🧑💻 Cognizant GenC / GenC Pro/ GenC Next Interview Experience (Nov 2025)
Summary
I recently interviewed for the Cognizant GenC / GenC Pro / GenC Next role and had a smooth and fair experience. After successfully completing an aptitude and technical assessment, I proceeded to a technical interview. I'm pleased to share that I received an interim offer.
Full Experience
My overall interview experience with Cognizant was positive, though the technical round required a bit more focus. The interviewer was polite and guided me well, making the environment comfortable. All interview calls were arranged randomly via Superset.
Round 1 – Aptitude + Communication Assessment
This round was relatively easy. The aptitude section covered basic quantitative and logical questions, while the communication section focused on grammar, sentence correction, and listening comprehension. My advice for this round is simply to stay calm and focused.
Round 2 – Technical Assessment
This round was of moderate difficulty and included several sections:
- SQL (2 Questions): Both were easy and related to Date functions.
- Java (2 Coding Questions):
- Find Max Consecutive Ones
- Find Sum of Same Consecutive Numbers that occur k times
- HTML / CSS / JS (3 Small Questions): These were basic, mostly covering syntax or output-based concepts.
Round 3 – Technical Interview (30 mins)
This interview was conducted online via Superset. The interviewer was very polite and created a comfortable atmosphere. The round started with my self-introduction.
Coding Question:
I was asked to solve a coding question on the compiler:
- Find the length of the longest word in a string and print all the words with the same length.
- (Follow-up: Handle spaces and full stops in the string)
Theory Questions:
We then moved on to several theory questions, predominantly in Java and SQL:
- Java:
- OOPs Pillars (I had to explain all of them)
- Polymorphism (in detail)
final,finally,finalizekeywords- Abstract Classes & Interfaces
Try-Catch& Exception Handling- Time complexity of various sorting algorithms
- SQL:
- Normalization
- All types of Joins
- Difference between Left and Left Outer Join
- Query to find the 2nd Highest Salary
HR Segment
This segment involved friendly interaction and straightforward Yes/No questions regarding job location, shift flexibility, and familiarity with tech stacks. There were no tricky HR questions.
I received an interim offer shortly after completing the interview. Overall, the experience was smooth and fair. The interviewer seemed genuinely interested in understanding my logic rather than just the final answer.
Interview Questions (13)
Find Max Consecutive Ones
I was asked to solve the problem to find the maximum number of consecutive 1s in a binary array.
Find Sum of Same Consecutive Numbers that occur k times
I was given a coding question to find the sum of numbers that appear consecutively 'k' times in a sequence.
Longest Word in a String with Specific Characters
During my technical interview, I received a coding question to find the length of the longest word in a given string. As a follow-up, I also had to print all words that had this maximum length. The interviewer also asked me to consider handling spaces and full stops correctly within the string.
SQL Query for 2nd Highest Salary
I was asked to write an SQL query to find the 2nd highest salary from an employee table.
OOPs Pillars Explanation
I was asked to explain all the pillars of Object-Oriented Programming (OOPs).
Polymorphism Detailed Explanation
The interviewer asked me to explain Polymorphism in detail, particularly in the context of Java.
final, finally, finalize keywords in Java
I was asked to explain the differences between final, finally, and finalize keywords in Java.
Abstract Classes and Interfaces in Java
I was questioned about Abstract Classes and Interfaces in Java, likely about their differences, use cases, or implementation.
Exception Handling with Try-Catch in Java
I was asked about try-catch blocks and general Exception Handling mechanisms in Java.
Time Complexity of Sorting Algorithms
I was asked about the time complexity of various standard sorting algorithms.
SQL Database Normalization
I was asked to explain database Normalization in SQL.
Types of SQL Joins
The interviewer asked me to explain all types of Joins available in SQL.
Difference between Left and Left Outer Join
I was asked to explain the difference between a LEFT JOIN and a LEFT OUTER JOIN in SQL.
Preparation Tips
My preparation focused on staying calm and confident throughout the process. I made sure to revise core OOPs concepts, SQL joins, and practiced basic coding questions, especially those involving string and array manipulation in Java. I also paid attention to practical aspects like ensuring a stable internet connection, as the Superset order was random.