Top 60+ HCL Interview Questions and Answers | HCL Recruitment Process

HCL Technologies, formerly referred to as Hindustan Computers Limited, is a renowned Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company. It is a subsidiary of HCL Enterprise, with its headquarters in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. HCL has establishments in more than 50 countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, France, Hong Kong, China, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany.

The company is one of the 20 largest publicly-traded companies in India. it works across different sectors, including hi-tech, banking, aerospace and defense, consumer goods, travel, logistics, and healthcare. If you are starting your career in the information technology domain, choosing HCL Technologies would be a great move.

Since HCL Technologies is one of the leading tech companies in India, being an employee of it adds great value to your professional career. HCL conducts a recruitment drive every year for multiple job roles using a standard recruitment process.

If you are planning to get a job in HCL, this article will help you to become familiar with the recruitment process of the company. Also, you will get to know the most frequently asked HCL interview questions and answers. So, without any further ado, let us begin!

HCL Recruitment Process

HCL carries out its recruitment process in four different stages or rounds, namely written or aptitude assessment round, group discussions, technical interview round, and HR round. Let us discuss each of them in detail below:

1. Written or Assessment Round

The written or assessment round consists of multiple-choice questions that validate candidates’ proficiency in verbal, numerical, and logical abilities. This round is intended only for freshers, and HCL Technologies conducts this written test online.

2. Group Discussion

The next round is a group discussion through which recruiters assess candidates for personality traits, including communication skills, team spirit, rational thought process, general awareness, group behaviour, and leadership skills. Recruiters divide candidates into two groups and assign one topic for discussion. Candidates may express their views on the given topic, either in favour of or in opposition to it.

3. Technical Interview Round

Candidates that crack the group discussion round appear in the technical interview round. In this round, the panel of recruiters validates a candidate's technical knowledge. Questions asked in this round cover fundamentals of C, C++, Java, data structure, database, UNIX, etc.

Probably, you may get questions based on the projects you worked on in your academics. In addition, you will be questioned about your past work experiences if you are not a fresher. Candidates from branches other than CS are expected to prepare for additional two subjects from their respective branches.

4. HR Round

The HR round is the final round of the HCL recruitment process. Along with solid technical knowledge and good academic records, the company conducts the HR round to judge you for your personality and ability to understand whether you are the right fit for the job. You expect general questions, such as your strengths, weaknesses, hobbies, and background.

Top HCL Interview Questions for Freshers and Experienced

As mentioned above, the first round, written or assessment round, is intended for freshers and includes quantitative aptitude questions. Questions in this round are based on work and time, probability, percentages, profit-loss, time-speed-distance, numbers, etc. The following are some frequently asked aptitude questions in HCL interviews:

HCL Interview Aptitude Questions for Freshers

1. Two dice are tossed. What is the probability of getting a total score as a prime number?

a. 5/12 b. 7/9 c. 1/6 d. 1/2

Answer: a. 5/12

Explanation: When you toss two dice, the total number of sample spaces is 36, i.e., n(s) = 36.

Favorable outcomes, F: {(1,1), (1,2), (1,4), (1,6), (2,1), (2,3), (2,5), (3,2), (3,4), (4,1), (4,3), (5,2), (5,6), (6,1), (6,5)}.

Therefore, n(F) = 15.

Probability = n(F)/n(s) = 15/36 = 5/12.

2. At what rate percent per annum, the sum of money gets doubled in 16 years under simple interest?

a. (27/4)% p.a b. (25/4)% p.a c. (29/4)% p.a d. (23/4)% p.a

Answer: b. (25/4)% p.a

Explanation: Let the principal amount be P, then the simple interest would be 2P.

We know that Simple Interest (SI) = (P*R*T)/100, where R is the rate of interest and T is time in years.

R = (SI*100)/PT = (2P*100)/(P*16) as SI = 2P and T = 16 years

= 100/8 = 25/40

3. What number should come in the place of ‘?’ in the following number series?

17 9 10 ? 35 90

a. 19 b. 16.5 c. 27.5 d. 19

Answer: b. 16.5

Explanation:

(17×0.5) + 0.5 = 9

(9×1) + 1 = 10

(10×1.5) + 1.5 =16.5

(16.5×2) + 2 = 35

(35×2.5) + 2.5 = 90

Therefore, 16.5 perfectly fits in the place of ‘?’ in the above number series.

4. The magnitude of the area of the circle is seven times that of its circumference. What is the circumference of the circle?

a. Can’t be Determined b. 88 c. 132 d. 616

Answer: b. 88

Explanation: We know that the area of a circle is ?r2, and the circumference of a circle is 2?r.

From the question, we conclude that ?r2 = 7 * (2?r)

Therefore, r = 14

And the circumference of the circle = 2?r = 2*3.14*14 = 88

5. The sum of four consecutive integers is 102. Find the product of the extremes.

a. 648 b. 578 c. 548 d. 684

Answer: a. 648

Explanation: Let ‘a’ be an integer, and its three consecutive numbers are a+1, a+2, and a+3. Therefore, extremes are a and a+3. According to the given statement, a + (a+1) + (a+2) + (a+3) = 102 4a + 6 = 102 4a = 96 a = 96/4 = 24 Therefore, the extremes are 24 and 27. The product of extremes = 24*27 = 648

6. The height of a room is 5 meters, and its length is twice its breadth. If 240 meters of paper with a breadth of 50 meters is required for covering the walls of the room, find the area of the floor in m2.

