Sap Labs Interviews

I applied directly through SAP Labs' career website for a Developer Associate - Java Full Stack position within their Procurements team. About 1.5 weeks later, an AI recruiter sent me an email to schedule my first interview. It was interesting to note that no calendar invites were sent for any of the rounds, so I had to meticulously track all my scheduled interviews.

Technical Round 1 - 45 minutes

This round was conducted by someone with a similar level of experience to mine. It felt less like a formal interview and more like a casual conversation. We discussed my current work, project architecture, and touched upon topics like Redis, resume-based questions, Spring Boot exception handling, dependency injection, and DFS/BFS algorithms on graphs. Towards the end, my interviewer provided insights into the team they were hiring for and the company culture. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion.

Later the same day, I received another email from the AI recruiter to schedule the next round, which was set for two days later.

Technical Round 2 - 45 minutes

A senior developer led this interview. After introducing myself, I was given two coding problems and was expected to provide Java pseudocode solutions.

• Q1. Second Largest Element in an Array (GFG): I was asked to find the second largest element in a given array.
• Q2. Time Conversion (HackerRank): The problem required converting a 12-hour AM/PM time format to 24-hour military time.

Following the coding segment, several technical questions related to my resume were posed:

1. How did you optimise queries in databases?
2. What is the difference between POST and PUT?
3. Can you explain logging and distributed tracing?
4. How is asynchronous communication implemented in microservices?

Finally, I inquired about my potential role in the team, and the interviewer kindly shared her own experiences. This interview also went very well, and the interviewer specifically mentioned that she was primarily assessing my logical thinking, which seemed to meet her expectations.

The next day, the AI recruiter again emailed me to pick a slot for the subsequent round, scheduled for two working days later.

Managerial Round - 45 minutes

This round was with an engineering manager. After introductions, I was presented with a series of behavioral situations. At the close of the interview, we discussed the team culture and the expectations for a new candidate joining. This round also progressed smoothly.

1. Tell me about a time when your manager and you had a different approach to solving a problem, and what you ultimately did.
2. Suppose there is a handover of a component that you have been owning for a long time. What steps would you take during this process?
3. Talk about a specific technical issue your colleague faced and how you helped them.
4. How do you prioritise issues? How do you manage if there are issues that are of high priority to other teams but not to your team?
5. Tell me about a time when you tried and realised you failed. What learnings did you incorporate?
6. Talk briefly about your short and long-term goals.

The following day, I received an email from the actual recruiter requesting some details and my availability for an offer discussion. The HR then responded, confirming we would connect in two days.

HR Round - 30 minutes

A meeting was set up to discuss my interview experience and offer expectations. The HR representative also posed a couple of behavioral questions, such as the pros and cons of working remotely versus from the office, and my approach to cross-collaboration with other teams. In the end, I asked a few questions regarding SAP's role structure, relocation policies, and the onboarding process.

The very next day, another interview was scheduled with the hiring manager.

HM Round - 30 minutes

This call was with the actual hiring manager. Its purpose was to delve deeper into the role and its expectations, provide interview feedback, and understand each other's perspectives to reach an agreement on the offer. It was a fair and productive discussion.

Exactly one week later, I received the letter of intent, and the official offer of employment was released within two days after that. The entire recruitment process took approximately 35-40 days.

I interviewed for the SAP Basis Consultant role at SAP Labs during an on-campus drive at Pune Institute of Computer Technology (PICT) for the 2025 placement batch. The recruitment process was divided into three rounds.

Round 1: Aptitude + CS Fundamentals Test
This was a 1-hour MCQ-based test covering aptitude and computer science fundamentals. The questions were quite straightforward, and I found this round relatively easy.

Round 2: Group Discussion (GD)
The topic for our group discussion was 'Being Famous vs Being Knowledgeable.' I initiated the discussion, making sure my points were well-structured and supported by relevant examples. This approach helped me stand out amongst the participants.

Round 3: Technical + HR Interview
This was a face-to-face interview with a panel of four interviewers. The discussion was a blend of technical and HR questions, focusing on my resume, internship experiences, and skill set. We discussed my introduction, the specifics of the role, challenges I faced during projects, my adaptability to new technologies, and my experience with frameworks like Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Prisma ORM. We also delved into database concepts like RDBMS vs. Non-RDBMS and machine learning models I had worked with. Behavioral questions covered teamwork, my motivation for this specific role despite my coding background, and my family background and future plans. Overall, it was an insightful interaction. I was fortunate to be among the 5 students selected from my college.

