Process and Threads
What is a process ?
What are the various process states ?
What are the typical elements of a process image?
what is PCB ?
what do you mean by context switch?
what do you mean by Cooperating Processes ?
Explain Producer Consumer Problem.
Explain InterProcess Communications.
Explain RPC ?
Explain marshalling ?
What are threads ?
Differenciate between threads and Processes ?
What are various multithreading models ?
CPU Scheduling
Define response time, turnaround and throughput.
define pre-emptive and non-preemptive schheduling.
What are short-, long- and medium-term scheduling?
What is dispatcher ?
What are the different scheduling criterions.
Explain various cpu scheduling algorithm ?
What is busy waiting?
Process Synchronization
Explain race conditions ?
Explain critical section problem ?
what is the solution to Critical-Section Problem ?
Explain Bakery Algorithm ?
what are semaphores ? Explain its types ?
What is MUTEX ?
What is Concurrency? Explain with example Deadlock and Starvation.
What are your solution strategies for "Dining Philosophers Problem" ?
Explain starvation ?
Explain Monitor ?
Explain Dining Philosphor's problem.
Deadlocks
Explain deadlock ?
What is a Safe State and what is its use in deadlock avoidance?
Memory Management
Explain compile time, load time and execution time ?
What do you mean by logical address and physical address space ?
What is MMU ?
Explain Dynamic loading ?
Explain Dynamic Linking ?
Explain overlays ?
Explain swapping ?
What do you mean by Hole from the perspective of Memory Management?
Explain Dynamic Storage-Allocation Problem ?
Explain Address Translation Scheme.
Explain Fragmentation ? what is external fragmentation and internal fragmentation ?
Virtual Memory
Explain virtual memory.
Explain paging.
Explain demand paging.
Explain segmentation.
Explain demand segmentation.
what do you mean by page fault ? How does an OS handle a page fault situation ?
Explain Page Replacement and various page replacement algorithms ?
What do you mean by thrashing
What is the quickest sorting method to use?
What is the quickest searching method to use?
How are portions of a program disabled in demo versions?
How do you declare an array that will hold more than 64KB of data?
How can I detect memory leaks?
How can I debug a TSR program?
What header files do I need in order to define the standard library functions I use?
How can environment variable values be retrieved?
How can I call BIOS functions from my program?
Should C++ additions to a compiler be used in a C program?
Should my program be written in one source file or several source files?
How can I keep my program from running out of memory?
How are command-line parameters obtained?
What is the difference between ?exception handling? and "structured exc.handling"
How do you create a delay timer in a DOS program?
How do you interrupt a Windows program?
How can I pass data from one program to another?
How do you create a delay timer in a Windows program
What is dynamic linking?
How do you create an animated bitmap?
What is MUTEX ?
What isthe difference between a 'thread' and a 'process'?
What is INODE?
Explain the working of Virtual Memory.
How does Windows NT supports Multitasking?
Explain the Unix Kernel.
What is Concurrency? Expain with example Deadlock and Starvation.
What are your solution strategies for "Dining Philosophers Problem" ?
Explain Memory Partitioning, Paging, Segmentation.
Explain Scheduling.
Operating System Security.
What is Semaphore?
Explain the following file systems : NTFS, Macintosh(HPFS), FAT .
What are the different process states?
What is Marshalling?
Define and explain COM?
What is Marshalling?
Difference - Loading and Linking ?
What are the basic functions of an operating system?
Explain briefly about, processor, assembler, compiler, loader, linker and the functions executed by them.
What are the difference phases of software development? Explain briefly?
Differentiate between RAM and ROM?
What is DRAM? In which form does it store data?
What is cache memory?
What is hard disk and what is its purpose?
Differentiate between Complier and Interpreter?
What are the different tasks of Lexical analysis?
What are the different functions of Syntax phase, Sheduler?
What are the main difference between Micro-Controller and Micro- Processor?
Describe different job scheduling in operating systems.
What is a Real-Time System ?
What is the difference between Hard and Soft real-time systems ?
What is a mission critical system ?
What is the important aspect of a real-time system ?
If two processes which shares same system memory and system clock in a distributed system, What is it called?
What is the state of the processor, when a process is waiting for some event to occur?
What do you mean by deadlock?
Explain the difference between microkernel and macro kernel.
Give an example of microkernel.
When would you choose bottom up methodology?
When would you choose top down methodology?
Write a small dc shell script to find number of FF in the design.
Why paging is used ?
Which is the best page replacement algorithm and Why? How much time is spent usually in each phases and why?
Difference between Primary storage and secondary storage?
What is multi tasking, multi programming, multi threading?
Difference between multi threading and multi tasking?
What is software life cycle?
Demand paging, page faults, replacement algorithms, thrashing, etc.
Explain about paged segmentation and segment paging
While running DOS on a PC, which command would be used to duplicate the entire diskette?
10 most common interview questions
Why Should We Hire You?
Summarize your experiences: "With five years' experience working in the financial industry and my proven record of saving the company money, I could make a big difference in your company. I'm confident I would be a great addition to your team."
Why Do You Want to Work Here?
The interviewer is listening for an answer that indicates you've given this some thought and are not sending out resumes just because there is an opening. For example, "I've selected key companies whose mission statements are in line with my values, where I know I could be excited about what the company does, and this company is very high on my list of desirable choices."
What Are Your Goals?
Sometimes it's best to talk about short-term and intermediate goals rather than locking yourself into the distant future. For example, "My immediate goal is to get a job in a growth-oriented company. My long-term goal will depend on where the company goes. I hope to eventually grow into a position of responsibility."
Why Did You Leave (Are You Leaving) Your Job?
If you're unemployed, state your reason for leaving in a positive context: "I managed to survive two rounds of corporate downsizing, but the third round was a 20 percent reduction in the workforce, which included me."
If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: "After two years, I made the decision to look for a company that is team-focused, where I can add my experience."
When Were You Most Satisfied in Your Job?
The interviewer wants to know what motivates you. If you can relate an example of a job or project when you were excited, the interviewer will get an idea of your preferences. "I was very satisfied in my last job, because I worked directly with the customers and their problems; that is an important part of the job for me."
What Can You Do for Us That Other Candidates Can't?
What makes you unique? This will take an assessment of your experiences, skills and traits. Summarize concisely: "I have a unique combination of strong technical skills, and the ability to build strong customer relationships. This allows me to use my knowledge and break down information to be more user-friendly."
What Are Three Positive Things Your Last Boss Would Say About You?
It's time to pull out your old performance appraisals and boss's quotes. This is a great way to brag about yourself through someone else's words: "My boss has told me that I am the best designer he has ever had. He knows he can rely on me, and he likes my sense of humor."
What Salary Are You Seeking?
It is to your advantage if the employer tells you the range first. Prepare by knowing the going rate in your area, and your bottom line or walk-away point. One possible answer would be: "I am sure when the time comes, we can agree on a reasonable amount. In what range do you typically pay someone with my background?"
If You Were an Animal, Which One Would You Want to Be?
Interviewers use this type of psychological question to see if you can think quickly. If you answer "a bunny," you will make a soft, passive impression. If you answer "a lion," you will be seen as aggressive. What type of personality would it take to get the job done? What impression do you want to make?
Interview FAQs
1.Question: Suppose that data is an array of 1000 integers. Write a single function call that will sort the 100 elements data [222] through data [321].
Answer: quicksort ((data + 222), 100);
2.Question: Which recursive sorting technique always makes recursive calls to sort subarrays that are about half size of the original array?
Answer: Mergesort always makes recursive calls to sort subarrays that are about half size of the original array, resulting in O(n log n) time.
3.Question: What is the difference between an external iterator and an internal iterator? Describe an advantage of an external iterator.
Answer: .An internal iterator is implemented with member functions of the class that has items to step through. .An external iterator is implemented as a separate class that can be "attach" to the object that has items to step through. .An external iterator has the advantage that many difference iterators can be active simultaneously on the same object.
4.Question: Why are arrays usually processed with for loop?
Answer: The real power of arrays comes from their facility of using an index variable to traverse the array, accessing each element with the same expression a[i]. All the is needed to make this work is a iterated statement in which the variable i serves as a counter, incrementing from 0 to a.length -1. That is exactly what a loop does.
5.Question: What is an HTML tag?
Answer: An HTML tag is a syntactical construct in the HTML language that abbreviates specific instructions to be executed when the HTML script is loaded into a Web browser. It is like a method in Java, a function in C++, a procedure in Pascal, or a subroutine in FORTRAN.
What is pure virtual function?
