{"id":944,"date":"2026-06-20T10:54:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T10:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastroundai.com\/blog\/interview-questions\/tcs"},"modified":"2026-07-19T09:23:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T03:53:29","slug":"tcs","status":"publish","type":"iq","link":"https:\/\/lastroundai.com\/interview-questions\/tcs","title":{"rendered":"TCS Interview Questions (2026): NQT, Technical, MR &#038; HR Rounds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Updated June 2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>TCS interviewed roughly 400,000 candidates in the 2025-2026 campus cycle through the NQT. The selection rate for Ninja stays around 1 in 4 applicants who actually sit the exam; for Digital it&#8217;s closer to 1 in 10. If you know exactly what each round tests, you can stop guessing and start practicing the right things.<\/p>\n<p>This page walks through the full 2026 process: the NQT exam structure, what happens in the Technical round, what the Managerial round is actually about (most freshers get this wrong), and what HR is checking. Each section has real questions, real answers, and a line on how each one tends to land inside TCS&#8217;s interview rooms.<\/p>\n<div class=\"iq-stats not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-stat\"><span class=\"iq-stat__value\">4<\/span><span class=\"iq-stat__label\">Stages<\/span><\/div><div class=\"iq-stat\"><span class=\"iq-stat__value\">90-190 min<\/span><span class=\"iq-stat__label\">NQT<\/span><\/div><div class=\"iq-stat\"><span class=\"iq-stat__value\">2 questions<\/span><span class=\"iq-stat__label\">Coding<\/span><\/div><div class=\"iq-stat\"><span class=\"iq-stat__value\">Ninja\/Digital\/Prime<\/span><span class=\"iq-stat__label\">Tracks<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<h2>The TCS selection process in 2026<\/h2>\n<p>TCS now runs all campus hiring through the <strong>TCS NQT (National Qualifier Test)<\/strong> on the TCS iON platform. The exam has two parts baked into one sitting: a Foundation section and an Advanced section. What you score across both parts determines which profile you&#8217;re eligible for.<\/p>\n<p>The three profiles differ more than most candidates realize:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>TCS Ninja<\/strong>: Foundation section clearance only. UG package around Rs. 3.36 LPA. Application development and maintenance projects.<\/li>\n<li><strong>TCS Digital<\/strong>: Foundation + Advanced + strong coding score. UG package around Rs. 7.0-7.3 LPA. Modern tech stacks, cloud, and digital transformation work.<\/li>\n<li><strong>TCS Prime<\/strong>: Best coding performance in the Advanced section (solving 1.5+ of the 2 coding problems is the informal benchmark candidates report). UG package Rs. 9.09-9.30 LPA. Complex and emerging-tech projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Eligibility: minimum 60% aggregate across 10th, 12th, and degree; no pending backlogs; age 18-28; full-time programs only. Work experience up to 2 years is allowed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"iq-timeline not-prose\"><br \/>\n<div class=\"iq-step\"><span class=\"iq-step__dot\"><\/span><div class=\"iq-step__body\"><div class=\"iq-step__head\"><span class=\"iq-step__title\">TCS NQT<\/span><span class=\"iq-step__meta\">~90-190 min<\/span><\/div><div class=\"iq-step__desc\"><\/p>\n<p>Foundation (75 min, everyone) covers numerical ability, verbal ability, and reasoning. Advanced (115 min) is required for Digital and Prime. Includes 2 coding problems on TCS iON with 90 minutes on the clock.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"iq-step\"><span class=\"iq-step__dot\"><\/span><div class=\"iq-step__body\"><div class=\"iq-step__head\"><span class=\"iq-step__title\">Technical interview<\/span><span class=\"iq-step__meta\">30-45 min<\/span><\/div><div class=\"iq-step__desc\"><\/p>\n<p>One panel member, sometimes two. Opens with your final year project, then drills CS fundamentals (OOP, DBMS, networking\/OS), and often closes with a written or screen-shared coding question. One round for Ninja; potentially two for Digital\/Prime.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"iq-step\"><span class=\"iq-step__dot\"><\/span><div class=\"iq-step__body\"><div class=\"iq-step__head\"><span class=\"iq-step__title\">Managerial round (MR)<\/span><span class=\"iq-step__meta\">20-30 min<\/span><\/div><div class=\"iq-step__desc\"><\/p>\n<p>Primarily for Digital and Prime candidates. Some Ninja candidates skip it or get a combined MR+HR session. Not a second technical round. The interviewer is a senior manager testing professional thinking, stakeholder communication, and how you handle setbacks.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"iq-step\"><span class=\"iq-step__dot\"><\/span><div class=\"iq-step__body\"><div class=\"iq-step__head\"><span class=\"iq-step__title\">HR round<\/span><span class=\"iq-step__meta\">15-25 min<\/span><\/div><div class=\"iq-step__desc\"><\/p>\n<p>Everyone goes through this. One HR manager. The purpose is confirmation: are you employable, flexible, and actually going to join? Some batches run this as a group round with 3-5 candidates at once. Covers bond, relocation, and why TCS.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>NQT aptitude and coding<\/h2>\n<p>The Foundation section has 65 questions in 75 minutes across three areas. The time splits are fixed at 25 minutes per section. You cannot carry over unused time. No negative marking in 2026.<\/p>\n<h3>Numerical Ability (20 questions, 25 min)<\/h3>\n<p>Candidates consistently flag these as the toughest Foundation questions. An on-screen calculator is provided, but the problems reward speed more than deep math. Topics that appear regularly: number system and HCF\/LCM, percentages and profit\/loss, time\/work\/distance, permutations and combinations, probability basics, and data interpretation from tables and bar graphs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"iq-dsec iq-dsec--easy\"><div class=\"iq-dsec__row\"><h2 class=\"iq-dsec__h\" id=\"easy\"><span class=\"iq-dsec__dot\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>Easy questions<\/h2><span class=\"iq-dsec__n\">33<\/span><\/div><div class=\"iq-dsec__bar\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Check if two strings are anagrams of each other<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">NQT<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Two strings are anagrams if they contain the same characters with the same frequencies, regardless of order. The cleanest approach: sort both strings and compare. The O(n) approach uses a frequency count.