DEV Community: Brevis Dewald

Infosys Interview Questions for Freshers (2026): Test Pattern, SE vs DSE vs SP, Technical, Coding and HR

Brevis Dewald — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:50:04 +0000

Infosys hires thousands of freshers every year through campus drives, off-campus drives and HackWithInfy. The process is short, usually an online test followed by one or two interviews, but the online test filters out a lot of people. This post covers the test pattern, the three roles, and the questions freshers report most often, with short answers you can adapt.

The Infosys hiring process

For most freshers the process is:

Online assessment
Technical interview
HR interview (sometimes combined with the technical round)

Online test pattern (2026)

PrepInsta reports this pattern for 2026, and notes that the test is adaptive, so the exact mix can change:

Section	Questions	Time
Mathematical Ability	10	35 min
Analytical Reasoning	15	25 min
Verbal Ability	20	20 min
Pseudo Code	5	10 min
Puzzle Solving	4	10 min
English Grammar	5	10 min
English Writing	1	10 min
Total	60	120 min

Candidates for the higher roles usually get an extra coding section with about three problems of rising difficulty.

The three fresher roles

Systems Engineer (SE): the main fresher role. Reported package around ₹3.6 to 4.2 LPA.
Digital Specialist Engineer (DSE): needs a stronger coding performance. Reported around ₹6.25 LPA.
Specialist Programmer (SP): the top coding track. Reported around ₹9.5 LPA and above.

Packages change every year, so check the official Infosys careers page or your drive email for current figures.

Technical round questions

The technical round usually starts with "tell me about your project" and then moves to one language, OOP, data structures and SQL.

1. What is the difference between a class and an object?

A class is a blueprint that defines data and behaviour. An object is an instance of that class with real values in memory. Car is a class; myCar = Car("red") is an object.

2. Abstract class vs interface (Java)

	Abstract class	Interface
Methods	Can have abstract and concrete methods	Abstract by default; `default` and `static` methods allowed since Java 8
Variables	Any type	Only `public static final` constants
Inheritance	A class extends only one	A class can implement many
Constructor	Allowed	Not allowed

Use an abstract class when classes share code. Use an interface when unrelated classes must follow the same contract.

3. What does `static` mean in Java?

A static member belongs to the class, not to any object. All objects share one copy. Static methods can be called without creating an object, which is why main is static. A static method cannot use this or non-static fields directly.

4. What is garbage collection in Java?

The JVM automatically frees memory used by objects that no longer have any reference. You do not call free() like in C. You can request it with System.gc(), but the JVM decides when it actually runs.

5. What is a lambda function in Python?

A small anonymous function written in one line.

square = lambda x: x * x
nums = [3, 1, 2]
print(sorted(nums, key=lambda x: -x))  # [3, 2, 1]

6. Stack vs queue

A stack is LIFO (last in, first out), like a pile of plates. A queue is FIFO (first in, first out), like a ticket line. Browser back history uses a stack; a printer job list uses a queue.

7. What is a binary search tree?

A binary tree where every node's left subtree has smaller values and the right subtree has larger values. Search, insert and delete take O(log n) on a balanced tree, but can drop to O(n) if the tree becomes skewed.

8. What is hashing?

Hashing maps a key to an index using a hash function, so lookups take O(1) on average. Python dictionaries and Java HashMap use it. When two keys map to the same index, it is a collision, handled by chaining or open addressing.

9. What is the time complexity of binary search?

O(log n), because each step halves the search space. It only works on sorted data.

10. WHERE vs HAVING in SQL

WHERE filters rows before grouping. HAVING filters groups after GROUP BY, so it can use aggregates like COUNT().

SELECT department, COUNT(*) AS employees
FROM staff
WHERE status = 'active'
GROUP BY department
HAVING COUNT(*) > 5;

11. What is a view and what is an index?

A view is a saved query that behaves like a virtual table; it stores no data itself. An index is a separate structure that speeds up searches on a column, at the cost of extra storage and slower inserts.

Coding questions

Write clean code, explain the time complexity, and test with one edge case out loud.

