HCL SDE Sheet: Interview Questions and Answers

HCL Technologies is a leading global IT services company that helps enterprises transform their businesses through digital and technology-driven solutions. The company offers a wide range of services, including software development, business process outsourcing, and infrastructure management. Known as a major mass recruiter, HCL provides strong career opportunities and a growth-oriented work culture for fresh graduates.

HCL SDE Hiring Process

1. Application & Registration

• Candidates can apply through the HCLTech Careers Portal, campus placements, or verified off-campus job portals.

2. Online Assessment (Proctored – Elimination Round)

• This is a mandatory screening round conducted on platforms such as HackerRank, AMCAT, or HCL’s custom test platform. Duration: 90–120 minutes (adaptive in some drives; typically no negative marking)
• Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability, Computer Fundamentals (MCQs), Coding

Note: Some drives may include a Group Discussion (GD) or Voice/Communication Assessment after this round.

3. Technical Interview (30–60 minutes | Virtual/In-Person)

• Live coding (1–2 problems), puzzles, and detailed project discussion from your resume are common.

4. HR Interview (15–30 minutes)

Quantitative Aptitude

Covers numerical ability topics aligned with the latest HCL placement pattern. Practicing these sets improves speed and accuracy.

• HCL Placement Paper | Quantitative Aptitude Set-1
• HCL Placement Paper | Quantitative Aptitude Set-2
• HCL Placement Paper | Quantitative Aptitude Set-3
• HCL Placement Paper | Quantitative Aptitude Set-4
• HCL Placement Paper | Quantitative Aptitude Set-5

Verbal Reasoning

Focuses on English comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and verbal logic as tested in HCL recruitment exams.

• HCL Placement Paper | Verbal Reasoning Set-1
• HCL Placement Paper | Verbal Reasoning Set-2
• HCL Placement Paper | Verbal Reasoning Set-3
• HCL Placement Paper | Verbal Reasoning Set-4
• HCL Placement Paper | Verbal Reasoning Set-5

Logical Reasoning

Includes analytical and logical problem-solving questions commonly asked in HCL assessments and interviews.

• HCL Placement Paper | Logical Reasoning Set-1
• HCL Placement Paper | Logical Reasoning Set-2
• HCL Placement Paper | Logical Reasoning Set-3
• HCL Placement Paper | Logical Reasoning Set-4
• HCL Placement Paper | Logical Reasoning Set-5

Coding Problems

This section compiles frequently asked HCL coding questions, categorized into easy, medium, and advanced levels to help candidates assess and strengthen their programming skills.

Easy Coding Problems

• Odd or Even [Practice Problem]
• Swap two numbers without using a temporary variable [Practice Problem]
• Largest Element in Array [Practice Problem]
• Program to find the sum of elements in a given array [Practice Problem]
• Reverse a string in Java [Practice Problem]
• Binary representation [Practice Problem]
• Elements in the Range [Practice Problem]
• Check if given four points form a square [Practice Problem]
• Program to cyclically rotate an array by one [Practice Problem]
• Find the minimum distance between two numbers [Practice Problem]
• Missing number in array [Practice Problem ]
• Counting elements in two arrays [Practice Problem]
• Two Repeated Elements [Practice Problem]
• Binary Search [Practice Problem]
• Count the Zeros [Practice Problem]
• Remove minimum elements [Practice Problem]
• Buildings receiving sunlight [Practice Problem]
• Last duplicate element in a sorted array [Practice Problem]
• Adding Array Elements [Practice Problem]
• Middle of Three [Practice Problem]
• Greatest of three numbers [Practice Problem]
• Number Of Open Doors [Practice Problem]
• Maximum Possible Sum of Products [Practice Problem]
• Overlapping rectangles [Practice Problem]
• Sum of all prime numbers between 1 and N. [Practice Problem]
• Find an element in array such that sum of left array is equal to sum of right array [Practice Problem]
• Check if an Array is Sorted [Practice Problem]
• Find the first repeating element in an array of integers [Practice Problem]
• Count digits [Practice Problem]
• Replace all 0s with 5 [Practice Problem]

Medium Coding Problems

• Non Repeating Character [Practice Problem]
• Sum of numbers in string [Practice Problem]
• Rotate a Linked List [Practice Problem]
• Circular Linked List(Traversal) [Practice Problem]
• Remove character [Practice Problem]
• Remove Spaces [Practice Problem]
• Check for Binary [Practice Problem]
• Upper case conversion [Practice Problem]
• Count Substrings [Practice Problem ]
• Check whether two strings are anagram of each other [Practice Problem]
• The Celebrity Problem [Practice Problem]
• Program to generate all possible valid IP addresses from given string [Practice Problem]
• Find the farthest smaller number in the right side [Practice Problem]
• Merge Sort for Linked Lists [Practice Problem]
• Tree Traversals (Inorder, Preorder and Postorder) [Practice Problem]
• Write your own atoi() [Practice Problem]
• Palindrome String [Practice Problem]
• Same characters in two strings [Practice Problem]
• Length of the longest valid substring [Practice Problem]
• Alternate Lower Upper String Sort [Practice Problem]
• First non-repeating character of given string [Practice Problem]
• Detect Loop in a Linked List [Practice Problem]
• 2 Sum - Count pairs with given sum [Practice Problem]
• Rearrange an array in maximum minimum form using Two Pointer Technique [Practice Problem]

Hard Coding Problems

• Sort elements by frequency [Practice Problem]
• Largest BST in a Binary Tree [Practice Problem]
• Stock Buy Sell to Maximize Profit [Practice Problem]
• Longest repeating and non-overlapping substring [Practice Problem]
• Connect nodes at same level [Practice Problem]
• Merge two BSTs with limited extra space [Practice Problem]
• Given a binary string, count number of substrings that start and end with 1. [Practice Problem]
• Round the given number to nearest multiple of 10 [Practice Problem]
• Alternatively Merge two Strings in Java [Practice Problem]
• Remove minimum elements [Practice Problem]
• Lowest Common Ancestor in a Binary Tree [Practice Problem]
• Longest Consecutive Subsequence [Practice Problem]
• Minimum Platforms Required for Trains [Practice Problem]
• Maximum Subarray Sum - Kadane's Algorithm [Practice Problem]