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">java<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-java\">\n\nimport java.util.Arrays;\npublic class AnagramCheck {\n\n    public static boolean areAnagrams(String s1, String s2) {\n\n        if (s1.length() != s2.length()) return false;\n        char[] arr1 = s1.toLowerCase().toCharArray();\n\n        char[] arr2 = s2.toLowerCase().toCharArray();\n        Arrays.sort(arr1);\n\n        Arrays.sort(arr2);\n        return Arrays.equals(arr1, arr2);\n\n    }\n    public static void main(String[] args) {\n\n        System.out.println(areAnagrams(\u201clisten\u201d, \u201csilent\u201d)); \/\/ true\n\n        System.out.println(areAnagrams(\u201chello\u201d, \u201cworld\u201d));   \/\/ false\n\n    }\n\n}\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Reverse a string without using built-in reverse functions<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">NQT<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>TCS NQT sometimes specifies &#8220;without built-in functions&#8221; to check whether you understand the underlying mechanics. Use two pointers from opposite ends, swap until they meet in the middle.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">python<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-python\">\n\ndef reverse_string(s):\n\n    chars = list(s)\n\n    left, right = 0, len(chars) \u2013 1\n    while left &lt; right:\n\n        chars[left], chars[right] = chars[right], chars[left]\n\n        left += 1\n\n        right -= 1\n    return \u201d.join(chars)\nprint(reverse_string(\u201cTCS NQT\u201d))  # Output: TQN SCT\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Compress a string: &#039;aaabbCCC&#039; becomes &#039;a3b2C3&#039;<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">NQT<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Run-length encoding. Walk through the string, count consecutive identical characters, and build the output as you go. If a character appears only once, some variants of the problem still output the count (a1); others omit it. Clarify during the exam if possible.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">python<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-python\">\n\ndef compress_string(s):\n\n    if not s:\n\n        return \u201c\u201d\n    result = []\n\n    count = 1\n    for i in range(1, len(s)):\n\n        if s[i] == s[i \u2013 1]:\n\n            count += 1\n\n        else:\n\n            result.append(s[i \u2013 1] + str(count))\n\n            count = 1\n    result.append(s[-1] + str(count))\n\n    return \u201d.join(result)\nprint(compress_string(\u201caaabbCCC\u201d))  # Output: a3b2C3\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Check whether a number is an Armstrong number<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">NQT<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>An Armstrong number equals the sum of its own digits, each raised to the power of the digit count. 153 is the classic example: 1^3 + 5^3 + 3^3 = 153. This shows up regularly in the NQT Advanced section as a shorter warm-up problem ahead of the array-based one.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">python<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-python\">\n\ndef is_armstrong(num):\n\n    digits = str(num)\n\n    power = len(digits)\n\n    total = sum(int(d) ** power for d in digits)\n\n    return total == num\nprint(is_armstrong(153))  # True\n\nprint(is_armstrong(120))  # False\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Candidates lose marks here by hardcoding the power as 3. Use len(digits) so the function still works when the test cases move to 4-digit or 6-digit numbers, which they do in later test cases on this problem.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Which programming language are you most comfortable with, and why?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>This is opening small talk that turns serious fast. If you say Python, be ready to explain its memory management and why it&#8217;s slower than C for compute-heavy tasks.<\/p>\n<p>Name one language, give two specific reasons (type system, community\/libraries, performance characteristics), then mention a project where you used it for something concrete. Don&#8217;t hedge with &#8220;I know a bit of Python and also some Java.&#8221; Pick one and own it.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is the difference between C and C++?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>C is procedural; C++ adds object-oriented features (classes, inheritance, polymorphism) on top. C++ also has the Standard Template Library. C doesn&#8217;t support function overloading; C++ does. Memory management in C is fully manual (malloc\/free); C++ adds constructors\/destructors and optional RAII.<\/p>\n<p>This is a warm-up question, not a trap. Almost verbatim every time. Give a clean 3-sentence answer and move on.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Write a program to check if a number is prime<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes verbal, sometimes on paper, sometimes on a shared screen. Keep it clean. The key optimization is checking only up to the square root of n. If no factor exists below sqrt(n), no factor exists above it either.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">python<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-python\">\n\ndef is_prime(n):\n\n    if n &lt; 2:\n\n        return False\n\n    for i in range(2, int(n**0.5) + 1):\n\n        if n % i == 0:\n\n            return False\n\n    return True\nprint(is_prime(17))  # True\n\nprint(is_prime(18))  # False\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><\/p>\n<p>The interviewer will ask why you check only up to the square root. Know the answer: if n has a factor larger than sqrt(n), the corresponding pair factor must be smaller than sqrt(n), and you would have already found it.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What are LIFO and FIFO? Give examples.<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>LIFO (Last In, First Out) is how a stack works. The last element pushed is the first popped. Real examples: browser back button, function call stack during recursion.<\/p>\n<p>FIFO (First In, First Out) is a queue. The first element added is the first removed. Real examples: print job queue, CPU scheduling (ready queue), message queues in distributed systems.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is recursion? Write factorial using recursion.<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>A function that calls itself with a smaller input until it hits a base case. The base case for factorial is n=0 or n=1, returning 1.