Check an Armstrong number

A number equal to the sum of its digits each raised to the number of digits (153 = 1³ + 5³ + 3³).

def is_armstrong(n):
    digits = str(n)
    power = len(digits)
    return n == sum(int(d) ** power for d in digits)

Sum of digits

def digit_sum(n):
    n = abs(n)
    total = 0
    while n > 0:
        total += n % 10
        n //= 10
    return total

Check if two strings are anagrams

from collections import Counter

def is_anagram(a, b):
    a = a.replace(" ", "").lower()
    b = b.replace(" ", "").lower()
    return Counter(a) == Counter(b)

Rotate an array by k positions (right)

def rotate_right(arr, k):
    if not arr:
        return arr
    k %= len(arr)
    return arr[-k:] + arr[:-k]

Mention the k %= len(arr) step. It handles k larger than the array, which is the edge case interviewers look for.

Longest substring without repeating characters (SP level)

def longest_unique_substring(s):
    last_seen = {}
    start = best = 0
    for i, ch in enumerate(s):
        if ch in last_seen and last_seen[ch] >= start:
            start = last_seen[ch] + 1
        last_seen[ch] = i
        best = max(best, i - start + 1)
    return best

This is the sliding-window approach, O(n) time.

Ways to climb n stairs with 1 or 2 steps (SP level)

def climb_stairs(n):
    a, b = 1, 1
    for _ in range(n):
        a, b = b, a + b
    return a

The answer follows the Fibonacci pattern: ways(n) = ways(n-1) + ways(n-2).

HR round questions

Tell me about yourself. Education, your best project in two lines, one strength with an example, and why Infosys. Keep it near 90 seconds.
Why Infosys? Mention its training for freshers at the Mysuru campus, the range of client projects, and what you want to build there, in your own words.
What do you know about Infosys? Founded in 1981, headquartered in Bengaluru, one of India's largest IT services companies. Read the latest annual highlights before the interview.
Are you willing to relocate and work in shifts? Answer honestly; it affects your posting.
What are your strengths and weaknesses? Pick a real weakness and say what you are doing about it.

Final tips

Practice pseudocode output questions. Many candidates lose marks there, not in maths.
For the English writing section, write short, clear sentences and check grammar before submitting.
Rehearse your project explanation out loud until you can do it in two minutes without notes.

If you want to practise answering these out loud with timed feedback, AI mock interview practice can help you spot weak answers before the real round.

All the best for your Infosys interview!

Sources: online test pattern as reported by PrepInsta; roles, packages and common questions compiled from Weekday and candidate reports. Check official Infosys communication for the latest pattern.

TCS Interview Questions for Freshers (2026): NQT Pattern, Technical, Coding and HR Rounds

Brevis Dewald — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:20:41 +0000

TCS hires more freshers than almost any company in India, and the process is predictable once you know how it works. This post covers the NQT exam pattern, the three tracks, and the questions that come up again and again in the technical, managerial and HR rounds, with short answers you can adapt.

How the TCS hiring process works

The process has two stages: the National Qualifier Test (NQT) and the interview.

TCS NQT pattern (2026)

The NQT is one integrated test of about 190 minutes with two parts, as reported by FACE Prep citing TCS's FAQ:

Part	Section	Questions	Time
Foundation	Numerical Ability	20	25 min
Foundation	Verbal Ability	25	25 min
Foundation	Reasoning Ability	20	25 min
Advanced	Advanced Quant + Reasoning	15	25 min
Advanced	Advanced Coding	3 problems	90 min

There is no negative marking, so attempt every question.
Coding can be done in C, C++, Java, Python or C#.
Foundation is the elimination stage. If you miss its cut-off, the Advanced score does not count.

The three tracks

Ninja: decided by the Foundation section. Reported starting CTC around ₹3.5 to 3.9 LPA.
Digital: needs a strong score in both parts. Reported CTC around ₹7 to 7.5 LPA.
Prime: for the top NQT scorers. Reported CTC around ₹9 to 11 LPA.

Package figures change from year to year, so confirm them on the official TCS NextStep portal before you plan around them.