A class is made abstract by declaring one or more of its virtual functions to be pure. A pure virtual function is one with an initializer of = 0 in its declaration
Q. Write a Struct Time where integer m, h, s are its members
struct Time
{
int m;
int h;
int s;
};
Q. How do you traverse a Btree in Backward in-order?
Process the node in the right subtree
Process the root
Process the node in the left subtree
Q. What is the two main roles of Operating System?
As a resource manager
As a virtual machine
Q. In the derived class, which data member of the base class are visible?
In the public and protected sections.
Q1 What are the advantages and disadvantages of B-star trees over Binary trees? (Asked by Motorola people)
A1 B-star trees have better data structure and are faster in search than Binary trees, but it's harder to write codes for B-start trees.
Q2 Write the psuedo code for the Depth first Search.(Asked by Microsoft)
A2
dfs(G, v) //OUTLINE
Mark v as "discovered"
For each vertex w such that edge vw is in G:
If w is undiscovered:
dfs(G, w); that is, explore vw, visit w, explore from there
as much as possible, and backtrack from w to v.
Otherwise:
"Check" vw without visiting w.
Mark v as "finished".
Q3 Describe one simple rehashing policy.(Asked by Motorola people)
A3 The simplest rehashing policy is linear probing. Suppose a key K hashes to location i. Suppose other key occupies H[i]. The following function is used to generate alternative locations:
rehash(j) = (j + 1) mod h
where j is the location most recently probed. Initially j = i, the hash code for K. Notice that this version of rehash does not depend on K.
Q4 Describe Stacks and name a couple of places where stacks are useful. (Asked by Microsoft)
A4 A Stack is a linear structure in which insertions and deletions are always made at one end, called the top. This updating policy is called last in, first out (LIFO). It is useful when we need to check some syntex errors, such as missing parentheses.
Q5 Suppose a 3-bit sequence number is used in the selective-reject ARQ, what is the maximum number of frames that could be transmitted at a time? (Asked by Cisco)
A5 If a 3-bit sequence number is used, then it could distinguish 8 different frames. Since the number of frames that could be transmitted at a time is no greater half the numner of frames that could be distinguished by the sequence number, so at most 4 frames can be transmitted at a time.
1. In C++, what is the difference between method overloading and method overwriting?
Overloading a method (or function) in C++ is the ability for functions of the same name to be defined as long as these methods have different signatures (different set of parameters). Method overwriting is the ability of the inherited class rewriting the virtual method of the base class.
2. What methods can be overwritten in Java?
In C++ terminalogy, all public methods in Java are virtual. Therefore, all Java methods can be overwritten in subclasses except those that are declared final, static, and private.
3. In C, What is the difference between a static variable and global variable?
A static variable declared outside of any function is accessible only to all the functions defined in the same file (as the static variable). However, a global variable can be accessed by any function (including the ones from different files).
4. In C, why is the void pointer useful?
The void pointer is useful becuase it is a generic pointer that any pointer can be cast into and back again without loss of information.
5. What are the defining traits of an object-oriented language?
The defining traits of an object-oriented langauge are:
encapsulation
inheritance
polymorphism
Q: What is the difference between Stack and Queue?
A: Stack is a Last In First Out (LIFO) data structure.
Queue is a First In First Out (FIFO) data structure
Q: Write a fucntion that will reverse a string. (Microsoft)
A: char *strrev(char *s)
{
int i = 0, len = strlen(s);
char *str;
if ((str = (char *)malloc(len+1)) == NULL) /*cannot allocate memory */
err_num = 2;
return (str);
}
while(len)
str[i++]=s[--len];
str[i] = NULL;
return (str);
}
Q: What is the software Life-Cycle?
A: The software Life-Cycle are
1) Analysis and specification of the task
2) Design of the algorithms and data structures
3) Implementation (coding)
4) Testing
5) Maintenance and evolution of the system
6) Obsolescence
Q: What is the difference between a Java application and a Java applet?
A: The difference between a Java application and a Java applet is that a
Java application is a program that can be executed using the Java
interpeter, and a JAVA applet can be transfered to different networks
and executed by using a web browser (transferable to the WWW).
Q: Name 7 layers of the OSI Reference Model? (from Cisco)
A: -Application layer
-Presentation layer
-Session layer
-Transport layer
-Network layer
-Data Link layer
-Physical layer
1. How do you write a function that can reverse a linked-list? (Cisco System)
void reverselist(void)
{
if(head==0)
return;
if(head->next==0)
return;
if(head->next==tail)
{
head->next = 0;
tail->next = head;
}
else
{
node* pre = head;
node* cur = head->next;
node* curnext = cur->next;
head->next = 0;
cur->next = head;
for(; curnext!=0; )
{
cur->next = pre;
pre = cur;
cur = curnext;
curnext = curnext->next;
}
curnext->next = cur;
}
}
2. What is polymorphism?
Polymorphism is the idea that a base class can be inherited by several classes. A base class pointer can point to its child class and a base class array can store different child class objects.
3. How do you find out if a linked-list has an end? (i.e. the list is not a cycle)
You can find out by using 2 pointers. One of them goes 2 nodes each time. The second one goes at 1 nodes each time. If there is a cycle, the one that goes 2 nodes each time will eventually meet the one that goes slower. If that is the case, then you will know the linked-list is a cycle.
4. How can you tell what shell you are running on UNIX system?
You can do the Echo $RANDOM. It will return a undefined variable if you are from the C-Shell, just a return prompt if you are from the Bourne shell, and a 5 digit random numbers if you are from the Korn shell. You could also do a ps -l and look for the shell with the highest PID.
5. What is Boyce Codd Normal form?
A relation schema R is in BCNF with respect to a set F of functional dependencies if for all functional dependencies in F+ of the form a->b, where a and b is a subset of R, at least one of the following holds:
a->b is a trivial functional dependency (b is a subset of a)
a is a superkey for schema R
Interview questions and tips
Tell me about yourself... (Your answer should contain much more about your job skills than your personal life.) Talk about the growth of your career, what you learned from previous employment or even things like how your volunteer worked help you develop your organizational, time management and leadership skills.
? What are your strengths? (If you really enjoy new challenges and tackle them in an organized manner, this would be a useful strength in almost any situation.) You can talk about your ability to find unique solutions to problems. Be prepared with some concrete examples, since that may be the follow-up question.
? What are your weaknesses? (A "good" weakness might be that you have trouble leaving the office behind when you go home in the evenings.) This is a very difficult question that is not asked often, but it's one you should prepare for anyway. If you talk about your temper, your tendency to gossip or the fact that you're lazy, you may as well pack up and go home right then. If you mention a weakness such as your lack of patience with people who don't do their share of the work, you should also mention that you keep this impatience to yourself and try very hard not to express it toward others.
? Do you have any questions about our company? (If you have paid attention during the interview and if you have done your homework, this would be a good time to ask for more details about some aspect of the company's organizational structure or products. It would not be a good time to ask about your first raise. You could also ask questions about the community, their training program or details about the work environment.)
? Where do you expect your career to be in 10 years? (Be careful here. You do not want to give the impression that you're simply using this company as a stepping stone to another career. Think of a related managerial position within the company that would interest you.) There is a story about a young accountant who was asked this question by a CPA firm during an interview. The young accountant replied that he saw himself as the comptroller of a large corporation. In other words, "I'm just using your firm to teach me and then after you spend your resources training me, I will leave to go work for someone else." Needless to say, he was not offered a position with the CPA firm. They know that 75% of the people they hire will leave within 10 years, but they do not want to hire someone who comes in with that plan.
? What skills do you have that would benefit our company? (If your skills are not exactly those that the company may have requested, you can point out the skills you have that would be valuable to any company. Examples of these skills are: your ability to plan and execute long-term projects, your ability to organize information into usable data, your ability to research complicated issues, or your ability to work well with a team.) If your skills are not perfect for this particular company, you can mention how quickly you were able to adapt and learn in other situations. Again, be prepared with specific examples in case you are asked to elaborate.
? Why did you leave your last job? (This is not an opening to speak badly of your former employer. There is almost always a way of wording the explanation so that you do not sound like a "problem employee" and your former employer does not sound like an undesirable company.) As unfair as it may seem, there is almost no time when you should say something bad about your former employer. You can talk about the lack of potential for upward mobility, the fact that your job responsibilities changed to the point that it no longer fit into your career plan, your need to move to be closer to your aging parents, the need to reduce travel time, your need for a more challenging job, or anything else that does not get into personalities or other conflicts. If you were fired for cause, you may want to be up front about it, explain the circumstances and accept responsibility for your actions. Practice your answers to this question with someone who has interview experience. However, don't lie. If you can't say anything positive about your former employer, don't say anything. It could come back to haunt you.
