The pool campus placement drive for Tech Mahindra took place on October 20th, with 432 students from my college participating in the first round. The entire process was structured into multiple stages, each designed to test different skills. Here’s a detailed recount of my journey.
Round 1 & 2: Aptitude and Technical Test
Aptitude Test
The initial phase was an aptitude test featuring basic-level questions. Preparation for similar exams, such as those for TCS, Accenture, or Cognizant, proved beneficial. A consistent study routine of 10-15 days is typically enough to excel in this round.
Essay Writing
Following the aptitude test, candidates who cleared it moved on to an essay-writing round. Here, a picture was displayed, and we were tasked with creating a story or essay based on it. For my test, the image was primarily green, and I crafted a narrative centered around traffic lights.
Technical Test
This segment focused on key technical topics, including:
- Pseudocode
- Programming Languages
- Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA)
- Computer Networks
- Operating Systems
Even a basic understanding of about 30% of these topics from your coursework can help you clear this round. I wasn’t entirely confident in some sections, so I made a few educated guesses.
Coding Questions
The coding test involved two straightforward problems:
- Finding the maximum value in an array.
- Counting words and spaces in a sentence.
We were given 45 minutes to complete these tasks, but I managed to finish them in about 12-13 minutes.
Personality Test
The final stage of this round was a personality assessment comprising 72 questions. Around 10-12 questions were repeated, making the test relatively easier to navigate.
Results:
On October 22nd, the results for this round were announced. Out of 432 participants, 99 students advanced to the next stage.
Round 3: Oral Communication Test
The third round was a basic oral communication test, commonly referred to as the SVAR English Test. This AI-driven test evaluated speaking clarity and pronunciation. All I had to do was articulate my responses clearly into the microphone for accurate recognition.
Results:
The results were declared on November 1st. Out of the 99 students, 92 progressed, while 7 were eliminated. A few candidates, unfortunately, missed the subsequent interview rounds.
Round 4 & 5: Technical and HR Interviews
The interviews were held on November 11th, with both technical and HR rounds assessing different aspects of the candidates.
Technical Interview
The technical interview felt comfortable, as my interviewer happened to be a senior from my college. The flow of the interview included:
- Self-Introduction: A brief overview of my background.
- College Life: We spent some time discussing college experiences, including my favorite subjects and topics of interest.
- Resume Insights: I shared details about an internship experience not mentioned in my resume.
- Domain Expertise: I highlighted my strengths in DSA and C++ programming.
- OOPs Concepts: I answered basic questions on Object-Oriented Programming and wrote the logic for reversing a number on paper.
- Domain Flexibility: The interviewer asked if I’d be comfortable working in a different domain if required.
- Closing: I had the opportunity to ask questions, which concluded the interview on a positive note.
Outcome:
Around 15-20 students were eliminated after the technical interview.
HR Interview
The HR interview was focused on evaluating my personality and fit for the organization. Key questions included:
- Introduction: A brief introduction about myself.
- Why Tech Mahindra: Reasons for choosing Tech Mahindra over other companies.
- Competing Offers: How I would handle offers from companies like TCS, Wipro, or Infosys.
- Domain Adaptability: My willingness to switch project domains if needed.
- Closing Questions: I was encouraged to ask any questions about the company or the role.
Outcome:
The final results were