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">java<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-java\">\n\npublic class Factorial {\n\n    public static long factorial(int n) {\n\n        if (n &lt;= 1) return 1;         \/\/ base case\n\n        return n * factorial(n \u2013 1);  \/\/ recursive call\n\n    }\n    public static void main(String[] args) {\n\n        System.out.println(factorial(5));  \/\/ 120\n\n        System.out.println(factorial(0));  \/\/ 1\n\n    }\n\n}\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Know the call stack implications: deep recursion without a base case causes a stack overflow, not an infinite loop. The interviewer may ask about this specifically.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What are the four pillars of OOP?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Encapsulation: bundling data and methods together, hiding internal state from outside access. Abstraction: showing only what&#8217;s necessary, hiding implementation details. Inheritance: a child class inherits properties and behavior from a parent class. Polymorphism: one interface, multiple implementations (method overloading and overriding).<\/p>\n<p>The question comes in two forms: &#8220;explain OOP&#8221; (broad) or &#8220;name and define each concept&#8221; (specific). Know both. TCS panels have used both phrasing styles in the 2025-2026 cycle.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is a constructor? Can it return a value?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>A constructor initializes an object when it&#8217;s created. It has the same name as the class and no return type, not even void.<\/p>\n<p>It cannot return a value in the usual sense. The new keyword handles returning the reference to the newly created object. The interviewer is testing whether you confuse constructors with regular methods. A clean, direct &#8220;no return type, not even void&#8221; is the right answer.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is the difference between a primary key and a foreign key?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>A primary key uniquely identifies each row in its own table and cannot contain NULL values. A foreign key is a column in one table that references the primary key of another table, enforcing a link between the two.<\/p>\n<p>A table can have only one primary key, though it can span multiple columns as a composite key, but it can have several foreign keys, one for each table it relates to. Example: an Orders table has order_id as its primary key and customer_id as a foreign key pointing back to the Customers table&#8217;s primary key.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is the difference between WHERE and HAVING?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>WHERE filters rows before grouping; HAVING filters groups after GROUP BY runs. WHERE cannot use aggregate functions like COUNT or SUM; HAVING can.<\/p>\n<p>This usually comes up when asking you to write or explain a GROUP BY query. TCS panels often follow it with a practical example.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is the difference between DELETE, TRUNCATE, and DROP?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>DELETE removes specific rows and can use a WHERE clause. It is logged and can be rolled back within a transaction. TRUNCATE removes all rows faster than DELETE, cannot use WHERE, and is harder to roll back in most systems. It resets identity\/auto-increment columns. DROP removes the entire table structure, not just the data.<\/p>\n<p>TCS interviewers often specifically want you to mention that TRUNCATE resets identity columns. That detail separates a prepared answer from a vague one.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is an IP address? What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>An IP address identifies a device on a network. IPv4 is 32-bit, written in dotted decimal notation (e.g., 192.168.1.1), and allows about 4.3 billion unique addresses. IPv6 is 128-bit, written in hexadecimal, and was designed to solve IPv4 exhaustion with approximately 3.4 x 10^38 possible addresses.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Name the 7 OSI model layers. Where does TCP operate?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, Application. TCP operates at Transport (layer 4). HTTP is Application (layer 7). The mnemonic that works for most people: &#8220;Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The question comes in two forms: &#8220;name all 7 layers&#8221; or &#8220;where does TCP operate?&#8221; The panel may also ask where IP operates (Network, layer 3).<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is DHCP?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol automatically assigns IP addresses, subnet masks, and gateway information to devices joining a network. Without it, you&#8217;d manually configure every device. The DORA process: Discover (client broadcasts), Offer (server responds with an available IP), Request (client requests that IP), Acknowledge (server confirms).<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Tell me about yourself. (MR version)<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">MR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>MR interviewers want a different version than what you gave in the Technical round. They want professional narrative, not a resume recitation.<\/p>\n<p>A structure that works: academic background (brief, 15 seconds), one project or experience that demonstrates initiative, one thing you want to build toward at TCS, one differentiating fact. Total: 90 seconds. Not three minutes. The Technical round was about your skills; the MR version is about who you are professionally.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Where do you see yourself in 5 years?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">MR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Name a concrete growth trajectory: technical track or management track, pick one. Mention one specific skill you want to develop at TCS. Note that you want to contribute meaningfully before seeking promotion.<\/p>\n<p>What doesn&#8217;t work: &#8220;I want to be a manager&#8221; with no pathway, or &#8220;I&#8217;ll see what happens.&#8221; The MR interviewer wants to see that you think in terms of deliberate growth, not just advancement by default.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Tell me about yourself. (HR version)<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">HR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>This is the third version, and it should have a different angle. HR wants the human behind the resume. Keep the technical content minimal. This is where you might mention a hobby, a value, or one personal detail that makes you memorable. Keep it to 60 seconds.