IMPORTANT INTERVIEW TIPS
1. Arrive a little early. If you arrive about fifteen minutes before the scheduled interview time, you will have time to collect your thoughts, wipe the perspiration from your hands, and scan the lobby for current company information. You will also show your interviewer that you value his or her time.
2. Do your homework. Know the interviewer's name and how to pronounce it (including proper title: Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.). Know the company's major products or services, the organization of the company (divisions, parent company, etc.), current business news about the company and the company's major customers and competitors. You can learn most or all of this information from the company's website, annual report or company literature.
3. Bring a Spare Copy of Your Resume in a Briefcase or Folder. This demonstrates that you are prepared. It also gives the interviewer something to take notes on.
4. Expect to Spend Some Time Developing Rapport. Personal chemistry is a main ingredient in the hiring process. Try to relax and become comfortable with the interviewer.
5. Watch Your Non-Verbal Communication. Maintain an open body posture and appropriate eye contact. Seat yourself at a reasonable distance from the other person. Smile.
6. Don't Be Embarrassed by Nervousness. Interviewers are human, and they often become nervous, too. In fact, nervousness is a good sign - it shows that you are taking the interview seriously. Avoid nervous mannerisms such as tapping your fingers, feet, playing with pens, etc.
7. Body language is powerful! Good eye contact, a warm, natural smile and a firm handshake can help you overcome nervousness, develop a personal rapport and present a confident image.
8. Don't Play Comedian or Try to Entertain the Interviewer. It is important to be personable, but do not overdo it.
9. Don't Exaggerate or Lie. You might be tempted to embellish your achievements in the interview, but it will come back to haunt you on the job!
10. Follow the Interviewer's Lead. Don't try to take over the interview. Stick to the main subject at hand, but do not dwell too long on one point. It is better to deal with many questions rather than just one or two in-depth questions, unless that's where the interviewer leads you.
11. Be Prepared For Personal Questions, Even Some Inappropriate Ones. Anticipate how you will handle personal questions without blowing your cool. Some interviewers may not be aware of what they can and cannot legally ask you. Be sure you understand the question. It is okay to ask for clarification.
12. Emphasize the Positive. Be frank and honest, but never apologize for lack of experience or weaknesses. You can be self-confident without being overconfident or flippant. If you are new to the job market, your lack of experience has one very positive feature: you do not have to "unlearn" bad habits or different practices learned from previous employers. Many employers like the idea that you can be taught their individual company procedures without needing to get rid of other training first.
13. Wait for an Offer to Bring Up Salary. Let the interviewer bring up this subject. Often salary and benefits are not discussed at all on the first interview. Even though everyone knows that salary is important, you do not want to give the impression that it is the only consideration. If it is, you can be easily lured away be a competitor offering a slightly higher salary. The interviewer needs to see that you are interested in the other aspects of the job like the potential for growth, learning or the challenge of the position.
14. Don't be Afraid to Think Before You Speak. Use silence and intentional pause to your advantage. Time is occasionally needed to think and to reflect. The interviewer will respect you for taking a questions seriously enough to give it a moment or two of consideration before answering.
15. Emphasize What You Can Do For The Organization. This means emphasizing your transferable skills. However, be careful not to reveal trade secrets from a previous employer. Employers are concerned most with what you can do for them. Focus on your ability to tackle new situations, your communication skills, interpersonal abilities, analytical thinking talents, and other skills developed while in college or in previous positions.
16. Don't give "Prepared Answers". Most employers know a these stock answers when they hear them. This is a good reason to use interview question / answer guide as just that - guides. If your answers are not personalized to your situation, they will sound forced and unnatural. You might be surprised to learn how often interviewers hear the phrase, "I really like working with people." The phrase is used so often that it has lost it's meaning!
17. NEVER Speak Badly about a Former Employer. If there were problems with previous experiences, try to put your answers in the positive rather than the negative. If you slight a former employer, the interviewer may assume that you will someday do the same to him or her.
18. Watch Your Grammar and Your Manners. Employers are interested in candidates who can express themselves properly. Even if you have to slow down to correct yourself -- do it! Use slang expressions very sparingly. If your knowledge of rules of etiquette are rusty, take a "refresher course" from a knowledgeable friend.
19. Be Prepared to Ask Questions. Almost all interviewers will ask if you have any questions. You should have some ready and should have at least one that is related to the conversation you have just completed. This demonstrates that you are both prepared and interested. Your questions should be related to details about the company and should be based on the information you learned from the homework you have done (see Tip #2). You should not ask questions like "How long to I have to wait before I can take a vacation?" Save those what's-in-it-for-me questions for later.
20. Use Telephone Interviews. If you are applying for jobs in places in other states, you can suggest a short telephone interview. Even a preliminary telephone interview can help you assess whether or not it would be worth your time and expense to travel for a personal interview.
21. Don't Expect an Immediate Job Offer. Offers usually follow the interview, a few weeks later. If you are offered the position on the spot, it is appropriate for you to ask for one or two days to think about the offer before responding.
22. Be Careful With the Closing. Do not linger. End quickly and courteously. Thank your interviewer for the interview. Smile.
23. Be Yourself! You do not want to get hired on the basis of something you are not. You want to be hired for who you are!
? What are your strengths? (If you really enjoy new challenges and tackle them in an organized manner, this would be a useful strength in almost any situation.) You can talk about your ability to find unique solutions to problems. Be prepared with some concrete examples, since that may be the follow-up question.
? What are your weaknesses? (A "good" weakness might be that you have trouble leaving the office behind when you go home in the evenings.) This is a very difficult question that is not asked often, but it's one you should prepare for anyway. If you talk about your temper, your tendency to gossip or the fact that you're lazy, you may as well pack up and go home right then. If you mention a weakness such as your lack of patience with people who don't do their share of the work, you should also mention that you keep this impatience to yourself and try very hard not to express it toward others.
? Do you have any questions about our company? (If you have paid attention during the interview and if you have done your homework, this would be a good time to ask for more details about some aspect of the company's organizational structure or products. It would not be a good time to ask about your first raise. You could also ask questions about the community, their training program or details about the work environment.)
? Where do you expect your career to be in 10 years? (Be careful here. You do not want to give the impression that you're simply using this company as a stepping stone to another career. Think of a related managerial position within the company that would interest you.) There is a story about a young accountant who was asked this question by a CPA firm during an interview. The young accountant replied that he saw himself as the comptroller of a large corporation. In other words, "I'm just using your firm to teach me and then after you spend your resources training me, I will leave to go work for someone else." Needless to say, he was not offered a position with the CPA firm. They know that 75% of the people they hire will leave within 10 years, but they do not want to hire someone who comes in with that plan.
? What skills do you have that would benefit our company? (If your skills are not exactly those that the company may have requested, you can point out the skills you have that would be valuable to any company. Examples of these skills are: your ability to plan and execute long-term projects, your ability to organize information into usable data, your ability to research complicated issues, or your ability to work well with a team.) If your skills are not perfect for this particular company, you can mention how quickly you were able to adapt and learn in other situations. Again, be prepared with specific examples in case you are asked to elaborate.
? Why did you leave your last job? (This is not an opening to speak badly of your former employer. There is almost always a way of wording the explanation so that you do not sound like a "problem employee" and your former employer does not sound like an undesirable company.) As unfair as it may seem, there is almost no time when you should say something bad about your former employer. You can talk about the lack of potential for upward mobility, the fact that your job responsibilities changed to the point that it no longer fit into your career plan, your need to move to be closer to your aging parents, the need to reduce travel time, your need for a more challenging job, or anything else that does not get into personalities or other conflicts. If you were fired for cause, you may want to be up front about it, explain the circumstances and accept responsibility for your actions. Practice your answers to this question with someone who has interview experience. However, don't lie. If you can't say anything positive about your former employer, don't say anything. It could come back to haunt you.
IMPORTANT INTERVIEW TIPS
1. Arrive a little early. If you arrive about fifteen minutes before the scheduled interview time, you will have time to collect your thoughts, wipe the perspiration from your hands, and scan the lobby for current company information. You will also show your interviewer that you value his or her time.
2. Do your homework. Know the interviewer's name and how to pronounce it (including proper title: Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.). Know the company's major products or services, the organization of the company (divisions, parent company, etc.), current business news about the company and the company's major customers and competitors. You can learn most or all of this information from the company's website, annual report or company literature.
3. Bring a Spare Copy of Your Resume in a Briefcase or Folder. This demonstrates that you are prepared. It also gives the interviewer something to take notes on.
4. Expect to Spend Some Time Developing Rapport. Personal chemistry is a main ingredient in the hiring process. Try to relax and become comfortable with the interviewer.
