Aria

Role: Software Engineer

College: Not Specified (Applied through Placement Cell)

Interview Date: Not Specified (Published Jul 23, 2025)

Interview Type: Full-Time (On-Campus)

Result: Not Specified

Difficulty: Medium

Rounds: 3 rounds

Topics Asked: Computer Networks, DBMS, OS, Data Structures, Algorithms, C language, System Design

Experience:

The candidate applied through their institute's Placement Cell and received an online test link.

Round 1 (Coding and Aptitude - HackerRank, 60 Minutes):

• Section 1 (MCQ - 15 mins): 15 questions from core CSE subjects like Computer Networks, Database Management Systems, Operating Systems, Data Structures, and Algorithms.
• Section 2 (Coding - Easy - 20 mins): 1 question. Given two hammer types (type 1 reduces strength to 0, type 2 reduces by 1), n wooden planks with varying strengths. Type 1 hammer can only be used k times. Find the minimum number of hits to break all planks, indexes of planks broken by type 1 hammer (descending order of strengths), and the number of hits by hammer type 2.
• Section 3 (Coding - Medium - 25 mins): 1 coding question (details not specified).

Round 2 (Data Structures and Algorithms - Google Meet, 45 Minutes): This round was based on Data Structures and Algorithms. The interviewer asked the candidate to open an online IDE and share their screen.

• Question 1: Decimal equivalent of a binary linked list (GeeksforGeeks link).
• Question 2: Design a stack that supports getMin() in O(1) time and O(1) extra space (GeeksforGeeks link).

The code was expected to compile and pass test cases. The interviewer provided corrections for optimization and redundant statements.

Round 3 (System Design - Google Meet, 50 Minutes):

• Long discussion about the design of a URL shortener with the following characteristics: creation of new shortened URLs, deletion of old URLs after a certain period, and operation in a multiprocessor environment with simultaneous read and write operations.
• Discussion covered aspects involving concepts of Operating Systems, Data Structures, and Advanced Data Structures and Algorithms.
• At the end, a few basic questions related to the C language and how to implement a C++ STL vector in C.