200+ Associate Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers

Answering SQL related questions on table creation, alteration, and querying with group by and having clauses.

• To create a table with specified columns, use the CREATE TABLE statement with column names and data types.

• To alter a table and add new columns, use the ALTER TABLE statement with ADD COLUMN keyword.

• To create another table with help of existing tables, use the CREATE TABLE statement with SELECT statement.

• To write a query which uses group by clause, use the GROUP BY keyw...read more

An IP address is a unique numerical identifier assigned to devices connected to a network to enable communication.

• IP stands for Internet Protocol

• It is required for devices to communicate with each other over a network

• It consists of a series of numbers separated by dots

• There are two types of IP addresses - IPv4 and IPv6

• Examples of IP addresses are 192.168.0.1 and 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

There are several types of shopping including online, in-store, grocery, luxury, thrift, and impulsive.

• Online shopping - buying products through the internet

• In-store shopping - physically going to a store to purchase products

• Grocery shopping - buying food and household items at a grocery store

• Luxury shopping - purchasing high-end, expensive items

• Thrift shopping - buying second-hand items at a lower cost

• Impulsive shopping - making unplanned purchases on a whim

A debenture is a type of debt instrument that is issued by a company or government entity to raise capital.

• Debentures are typically long-term investments with a fixed interest rate and maturity date.

• They are unsecured, meaning they are not backed by any specific collateral.

• Debenture holders are considered creditors of the company and have a claim on its assets in case of default.

• Capital is considered a liability as it represents the funds that a company owes to its shareholde...read more

Code to check if two strings are anagram or not.

• Convert both strings to lowercase to avoid case sensitivity

• Sort both strings and compare them

• Use a hash table to count the frequency of each character in both strings and compare the hash tables

Fundamental Accounting Assumptions are basic principles that guide the preparation of financial statements.

• The assumptions include: Going Concern, Consistency, Accrual, and Materiality

• Going Concern assumes that the company will continue to operate in the foreseeable future

• Consistency assumes that the company will use the same accounting methods and principles from period to period

• Accrual assumes that revenues and expenses are recognized when earned or incurred, regardless of ...read more

The various stages in the trade cycle life are expansion, peak, contraction, and trough.

• Expansion: Period of economic growth, increased production, and rising employment.

• Peak: The highest point of economic activity before a downturn.

• Contraction: Economic decline, decreased production, and rising unemployment.

• Trough: The lowest point of economic activity before a recovery.

• Example: During the expansion phase, businesses experience increased demand and profitability.

• Example: The...read more

STLC stands for Software Testing Life Cycle. It is a process followed to ensure quality in software development.

• STLC involves planning, designing, executing and reporting of tests.

• It includes various stages like requirement analysis, test planning, test design, test execution, and test closure.

• Each stage has its own set of deliverables and objectives.

• STLC helps in identifying defects early in the development cycle, reducing the cost of fixing them later.

• Examples of STLC model...read more

Credit cards allow borrowing money while debit cards use funds from a linked account.

• Credit cards charge interest on unpaid balances while debit cards do not.

• Credit cards offer rewards and cashback while debit cards do not.

• Credit cards have a credit limit while debit cards do not.

• Credit cards can be used to build credit history while debit cards cannot.

• Examples of credit cards include Visa, Mastercard, and American Express while examples of debit cards include Visa Debit, Mas...read more

Normalization is the process of organizing data in a database to reduce redundancy and dependency.

• First Normal Form (1NF) - Eliminate duplicate columns from the same table.

• Second Normal Form (2NF) - Create separate tables for sets of values that apply to multiple records.

• Third Normal Form (3NF) - Eliminate fields that do not depend on the primary key.

• Fourth Normal Form (4NF) - Eliminate multi-valued dependencies.

• Fifth Normal Form (5NF) - Eliminate redundant data using a join ...read more

Explaining the difference between WHERE and HAVING clause and types of joins with examples.