5. Watch Your Non-Verbal Communication. Maintain an open body posture and appropriate eye contact. Seat yourself at a reasonable distance from the other person. Smile.
6. Don't Be Embarrassed by Nervousness. Interviewers are human, and they often become nervous, too. In fact, nervousness is a good sign - it shows that you are taking the interview seriously. Avoid nervous mannerisms such as tapping your fingers, feet, playing with pens, etc.
7. Body language is powerful! Good eye contact, a warm, natural smile and a firm handshake can help you overcome nervousness, develop a personal rapport and present a confident image.
8. Don't Play Comedian or Try to Entertain the Interviewer. It is important to be personable, but do not overdo it.
9. Don't Exaggerate or Lie. You might be tempted to embellish your achievements in the interview, but it will come back to haunt you on the job!
10. Follow the Interviewer's Lead. Don't try to take over the interview. Stick to the main subject at hand, but do not dwell too long on one point. It is better to deal with many questions rather than just one or two in-depth questions, unless that's where the interviewer leads you.
11. Be Prepared For Personal Questions, Even Some Inappropriate Ones. Anticipate how you will handle personal questions without blowing your cool. Some interviewers may not be aware of what they can and cannot legally ask you. Be sure you understand the question. It is okay to ask for clarification.
12. Emphasize the Positive. Be frank and honest, but never apologize for lack of experience or weaknesses. You can be self-confident without being overconfident or flippant. If you are new to the job market, your lack of experience has one very positive feature: you do not have to "unlearn" bad habits or different practices learned from previous employers. Many employers like the idea that you can be taught their individual company procedures without needing to get rid of other training first.
13. Wait for an Offer to Bring Up Salary. Let the interviewer bring up this subject. Often salary and benefits are not discussed at all on the first interview. Even though everyone knows that salary is important, you do not want to give the impression that it is the only consideration. If it is, you can be easily lured away be a competitor offering a slightly higher salary. The interviewer needs to see that you are interested in the other aspects of the job like the potential for growth, learning or the challenge of the position.
14. Don't be Afraid to Think Before You Speak. Use silence and intentional pause to your advantage. Time is occasionally needed to think and to reflect. The interviewer will respect you for taking a questions seriously enough to give it a moment or two of consideration before answering.
15. Emphasize What You Can Do For The Organization. This means emphasizing your transferable skills. However, be careful not to reveal trade secrets from a previous employer. Employers are concerned most with what you can do for them. Focus on your ability to tackle new situations, your communication skills, interpersonal abilities, analytical thinking talents, and other skills developed while in college or in previous positions.
16. Don't give "Prepared Answers". Most employers know a these stock answers when they hear them. This is a good reason to use interview question / answer guide as just that - guides. If your answers are not personalized to your situation, they will sound forced and unnatural. You might be surprised to learn how often interviewers hear the phrase, "I really like working with people." The phrase is used so often that it has lost it's meaning!
17. NEVER Speak Badly about a Former Employer. If there were problems with previous experiences, try to put your answers in the positive rather than the negative. If you slight a former employer, the interviewer may assume that you will someday do the same to him or her.
18. Watch Your Grammar and Your Manners. Employers are interested in candidates who can express themselves properly. Even if you have to slow down to correct yourself -- do it! Use slang expressions very sparingly. If your knowledge of rules of etiquette are rusty, take a "refresher course" from a knowledgeable friend.
19. Be Prepared to Ask Questions. Almost all interviewers will ask if you have any questions. You should have some ready and should have at least one that is related to the conversation you have just completed. This demonstrates that you are both prepared and interested. Your questions should be related to details about the company and should be based on the information you learned from the homework you have done (see Tip #2). You should not ask questions like "How long to I have to wait before I can take a vacation?" Save those what's-in-it-for-me questions for later.
20. Use Telephone Interviews. If you are applying for jobs in places in other states, you can suggest a short telephone interview. Even a preliminary telephone interview can help you assess whether or not it would be worth your time and expense to travel for a personal interview.
21. Don't Expect an Immediate Job Offer. Offers usually follow the interview, a few weeks later. If you are offered the position on the spot, it is appropriate for you to ask for one or two days to think about the offer before responding.
22. Be Careful With the Closing. Do not linger. End quickly and courteously. Thank your interviewer for the interview. Smile.
23. Be Yourself! You do not want to get hired on the basis of something you are not. You want to be hired for who you are!
placement guide
Get the basics right and the work is done.
It does not matter much what you have done in the past. But your pre-placement preparation matter a lot. This is the time that you get into your best and concentrate on the essential.
There are 4 essentials that are given below, they are
1. Recruitment Procedure
2. Preparation Guide
3. Books
4. Teaser Questions
Let me first explain how a company conducts recruitment.
Recruitment Procedure
1. Pre-Placement Talk ( PPT ) ( Optional )
2. Candidate Selection ( Optional )
3. Aptitude Test ( Optional )
4. Group Discussion ( Optional )
5. Interview ( Required )
Note: Optional/Required denotes that, it may or may not be conducted by the company.
1. Pre-Placement Talk
This is what they generally call as PPT. In a PPT, the recruiting people will give a
presentation ( It may include company history, area of expertise, certification level, working
environment, salary details, etc ). Almost every company gives a PPT. It is better that you
attend the PPT, to better understand the company and sometimes they ask you what felt
about the PPT in interview. Please don?t take notes during PPT.
2. Candidate Selection
In this step they select the candidates for the next step. This is done based on some
criteria. Example: CGPA and/or ( Arrear / No Caring Arrear/ No Arrear at all ). This will be
done before or after the PPT. Some times companies announce it early before you come for
the PPT. So keep it in mind that, there is some procedure like this, before you get the chance
to write the aptitude test.
3. Aptitude Test
This is done either online or paper based. The test may consist of the following topics.
1. Quantitative Test ( Included in All Test )
2. Analytical Test
3. Verbal Test
4. Non Verbal Test
5. Puzzles
6. Technical Test ( Eg: C , C++, Algorithm Implementation, RDBMS, etc )
Normally 2 or 3 topics are given. The topics given will vary upon companies. Quants
are very important (Remember R.S.Aggarwal is the Bible).
Based upon the Aps mark, the candidates are short listed for the next step.
4. Group Discussion
This is conducted by only few companies. GD is conducted in short time say 15 to 20
minutes. There may be 10 members in each group. Getting chance to speak is less. So
don?t keep mum. Speak out, it?s ur life.
5. Interview
If you need a job, then you cannot miss this step.
It is divided into 2 steps
1. Technical Interview ( 1 or more rounds )
2. HR Interview
This may be conducted in same panel or different panel. You may not know that. Get
ready for both interviews. Some times both are conducted in a mixed fashion. You people
folks may know this well, because of mock interview experience. But don?t expect a mock
interview kind of action taking place. Ask folks who attended my panel about their interview
experience. Normally they won?t talk too soft or too harsh. Be relaxed and comfortable.
Avoid nervousness, it really suppress your performance.
Ok. That?s the end of the recruitment procedure. They finally select the candidate after
the interview procedure is over. I hope that you would have got some overall idea of how
the recruitment is done.
In 2001, CTS directly conducted interview for the Top 10 students in each class
without any test. In the same manner for us in 2002, Intel directly conducted interview for
the top 10 people. Bu this happens very rare.
Preparation Guide
In this you will get to know the do?s, no?s and other essential information.
It comes under two categories. They are
1. Aptitude Test Prep
2. Interview Prep
3. Resume
1. Aptitude Test Prep
Just think about the competition you have. In order to get short listed for the next
step, you have to score top marks at Aps test. The fact that I can solve any kind of
problem, does not hold true here, because in Aps test you have to solve the problems
in short period of time. For that you have to solve really fast.
Regarding Quants, Analytical, etc you need more practice. Don?t think that ?I
can solve the quants problem, they are easy?, of course you can solve it, but make sure
to solve it in stipulated time.
Eg: Most companies allot hardly a minute for each problem; in that case you have to
be very fast to get short listed.
You have to cross this hurdle to attend the interview or GD. Another is you may not
know what topics will be given in Aps test, except for some familiar companies.
Let us go through step by step procedure for different topics in Aps test.
a) Quantitative Test
b) Analytical Test
c) Verbal Test
d) Non Verbal Test
e) Puzzles
f) Technical Test
a) Quantitative Test
This is very important, because 95% of the companies conduct this test. You will get 1
min for each problem. Practice is the mantra for success.
Material to be used:
Book: Quantitative Aptitude by R .S. Aggarwal (Imp)
Old Question Papers for practice
Keep it mind that you have to solve fast.
