Future First

Role: Quant Research Intern

College: Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi

Interview Date: March 7, 2023

Interview Type: Internship

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Hard (Online Coding Test)

Rounds: 2 rounds

Topics Asked: Data Structures and Algorithms, Operating Systems, Dynamic Programming, Binary Trees, Maths puzzles, Aptitude, Computer Networks, OOP, DBMS.

Experience:

This interview experience for a Quant Research Intern at Futures First involved two rounds. The candidate, Ajeet Singh from IIT Mandi, was selected for the role. The preparation involved practicing DSA on platforms like CodeStudio and focusing on core subjects.

Application Process: The HR contacted the candidate via email for a coding test after applying through LinkedIn.

Round 1: Online Coding Test
Duration: 90 minutes. This round included 2 coding problems.

• Problem 1: Coin Change Problem
  Given an infinite supply of coins of denominations D = {D0, D1, ..., Dn-1}, find the total number of ways to make change for value V. Print 0 if change is not possible. The candidate used dynamic programming to solve this.
• Problem 2: Binary Tree Validation
  Given n nodes, 'LEFT_CHILD' and 'RIGHT_CHILD' arrays, determine if the resulting tree is a valid binary tree (each node has only one parent, and there is only one root).

The difficulty of this round was rated as Hard. The candidate explained a naive approach and then an optimized approach for almost all questions.

Round 2: Second Coding Round (Technical Interview)
Duration: 30 minutes. This round also included 2 coding problems. (Specific questions for this round are not detailed in the provided snippet, but it implies further coding and technical discussion). The candidate also had a deep understanding of OS concepts.

The candidate was selected because they were able to answer all coding questions properly. Tips included not leaving any topic from any subject, explaining thoughts well, learning from previous experiences, and having at least 4 projects on the resume.