• WHERE clause is used to filter rows based on a condition while HAVING clause is used to filter groups based on a condition

• INNER JOIN returns only the matching rows from both tables while LEFT JOIN returns all rows from the left table and matching rows from the right table

• Combining two tables can be done using JOIN clause with a common column between them

• Example: SELECT * FROM table1 INN...read more

Precision is the closeness of measurements to each other, while accuracy is the closeness of measurements to the true value. Percentile represents the percentage of data points below a certain value.

• Precision refers to the consistency of repeated measurements, while accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true value.

• For example, if a target is hit multiple times in the same spot, it is precise but may not be accurate if it is not hitting the bullseye.

• Percentile i...read more

AMC stands for Asset Management Company. Knowledge of Excel refers to proficiency in using Excel software. Advanced tools of Excel refer to the advanced features and functions available in Excel.

• AMC stands for Asset Management Company, which is a company that invests and manages funds on behalf of clients.

• Knowledge of Excel refers to the ability to use Excel software for data analysis, calculations, and creating spreadsheets.

• Advanced tools of Excel include features like pivot...read more

Around 600 flights are handled by Bangalore airport on a daily basis.

• Bangalore airport is one of the busiest airports in India

• It handles both domestic and international flights

• On average, there are around 25-30 flights per hour

• The number of flights may vary depending on the day of the week and time of the year

I would like to work on Artificial Intelligence.

• Developing machine learning algorithms for predictive analysis

• Creating chatbots for customer service

• Implementing computer vision for object recognition

• Exploring natural language processing for sentiment analysis

My preferred programming language is Python.

• Python is easy to learn and has a simple syntax.

• It has a vast library of modules and frameworks for various purposes.

• Python is widely used in data science and machine learning.

• It is also great for web development and automation tasks.

• Examples: Flask, Django, NumPy, Pandas, TensorFlow.

Money laundering involves several processes to make illegally obtained money appear legitimate.

• Placement: Introducing illicit funds into the financial system

• Layering: Conducting complex transactions to obscure the origin of funds

• Integration: Making the laundered money appear legitimate by merging it with legal funds

• Examples: Shell companies, offshore accounts, smurfing, trade-based laundering

Money laundering can take various forms to conceal the illegal source of funds.

• Structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements

• Using shell companies or offshore accounts to hide the true ownership of assets

• Investing in legitimate businesses to mix illicit funds with clean money

• Using cash-intensive businesses like casinos or car washes to launder money

• Trade-based money laundering through over- or under-invoicing of goods or services

• Using virtual currencies like Bitcoin...read more

Code to print the second largest element in array

• Sort the array in descending order and return the second element

• Iterate through the array and keep track of the largest and second largest elements

• Use a priority queue to find the second largest element

Ind AS 115 and Ind AS 116 are accounting standards used for revenue recognition and lease accounting respectively.

• Ind AS 115: It provides guidance on how to recognize revenue from contracts with customers.

• Ind AS 116: It outlines the principles for recognizing, measuring, presenting, and disclosing leases.

• Both standards are part of the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) framework.

• Ind AS 115 replaces the previous revenue recognition standard (Ind AS 18) and provides a compreh...read more

Lists are dynamic arrays in Python that can hold different data types, while arrays are fixed-size and can only hold a single data type.

• Lists can hold different data types, while arrays can only hold a single data type.

• Lists are dynamic in size, while arrays have a fixed size.

• Lists are more flexible and versatile compared to arrays.

• Example: list_example = [1, 'hello', True]

• Example: array_example = array('i', [1, 2, 3])

The types of capital markets include primary markets and secondary markets.

• Primary markets are where new securities are issued and sold for the first time, such as initial public offerings (IPOs).

• Secondary markets are where existing securities are traded among investors, such as stock exchanges.

• Other types of capital markets include money markets, bond markets, and derivatives markets.

• Money markets deal with short-term debt securities and instruments.

• Bond markets involve the ...read more

Query to fetch second highest salary in SQL

• Use ORDER BY and LIMIT to select the second highest salary

• Assuming the table name is 'employees' and salary column name is 'salary':

• SELECT salary FROM employees ORDER BY salary DESC LIMIT 1,1

To convince a customer to purchase a product as a salesperson, I would focus on highlighting the benefits and addressing any concerns.