Practice?Practice? Practice?
b) Analytical Test
To get a real feeling about this test, see Barron's GRE Book?s analytical section. This
also needs practice to solve fast.
Material to be used:
Book: Barron's GRE Book
Old Question Papers for practice
c) Verbal Test
This will be very similar to GRE type questions, for this you need not study all
wordlist. Some may ask you to find error in sentence ( WIPRO ), fill in blank using apt
words, antonyms, analogy, reading comprehension, synonyms, series completion, etc.
Material to be used:
Book: Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning by R. S. Aggarwal (Imp)
Barron's GRE Book
Old Question Papers for practice
Nearly 30-40% of the companies conduct verbal test.
Eg: TCS always mix and use their old questions.
d) Non Verbal Test
Use the book suggested below. They ask Ques like blood relation, coding-decoding,
anal reasoning, finding odd fig, etc.
Material to be used:
Book: Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning by R. S. Aggarwal ( Imp)
Old Question Papers for practice
20-30% companies conduct this test. It is better to have this group. It will be very
useful.
e) Puzzles
To my knowledge only very few companies conduct puzzle test.
Eg: Infosys. But you can expect puzzles in interviews (Oracle, Microsoft, D E SHAW).
So prepare well.
Material to be used:
Book: Shakuntala Devi?s Puzzles to puzzle you ( Imp)
Brain Teaser and another book ( I forgot the name)
Old Question Papers for practice
f) Technical Test
They are conducted under different topics. They are
C ( Very Important )
C++ ( Important )
Data Structures ( few )
Java ( few)
DBMS ( few eg: oracle ) and OS ( few )
Write an Algorithm ( Eg: mock interview )
Microprocessor ( Only Honey Well )
You have to be very strong in C and C++.
For Data Structures be strong in mugging in complexity values, height and all the necessary
theoretical details. For writing algorithm, mostly they may give some problem of their own.
But learn some general problems, such as N Queens Problem, sorting, sorting, etc. This will
be very useful for interview.
Material to be used:
Book:
C
Test ur C Skill ( Solve Completely )
C Under DOS Test ( Solve Completely )
Old Question Papers for practice
This is for aps purpose; I will suggest other books in forthcoming pages.
IMPORTANT: In Aps test, there will be Negative/No Negative Marks for questions.
Some times they are explicitly specified by companies. In other case, depending upon the
company you decide to whether to mark all the questions or not. Some companies give
trap questions ( Eg: Oracle, they sometimes ask abt attending the trap ques during
interview). Be careful in the case of very good companies ( Eg: D E Shaw had Negative
marks , but didn?t specify it ).
Above all this, contacts is very?.. Important.
2. Interview Preparation
Interview is not only about technical preparation. But it is far beyond that. You have
to market yourself, i.e. you have to impress them in any manner. You have to show
your potential (express your talent: sports, academic, programming, impress with ur
speaking ability, extracurricular, etc? ) .You may be a pisthu or u may great talent,
but everything depends on how u present yourself and deal the situation. This doesn?t
mean that you have to exaggerate your ability beyond the boundaries. Don?t try to
bluff too much.
I am trying to frighten u, but be careful in whatever u speak, because each and every
response from u counts. I am talking abt technical matter but in general.
After attending each interview, discuss the questions and other important things
among yourself. Because you can learn a lot by, knowing do?s and don?t do?s.
Don?t be afraid, shy, nervous and tensed. These will really make u perform below
your potential. If u do have this problem, don?t worry practice yourself by speaking in
English with ur friends, attend more GD, etc. Try to reduce your mistakes before u
attend the interview, because each and every chance are very valuable.
Let me explain things that are to be prepared for interview. Your final result depends
on lot of factors. Every aspect has to be performed in a satisfying manner. Let me give
a checklist of items for interview prep.
a) Tell me About Yourself ( VERY IMPORTANT )
b) Project ( ATLEAST 1 )
c) Knowledge of ur Resume
d) Technical Prep
e) HR Prep
f) Puzzles ( asked in few companies )
Introduction
You may well know abt the dress code. Most of the interviewers will be polite and
friendly. Have a smiling face and be careful about ur manners. Introduce ur self and have
a firm handshake with each members of interview panel. Remember u people never did
this in the mock interview. To say simple I am not laying rules that has to be strictly
followed, but some ways that can impress them. Don?t have too much enthu and degrade
ur self ( Eg: Never give file unasked, Never present project if unasked, don?t argue too
much, be careful in avoiding heated arguments?). Some people try to push things by
themselves without asking, such as giving the project report unasked and telling abt the
project. Don?t sit on the edge of the chair. Sit comfortably and don?t sit in tense manner.
These are not strict protocols. In addition to ur technical preparation, start thinking abt
handling the situation, answering various questions and what u should and should not
do. Get Ready to put manga during HR session. Put be careful answering them
a) Tell me About Yourself
Almost 95% percent of the companies ask first to, ?Tell me/us about yourself?.
This is very very important. Don?t take the risk of making a random speech. Generally
this should consists of telling about ur self, parents, schooling, college, hobbies, role
model, strength, weakness, etc..
Always be very careful about what u speak, because u should be able to justify your
statements. Eg: how has engineering helped u solve real problems, how has ur strength
helped u, if u say ?I help others?, they may ask ? how do u help others, do u lend
money?. you should be able to speak for at least 10 minutes. They may interrupt u and
ask questions. Always be ready to give justification of what u speak. If they ask u to stop
ur speech, end with it.
PREPARE AND PRACTICE THIS TO PERFECTION, BE NATURAL, DON?T SHOW
THAT U HAVE MEMORIZED THE STATEMETNS. FINISH THIS IN THE HOLIDAY
ITSELF. TRY TO SAY THIS IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR OR FRIENDS.
b) Project
Most of the companies ask abt project. Have at least a good project and its report.
Some times the report may be a problem, in those times avoid it. Some companies
may ask u to write the project code even if it is done in VB, ASP. (Eg : Oracle?). Be
ready to handle questions relating to ur project. Some times they ask very practical
questions.
c) Knowledge of ur Resume
The format will be give in plac cell. Don?t worry about it. But be ready to answer
questions regarding all the resume content.
Eg: inconsistent mark in semester
Packages, Hobbies, extracurricular, etc
If u have put working knowledge in linux/ unix, then know some basic abt it,
commands, other essentials, etc.. I mentioned abt knowing VB. I got these question, ? what is
the difference bt VB 3.0 and VB 6.0?. any guess abt my reply . I said ?sir, VB 6 is a higher
version of VB 3?. Even I laughed abt that. But the answer is VB 3 works in 16 bit OS , where
as VB 6 works in 32 bit OS. I hope u would be knowing the difference bt 16 bit and 32 bit OS.
Just imagine what question u can expect. Be cool and get ready for the unexpected.
Let me share my experience abt my hobbies that I mentioned in my resume : listening music,
reading books and magazines, playing cricket, net surfing.
In interviews I got these questions
What browser do u use, its version, its security levels, etc??
What magazines do u read?
What kind of music do u listen, rock, jazz?.etc?
Do u play for college cricket team? I said no
There will be nice manga, but be careful and don?t get caught. That?s why I said be ready to
answer for all u have put in ur resume
d) Technical Preparation
It?s not necessary to study all the subjects. But
Let me say what are all necessary for tech prep
1. C, C++
2. At least 1 Field of Interest
3. DBMS
4. Data Structures
5. Miscellaneous subj
Regarding technical prep, u should know the difference abt prep for an exam and
interview. In an exam, u can write all those non sense stories. But in interview, u will
come across very simple and basic questions. But think of answering those questions in a
clear, attractive and illustrative manner.
Eg: what is an OS
What is a virtual function
What is operator overloading
What is call by value and call by reference
What is difference bt linux and unix
See that u have to fine tune ur self for answering the technical questions in
interview. I hope u got what I mean here.
C, C++ knowledge is very essential. I still know some people in final year who are still not
confident of C++. If u don?t get it right, get help from ur friends to learn it.
U should be strong in at least 1 subject. They may ask u simple questions; speak about a topic
in that subject
Eg: explain file system
Functions of OS
Some algorithms
Knowledge in DBMS is necessary independent of the Field of interest u choose.
Because most of the people will have knowledge in DBMS. So read it without fail.
For Data Structures, u should know
Algor complexity
Stack, queue, dequeu, hash table, linked list, double link list
Sorting and searching algor
Various Trees
You should know the various search and sorting alg ( ready to explain and implement
approx code ). Operation on linked list. Know the explanation for various trees bin tree,
complete bin tree, strictly bin tree, B tree, B+ tree. u need not learn the operation on B and B+
tree.
