Interview Experience – UPTIQ | Intern 🚀

Batch: 2027 | Branch: CS | Total Rounds: 3

Process Snapshot 📸

• Eligibility / Shortlisting: 474 students from all branches were shortlisted and eligible for the Online Assessment (OA).

• Application Route: On-campus placement drive.

Round-by-Round Breakdown 🎯

Round 1: Online Assessment (OA) 💻

The OA was generally considered easy to moderate and primarily focused on coding.

Coding questions included:

• Shifting Letters – LeetCode 848

• Generate Parentheses – LeetCode 22

• A Topological Sort-based question

The OA tested knowledge of common DSA patterns such as prefix sums, recursion/backtracking, and graph algorithms.

Round 2: Technical Interview 🧠

The technical interview was also relatively easy and focused heavily on the resume and core CS fundamentals.

Topics discussed included:

• Data Structures & Algorithms

• DBMS

• SQL

• OOP

• Resume-based questions

• Projects

Coding question:

• Flatten Binary Tree to Linked List – LeetCode 114

The interviewer also asked questions based on the projects mentioned on the resume.

Round 3: CTO Round 💡

The CTO round was the most challenging round of the process.

Rather than giving a conventional standalone system-design problem, the discussion went deep into project architecture and technical decision-making.

The interviewer discussed:

• Architecture of personal projects

• Why particular technologies were chosen

• Technical trade-offs

• How projects could be scaled

• Design decisions made during development

• Previous internship experience

• Challenges faced while building projects

• System design concepts

One business-related behavioral question was also asked.

The round was largely focused on understanding how the candidate thinks about engineering problems, rather than simply testing theoretical knowledge.

Interview Timeline ⏱️

The OA and Technical Interview took place on the same day.

The CTO round was conducted on the following day, since the first day's interviews could not be completed within the available time.

Difficulty & Interview Focus

RoundDifficultyMain FocusOAEasy–ModerateDSA / CodingTechnicalEasyResume + DSA + DBMS + SQL + OOPCTOHardProjects + Architecture + Trade-offs + System Design

Overall, the interviewers maintained a fairly balanced focus across the relevant technical areas.

Coding & Project Discussion 💻

OA Coding Questions

1. Shifting Letters

2. Generate Parentheses

3. Topological Sort-based question

Technical Interview Coding

1. Flatten Binary Tree to Linked List

Project Deep Dive

There was a significant project discussion, particularly during the CTO round.

The interviewer went beyond simply asking "What did you build?" and explored:

• Architecture

• Technology choices

• Why a particular approach was selected

• Alternative approaches

• Trade-offs

• Scalability

• Debugging/problem-solving

• Internship experience

HR & Behavioral 🤝

There were no significant traditional HR questions.

One business-related behavioral question was asked during the CTO round.

Unexpected / Tricky Moment 🧘

One of the biggest challenges was the long waiting time during the interview process.

I had to wait until around 8 PM just for the first round, while some other candidates had already completed both rounds and left.

The major takeaway was:

Be patient during placement processes. Delays and unpredictable schedules are common, and they should not affect your confidence or preparation.

Final Outcome ✅

Selected!

Top Tips for Juniors 💪

• Don't lose hope during the placement process.

• Keep preparing even when interviews don't go as expected.

• Have strong command over your resume.

• Be prepared to explain every project you mention.

• Know the architecture and technical decisions behind your projects.

• Strengthen DSA and core CS subjects.

• For higher-level rounds, understand system design fundamentals and trade-offs.

• Be patient during long placement processes.

Mistakes to Avoid ❌

The biggest mistake is losing motivation after setbacks.

Placement processes can involve long waiting periods, unexpected delays, and rejections. Continuing to prepare is important because the next opportunity can come quickly.

Preparation Strategy 📚

The resources that helped the most were:

• Striver Sheet – DSA

• GeeksforGeeks – Core CS subjects

Recommended 7-Day Priority Plan

If you have only a week before an interview:

1. Polish your resume

2. Revise every project thoroughly

3. Practice important DSA patterns

4. Revise DBMS

5. Practice SQL

6. Revise OOP

7. Brush up on system design fundamentals

8. Prepare explanations for your internship experience and technical decisions

Quick Checklist for Students ✅

• Check company-specific eligibility criteria.

• Prepare DSA for OA coding rounds.

• Practice problems involving:

  • Prefix sums

  • Backtracking

  • Graphs / Topological Sort

  • Trees

• Be ready for resume-based technical questions.

• Revise DSA, DBMS, SQL and OOP.

• Know your projects in depth.

• Understand project architecture and trade-offs.

• Prepare for system-design discussions in senior/CTO rounds.

• Be ready to discuss internship experience.

• Stay patient during long interview days.

• Use resources such as Striver Sheet and GeeksforGeeks.

• Most importantly, keep preparing even after setbacks.