<\/p>\n<p>Think of it this way: the Technical interviewer met your skills; the MR interviewer met your work self; the HR interviewer should meet you as a person.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Are you comfortable with relocation and night shifts?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">HR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Be honest. TCS serves global clients, and offshore project teams often work IST evenings or nights to overlap with US or UK business hours. If you can genuinely commit, say so and mean it.<\/p>\n<p>If you have a constraint, mention it calmly and explain how you would work with it. A calm &#8220;I prefer daytime but can manage occasional night shifts for project deadlines&#8221; is more trusted than a blanket &#8220;anything you need.&#8221; A dishonest yes creates problems at onboarding.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What are your strengths and weaknesses?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">HR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>For weaknesses, don&#8217;t say &#8220;I work too hard&#8221; (overused and transparent). Don&#8217;t name an actual disqualifying weakness either. Pick a genuine developmental area that isn&#8217;t central to the job, and explain the specific step you&#8217;re taking to address it.<\/p>\n<p>A version that works: &#8220;I tend to over-engineer solutions early in projects. I&#8217;ve been working on timeboxing my design phase to 30 minutes before I start coding, which has helped a lot.&#8221; The specificity makes it credible.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Do you have any other offers?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">HR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Answer honestly. This is a logistics question, not a trap. TCS wants to know your timeline and whether they are competing with another offer. If you have offers, say so without oversharing details. If you don&#8217;t, that&#8217;s fine too. Don&#8217;t pretend to have offers you don&#8217;t have; it tends to come out during follow-up conversations.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Why do you want to join TCS?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">HR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Avoid: &#8220;because TCS is the best IT company&#8221; or generic brand statements. Tie it to scale (working on problems that affect millions of users), a specific TCS business unit or product that aligns with your degree, or the TCS learning culture. TCS iEvolve and TCS Fresco Play are real internal upskilling platforms you can reference.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Are you comfortable signing the TCS service agreement?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">HR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>TCS asks freshers to sign a service bond, typically 1-2 years. Leaving before the bond period ends results in a financial penalty stated in the agreement. If you&#8217;ve accepted the offer, say yes clearly. This is not the place to negotiate bond length. Bond concerns are better raised before offer acceptance, not in the HR round.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What are your long-term career goals?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">HR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>A version that works: &#8220;I want to build deep expertise in [specific domain from your background] over the next 3 years, then move toward leading a technical workstream. TCS&#8217;s scale means I would get exposure to real enterprise-grade problems earlier than most companies can offer a fresher.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The specificity of the domain matters. Saying &#8220;software development&#8221; is too broad. &#8220;Cloud infrastructure for financial services&#8221; is the kind of answer that lands in an HR conversation.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Do you have any questions for us?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">HR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>This closes almost every TCS HR round, and &#8220;no, I&#8217;m good&#8221; wastes it. Ask something you can&#8217;t already find on TCS&#8217;s website: what kind of project a fresher on your track typically starts with, what the onboarding and training period looks like, or how performance gets reviewed in the first year.<\/p>\n<p>One or two questions is enough. Asking about salary hikes or promotion timelines this early reads as premature. Save that conversation for after you&#8217;ve joined.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Is TCS NQT the only way to get into TCS in 2026?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">FAQ<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>For freshers from 2024, 2025, and 2026 batches, yes, the NQT is the official route for Ninja, Digital, and Prime profiles. TCS also hires experienced professionals (1-2 years) through the same NQT channel now. Off-campus drives and direct campus drives at some institutions may have separate processes, but the NQT score is TCS&#8217;s primary filter for large-scale hiring.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">How many rounds are there in TCS after the NQT?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">FAQ<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Ninja: usually 2 rounds (Technical + HR). Digital and Prime: typically 3 rounds (Technical + Managerial + HR), though TCS has run combined MR+HR panels for some batches. The rounds sometimes happen on the same day, sometimes across two days.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is the TCS service bond?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">FAQ<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>TCS requires freshers to sign a service agreement, typically locking you in for 1-2 years after your joining date. Breaking the bond before the period ends results in a financial penalty stated in the agreement. The HR round is where they confirm your acceptance. The penalty amount TCS has enforced historically is in the range of Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 75,000 for Ninja, and higher for Digital\/Prime profiles, though the exact terms vary by batch and year.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What coding language should I use for the TCS NQT Advanced section?