindrome found, updating it as needed

• Return the longest palindromic substring with the smallest start index
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Q6. What can you tell me about virtual memory and cache implementation?
Ans. 
Virtual memory allows the operating system to use a combination of RAM and disk space to simulate more memory than is physically available. Cache implementation involves storing frequently accessed data in a smaller, faster memory for quicker access.
• Virtual memory allows programs to use more memory than physically available by swapping data between RAM and disk.

• Cache implementation involves storing frequently accessed ...read more
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Round duration - 32 minutes
Round difficulty - Hard

Technical Interview held over Skype video call. Round stared with "Tell me about yourself ?" question and then the interviewer reviewed my resume and asked some project related question. Then he moved to coding & OOPS related questions.

For coding problems I was asked to share my screen and code in my preferred editor. For each question optimized solution was expected by the interviewer.

Q1. 
Remove Consecutive Duplicates Problem Statement
For a given string str, remove all the consecutive duplicate characters.
Example:
Input:
Input String: "aaaa"
Output:
Expected Output: "a"
Input:
Inp...read more
Ans. 
Remove consecutive duplicate characters from a given string.
• Iterate through the string and compare each character with the previous one.

• If the current character is different from the previous one, add it to the result string.

• Return the result string as the output.
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Q2. 
Maximum Subsequence Sum Without Three Consecutive Elements
Given an array A of length N consisting of positive integers, your task is to determine the maximum subsequence sum where no three consecutive el...read more
Ans. 
Find the maximum subsequence sum from an array without selecting three consecutive elements.
• Use dynamic programming to keep track of the maximum sum without selecting three consecutive elements.

• At each index, consider the maximum sum with the current element included or excluded.

• Handle edge cases where the array length is less than 3 separately.

• Example: For input [1, 2, 3, 4], the maximum sum is 9 (1 + 3 + 4).
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Q3. 
Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters Problem Statement
Given a string S of length L, determine the length of the longest substring that contains no repeating characters.
Example:
Input:
"abac...read more
Ans. 
Find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters in a given string.
• Use a sliding window approach to keep track of the longest substring without repeating characters.

• Use a hashmap to store the index of each character in the string.

• Update the start index of the window when a repeating character is encountered.

• Calculate the maximum length of the window as you iterate through the string.

• Return the maxi
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Round duration - 120 Minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

Round 1 was of 2 hours duration. 1 hour for MCQs (60 MCQs) and 1 hour for coding questions(3 Coding Questions). MCQs were aptitude based (Verbal + Data Interpretation + Quantitative Aptitude).

Q1. 
Reverse Linked List Problem Statement
Given a singly linked list of integers, return the head of the reversed linked list.
Example:
Initial linked list: 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> NULL
Reversed link...read more
Ans. 
Reverse a singly linked list of integers and return the head of the reversed linked list.
• Iterate through the linked list and reverse the pointers to point to the previous node instead of the next node.

• Use three pointers to keep track of the current, previous, and next nodes while reversing the linked list.

• Update the head of the reversed linked list as the last node encountered during the reversal process.
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Q2. 
Minimum Jumps Problem Statement
Bob and his wife are in the famous 'Arcade' mall in the city of Berland. This mall has a unique way of moving between shops using trampolines. Each shop is laid out in a st...read more
Ans. 
Find the minimum number of trampoline jumps Bob needs to make to reach the final shop, or return -1 if it's impossible.
• Use Breadth First Search (BFS) to find the minimum number of jumps needed.

• Keep track of the visited shops to avoid revisiting them.

• If a shop has an Arr value of 0, it is impossible to reach the last shop.

• Return -1 if the last shop cannot be reached.
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

This round was a face to face round held on Cisco webex.
This round was completely on DS-Algo and OOPS.
The level of the questions asked was from medium level to hard level.

Q1. 
Stack using Two Queues Problem Statement
Develop a Stack Data Structure to store integer values using two Queues internally.
Your stack implementation should provide these public functions:
Explanation:
...read more
Ans. 
Implement a stack using two queues to store integer values with specified functions.
• Use two queues to simulate stack operations efficiently.

• Maintain one queue for storing elements and another for temporary storage during push operation.

• Ensure to handle edge cases like empty stack and maximum size limit.

• Example: Push operation involves transferring elements from one queue to another before adding the new element.
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Q2. 
Remove Duplicates from String Problem Statement
You are provided a string STR of length N, consisting solely of lowercase English letters.
Your task is to remove all duplicate occurrences of characters i...read more
Ans. 
Remove duplicate occurrences of characters in a given string.
• Use a hash set to keep track of characters seen so far.

• Iterate through the string and add non-duplicate characters to a new string.

• Return the new string as the result.
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Q3. 
Palindrome Linked List Problem Statement
You are provided with a singly linked list of integers. Your task is to determine whether the given singly linked list is a palindrome. Return true if it is a pali...read more
Ans. 
Check if a given singly linked list is a palindrome or not.
• Use two pointers approach to find the middle of the linked list

• Reverse the second half of the linked list

• Compare the first half with the reversed second half to determine if it's a palindrome
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Q4. 
Word Search Problem Statement
Given a two-dimensional grid with 'N' rows and 'M' columns consisting of uppercase characters, and a string 'WORD', your task is to determine the number of times the word app...read more
Ans. 
Count the number of occurrences of a given word in a two-dimensional grid of characters.
• Iterate through each cell in the grid and check if the word can be formed starting from that cell in any of the eight directions.