• Identify the customer's needs and tailor the pitch accordingly

• Highlight the unique features and benefits of the product

• Address any concerns or objections the customer may have

• Provide social proof or testimonials from satisfied customers

• Offer a limited-time promotion or discount to create urgency

Accounts payable and receivables are both financial transactions, but they differ in terms of direction and purpose.

• Accounts payable refers to the money a company owes to its suppliers or vendors for goods or services received.

• Accounts receivable refers to the money owed to a company by its customers or clients for goods or services provided.

• Accounts payable represents a liability for the company, while accounts receivable represents an asset.

• Accounts payable is recorded as a...read more

AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning is a subset of AI that focuses on training machines to learn from data. Bounding Box is a tool used in computer vision tasks to label objects in images or videos.

• AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, such as learning, reasoning, and self-correction.

• Machine Learning is a subset of AI that involves training algorithms to learn patterns from data and make predictions or decisions.

• Bounding Box is ...read more

Answering questions about capital gains, income tax heads, and financial statements.

• Capital gains can be short-term or long-term, with different tax rates applied to each.

• Income tax heads include salary, business/profession, capital gains, house property, and other sources.

• An example of long-term capital gain is selling a property after holding it for more than 2 years.

• An example of short-term capital gain is selling stocks after holding them for less than 1 year.

• Issue of sha...read more

STLC is a process of testing software from planning to deployment. It includes planning, designing, executing, and reporting.

• Planning phase involves defining scope, objectives, and test strategy.

• Design phase includes creating test cases, test scenarios, and test data.

• Execution phase involves running test cases, reporting defects, and retesting.

• Reporting phase includes preparing test summary reports and defect reports.

• STLC ensures that software meets quality standards and cust...read more

A bond is a debt security that represents a loan made by an investor to a borrower.

• Bonds are issued by governments, municipalities, and corporations.

• They are used to raise capital and finance projects.

• Different types of bonds include government bonds, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, and convertible bonds.

• Government bonds are issued by national governments and are considered low-risk.

• Corporate bonds are issued by companies to raise capital and offer higher yields.

• Municipal b...read more

A singleton class is a class that can only have one instance at a time.

• To achieve a singleton class, we need to make the constructor private so that it cannot be instantiated from outside the class.

• We then create a static method that returns the instance of the class, and if the instance does not exist, it creates one.

• Singleton classes are often used for managing resources that should only have one instance, such as database connections or configuration settings.

Design patterns are reusable solutions to common software problems in Java.

• Design patterns provide a standard way to solve common problems in software development.

• They help in making code more maintainable, flexible and reusable.

• Examples of design patterns include Singleton, Factory, Observer, and Decorator.

• Design patterns can be categorized into three types: creational, structural, and behavioral.

Normalization is the process of organizing data in a database to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity.

• Normalization involves breaking down a database into smaller, more manageable tables.

• Each table should have a primary key and only contain data that is related to that key.

• Normalization helps to prevent data inconsistencies and anomalies.

• There are different levels of normalization, with each level building on the previous one.

• For example, first normal form (1NF) requi...read more

Methods to secure a database using SQL include encryption, access control, and regular updates.

• Use encryption to protect sensitive data

• Implement access control to restrict unauthorized access

• Regularly update the database software to patch security vulnerabilities

Answers to questions related to finance and accounting.

• Derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying asset.

• Money market is a market for short-term borrowing and lending of funds.

• Weaknesses can vary from person to person, but it's important to be self-aware and work on improving them.

• Bad debt entry is on the debit side of the balance sheet.

• Introduction should include name, education, work experience, and relevant skills.

Opening a bank account requires valid identity and address proof. E-commerce refers to buying and selling goods online.

• To open a bank account, visit the bank with valid identity and address proof documents

• Fill out the account opening form and submit the required documents

• Once the account is opened, you can start depositing and withdrawing money

• E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods and services online

• Examples of e-commerce platforms include Amazon, Flipkart, and...read more

The probability of rain in Chennai today depends on various factors such as season, weather conditions, and location.