The interview rounds

Technical Round (TR): your projects, one programming language, DBMS, OS, networking and simple coding.
Managerial Round (MR): mostly for Digital and Prime. Situational questions about teamwork, deadlines and problem solving.
HR Round: relocation, shifts, the service agreement and documents.

Some candidates get TR, MR and HR in a single sitting with two or three panelists.

Technical round questions

1. What are the four pillars of OOP?

Encapsulation: keeping data and the methods that use it together, and hiding internal state behind methods.
Abstraction: showing only what an object does, not how it does it.
Inheritance: a class reusing the properties and methods of another class.
Polymorphism: the same method name behaving differently depending on the object.

Tip: give one example from your own project for each. Interviewers remember examples, not definitions.

2. What is the difference between method overloading and overriding?

Overloading is the same method name with different parameters in the same class. It is resolved at compile time.
Overriding is a subclass giving its own version of a parent method with the same signature. It is resolved at runtime.

class Shape {
    double area() { return 0; }
}

class Circle extends Shape {
    double r;
    Circle(double r) { this.r = r; }

    @Override
    double area() { return Math.PI * r * r; }   // overriding
}

class Calc {
    int add(int a, int b) { return a + b; }            // overloading
    int add(int a, int b, int c) { return a + b + c; }
}

3. Why is Java platform independent?

Java code compiles to bytecode, not machine code. The JVM on each operating system runs that bytecode, so the same .class file runs on Windows, Linux or macOS. Java itself is platform independent, but each JVM is platform specific.

4. What is the difference between `==` and `.equals()` in Java?

== compares references (whether two variables point to the same object). .equals() compares content, if the class overrides it, as String does.

String a = new String("tcs");
String b = new String("tcs");
System.out.println(a == b);       // false
System.out.println(a.equals(b));  // true

5. Array vs linked list

	Array	Linked list
Memory	Contiguous	Nodes anywhere, linked by pointers
Access by index	O(1)	O(n)
Insert or delete in middle	O(n)	O(1) once you have the node
Size	Fixed (static arrays)	Grows as needed

6. List vs tuple in Python

A list is mutable and uses square brackets. A tuple is immutable and uses round brackets. Tuples are slightly faster and can be used as dictionary keys; lists cannot.

7. What is normalization?

Normalization organizes tables to reduce duplicate data and avoid update problems.

1NF: each column holds a single value, no repeating groups.
2NF: 1NF, and every non-key column depends on the whole primary key.
3NF: 2NF, and no non-key column depends on another non-key column.

8. DELETE vs TRUNCATE vs DROP

DELETE removes selected rows, can use WHERE, and can be rolled back in a transaction.
TRUNCATE removes all rows quickly and keeps the table structure.
DROP removes the whole table, including its structure.

9. Write a query for the second-highest salary

SELECT MAX(salary) AS second_highest
FROM employees
WHERE salary < (SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employees);

Be ready to explain an alternative with DENSE_RANK() too, since some panels ask for the Nth highest.

SELECT salary
FROM (
  SELECT salary, DENSE_RANK() OVER (ORDER BY salary DESC) AS rnk
  FROM employees
) t
WHERE rnk = 2;

10. What are ACID properties?

Atomicity: a transaction happens completely or not at all.
Consistency: the database moves from one valid state to another.
Isolation: transactions running together do not interfere.
Durability: once committed, data survives a crash.

11. Process vs thread

A process is a running program with its own memory space. A thread is a smaller unit inside a process and shares that process's memory. Switching between threads is cheaper than switching between processes.

12. What is a deadlock?

A deadlock is when two or more processes wait for each other's resources forever. It needs four conditions at once: mutual exclusion, hold and wait, no preemption, and circular wait. Breaking any one of them prevents it.

13. TCP vs UDP

TCP is connection oriented and guarantees ordered delivery (used for web pages, email). UDP is connectionless and faster but does not guarantee delivery (used for video calls, gaming, DNS).

Coding questions asked in TCS interviews

These are simple on purpose. The panel watches how you think, name variables and handle edge cases. Talk through your approach before you write.