I applied for campus placements at SAP Labs, targeting an Intern position with a compensation of 35k for 10 months starting July, provided my CGPA was above 7. The process began with an online assessment.

Online Assessment

I had 45 minutes to solve two easy questions on their platform. The questions were presented as long story-like problems, similar to Codeforces. I managed to solve them in about 25 minutes and submitted my solutions.

Interview Round 1 (30 Minutes)

This round started with a basic introduction, followed by a general discussion about my projects and their functionalities. The interviewer then delved into core computer science concepts:

1. OOPS Concepts: "What is OOPS and its four pillars?" I answered this comprehensively.
2. Virtual Functions: "What is a virtual function? Is it necessary to change parameters for function overloading?" I addressed this clearly.
3. Exception Handling: "How are exceptions implemented in Java and C++? What is the difference between throw and throws?" I struggled a bit with this one.
4. Alternating Print Logic: "There is code that prints a number on running once, upon running it again it prints another number, then again the first number and so on. Numbers are printed alternately on running the same code. How would you implement this?" I initially thought of semaphores but realized it was a single process. I then suggested using file handling to store the next value to be printed and rewrite it upon each execution. He then asked if I had to clear the whole code, which I didn't fully understand, and couldn't answer.
5. Interface vs. Abstract Class: "What is an interface and an abstract class?" I couldn't fully answer this question.

Beyond these technical questions, I was asked typical questions like, "Why should I join SAP?" I felt I answered most questions well, except for those on exceptions and abstract classes.

Interview Round 2 (50 Minutes)

This round was quite challenging. The interviewer did not open his camera, but asked me to keep mine on, just like in the previous round. He interrupted my introduction and immediately started with questions without introducing himself. I had mentioned frameworks like Flask, Spring Boot, and React, which turned out to be a 'huge mistake'.

He asked about React, and I clarified that I wasn't proficient in JavaScript, but had used basic functions with HTML/CSS for frontend work on my backend-focused projects. He then asked, "What is the file extension for React?" I explained that React is a framework and uses .jsx, .js, and .css files, much like Flask doesn't have a single project extension. I might have sounded a bit arrogant due to frustration.

He then asked me to share my screen and create an HTML file. He was speaking in half-sentences and with a weird accent, which made communication difficult. He also wanted me to write TypeScript code, which I had never mentioned. I asked if I could show a sample React project, to which he agreed. I explained the components and setup. After that, he asked me to create an HTML button that performs an action on click using JavaScript. Despite my prior mention of being weak in JavaScript (and not having it on my resume), I created the button tag but struggled to write the JavaScript function.

This entire segment made me very nervous. I had focused on fundamentals and LeetCode for a week, and it wasn't advertised that SAP Labs would require such in-depth development skills.

We then shifted to C++. I was asked to write code to return the frequency of elements in an array. I coded and executed it within 5 minutes, showing the output. He then asked about hash maps and hashing explanations.

Next, he presented a standard LeetCode DP question, 'Maximal Square'. I provided a naive approach and was then prompted for a better one. I thought for about 5 minutes before he moved on, saying "it's ok...". I could only suggest some inefficient approaches involving storing locations of 1s in a vector. I believe I might have identified it as a DP problem with more time.

The last DSA question was to calculate the transpose of a matrix. I coded and explained this in about 5 minutes, then pasted the code in the chat.

He continued with more conceptual questions:

• Overriding a function.
• Semaphores vs. Mutex.
• Time complexity of binary search and why.

I answered all of these. Finally, there were logic questions:

1. "What is the speed of the minute hand?"
2. "What is the angle between the hour hand and minute hand at a specific time?"

I answered both successfully. He also asked about my experience with Generative AI, to which I described a basic chatbot I had made using OpenAI. I was allowed to ask questions and inquired about the role, receiving an answer that it would be a full-stack developer position.

There was no feedback or response from the interviewer on any of my answers throughout the round.

Final Result

Out of 9 students shortlisted for interviews, 8 qualified for the HR round. I was the only one rejected. Upon discussing with others, I found that most were not asked about development (except for one student with the same interviewer as me) and were given two questions with 20 minutes each. Some didn't even share their screen. Questions for others included: add two numbers as strings, reverse a linked list, implement stack using queue, find middle of a linked list, and longest palindromic subsequence. Many of them didn't solve both questions in the OA or interview but still moved forward.

