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Cognizant Software Engineer Interview Questions and Answers for Experienced

Updated 28 Jun 2025

37 Interview questions

A Software Engineer was asked 5mo ago
Q. Are you familiar with data backups?
Ans. 

Effective backups are crucial for data integrity and recovery in software engineering.

  • Regularly schedule backups to prevent data loss, e.g., daily incremental backups.

  • Use versioning to keep multiple copies of files, allowing recovery from different points in time.

  • Implement offsite backups to protect against physical disasters, such as using cloud storage.

  • Test backup restoration processes periodically to ensure dat...

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What is BR in ServiceNow?
Ans. 

BR in ServiceNow stands for Business Rule.

  • BR is a type of automation that executes when a record is inserted, updated, deleted, displayed, or queried.

  • BRs are used to enforce business logic, data integrity, and automate processes.

  • Examples of BRs include sending email notifications when a record is updated, enforcing data validation rules, and triggering workflows.

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A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What are the different types of subfiles?
Ans. 

Types of subfiles include single page subfile, multiple page subfile, and continuous subfile.

  • Single page subfile displays a single page of data at a time.

  • Multiple page subfile allows for paging through multiple pages of data.

  • Continuous subfile displays all records at once with no paging.

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What is the difference between procedures and functions?
Ans. 

Procedures do not return values while functions return values.

  • Procedures are a set of instructions that perform a specific task without returning a value.

  • Functions are a set of instructions that perform a specific task and return a value.

  • Procedures are called using the CALL statement in SQL.

  • Functions are called by using their name followed by parentheses containing any arguments.

What people are saying about Cognizant

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an operations associate
22h
Holding profile is a rejection?
I had an interview at Cognizant two weeks ago and cleared the final round, including document verification. After the interview, the interviewer personally reached out to me to discuss the roles and responsibilities in detail and also requested me to expedite the process of sharing my documents for verification. However, during the salary discussion, their offer didn’t align with my expectations, they offered a 30% hike and were not open to any negotiation. Later, the HR mentioned that they would hold my profile. Does this mean it’s a rejection? I haven’t received an email or any proper closure from them yet.
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A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What are the differences between joins?
Ans. 

Joins are used in databases to combine rows from two or more tables based on a related column between them.

  • Inner Join: Returns rows when there is at least one match in both tables.

  • Left Join (or Left Outer Join): Returns all rows from the left table and the matched rows from the right table.

  • Right Join (or Right Outer Join): Returns all rows from the right table and the matched rows from the left table.

  • Full Join (or...

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What are views and materialized views?
Ans. 

Views and materialized views are database objects that store queries and results for easy access and improved performance.

  • Views are virtual tables created by a query, allowing users to access specific data without storing it physically.

  • Materialized views are physical copies of query results that are stored on disk, improving performance by reducing the need to re-run the query.

  • Materialized views need to be refresh...

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What is a sequence?
Ans. 

A sequence is a ordered list of elements or events following a specific pattern or order.

  • A sequence can be in ascending or descending order.

  • Examples include Fibonacci sequence, arithmetic progression, and DNA sequence.

  • Sequences can be finite or infinite.

Are these interview questions helpful?
A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What is the Autowired annotation?
Ans. 

Autowired annotation is used in Spring framework to automatically inject dependencies into a bean.

  • Autowired annotation is used to automatically wire up dependencies in Spring framework.

  • It eliminates the need for manual wiring of dependencies in the code.

  • Autowired annotation can be used on fields, constructors, or methods.

  • Example: @Autowired private UserService userService;

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. What are Default Methods and why are they required?
Ans. 

Default Methods are methods in interfaces with implementation, introduced in Java 8.

  • Introduced in Java 8 to provide backward compatibility for interfaces

  • Allows adding new methods to interfaces without breaking existing implementations

  • Default methods can be overridden in implementing classes

  • Example: default void display() { System.out.println("Default method"); }

A Software Engineer was asked
Q. Describe the newly added features in Java 8.
Ans. 

Java 8 introduced features like lambda expressions, functional interfaces, streams, and default methods.

  • Lambda expressions allow you to write code in a more concise way.

  • Functional interfaces can have only one abstract method and are used with lambda expressions.

  • Streams provide a way to work with sequences of elements.

  • Default methods allow interfaces to have method implementations.

  • Example: Lambda expression - (int ...

Cognizant Interview Experiences

36 interviews found

Software Engineer Interview Questions & Answers

user image Shubham Jadhav

posted on 11 Jun 2025

Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I appeared for an interview in May 2025, where I was asked the following questions.

  • Q1. What is concept of Opps
  • Q2. What is inheritancw
Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
Easy
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I appeared for an interview in Apr 2025, where I was asked the following questions.

  • Q1. Oops concept question
  • Q2. Sprimg boot question
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
-
Result
Selected Selected

I appeared for an interview before Sep 2021.