Check if a number is prime

def is_prime(n):
    if n < 2:
        return False
    i = 2
    while i * i <= n:
        if n % i == 0:
            return False
        i += 1
    return True

Mention why you stop at the square root: if n has a factor larger than √n, it must also have one smaller than √n.

Check if a string is a palindrome

def is_palindrome(s):
    s = "".join(ch.lower() for ch in s if ch.isalnum())
    return s == s[::-1]

Find the second-largest element in an array

def second_largest(arr):
    first = second = float("-inf")
    for x in arr:
        if x > first:
            first, second = x, first
        elif first > x > second:
            second = x
    return second if second != float("-inf") else None

This is one pass, O(n), and handles duplicates of the largest value.

Swap two numbers without a third variable

a, b = 5, 9
a = a + b
b = a - b
a = a - b

In Python you can also write a, b = b, a, but show the arithmetic version if they ask for the logic.

Fibonacci series up to n terms

def fibonacci(n):
    a, b = 0, 1
    result = []
    for _ in range(n):
        result.append(a)
        a, b = b, a + b
    return result

Managerial round questions

Tell me about a time you missed a deadline. What did you do?
Your teammate is not doing their share. How do you handle it?
A client asks for a change one day before delivery. What do you do?
Which project are you most proud of, and what was your exact role?

Use the STAR structure: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep each answer under two minutes and end with what you would do differently.

HR round questions

Tell me about yourself. Education, one or two projects, one strength, and why TCS. About 90 seconds.
Why TCS? Mention scale of projects, training programs for freshers, and the variety of domains, in your own words.
Are you willing to relocate? TCS places freshers across India. Answer honestly.
Are you comfortable with rotational shifts? Same: be honest, since this affects your posting.
Where do you see yourself in five years? Show growth inside the company, not a plan to leave.

Final tips

Revise one language deeply instead of three languages lightly.
Know every line of your final-year project. Most TR questions start there.
Practice speaking your answers out loud, not just reading them. Many freshers know the answer but freeze when they have to say it.

If you want to rehearse these questions out loud before the real interview, AI mock interview practice can help you get used to answering under time pressure and see where your answers need work.

All the best for your TCS interview!

Sources: TCS NQT pattern and track details as reported by FACE Prep; round structure and common questions compiled from Weekday and candidate reports. Check the official TCS NextStep portal for the latest pattern.

DEV Community: Brevis Dewald

Infosys Interview Questions for Freshers (2026): Test Pattern, SE vs DSE vs SP, Technical, Coding and HR

The Infosys hiring process

Online test pattern (2026)

The three fresher roles

Technical round questions

1. What is the difference between a class and an object?

2. Abstract class vs interface (Java)

3. What does static mean in Java?

4. What is garbage collection in Java?

5. What is a lambda function in Python?

6. Stack vs queue

7. What is a binary search tree?

8. What is hashing?

9. What is the time complexity of binary search?

10. WHERE vs HAVING in SQL

11. What is a view and what is an index?

Coding questions

Check an Armstrong number

Sum of digits

Check if two strings are anagrams

Rotate an array by k positions (right)

Longest substring without repeating characters (SP level)

Ways to climb n stairs with 1 or 2 steps (SP level)

HR round questions

Final tips

TCS Interview Questions for Freshers (2026): NQT Pattern, Technical, Coding and HR Rounds

How the TCS hiring process works

TCS NQT pattern (2026)

The three tracks

The interview rounds

Technical round questions

1. What are the four pillars of OOP?

2. What is the difference between method overloading and overriding?

3. Why is Java platform independent?

4. What is the difference between == and .equals() in Java?

5. Array vs linked list

6. List vs tuple in Python

7. What is normalization?

8. DELETE vs TRUNCATE vs DROP

9. Write a query for the second-highest salary

10. What are ACID properties?

11. Process vs thread

12. What is a deadlock?

13. TCP vs UDP

Coding questions asked in TCS interviews

Check if a number is prime

Check if a string is a palindrome

Find the second-largest element in an array

Swap two numbers without a third variable

Fibonacci series up to n terms

Managerial round questions

HR round questions

Final tips

3. What does `static` mean in Java?

4. What is the difference between `==` and `.equals()` in Java?