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">FAQ<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Python 3 is the safest choice for most candidates because the syntax is cleaner to write under time pressure and the problem types (arrays, strings, sliding window) map cleanly to Pythonic solutions. Java is fine if you know it well. The TCS iON compiler supports C, C++, Java, Python 3, and Perl. Whichever language you pick, practice specifically on the iON compiler&#8217;s input format before exam day, as it differs from competitive programming platforms.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Does TCS ask questions from core CS subjects in the technical round?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">FAQ<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Yes, reliably. DBMS (ACID properties, normalization, SQL queries) and OOP (four pillars, constructors, polymorphism) appear in nearly every TCS Technical round for freshers. OS and networking (OSI layers, processes vs threads, IP addressing) come up less often but are worth knowing one level deep. The depth is fresher-appropriate, not SDE-2 depth, but vague answers don&#8217;t pass.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is the TCS Ninja vs Digital vs Prime salary difference in 2026?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">FAQ<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--easy\">Easy<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>For UG freshers joining in 2026: Ninja is approximately Rs. 3.36 LPA (plus a Rs. 60,000 annual bonus component), Digital is approximately Rs. 7.0-7.3 LPA, and Prime is approximately Rs. 9.09-9.30 LPA. These figures come from TCS&#8217;s official NQT hiring page and verified offer letters candidates shared in the 2026 cycle. The PG (postgraduate) packages are roughly 5-25% higher across all three tracks.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-dsec iq-dsec--medium\"><div class=\"iq-dsec__row\"><h2 class=\"iq-dsec__h\" id=\"medium\"><span class=\"iq-dsec__dot\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>Medium questions<\/h2><span class=\"iq-dsec__n\">21<\/span><\/div><div class=\"iq-dsec__bar\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">A train 150 m long passes a platform 300 m long in 30 seconds. What is the speed of the train?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">NQT<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Total distance covered = length of train + length of platform = 150 + 300 = 450 m. Time = 30 seconds. Speed = 450 \/ 30 = 15 m\/s = 54 km\/h.<\/p>\n<p>This is a standard time-distance pattern seen in the 2025-2026 NQT Foundation section. TCS often embeds two variables that need resolving in under 90 seconds. Practice eliminating wrong answer choices before computing, not after.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Pointing to a photograph, a man says, &#039;She is the daughter of my grandfather&#039;s only son.&#039; How is the woman related to the man?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">NQT<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>The man&#8217;s grandfather&#8217;s only son is the man&#8217;s own father, since his father has no siblings. So the woman is the daughter of the man&#8217;s father, which makes her his sister.<\/p>\n<p>Blood relation questions in the NQT reasoning section rarely span more than two generations, but they hide the relationship inside one dense sentence. Draw a quick family tree on scratch paper instead of solving it in your head. It costs 20 seconds and removes most careless errors.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Find the maximum sum of a contiguous subarray of size k (sliding window)<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">NQT<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>This problem appeared in the 2025 NQT Advanced section. The brute-force approach recomputes the sum from scratch for every window, which is O(n*k). The sliding window approach runs in O(n) by adding the new element and subtracting the element that just left the window.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">python<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-python\">\n\ndef max_subarray_sum(arr, k):\n\n    n = len(arr)\n\n    if n &lt; k:\n\n        return -1\n    # Compute sum of first window\n\n    window_sum = sum(arr[:k])\n\n    max_sum = window_sum\n    # Slide the window: add next element, drop first element of previous window\n\n    for i in range(k, n):\n\n        window_sum += arr[i] \u2013 arr[i \u2013 k]\n\n        max_sum = max(max_sum, window_sum)\n    return max_sum\n# Example\n\narr = [2, 1, 5, 1, 3, 2]\n\nk = 3\n\nprint(max_subarray_sum(arr, k))  # Output: 9\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Practice the iON compiler&#8217;s input format. It uses command-line argument style inputs, which differs from what most candidates practice on HackerRank or LeetCode.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is a pointer in C? Why would you use one?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable instead of a value directly. You declare one with an asterisk, dereference it with the same asterisk, and get an address with the ampersand operator.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">c<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-c\">\n\nint x = 10;\n\nint *ptr = &amp;x;\nprintf(\u201c%d\\n\u201d, x);           \/\/ 10\n\nprintf(\u201c%d\\n\u201d, *ptr);        \/\/ 10 (value at the address ptr holds)\n\nprintf(\u201c%p\\n\u201d, (void*)ptr);  \/\/ the address of x\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Pointers matter for three reasons TCS interviewers expect you to name: passing large data structures to functions without copying them, dynamic memory allocation with malloc and free, and building linked structures like linked lists and trees. Saying &#8220;it stores an address&#8221; and stopping there almost guarantees a follow-up question.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is the difference between an array and a linked list?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>An array stores elements in contiguous memory, so any element is reachable in O(1) time by index. A linked list stores elements as separate nodes connected by pointers, so reaching the nth element takes O(n) time.<\/p>\n<p>The trade-off runs the other way for insertion and deletion. Inserting into the middle of an array means shifting every element after it. Inserting into a linked list is O(1) once you already hold a reference to the right node, since you just update two pointers. Arrays also have a fixed size in most languages; linked lists grow one node at a time without a resize.<\/p>\n<p>TCS panels sometimes follow up with &#8220;when would you pick one over the other?