Hsbc

Role: Trainee Software Engineer

College: Not Specified (On-campus recruitment)

Interview Date: Online Test: September 27-28, 2023; Interviews: November 4, 2023

Interview Type: On-Campus, Full-Time

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Easy to Medium

Rounds: 5 rounds (3 Online Assessments + 2 Interview Rounds)

Topics Asked: Java MCQs, Data Structures, Algorithms, MERN stack, Operating Systems, Database Management Systems, Object-Oriented Programming, Networking, Problem Solving

Experience:

HSBC conducted an on-campus recruitment drive for the Trainee Software Engineer profile. The process involved 3 online assessment rounds followed by 2 rounds of interviews.

Round 1: Aptitude Assessment (30 minutes)
This round consisted of general MCQ questions on Java. The candidate emphasized the need to be quick and fast to complete this section within the given time.

Round 2: Online Coding Assessment (45 minutes)
This round had two coding questions. The first question was described as "Very Easy" and involved finding a lucky number. The second question was "Easy" and required manipulating a string of '0's and '1's to remove either "01" or "10" substrings and print the minimum length of the resultant string (e.g., input-1010, output-2).

Round 3: Behavioral Assessment
This round, held on September 28th, focused on situational judgment questions to assess the candidate's personality and how they would handle various scenarios in the workplace. Speed in choosing options was important.

Technical Interview (30-40 minutes)
The technical interview was heavily based on the candidate's resume. The interviewer deeply inquired about the projects, specifically a MERN stack project, including the tech stack used, challenges faced, and the real-world problems it solved. The candidate advised being very confident about everything mentioned on the resume. Basic questions on Operating Systems (what is OS and its uses), Data Structures (stack & queue), and DBMS (how to choose primary and foreign keys for tables) were also asked.

HR Interview (15 minutes)
The HR round included standard behavioral questions such as "Tell me something about yourself," "Tell me something that is not in your resume," "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?", "Do you have any other offers?", and "Which location do you prefer?".