Some DS Ques
Reversing a linked list
Imple stack using queue
Imple queu usin stack
Deleting (n-k) th node. n-unknown. k-known
Solve N queens problem
What is B Tree, B+ tree, B* tree, red black tree, balanced tree, AVR?
Know all the important algorithms, they will ask u to implem. Some companies ask to
Implem GCD, quicksort, LCM, bin search, etc?
Some companies ask question randomly from ur syllabus. So answering them depends
on ur memory. Have some basic knowledge in Networking, distributed comp/arc.
What is RMI,RPC
What is Dist OS, Net OS
Various Topologies
IMPORTANT:
You need not study DLD, CA, etc unless needed for that company. Eg: study
Microprocessor for Honeywell. Otherwise it?s not needed.
e) HR Preparation
This is about how and what u speak. Start rediscover about yourself i.e strength,
weakness, etc.. don?t ask others, ? what should I say for my strength, weakness?. U
know better abt ur self than any other. The answer that u get from inner self will be
true and u can justify it. In the case of weakness, make sure it?s not much negative. Eg:
don?t say I hate or don?t like programming. U lose because, we r going into a software
company and how would they recruit u if say I hate progr?
Eg:
What are ur strength, weakness, objectives ( IMPORTANT )
How does ur friend describe yourself ( IMPORTANT )
Why should I recruit u ( IMPORTANT )
Speak on any topic for particular no of minutes
Do u have any ques to ask
Why did u choose IT
Who is a leader, R u a leader, where has it helped
They will make u make loose talks, be careful of what u speak. Don?t talk of higher
studies, ask abt salary, ill of college, classmates, others.
Know details abt company thru Net.
f) Puzzles
Few companies ask puzzles in interview. Oracle, D E Shaw.
Some ques are like ? a man is lying dead in a ground. And a packet is around him.
How had he died?
For infosys, they ask u to solve the aps ques, to check whether u have really solved the
prob. Careful with this prob.
BOOKS
Aptitude Books:
Quantitative Aptitude by R .S. Aggarwal
Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning by R. S. Aggarwal
Shakuntala Devi?s Puzzles to puzzle you and her other books
George W Summers Brain Teasers
Barron's GRE Book
Technical Books:
C
The C Programming Language by K & R
Deep C
Advanced C Tips and Tricks ( Excellent Book, but hard to get )
Study soft copy of C FAQ
C++
OOP using C++ by Robert Lafore
C++ Complete Reference
C++ FAQ
Java
Java Complete Reference
Core Java ( Not Necessary )
Make sure you know well ( eg: threads), before you make commitment about your
expertise in java. Keep in mind that, they have more practical exposure than us. Don?t try to
bluff.
Data Structure and Algorithms
Data Structure using C and C++ by Tenenbaum, Augestein and Langsam
( GREEN BOOK )
Computer Algorithms by Ellis Horowitz, Sahni and Rajasekaran
( Reference ) ( Yellow Book )
Data Structures, Algor and App using C++ by Sarthaj Sahni
( Reference )
OS
OS by Galvin & Silberschatz
Modern OS by Tanenbau ( use this to study Synchronization Concepts )
OS A Design Oriented Approach by Charles Crowley
( Reference , Excellent Book for deep understanding)
The Design of UNIX OS by Maurice Bach ( UNIX REFERENCE )
C Odyssey in Unix ( REF: TO GET A OVERVIEW ABT UNIX OS )
DBMS
Silberschatz
Navathe
You select book of ur choice for DBMS.
Don?t get afraid by the number of books suggested. It is not necessary that you should
study all the books that I have suggested. Each author explains the concepts in a different
perspective. May be you can just make a try with the reference books.
General Books:
This is not related to placement, but general.
Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus
( Better Opp Sex Understanding, don?t miss to read it )
You can Win
If you r going thru a bad time, try Kannadasan?s ArthaMulla Indhumatham ? Part 1.
Teaser Questions
1. What is the structure of object file?
2. What is the difference between bt object and executable file?
3. How is a program linked and executed?
4. The CPU Utilization of a computer is 100%. Is it possible to execute a new application
under the above condition?
5. What is the difference bt time sharing, multi programming and multi tasking?
6. What is the difference bt a function and a system call?
7. What is multi threading?
8. What is the difference bt Unix and Linux
9. What are the different OS Architectures?
10. What is Micro Kernel Architecture?
11. What is a signal?
12. What is i-node?
13. What is symbolic and hard link in Unix?
14. Reverse a linked list?
15. Sorting a linked list?
16. Write an efficient C code to multiply a number by 7, 15.
17. What is Virtual function?
18. What is a balanced tree?
19. Why is ellipsis used in C program?
20. Implement a Copy Constructor.
21. How is dynamic memory allocation done?
22. What is polymorphism?
23. What is reference in C++?
24. What is difference bt inline fun and #define
25. What is a namespace?
26. What is a Friend Function?
27. Can destructors be virtual?
28. Can constructors be virtual?
29. What is pure virtual function?
30. What is operator overloading?
31. What is a template?
32. What is RTTI?
33. What is Static and Dynamic type checking?
34. What is downcast?
35. What is difference bt overloaded functions and overridden functions?
36. Can virtual functions be overloaded?
37. What is Memory Leak?
38. What is Wild Pointer?
39. What is final class and final member function?
40. What are COM, ActiveX, and OLE?
41. How can C code call C++ code?
42. How can C++ code call C code?
43. What is private and protected inheritance?
44. Write C code to dynamically allocate memory for 2-D and 3-Darray?
45. What are Structure and Union in C?
46. What are Function Pointer and explain with an example?
47. What is BSS and initialized area?
48. What is assertion in C?
49. What is Lvalue and Rvalue?
50. What is Heap?
CONCLUSION:
I hope that I have covered details that are necessary, but I might have missed a few.
So, continue ur thinking. The difficulties that we faced is that the company did?t come
continuously. There is some time gap bt each company. Even though we confident, that time
gap brings up psychological pressure. It is critical time for u, this is the time to encourage ur
class mates and keep everyone in good spirit. Try to conduct seminars for important subjects
by students who knows the subject very well, it will help a lot.
Don?t be afraid of failures. Learn from it. Never Lose ur Hope. There is a saying, ?Rough
Seas Make Good Sailors?. Because hard times, will make us more mature and help us learn
more. That would be good for our life.
Be Optimistic, Energetic and Confident while attending the interview. Surely
you will achieve success for your great effort and hard work. Always Have the Fire Burning
that it is possible and u win it.
All the Best and Best of Luck
It does not matter much what you have done in the past. But your pre-placement preparation matter a lot. This is the time that you get into your best and concentrate on the essential.
There are 4 essentials that are given below, they are
1. Recruitment Procedure
2. Preparation Guide
3. Books
4. Teaser Questions
Let me first explain how a company conducts recruitment.
Recruitment Procedure
1. Pre-Placement Talk ( PPT ) ( Optional )
2. Candidate Selection ( Optional )
3. Aptitude Test ( Optional )
4. Group Discussion ( Optional )
5. Interview ( Required )
Note: Optional/Required denotes that, it may or may not be conducted by the company.
1. Pre-Placement Talk
This is what they generally call as PPT. In a PPT, the recruiting people will give a
presentation ( It may include company history, area of expertise, certification level, working
environment, salary details, etc ). Almost every company gives a PPT. It is better that you
attend the PPT, to better understand the company and sometimes they ask you what felt
about the PPT in interview. Please don?t take notes during PPT.
2. Candidate Selection
In this step they select the candidates for the next step. This is done based on some
criteria. Example: CGPA and/or ( Arrear / No Caring Arrear/ No Arrear at all ). This will be
done before or after the PPT. Some times companies announce it early before you come for
the PPT. So keep it in mind that, there is some procedure like this, before you get the chance
to write the aptitude test.
3. Aptitude Test
This is done either online or paper based. The test may consist of the following topics.
1. Quantitative Test ( Included in All Test )
2. Analytical Test
3. Verbal Test
4. Non Verbal Test
5. Puzzles
6. Technical Test ( Eg: C , C++, Algorithm Implementation, RDBMS, etc )
Normally 2 or 3 topics are given. The topics given will vary upon companies. Quants
are very important (Remember R.S.Aggarwal is the Bible).
Based upon the Aps mark, the candidates are short listed for the next step.
4. Group Discussion
This is conducted by only few companies. GD is conducted in short time say 15 to 20
minutes. There may be 10 members in each group. Getting chance to speak is less. So
don?t keep mum. Speak out, it?s ur life.
5. Interview
If you need a job, then you cannot miss this step.