&#8221; Answer with a concrete case: use an array for fast random access when you roughly know the size upfront, like a lookup table. Use a linked list for frequent inserts and deletes in the middle of a collection, like an undo history.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is polymorphism? Give a real example.<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>The same method name behaves differently based on the object or arguments.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Compile-time polymorphism (method overloading): same method name, different parameter types or counts. Resolved at compile time.<\/li>\n<li>Runtime polymorphism (method overriding): child class overrides a parent&#8217;s method. Resolved at runtime through dynamic dispatch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Real example: a Shape class with a draw() method. Circle extends Shape and overrides draw() to draw a circle. Rectangle overrides the same draw() to draw a rectangle. One interface, two different behaviors at runtime.<\/p>\n<p>Almost every TCS technical interview includes this question, usually after asking about OOP broadly.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is the difference between an abstract class and an interface?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>In Java: an abstract class can have both concrete and abstract methods, can have instance variables, and a class can extend only one abstract class. An interface (pre-Java 8) could only have abstract methods; classes can implement multiple interfaces. From Java 8, interfaces support default and static methods, which blurs the line somewhat.<\/p>\n<p>The practical answer TCS interviewers want: use an abstract class when classes share common behavior you want to inherit. Use an interface to define a contract that unrelated classes can implement (like Comparable or Serializable).<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What does the &#039;static&#039; keyword do?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>A static member belongs to the class itself, not to any individual object, so every instance shares the same copy. A static variable keeps its value across method calls instead of resetting each time. A static method can be called directly on the class without creating an object first, the way Math.sqrt() works in Java.<\/p>\n<p>A common follow-up: can a static method access non-static instance variables directly? No, because a static method runs without any specific object in context, and instance variables belong to a specific object. Candidates who haven&#8217;t sat with this distinction before the interview usually stumble here.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What are the ACID properties of a database?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Atomicity: all operations in a transaction succeed or all fail together. No partial commits. Consistency: data stays in a valid state before and after the transaction. Isolation: concurrent transactions don&#8217;t see each other&#8217;s intermediate states. Durability: committed transactions survive system failures (written to disk).<\/p>\n<p>This comes up straight after asking about DBMS basics. Common for both Ninja and Digital candidates. Know an example for at least one property: bank transfer is the classic atomicity example (debit and credit both happen, or neither does).<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is normalization? Name the normal forms.<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Normalization removes data redundancy by organizing data into related tables with well-defined dependencies.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1NF: no repeating groups, atomic values in each column.<\/li>\n<li>2NF: 1NF plus no partial dependencies (every non-key attribute depends on the whole primary key, not just part of it).<\/li>\n<li>3NF: 2NF plus no transitive dependencies (non-key attributes depend only on the primary key, not on other non-key attributes).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Write a SQL query to find duplicate records in a table<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Group by the column you&#8217;re checking for duplicates, then filter for groups with a count greater than 1.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">sql<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-sql\">\n\n\u2014 Find email addresses that appear more than once\n\nSELECT email, COUNT(*) AS cnt\n\nFROM users\n\nGROUP BY email\n\nHAVING COUNT(*) &gt; 1;\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><\/p>\n<p>The interviewer may ask you to also return the full duplicate rows. That requires wrapping this in a subquery or using a window function, depending on the SQL dialect.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Explain the types of joins in SQL<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>INNER JOIN returns only the rows that match in both tables. LEFT JOIN returns every row from the left table, filling in NULLs for columns from the right table where there&#8217;s no match. RIGHT JOIN does the same in reverse. FULL OUTER JOIN returns all rows from both tables, matched where possible and NULL where not.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"iq-code not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-code__bar\"><span class=\"iq-code__lang\">sql<\/span><button class=\"iq-code__copy\" type=\"button\">Copy<\/button><\/div><pre><code class=\"language-sql\">\n\n\u2014 Employees with a department, plus employees with no department (NULL dept_name)\n\nSELECT e.name, d.dept_name\n\nFROM employees e\n\nLEFT JOIN departments d ON e.dept_id = d.dept_id;\n<\/code><\/pre><\/div><\/p>\n<p>TCS interviewers usually ask you to explain LEFT JOIN with an example, since it&#8217;s the one candidates confuse with INNER JOIN most often. The tell to remember: LEFT JOIN keeps unmatched rows from the left table; INNER JOIN drops them.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is indexing in a database? Why use it?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>An index is a data structure that speeds up row retrieval, similar to a book&#8217;s index. It trades write performance for read performance: updating an index on insert\/update costs extra time, but reads become significantly faster.<\/p>\n<p>Clustered index physically sorts the rows on disk by the index key. A non-clustered index creates a separate lookup structure that points to the actual rows. A table can have one clustered index and multiple non-clustered indexes.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What is the difference between a process and a thread?