Summary
I successfully navigated four rounds of interviews with eQ Technologic for a QA Engineer role through an on-campus placement drive, ultimately receiving an offer. The process covered technical skills in OOPS, C++, JavaScript, SQL, web technologies, and software testing, alongside problem-solving and behavioral assessments.
Full Experience
Jai Shree Radha Krishna!
I was excited to participate in the eQ Technologic placement drive at my college (AIT-PUNE) for the 2023-24 batch. They offered two roles: Software Role (COMP/IT eligible) and Quality Assurance Engineer (COMP/IT/ENTC). I was eligible for the QA Engineer role, provided I maintained 60% and above in all semesters and had no backlogs. A total of 99 students from my college were eligible.
Round 1 Aptitude (Online)
This round was conducted on the SHL Platform (AMCAT) and consisted of 14 aptitude questions and 2 coding questions.
Round 2 Technical Interview (Online MS Team, 1 hour)
After clearing the first round, I received a call to schedule my technical interview for the next day. The interview started casually with an introduction, which lasted about 3-4 minutes.
The interviewer then delved into core computer science concepts:
- Why C++?
- Explain OOPS?
- What are the four pillars of OOPS?
- Explain polymorphism with a real-world example?
- Explain types of inheritance?
- What is an access modifier?
- Explain the difference between protected and private access modifiers?
There were 1-2 OOPS questions I hadn't heard of, like "What is diamond inheritance," to which I honestly stated I wasn't familiar. He continued with:
- Explain abstract and interface.
Next, I was asked to share my screen and solve a coding question:
Following this, he shared two puzzle-like questions in the chatbox:
- SQL Query: Write an SQL query to update the address of a particular employee.
- Testing Scenario: I was asked to open Chrome in incognito mode, search for Gmail, and once the "Sign-in" page loaded, take 10 minutes to write down all possible test cases. After I was done, we discussed them one by one.
He then shared a URL, http://vishal.com/books/book?categories=novel, and asked me to explain its components and meaning. This led to questions about web protocols:
- What is HTTP? (He specifically asked me to just define HTTP, not compare with HTTPS).
- If a URL is hit and a blank page loads, what could be the possible reasons behind it?
- I was asked to open developer tools and explain the first five terms shown: Elements, Console, Network, Performance, Application, and answer questions based on them.
The interview concluded with questions on software testing:
- What is smoke testing?
- What is Regression Testing?
At the end, I had a chance to ask questions. The interviewer seemed very impressed, commenting on my deep knowledge.
Round 3 Technical Interview (Online Ms Team, 1 hour)
In the evening, I received an email for the third round. This interview started with an introduction, then the interviewer asked about my experience in the previous round, including the questions asked and the interviewer's name. He also asked questions based on my resume, specifically:
- Which programming languages do I know, and which one is my favorite?
- Explain AWS API Gateway.
I was then given a coding question to solve in JavaScript:
He also presented a puzzle about a landline phone with no display or calling button, only digits from 0-9. I had to write down 10 test cases, and one of them was quite unique, which impressed him.
Another testing question involved 5 input text fields:
- Name
- Date of Birth
- Date of Journey
- Document upload
- Document No verification
I needed to write down 10 test cases for these fields and explain them. Finally, he asked me to explain the Defect Life Cycle.
Round 4 HR Interview (Online MS Team, 30 min)
The next day, I received an email for the HR interview, scheduled for the same evening. This round covered personal and behavioral aspects:
- Tell me about myself; brief introduction about my family.
- When did I start reading novels?
- Why did I select QA and not a Software role?
- Explain GrowGram, a project mentioned in my resume.
- What are my strengths?
- What are my weaknesses?
- Where do I see myself in the next 5 years?
- What excited me to join EQ during the PPT introduction?
- Share any moment from the last 6 months.
- Since I belong to ENTC, why did I do an internship in the software field?
- Why didn't I mention any project from my core ENTC field?
I concluded by asking three questions to the HR, and the interview ended pleasantly. Two days later, I received an email with the verdict.
Verdict: Selected. I was one of three students selected from my college.
Interview Questions (21)
Why C++? Explain OOPS, its four pillars, polymorphism with a real-world example, and types of inheritance. What is an access modifier, and what is the difference between protected and private access modifiers? Explain abstract and interface.
Given an input string like "your name is Vishal", reverse the order of the words to produce "Vishal is name your."
Write an SQL query to update the address of a particular employee.
Open Chrome in incognito mode, search for Gmail. Once the "Sign-in" page loads, take 10 minutes to write down all possible test cases that you can think of for this page, and then discuss them.
Given a URL like http://vishal.com/books/book?categories=novel, explain its components. What is HTTP? If you hit a URL and a blank page loads, what could be the possible reasons? Open developer tools and explain the first five terms: Elements, Console, Network, Performance, Application.
What is smoke testing? What is Regression Testing?
Which programming languages do you know, and which one is your favorite?
Explain AWS API Gateway.
Print the following pattern:
1 212 32123
Given a landline phone with no display, no calling button, just digits from 0-9. Write down 10 test cases for this device.
I have 5 input text fields: Name, Date of Birth, Date of Journey, Document upload, Document No verification. Write down 10 test cases for these fields and explain them.
Explain the Defect Life Cycle.
Tell me about yourself; provide a brief introduction about your family.
When did you start reading novels, since childhood or later on?
Why did you select QA and not a Software role?
Explain GrowGram, which was your project mentioned in your resume.
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Tell me, what excited you to join EQ during the PPT introduction?
Share any moment from the last 6 months that stands out.
You belong to ENTC, so why did you do an internship in the software field? Why didn't you mention any project from your core ENTC field?
Preparation Tips
My preparation covered a wide range of topics essential for a QA Engineer role. I focused on core OOPS concepts, C++, and JavaScript for coding challenges. I also practiced SQL queries and familiarized myself with web fundamentals such as HTTP, URL structures, and browser developer tools. A significant part of my preparation involved understanding various software testing methodologies, including smoke testing, regression testing, and the defect life cycle. Additionally, I prepared for common behavioral and HR questions, practicing how to articulate my strengths, weaknesses, career aspirations, and project experiences.