Round 1 - Resume Shortlist 
Pro Tip by AmbitionBox:
Keep your resume crisp and to the point. A recruiter looks at your resume for an average of 6 seconds, make sure to leave the best impression.
View all tips
Round 2 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. We need to work ok dbackups?
  • Ans. 

    Effective backups are crucial for data integrity and recovery in software engineering.

    • Regularly schedule backups to prevent data loss, e.g., daily incremental backups.

    • Use versioning to keep multiple copies of files, allowing recovery from different points in time.

    • Implement offsite backups to protect against physical disasters, such as using cloud storage.

    • Test backup restoration processes periodically to ensure data can...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. What is use of lookup activity
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I applied via Naukri.com and was interviewed in Jun 2024. There were 2 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Questions related to the technology you have worked
  • Q2. Questions related to the assignment you have worked on previous companies also what challenges you faces .
Round 2 - HR 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Salary discussion
  • Q2. Work profile also what was yours roles and responsibilities.

Software Engineer Interview Questions & Answers

user image Sowjanya Surapaneni

posted on 26 Jan 2025

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
No response

I appeared for an interview in Dec 2024.

Round 1 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Server build process
  • Q2. Performance issues
Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
  • Q1. Technical questions
  • Q2. Management questions
Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

Data structures questions and aptitude

Software Engineer Interview Questions & Answers

user image Harshal Sonawane

posted on 10 Jun 2024

Interview experience
3
Average
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I applied via Company Website and was interviewed in Dec 2023. There were 2 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Coding Test 

Basic coding question

Round 2 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. What is BR in ServiceNow
  • Ans. 

    BR in ServiceNow stands for Business Rule.

    • BR is a type of automation that executes when a record is inserted, updated, deleted, displayed, or queried.

    • BRs are used to enforce business logic, data integrity, and automate processes.

    • Examples of BRs include sending email notifications when a record is updated, enforcing data validation rules, and triggering workflows.

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Client side vs server side scripting
  • Ans. 

    Client side scripting runs on the user's browser, while server side scripting runs on the server.

    • Client side scripting is executed on the user's browser, allowing for dynamic interactions without reloading the page (e.g. JavaScript).

    • Server side scripting is executed on the server, generating dynamic content before sending it to the user's browser (e.g. PHP, Python).

  • Answered by AI

Skills evaluated in this interview

Software Engineer Interview Questions & Answers

user image Harshit Taneja

posted on 29 Mar 2024

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
-
Result
Selected Selected

I appeared for an interview in Sep 2024, where I was asked the following questions.

  • Q1. Behavioural question
  • Q2. Basic reasoning logic
  • Q3. 2 coding and database questions
Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

An aptitude test is easy with normal questions

Round 2 - Coding Test 

Normal hacker rank questions for solving

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Keep looking and working hard

Cognizant Interview FAQs

How many rounds are there in Cognizant Software Engineer interview for experienced candidates?
Cognizant interview process for experienced candidates usually has 1-2 rounds. The most common rounds in the Cognizant interview process for experienced candidates are Technical, Resume Shortlist and HR.
How to prepare for Cognizant Software Engineer interview for experienced candidates?
Go through your CV in detail and study all the technologies mentioned in your CV. Prepare at least two technologies or languages in depth if you are appearing for a technical interview at Cognizant. The most common topics and skills that interviewers at Cognizant expect are Spring Boot, Java, Software Engineering, Microservices and Javascript.
What are the top questions asked in Cognizant Software Engineer interview for experienced candidates?

Some of the top questions asked at the Cognizant Software Engineer interview for experienced candidates -

  1. What is the Default Methods and why it is requir...read more
  2. Explain IOC and dependency injection ?what is @Autowir...read more
  3. Describe the newly added features in Java...read more
What are the most common questions asked in Cognizant Software Engineer HR round for experienced candidates?

The most common HR questions asked in Cognizant Software Engineer interview are for experienced candidates -

  1. Why are you looking for a chan...read more
  2. Tell me about yourse...read more
  3. What are your strengths and weakness...read more
How long is the Cognizant Software Engineer interview process?

The duration of Cognizant Software Engineer interview process can vary, but typically it takes about less than 2 weeks to complete.

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Overall Interview Experience Rating

4.4/5

based on 26 interview experiences

Difficulty level

Easy 21%
Moderate 74%
Hard 5%

Duration

Less than 2 weeks 56%
2-4 weeks 44%
View more
Cognizant Software Engineer Salary
based on 18k salaries
₹2.3 L/yr - ₹14.7 L/yr
12% less than the average Software Engineer Salary in India
View more details

Cognizant Software Engineer Reviews and Ratings

based on 1.2k reviews

3.7/5

Rating in categories

3.6

Skill development

3.6

Work-life balance

3.3

Salary

3.4

Job security

3.5

Company culture

3.0

Promotions

3.4

Work satisfaction

Explore 1.2k Reviews and Ratings
Software Engineer

Coimbatore

5-8 Yrs

Not Disclosed

Software Engineer

Coimbatore

5-8 Yrs

Not Disclosed

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