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>A process is an independent program in execution with its own memory space. A thread is a unit of execution within a process, sharing memory with other threads in the same process.<\/p>\n<p>Threads are lighter to create and context-switch than processes. Processes are isolated from each other. Multiple threads in one process can share data directly but need synchronization (locks, semaphores) to avoid race conditions.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Walk me through your final year project.<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t recite the report abstract. The interviewer wants: what problem did you solve, what tech stack, what specifically did you build (not what the whole team built), what challenge did you hit, how did you handle it.<\/p>\n<p>What TCS panels actually do: they listen for two minutes, then pick one specific technical term you used and drill into it. If you say &#8220;we used REST APIs,&#8221; expect &#8220;what&#8217;s the difference between PUT and POST?&#8221; or &#8220;how did you handle auth tokens?&#8221; Prepare your project defensively. Know every technology you mention at least one level deep.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What technical challenge did you face in your project and how did you resolve it?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">Technical<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Good answer structure: one specific problem (not &#8220;we had debugging issues&#8221;), what you tried first that didn&#8217;t work, what eventually worked, and the lesson learned. Real specificity signals real experience. Vague answers like &#8220;it was challenging but we pushed through&#8221; are the ones that fail this question.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a team member. How did you handle it?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">MR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>The interviewer is checking whether you stay professional, take accountability for your part, and resolve things without escalating unnecessarily. Use the STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, Result.<\/p>\n<p>A good answer has a specific action you took, not just &#8220;we talked it out.&#8221; Something like &#8220;I asked for a 15-minute conversation after class, laid out the disagreement as I saw it, and asked for their perspective&#8221; is the kind of concrete action that reads as real.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">How do you handle a situation where you&#039;re close to a deadline and the work isn&#039;t done?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">MR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Communicate early (not at the last minute). Break the remaining work into what can and cannot be done by the deadline. Get alignment with the team lead on what to prioritize.<\/p>\n<p>TCS values delivery accountability. An answer that shows calm triage over panic reads well. The wrong answer: &#8220;I&#8217;d just work all night.&#8221; That signals no planning skills.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">If your team disagrees with an approach you proposed, how do you convince them?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">MR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Show your reasoning with data or evidence. Offer a small proof-of-concept or a short test period. Stay open to hybrid solutions that incorporate the team&#8217;s concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Avoid two extremes: &#8220;I&#8217;d just do it my way&#8221; (too stubborn) or &#8220;I&#8217;d immediately defer to the team&#8221; (too passive). The interviewer wants someone who advocates clearly and then compromises in good faith.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">Why TCS? What do you know about TCS as a company?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">MR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>MR interviewers test this more rigorously than HR does. They want genuine interest, not PR quotes. TCS has over 600,000 employees across 55 countries as of 2025. It runs TCS iON, one of India&#8217;s largest proctored testing platforms. TCS BaNCS handles banking software for 450+ institutions globally.<\/p>\n<p>Pick one business area that connects to your degree or project and explain why it interests you. A candidate who says &#8220;I&#8217;m interested in TCS&#8217;s sustainability consulting practice because my project was on energy optimization&#8221; will land better than one who says &#8220;because TCS is a great company with lots of opportunities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-qa\"><button class=\"iq-qa__q\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span class=\"iq-qa__qtext\">What would you do if you disagreed with your manager&#039;s decision?<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__meta\"><span class=\"iq-qa__tag\">MR<\/span><span class=\"iq-badge iq-badge--medium\">Medium<\/span><span class=\"iq-qa__chev\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><div class=\"iq-qa__a\"><div class=\"iq-qa__a-inner\"><\/p>\n<p>Respect the hierarchy while still voicing a professional dissent through the right channel. &#8220;I&#8217;d share my concern privately with the manager, explain my reasoning, and then support whatever final call they make&#8221; is the answer most TCS MR interviewers respond to positively.<\/p>\n<p>The wrong answers: staying silent (shows no initiative) or escalating without first talking to the manager (shows poor judgment).<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-callout iq-callout--insight not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-callout__title\">What we&#039;ve seen<\/div><div class=\"iq-callout__body\"><\/p>\n<p>Across TCS prep sessions run through LastRoundAI, the single most common failure mode isn&#8217;t a lack of technical knowledge. It&#8217;s candidates who prepared their project beautifully for the Technical round and then completely fall apart in the Managerial round because they&#8217;ve never thought about their work in non-technical terms.<\/p>\n<p>The MR interviewer isn&#8217;t going to ask about polymorphism. They&#8217;re going to ask you to describe a situation where you led something, even if it&#8217;s a college fest committee. Freshers who only prepare technical answers walk into the MR and either go silent or give a 15-second non-answer to a behavioral question. That is the gap.<\/p>\n<p>The second pattern: candidates describe their final year project using &#8220;we&#8221; throughout (&#8220;we built,&#8221; &#8220;we implemented&#8221;) without once saying what specifically they did. TCS interviewers will stop you and ask, &#8220;what did you specifically contribute?