• The probability can be estimated by analyzing the current weather patterns and historical data.

• Factors such as humidity, temperature, and wind speed can affect the probability of rain.

• Local weather forecasts and satellite imagery can also provide insights into the likelihood of rain.

• The probability of rain can range from 0% to 100%, with higher probabilities in...read more

Fitness brands are competing by offering unique experiences, personalized training, and innovative technology.

• Brands are creating unique experiences to differentiate themselves from competitors.

• Personalized training programs are becoming more popular to cater to individual needs.

• Innovative technology such as wearables and fitness apps are being integrated into workouts.

• Brands are also focusing on community building and social media engagement to attract and retain customers.

• E...read more

Catch block is used to handle exceptions that occur during program execution.

• Catch block is used in conjunction with try block.

• It catches and handles exceptions that occur in the try block.

• Multiple catch blocks can be used to handle different types of exceptions.

• Finally block can be used to execute code regardless of whether an exception was thrown or not.

• Example: try { //code that may throw exception } catch (Exception e) { //handle the exception } finally { //code that will...read more

Derivatives are financial contracts that derive their value from an underlying asset. They can be exchange-traded or over-the-counter (OTC). Corporate actions refer to events that affect a company's stock price.

• Derivatives are contracts that derive their value from an underlying asset, such as stocks, bonds, or commodities.

• There are two types of derivatives: exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC). Exchange-traded derivatives are standardized contracts that trade on organi...read more

I would first check if the Num Lock key is on, try restarting the computer, and if the issue persists, replace the keyboard.

• Check if the Num Lock key is on, as it might be causing the keyboard to type numbers instead of letters.

• Try restarting the computer to see if it resolves the issue.

• If the problem persists, try using a different keyboard to see if the issue is with the current keyboard.

• Check for any software updates or driver issues that may be causing the problem.

Bank reconciliation statement is a document that compares the bank statement with the company's accounting records.

• It helps to identify any discrepancies between the two records.

• It includes items such as deposits, withdrawals, and bank fees.

• It ensures that the company's financial records are accurate and up-to-date.

• It is usually prepared on a monthly basis.

• Example: If the bank statement shows a withdrawal of $100 but the company's records show a withdrawal of $50, the bank re...read more

JDBC typically uses port 3306 for MySQL and ODBC typically uses port 1433 for SQL Server.

• JDBC commonly uses port 3306 for MySQL connections

• ODBC typically uses port 1433 for SQL Server connections

PWC is a multinational professional services network.

• PWC stands for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

• It provides services in audit, tax, and advisory.

• It operates in over 150 countries.

• Some of its clients include Coca-Cola, Google, and Microsoft.

• It is one of the Big Four accounting firms.

The Java Development Kit (JDK) is a software development kit used to develop Java applications.

• Main components include Java Compiler (javac), Java Virtual Machine (JVM), and Java Archive Tool (jar)

• JDK also includes libraries, documentation, and development tools

• JDK is necessary for compiling, debugging, and running Java programs

Derivatives are financial contracts that derive their value from an underlying asset or benchmark.

• Types of derivatives include options, futures, forwards, and swaps.

• Swaps can be interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, total return swaps, or currency swaps.

• IRS stands for interest rate swap, CDS stands for credit default swap, TRS stands for total return swap, and CYS stands for currency swap.

• Fixed income securities are debt securities that pay a fixed interest or dividend u...read more

Journal entries of purchase return

• When goods are returned to the supplier, a purchase return journal entry is made

• The accounts affected are Accounts Payable and Purchase Returns

• The purchase return is recorded as a debit to Purchase Returns and a credit to Accounts Payable

• Example: If goods worth $500 are returned to the supplier, the journal entry would be: Debit Purchase Returns $500, Credit Accounts Payable $500

The process of accounts receivables involves managing and tracking the money owed to a company by its customers.

• Accounts receivables refer to the outstanding payments that a company is yet to receive from its customers.

• The process starts with generating and sending invoices to customers for the goods or services provided.

• Once the invoices are sent, the company tracks the payments and follows up with customers for any overdue amounts.

• The company may also perform credit checks ...read more