Mastercard

Role: SDE-1

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: 2023-08-17

Interview Type: On-Campus, Full-Time

Result: Not Specified

Difficulty: Medium

Rounds: 4 rounds

Topics Asked: Data Structures, Algorithms, String Manipulation, Java, Projects, System Design, Operating Systems, Behavioral

Experience:

Mastercard sent coding round links to all shortlisted candidates, followed by 3 interview rounds: 2 technical and 1 HR.

Coding Round
This round consisted of 2 questions. The first question was based on operations on rows of a matrix (easy-medium). The second question involved string manipulation, specifically encrypting a message using a given key (medium). The key consisted of 26 alphabet letters, each corresponding to an encrypted letter. The candidate solved the second question completely.

Technical Round 1
The interviewer asked about the candidate's introduction and then delved into their projects. Questions were asked about Java, including concepts like deadlock conditions (the candidate remembered two conditions and satisfied the interviewer). The interviewer then asked about scaling a project for more than 1000 simultaneous users. The candidate discussed Docker and Kubernetes, admitting to being a "newbie" but understood the concepts.

Technical Round 2
This round also focused on projects and achievements. The interviewer appreciated the candidate's 365+ days LeetCode streak. Questions were asked about hobbies and the interviewer was asked about Mastercard's integration of blockchain for secure transactions and current technologies.

HR Round
The HR round covered typical behavioral questions.