Thoughts & Lessons

I believe if I had revised basic JavaScript and been given a little more time, I might have performed better. As my second interview ever, I was quite shaken by an interviewer who was unclear, unresponsive, and specifically focused on areas I admitted to being weak in. My main takeaway is not to solely rely on past interview experiences of others and to always cover basic fundamentals.

This post details my interview journey for the Scholar@SAP program, an integrated M.Tech (Software Engineering) and job opportunity with BITS, Pilani, where all educational costs are covered by the company. After completing the masters, I would be converted to a Full-Time Employee (FTE) following a managerial interview.

STAGE 1: Online Assessment (September 3, 2021)

The online assessment was divided into two sections:

• Section 1: This section included 15 Java and 15 C++ pseudo code, OOPS, and output-based MCQ questions. I had 15 Java MCQs in 15 minutes with navigation allowed, and 15 C++ MCQs in 20 minutes with no navigation allowed (had to submit each answer to proceed).
• Section 2: I faced 2 basic coding questions on String, Arrays, and Math operations, with a time limit of 1 hour. I received one simple substring-based problem and a Math operation on an Integer Array problem. I managed to solve both within 15 minutes using Java.

It's important to have a solid grasp of basic concepts and OOPS for both C++ and Java, along with understanding the inner workings of pre-defined functions and keywords for this test. Three students, including myself, were selected for the technical interview round.

STAGE 2: Technical Round 1 (September 8, 2021)

My first technical interview took place on Microsoft Teams. After greeting the interviewer, he started with a logical puzzle:

• Logical Puzzle: If you have two candles that take an hour to burn completely, how will you measure half an hour by lighting and observing the candles in any manner? No other method allowed. I was stuck for about 20 seconds but managed to answer it.
• Follow-up: How will you measure 15 minutes? I couldn't answer this one, and he moved on.

Next, he asked me some OOPS-related questions and requested a demonstration of encapsulation in Java, which was a pretty textbook question. Following that, I was asked to write the program for LeetCode Problem 14, Longest Common Prefix. I solved it with a couple of hints, and he seemed satisfied with my approach, also discussing some follow-up questions to assess my problem-solving skills.

He then delved into Java-specific questions on Classes, Inheritance, and Strings. A thorough understanding of OOPS is key here. I also got a scenario-based question that made me stammer:

• Scenario Question: Describe the approach you would take as a freelance web developer to make a website for a client, for example, a Food Corp client needing a dashboard to manage seller data. I gave generic answers about client briefing and requirements. Since I was just learning web development then, I admitted it, and he guided me through some aspects of the process.

Finally, I asked him two questions about the work I would be assigned. The call concluded after some casual discussions about the work culture. This 45-minute interview was an awesome first-time experience. I received an email for the next round at 1 PM, scheduled for 2 PM the same day.

STAGE 2: Technical Round 2 (September 8, 2021)

This round began directly with questions after formal greetings. He presented a SQL database question:

• SQL Question: How would you find the maximum value in a row of a different table whose primary key is minimum in another table? All values in the tables are integer types. I couldn't answer correctly initially, but after some hints, I arrived at a satisfactory approach, realizing it was simpler than I thought.

Next, he inquired about Polymorphism, its types, usage, and properties, including how to implement multiple inheritance in Java. These were again typical OOPS questions. Lastly, he gave me two OOPS-based programs and asked for their outputs by dry-running them, which I answered correctly.

I then had some questions for him, leading to a long discussion about technical avenues in the industry. He shared many of his experiences in the IT sector. This round lasted 50 minutes. I received the mail for the HR interview at 6 PM, scheduled for September 9th.

STAGE 3: HR Interview (September 9, 2021)

The HR interview was primarily discussion-based, focusing on company values, my future plans, and my thoughts about SAP. One specific question stood out:

• HR Question: How would you describe SAP Labs to a client who is unaware of the organization and technologies? I was surprised by how impressed the interviewer was with my answer, and at that moment, I knew I was selected.

After a few more typical HR questions, the call ended. I received my selection mail at 6 PM that evening. This was my first-ever placement experience in my final year, and I was the only student selected from my entire college. The joy was immense.