• Use backtracking to explore all possible paths while matching the characters of the word.

• Keep track of visited cells to avoid revisiting the same cell in the same path.

• Return the count of occurrences of th
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Q5. 
Merge Sort Problem Statement
You are given a sequence of numbers, ARR. Your task is to return a sorted sequence of ARR in non-descending order using the Merge Sort algorithm.
Explanation:
The Merge Sort...read more
Ans. 
Implement Merge Sort algorithm to sort a sequence of numbers in non-descending order.
• Divide the input array into two halves recursively until each array has only one element.

• Merge the sorted halves to produce a completely sorted array.

• Time complexity of Merge Sort is O(n log n).

• Example: Input: [3, 1, 4, 1, 5], Output: [1, 1, 3, 4, 5]
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

The round was taken on Cocubes platform with video enabled . The time I chose was 3:00 P.M.

Q1. 
Maximum Number from Linked List Problem Statement
Given a linked list where each node contains a single digit, your task is to construct the largest possible number using these digits.
Objective:
Print ...read more
Ans. 
Given a linked list of single digits, construct the largest number possible.
• Traverse the linked list to extract the digits

• Sort the digits in descending order

• Concatenate the sorted digits to form the maximum number
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Round duration - 60 Minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

The coding problems were medium and it was held online on Cocubes at 4:00 PM

Q1. 
Maximum Sum Path from Leaf to Root
Given a binary tree with 'N' nodes, identify the path from a leaf node to the root node that has the maximum sum among all root-to-leaf paths.
Example:
All the possibl...read more
Ans. 
Find the path from a leaf node to the root node with the maximum sum in a binary tree.
• Traverse the binary tree from leaf to root while keeping track of the sum of each path.

• Compare the sums of all paths and return the path with the maximum sum.

• Use recursion to traverse the tree efficiently.

• Consider negative values in the tree when calculating the sum of paths.
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Q2. 
Bipartite Graph Check
Determine if a given graph is bipartite. A graph is considered bipartite if its vertices can be divided into two disjoint sets, 'U' and 'V', such that every edge connects a vertex in...read more
Ans. 
Check if a given graph is bipartite by dividing its vertices into two disjoint sets.
• Create two sets 'U' and 'V' to divide the vertices

• Check if every edge connects vertices from different sets

• Use graph traversal algorithms like BFS or DFS to determine bipartiteness
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Round duration - 180 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

The round had 3 problems to solve. There were multiple sets and each candidate had a different set of problems to solve.
- Timing: Afternoon (2pm - 5 pm)
- Environment: In a college environment with invigilators present to avoid any bad practices.

Q1. 
Find Shortest Path in a Tree
Given a tree with 'N' nodes and 'N - 1' distinct edges, along with two nodes 'N1' and 'N2', find and print the shortest path between 'N1' and 'N2'.
Explanation:
A tree is a ...read more
Ans. 
Find the shortest path between two nodes in a tree.
• Use Breadth First Search (BFS) algorithm to find the shortest path in a tree.

• Start BFS from one of the nodes and keep track of the parent of each node to reconstruct the path.

• Once both nodes are reached, backtrack from both nodes to the root to find the common ancestor and then reconstruct the path.

• Consider implementing a function to find the LCA (Lowest Common Ancesto...read more
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Q2. 
Count Leaf Nodes in a Binary Tree
Count the number of leaf nodes present in a given binary tree. A binary tree is a data structure where each node has at most two children, known as the left child and the...read more
Ans. 
Count the number of leaf nodes in a binary tree.
• Traverse the binary tree and count nodes with both children as NULL.

• Use recursion to check each node in the tree.

• Leaf nodes have no children, so their left and right children should be NULL.

• Keep track of the count of leaf nodes as you traverse the tree.
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

It was a pen and a paper round. We were required to solve a problem with pen and paper. Also, we were not allowed to use an inbuilt data structure and algorithm.

Q1. 
Shortest Path in a Binary Maze Problem Statement
Given a maze represented as a binary rectangular matrix of size M*N, where each element can either be 0 or 1, determine the length of the shortest path fro...read more
Ans. 
Find the length of the shortest path in a binary maze from a given source to destination.
• Use Breadth First Search (BFS) algorithm to find the shortest path in the binary maze.

• Create a queue to store the cells to be visited and keep track of visited cells to avoid revisiting them.

• Check for valid moves in all four directions and update the distance to reach each cell.

• Return the length of the shortest path if it exists, e...read more
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Round duration - 20 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

It was the first and only face to face interview. The round was majorly about Data structures and algorithms. Some people were also asked some standard puzzles.

Q1. 
Power of Two Problem Statement
Determine whether a given integer N is a power of two. Return true if it is, otherwise return false.
Explanation
An integer 'N' is considered a power of two if it can be e...read more
Ans. 
Check if a given integer is a power of two or not.
• Check if the given integer is positive.

• Use bitwise operations to determine if it is a power of two.

• Return true if it is a power of two, false otherwise.
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Q2. 
Reverse the String Problem Statement
You are given a string STR which contains alphabets, numbers, and special characters. Your task is to reverse the string.
Example:
Input:
STR = "abcde"
Output:
"e...read more
Ans. 
Reverse a given string containing alphabets, numbers, and special characters.
• Iterate through the string from the end to the beginning and append each character to a new string.

• Use built-in functions like reverse() or slicing to reverse the string.

• Handle special characters and numbers while reversing the string.

• Ensure to consider the constraints on the input size and number of test cases.
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