Schlumberger

Role: Internship

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: 2024-11-26

Interview Type: Not Specified

Result: Not Specified

Difficulty: Medium to Hard

Rounds: 4 rounds (Online Coding, Group Discussion, 2 Technical Rounds)

Topics Asked: Java Basics, Code Snippets, Decimal to Binary Conversion, Fibonacci Check, Group Discussion (EVs vs. Fuel Combustion), Resume-Based, ER Diagrams, OOP Fundamentals (Pillars, Abstraction vs. Encapsulation, Ambiguous Problem in Inheritance, Polymorphism), Stack Implementation, SQL Query (Max Salary), Python's Popularity, Circular Singly Linked List, Aptitude (Train-and-man), Puzzles (Blind man and coins), Linked List Challenges (Detect/Remove Loop), Binary Tree Discussion (Height)

Experience:

Online Coding Round: Focused on foundational Java knowledge and basic problem-solving. Key highlights included Java syntax, concepts, error predictions in code snippets, writing a program to convert decimal to binary, and determining if a number is a Fibonacci number. The candidate found this manageable due to regular practice.

Group Discussion Round: The topic was “Which vehicles are better: fuel combustion or EVs?”. Each of 10 participants had two chances to speak for 1 minute each. The discussion was competitive, with the interviewer observing communication skills, clarity of thought, and confidence. The panel preferred concise and confident points.

Technical Round 1: Resume and Core Concepts (40–50 min): A blend of resume-based questions and fundamental computer science concepts. Questions included: "Introduce Yourself", specific queries about project experience, drawing an ER diagram for a project, OOP fundamentals (pillars, abstraction vs. encapsulation, ambiguous problem in inheritance, polymorphism with examples, implementing abstraction/inheritance with code), stack implementation (push/pop, print reverse of array using stack), SQL query (max salary), and "Why is Python so popular nowadays?". The candidate felt confident with these topics.

Technical Round 2: Advanced Problem Solving (1 hour): This round delved deeper into problem-solving, puzzles, and advanced coding challenges. The interviewer expected multiple approaches instead of just code. Questions included: "Introduce Yourself" (again), explaining and implementing a circular singly linked list, an aptitude question (classic train-and-man problem), a puzzle (blind man and coins puzzle), linked list challenges (detect a loop and remove it), and a binary tree discussion ("Which is better, higher height or lower height of a binary tree?"). The candidate realized the importance of being well-versed in data structures, algorithms, and logical explanation.