It is divided into 2 steps
1. Technical Interview ( 1 or more rounds )
2. HR Interview
This may be conducted in same panel or different panel. You may not know that. Get
ready for both interviews. Some times both are conducted in a mixed fashion. You people
folks may know this well, because of mock interview experience. But don?t expect a mock
interview kind of action taking place. Ask folks who attended my panel about their interview
experience. Normally they won?t talk too soft or too harsh. Be relaxed and comfortable.
Avoid nervousness, it really suppress your performance.
Ok. That?s the end of the recruitment procedure. They finally select the candidate after
the interview procedure is over. I hope that you would have got some overall idea of how
the recruitment is done.
In 2001, CTS directly conducted interview for the Top 10 students in each class
without any test. In the same manner for us in 2002, Intel directly conducted interview for
the top 10 people. Bu this happens very rare.
Preparation Guide
In this you will get to know the do?s, no?s and other essential information.
It comes under two categories. They are
1. Aptitude Test Prep
2. Interview Prep
3. Resume
1. Aptitude Test Prep
Just think about the competition you have. In order to get short listed for the next
step, you have to score top marks at Aps test. The fact that I can solve any kind of
problem, does not hold true here, because in Aps test you have to solve the problems
in short period of time. For that you have to solve really fast.
Regarding Quants, Analytical, etc you need more practice. Don?t think that ?I
can solve the quants problem, they are easy?, of course you can solve it, but make sure
to solve it in stipulated time.
Eg: Most companies allot hardly a minute for each problem; in that case you have to
be very fast to get short listed.
You have to cross this hurdle to attend the interview or GD. Another is you may not
know what topics will be given in Aps test, except for some familiar companies.
Let us go through step by step procedure for different topics in Aps test.
a) Quantitative Test
b) Analytical Test
c) Verbal Test
d) Non Verbal Test
e) Puzzles
f) Technical Test
a) Quantitative Test
This is very important, because 95% of the companies conduct this test. You will get 1
min for each problem. Practice is the mantra for success.
Material to be used:
Book: Quantitative Aptitude by R .S. Aggarwal (Imp)
Old Question Papers for practice
Keep it mind that you have to solve fast.
Practice?Practice? Practice?
b) Analytical Test
To get a real feeling about this test, see Barron's GRE Book?s analytical section. This
also needs practice to solve fast.
Material to be used:
Book: Barron's GRE Book
Old Question Papers for practice
c) Verbal Test
This will be very similar to GRE type questions, for this you need not study all
wordlist. Some may ask you to find error in sentence ( WIPRO ), fill in blank using apt
words, antonyms, analogy, reading comprehension, synonyms, series completion, etc.
Material to be used:
Book: Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning by R. S. Aggarwal (Imp)
Barron's GRE Book
Old Question Papers for practice
Nearly 30-40% of the companies conduct verbal test.
Eg: TCS always mix and use their old questions.
d) Non Verbal Test
Use the book suggested below. They ask Ques like blood relation, coding-decoding,
anal reasoning, finding odd fig, etc.
Material to be used:
Book: Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning by R. S. Aggarwal ( Imp)
Old Question Papers for practice
20-30% companies conduct this test. It is better to have this group. It will be very
useful.
e) Puzzles
To my knowledge only very few companies conduct puzzle test.
Eg: Infosys. But you can expect puzzles in interviews (Oracle, Microsoft, D E SHAW).
So prepare well.
Material to be used:
Book: Shakuntala Devi?s Puzzles to puzzle you ( Imp)
Brain Teaser and another book ( I forgot the name)
Old Question Papers for practice
f) Technical Test
They are conducted under different topics. They are
C ( Very Important )
C++ ( Important )
Data Structures ( few )
Java ( few)
DBMS ( few eg: oracle ) and OS ( few )
Write an Algorithm ( Eg: mock interview )
Microprocessor ( Only Honey Well )
You have to be very strong in C and C++.
For Data Structures be strong in mugging in complexity values, height and all the necessary
theoretical details. For writing algorithm, mostly they may give some problem of their own.
But learn some general problems, such as N Queens Problem, sorting, sorting, etc. This will
be very useful for interview.
Material to be used:
Book:
C
Test ur C Skill ( Solve Completely )
C Under DOS Test ( Solve Completely )
Old Question Papers for practice
This is for aps purpose; I will suggest other books in forthcoming pages.
IMPORTANT: In Aps test, there will be Negative/No Negative Marks for questions.
Some times they are explicitly specified by companies. In other case, depending upon the
company you decide to whether to mark all the questions or not. Some companies give
trap questions ( Eg: Oracle, they sometimes ask abt attending the trap ques during
interview). Be careful in the case of very good companies ( Eg: D E Shaw had Negative
marks , but didn?t specify it ).
Above all this, contacts is very?.. Important.
2. Interview Preparation
Interview is not only about technical preparation. But it is far beyond that. You have
to market yourself, i.e. you have to impress them in any manner. You have to show
your potential (express your talent: sports, academic, programming, impress with ur
speaking ability, extracurricular, etc? ) .You may be a pisthu or u may great talent,
but everything depends on how u present yourself and deal the situation. This doesn?t
mean that you have to exaggerate your ability beyond the boundaries. Don?t try to
bluff too much.
I am trying to frighten u, but be careful in whatever u speak, because each and every
response from u counts. I am talking abt technical matter but in general.
After attending each interview, discuss the questions and other important things
among yourself. Because you can learn a lot by, knowing do?s and don?t do?s.
Don?t be afraid, shy, nervous and tensed. These will really make u perform below
your potential. If u do have this problem, don?t worry practice yourself by speaking in
English with ur friends, attend more GD, etc. Try to reduce your mistakes before u
attend the interview, because each and every chance are very valuable.
Let me explain things that are to be prepared for interview. Your final result depends
on lot of factors. Every aspect has to be performed in a satisfying manner. Let me give
a checklist of items for interview prep.
a) Tell me About Yourself ( VERY IMPORTANT )
b) Project ( ATLEAST 1 )
c) Knowledge of ur Resume
d) Technical Prep
e) HR Prep
f) Puzzles ( asked in few companies )
Introduction
You may well know abt the dress code. Most of the interviewers will be polite and
friendly. Have a smiling face and be careful about ur manners. Introduce ur self and have
a firm handshake with each members of interview panel. Remember u people never did
this in the mock interview. To say simple I am not laying rules that has to be strictly
followed, but some ways that can impress them. Don?t have too much enthu and degrade
ur self ( Eg: Never give file unasked, Never present project if unasked, don?t argue too
much, be careful in avoiding heated arguments?). Some people try to push things by
themselves without asking, such as giving the project report unasked and telling abt the
project. Don?t sit on the edge of the chair. Sit comfortably and don?t sit in tense manner.
These are not strict protocols. In addition to ur technical preparation, start thinking abt
handling the situation, answering various questions and what u should and should not
do. Get Ready to put manga during HR session. Put be careful answering them
a) Tell me About Yourself
Almost 95% percent of the companies ask first to, ?Tell me/us about yourself?.
This is very very important. Don?t take the risk of making a random speech. Generally
this should consists of telling about ur self, parents, schooling, college, hobbies, role
model, strength, weakness, etc..
Always be very careful about what u speak, because u should be able to justify your
statements. Eg: how has engineering helped u solve real problems, how has ur strength
helped u, if u say ?I help others?, they may ask ? how do u help others, do u lend
money?. you should be able to speak for at least 10 minutes. They may interrupt u and
ask questions. Always be ready to give justification of what u speak. If they ask u to stop
ur speech, end with it.
PREPARE AND PRACTICE THIS TO PERFECTION, BE NATURAL, DON?T SHOW
THAT U HAVE MEMORIZED THE STATEMETNS. FINISH THIS IN THE HOLIDAY
ITSELF. TRY TO SAY THIS IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR OR FRIENDS.
b) Project
Most of the companies ask abt project. Have at least a good project and its report.
Some times the report may be a problem, in those times avoid it. Some companies
may ask u to write the project code even if it is done in VB, ASP. (Eg : Oracle?). Be
ready to handle questions relating to ur project. Some times they ask very practical
questions.
c) Knowledge of ur Resume
The format will be give in plac cell. Don?t worry about it. But be ready to answer
questions regarding all the resume content.
Eg: inconsistent mark in semester
Packages, Hobbies, extracurricular, etc
If u have put working knowledge in linux/ unix, then know some basic abt it,
commands, other essentials, etc.. I mentioned abt knowing VB. I got these question, ? what is
the difference bt VB 3.0 and VB 6.0?. any guess abt my reply . I said ?sir, VB 6 is a higher
version of VB 3?. Even I laughed abt that. But the answer is VB 3 works in 16 bit OS , where
as VB 6 works in 32 bit OS. I hope u would be knowing the difference bt 16 bit and 32 bit OS.