&#8221; If you can&#8217;t answer that clearly, the rest of your project preparation doesn&#8217;t matter.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-callout iq-callout--warning not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-callout__title\">iON compiler format matters<\/div><div class=\"iq-callout__body\"><\/p>\n<p>For Digital\/Prime specifically: the Advanced coding section&#8217;s 90-minute window sounds generous until you realize TCS&#8217;s iON compiler uses a slightly different input format than what you&#8217;ve practiced on HackerRank or LeetCode. Input comes as command-line arguments in some problems. Practice the compiler format, not just the algorithm. Candidates who get this wrong waste 20-30 minutes on input parsing.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-related not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-related__title\">Related interview guides<\/div><div class=\"iq-related__grid\"><a class=\"iq-rel__card\" href=\"https:\/\/lastroundai.com\/interview-questions\/infosys\"><span class=\"iq-rel__t\">Infosys Interview Questions (2026): Online Test, Technical &#038; HR Rounds<\/span><span class=\"iq-rel__arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><a class=\"iq-rel__card\" href=\"https:\/\/lastroundai.com\/interview-questions\/wipro\"><span class=\"iq-rel__t\">Wipro Interview Questions (2026): NLTH, Technical &#038; HR Rounds<\/span><span class=\"iq-rel__arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><a class=\"iq-rel__card\" href=\"https:\/\/lastroundai.com\/interview-questions\/accenture\"><span class=\"iq-rel__t\">Accenture Interview Questions (2026): Assessment, Coding, Technical &#038; HR<\/span><span class=\"iq-rel__arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><a class=\"iq-rel__card\" href=\"https:\/\/lastroundai.com\/interview-questions\/cognizant\"><span class=\"iq-rel__t\">Cognizant Interview Questions (2026): GenC, GenC Elevate &#038; GenC Next<\/span><span class=\"iq-rel__arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"iq-sources not-prose\"><div class=\"iq-sources__title\">Sources &amp; further reading<\/div><ul class=\"iq-sources__list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/unstop.com\/blog\/tcs-nqt-hiring-process\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Unstop TCS NQT Hiring Process 2026<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeksforgeeks.org\/gfg-academy\/tcs-nqt-2026-hiring-process-application-form-eligibility-exam-pattern-important-dates-salary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">GeeksforGeeks TCS NQT 2026 Hiring Process<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepinsta.com\/tcs-ninja\/recruitment-process-for-freshers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">PrepInsta TCS Ninja Recruitment Process<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeksforgeeks.org\/interview-experiences\/tcs-interview-experience-tcs-nqt-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">GeeksforGeeks TCS NQT 2025 Interview Experience<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@satyajitthombare1208\/my-tcs-nqt-2025-experience-exam-pattern-interview-questions-coding-problems-5b7159b52339\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Medium TCS NQT 2025 Candidate Experience<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Is TCS NQT the only way to get into TCS in 2026?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"For freshers from 2024, 2025, and 2026 batches, yes, the NQT is the official route for Ninja, Digital, and Prime profiles. TCS also hires experienced professionals (1-2 years) through the same NQT channel now. Off-campus drives and direct campus drives at some institutions may have separate processes, but the NQT score is TCS's primary filter for large-scale hiring.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How many rounds are there in TCS after the NQT?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Ninja: usually 2 rounds (Technical + HR). Digital and Prime: typically 3 rounds (Technical + Managerial + HR), though TCS has run combined MR+HR panels for some batches. The rounds sometimes happen on the same day, sometimes across two days.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the TCS service bond?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"TCS requires freshers to sign a service agreement, typically locking you in for 1-2 years after your joining date. Breaking the bond before the period ends results in a financial penalty stated in the agreement. The HR round is where they confirm your acceptance.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What coding language should I use for the TCS NQT Advanced section?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Python 3 is the safest choice for most candidates because the syntax is cleaner to write under time pressure and the problem types map cleanly to Pythonic solutions. The TCS iON compiler supports C, C++, Java, Python 3, and Perl. Practice specifically on the iON compiler's input format before exam day.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Does TCS ask questions from core CS subjects in the technical round?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Yes, reliably. DBMS (ACID properties, normalization, SQL queries) and OOP (four pillars, constructors, polymorphism) appear in nearly every TCS Technical round for freshers. OS and networking come up less often but are worth knowing one level deep.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the TCS Ninja vs Digital vs Prime salary difference in 2026?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"For UG freshers joining in 2026: Ninja is approximately Rs. 3.36 LPA (plus a Rs. 60,000 annual bonus), Digital is approximately Rs. 7.0-7.3 LPA, and Prime is approximately Rs. 9.09-9.30 LPA. PG packages are roughly 5-25% higher across all three tracks.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated June 2026 TCS interviewed roughly 400,000 candidates in the 2025-2026 campus cycle through the NQT. The selection rate for Ninja stays around 1 in 4 applicants who actually sit the exam; for Digital it&#8217;s closer to 1 in 10. If you know exactly what each round tests, you can stop guessing and start practicing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1739,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-944","iq","type-iq","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>TCS Interview Questions 2026: All Rounds | LastRoundAI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Real TCS interview questions for 2026: NQT aptitude, Technical (OOP, DBMS, SQL), Managerial, and HR rounds. 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