Just imagine what question u can expect. Be cool and get ready for the unexpected.
Let me share my experience abt my hobbies that I mentioned in my resume : listening music,
reading books and magazines, playing cricket, net surfing.
In interviews I got these questions
What browser do u use, its version, its security levels, etc??
What magazines do u read?
What kind of music do u listen, rock, jazz?.etc?
Do u play for college cricket team? I said no
There will be nice manga, but be careful and don?t get caught. That?s why I said be ready to
answer for all u have put in ur resume
d) Technical Preparation
It?s not necessary to study all the subjects. But
Let me say what are all necessary for tech prep
1. C, C++
2. At least 1 Field of Interest
3. DBMS
4. Data Structures
5. Miscellaneous subj
Regarding technical prep, u should know the difference abt prep for an exam and
interview. In an exam, u can write all those non sense stories. But in interview, u will
come across very simple and basic questions. But think of answering those questions in a
clear, attractive and illustrative manner.
Eg: what is an OS
What is a virtual function
What is operator overloading
What is call by value and call by reference
What is difference bt linux and unix
See that u have to fine tune ur self for answering the technical questions in
interview. I hope u got what I mean here.
C, C++ knowledge is very essential. I still know some people in final year who are still not
confident of C++. If u don?t get it right, get help from ur friends to learn it.
U should be strong in at least 1 subject. They may ask u simple questions; speak about a topic
in that subject
Eg: explain file system
Functions of OS
Some algorithms
Knowledge in DBMS is necessary independent of the Field of interest u choose.
Because most of the people will have knowledge in DBMS. So read it without fail.
For Data Structures, u should know
Algor complexity
Stack, queue, dequeu, hash table, linked list, double link list
Sorting and searching algor
Various Trees
You should know the various search and sorting alg ( ready to explain and implement
approx code ). Operation on linked list. Know the explanation for various trees bin tree,
complete bin tree, strictly bin tree, B tree, B+ tree. u need not learn the operation on B and B+
tree.
Some DS Ques
Reversing a linked list
Imple stack using queue
Imple queu usin stack
Deleting (n-k) th node. n-unknown. k-known
Solve N queens problem
What is B Tree, B+ tree, B* tree, red black tree, balanced tree, AVR?
Know all the important algorithms, they will ask u to implem. Some companies ask to
Implem GCD, quicksort, LCM, bin search, etc?
Some companies ask question randomly from ur syllabus. So answering them depends
on ur memory. Have some basic knowledge in Networking, distributed comp/arc.
What is RMI,RPC
What is Dist OS, Net OS
Various Topologies
IMPORTANT:
You need not study DLD, CA, etc unless needed for that company. Eg: study
Microprocessor for Honeywell. Otherwise it?s not needed.
e) HR Preparation
This is about how and what u speak. Start rediscover about yourself i.e strength,
weakness, etc.. don?t ask others, ? what should I say for my strength, weakness?. U
know better abt ur self than any other. The answer that u get from inner self will be
true and u can justify it. In the case of weakness, make sure it?s not much negative. Eg:
don?t say I hate or don?t like programming. U lose because, we r going into a software
company and how would they recruit u if say I hate progr?
Eg:
What are ur strength, weakness, objectives ( IMPORTANT )
How does ur friend describe yourself ( IMPORTANT )
Why should I recruit u ( IMPORTANT )
Speak on any topic for particular no of minutes
Do u have any ques to ask
Why did u choose IT
Who is a leader, R u a leader, where has it helped
They will make u make loose talks, be careful of what u speak. Don?t talk of higher
studies, ask abt salary, ill of college, classmates, others.
Know details abt company thru Net.
f) Puzzles
Few companies ask puzzles in interview. Oracle, D E Shaw.
Some ques are like ? a man is lying dead in a ground. And a packet is around him.
How had he died?
For infosys, they ask u to solve the aps ques, to check whether u have really solved the
prob. Careful with this prob.
BOOKS
Aptitude Books:
Quantitative Aptitude by R .S. Aggarwal
Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning by R. S. Aggarwal
Shakuntala Devi?s Puzzles to puzzle you and her other books
George W Summers Brain Teasers
Barron's GRE Book
Technical Books:
C
The C Programming Language by K & R
Deep C
Advanced C Tips and Tricks ( Excellent Book, but hard to get )
Study soft copy of C FAQ
C++
OOP using C++ by Robert Lafore
C++ Complete Reference
C++ FAQ
Java
Java Complete Reference
Core Java ( Not Necessary )
Make sure you know well ( eg: threads), before you make commitment about your
expertise in java. Keep in mind that, they have more practical exposure than us. Don?t try to
bluff.
Data Structure and Algorithms
Data Structure using C and C++ by Tenenbaum, Augestein and Langsam
( GREEN BOOK )
Computer Algorithms by Ellis Horowitz, Sahni and Rajasekaran
( Reference ) ( Yellow Book )
Data Structures, Algor and App using C++ by Sarthaj Sahni
( Reference )
OS
OS by Galvin & Silberschatz
Modern OS by Tanenbau ( use this to study Synchronization Concepts )
OS A Design Oriented Approach by Charles Crowley
( Reference , Excellent Book for deep understanding)
The Design of UNIX OS by Maurice Bach ( UNIX REFERENCE )
C Odyssey in Unix ( REF: TO GET A OVERVIEW ABT UNIX OS )
DBMS
Silberschatz
Navathe
You select book of ur choice for DBMS.
Don?t get afraid by the number of books suggested. It is not necessary that you should
study all the books that I have suggested. Each author explains the concepts in a different
perspective. May be you can just make a try with the reference books.
General Books:
This is not related to placement, but general.
Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus
( Better Opp Sex Understanding, don?t miss to read it )
You can Win
If you r going thru a bad time, try Kannadasan?s ArthaMulla Indhumatham ? Part 1.
Teaser Questions
1. What is the structure of object file?
2. What is the difference between bt object and executable file?
3. How is a program linked and executed?
4. The CPU Utilization of a computer is 100%. Is it possible to execute a new application
under the above condition?
5. What is the difference bt time sharing, multi programming and multi tasking?
6. What is the difference bt a function and a system call?
7. What is multi threading?
8. What is the difference bt Unix and Linux
9. What are the different OS Architectures?
10. What is Micro Kernel Architecture?
11. What is a signal?
12. What is i-node?
13. What is symbolic and hard link in Unix?
14. Reverse a linked list?
15. Sorting a linked list?
16. Write an efficient C code to multiply a number by 7, 15.
17. What is Virtual function?
18. What is a balanced tree?
19. Why is ellipsis used in C program?
20. Implement a Copy Constructor.
21. How is dynamic memory allocation done?
22. What is polymorphism?
23. What is reference in C++?
24. What is difference bt inline fun and #define
25. What is a namespace?
26. What is a Friend Function?
27. Can destructors be virtual?
28. Can constructors be virtual?
29. What is pure virtual function?
30. What is operator overloading?
31. What is a template?
32. What is RTTI?
33. What is Static and Dynamic type checking?
34. What is downcast?
35. What is difference bt overloaded functions and overridden functions?
36. Can virtual functions be overloaded?
37. What is Memory Leak?
38. What is Wild Pointer?
39. What is final class and final member function?
40. What are COM, ActiveX, and OLE?
41. How can C code call C++ code?
42. How can C++ code call C code?
43. What is private and protected inheritance?
44. Write C code to dynamically allocate memory for 2-D and 3-Darray?
45. What are Structure and Union in C?
46. What are Function Pointer and explain with an example?
47. What is BSS and initialized area?
48. What is assertion in C?
49. What is Lvalue and Rvalue?
50. What is Heap?
CONCLUSION:
I hope that I have covered details that are necessary, but I might have missed a few.
So, continue ur thinking. The difficulties that we faced is that the company did?t come
continuously. There is some time gap bt each company. Even though we confident, that time
gap brings up psychological pressure. It is critical time for u, this is the time to encourage ur
class mates and keep everyone in good spirit. Try to conduct seminars for important subjects
by students who knows the subject very well, it will help a lot.
Don?t be afraid of failures. Learn from it. Never Lose ur Hope. There is a saying, ?Rough
Seas Make Good Sailors?. Because hard times, will make us more mature and help us learn
more. That would be good for our life.
Be Optimistic, Energetic and Confident while attending the interview. Surely
you will achieve success for your great effort and hard work. Always Have the Fire Burning
that it is possible and u win it.
All the Best and Best of Luck