a. 320 b. 128 c. 64 d. 32

Answer: d. 32

Explanation: Let the height of the room be h, length be l, and breadth is b. h = 5 meters It is given that the length of the room is twice its breadth. Therefore, l = 2b Area of wallpaper = Area of 4 walls 2(lh) + 2(bh) = (240*50)/100 10l + 10b = 120 (10 * 2b) +10b = 120, since l =2b 30b = 120 b = 4 Therefore, l = 2b = 2*4 = 8 Area of floor = l*b = 4*8 = 32 m2

7. John has some cows and hens. If the total number of animal heads is 59 and the total number of feet is 190, how many cows does John have?

a. 23 b. 20 c. 36 d. 32

Answer: c. 36

Explanation: Let the number of cows be x and the number of hens is y. Therefore, x + y = 59. And, 4x + 2y = 190 — (i), since cows have four feet and hens have two feet. y = 59 - x — (ii) Let us put the (ii) equation in the (i). 4x + 2(59 - x) = 190 4x + 118 - 2x = 190 2x = 72 x = 36 Therefore, the total number of cows John has is 36.

8. Newspaper : Press :: Cloth : ?

a. Textile b. Mill c. Tailor d. Fiber

Answer: b. Mill

Explanation: As newspapers are published in the press, clothes are manufactured in a mill.

9. If TEACHER is written as VGCEJGT, how is CHILDREN written?

a. EJKNEGTP b. EJKNFITP c. EJKNFGTO d. EJKNFGTP

Answer: d. EJKNFGTP

10. Pointing out to the lady, Goerge said, “She is the daughter of the woman who is the mother of the husband of my Mother." What is the relation between the lady and George?

a. Granddaughter b. Aunt c. Sister-in-law d. Daughter

Answer: b. Aunt

Explanation: Mother's Husband - Father Father's Mother - Grand Mother Grand Mother's Daughter - Father's sister Father's sister - Aunt

11. ELFA, GLHA, ILJA, _____, MLNA

a. OLPA b. KLMA c. LLMA d. KLLA

Answer: d. KILLA

12. John and Tom together have Rs.1,210. If (4/15)th of John’s amount is equal to (2/5)th of Tom’s amount, then how much does Tom have?

a. 484 b. 450 c. 490 d. 489

Answer: a. 484.

Explanation: Let us consider that Tom has Rs. X and John have Rs. Y. Then, X + Y = 1210 Y = 1210 - X From the given condition, (4/15)*Y = (2/5)X (4/15) * (1210 - X) = (2/5)X X = [(4/15) * (1210 - X)] / (2/5) X = (2/3) * (1210 - X) 3X = 2420 - 2X 5X = 2420 X = 484 Therefore, Tom has Rs. 484.

13. The smallest five-digit number is exactly divisible by 11:

a. 11011 b. 11000 c. 11121 d. 10010

Answer: d. 10010

Explanation: The smallest five-digit number is 10000. When we divide 10000 by 11, it leaves a remainder of 1. Hence, add (11 - 1) = 10 to 10000. 10000 + 10 = 10010 The smallest five-digit number exactly divisible by 11 is 10010.

14. John can do work in 10 days, and Tom can do it in 15 days. If both work together for 3 days, what percentage of work will be left?

a. 20% b. 50% c. 10% d. 40%

Answer: b. 50%

Explanation: Let the total work be done by 30 units. John does work in 10 days. Therefore, John’s 1-day work is (30/10) = 3 units. Tom does work in 15 days. Therefore, Tom’s 1-day work is (30/15) = 2 units. Tom’s and John’s 1-day work together is 2 units + 3 units = 5 units. In 3 days, John and Tom together complete, 5 units * 3 = 15 units of work Amount of work left = 30 units - 15 units = 15 units. Therefore, the % of work left after 3 days of John and Tom working together is 50%.

15. Two numbers are in the ratio 2:9. If their HCF is 19, the numbers are:

a. 38, 171 b. 8, 36 c. 20, 90 d. 6, 27

Answer: a. 38, 171

Explanation: Let the two numbers be 2x and 9x. The HCF of the two numbers is 19. Therefore, X = 19. The number are (2*19) and (9*19), i.e., 38, 171.

HCL Technical Interview Questions For Beginners

Let us now discuss some commonly asked technical HCL interview questions, along with their detailed answers. We have divided the list of technical interview questions into three levels, namely beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

16. What do you understand about nested classes?

In object-oriented programming , we can define one class inside another class. The one which is enclosed inside another class is called the nested class. It acts as a member of the outer class and has the same access rights as the other members of the outer class have.

Syntax:

class Outer_class{
//code
class Inner_class{
//code
}
}

17. Can you state the difference between a constant variable and a global variable?

A constant variable is a variable whose value is fixed and cannot be changed throughout the program. We declare a constant variable using the const keyword. A global variable is a variable whose value can be changed and is accessible anywhere in the program.

Example of a Constant Variable

#include<iostream> 
int main()
{
const int myNumber = 30;
cout<<"My number is:"<<myNumber<<endl;
return 0;
}

Output:

My number is: 30

Example of a Global Variable

#include<iostream>
int a = 30;
void display()
{
cout<<"Global variable:"<<a<<endl;
int main()
{
display();
a = 15;
display();return 0;
}

Output:

Global variable: 30
Global variable: 15

18. What are the basic OOPS concepts?

There are four fundamental concepts of object-oriented programming, namely inheritance, polymorphism, data abstraction, and encapsulation.

• Inheritance: It is a process where one class inherits the properties of another class. Also, we can define inheritance as deriving a new class from the existing class. The existing class is called the base or parent class, and the new class that inherits the properties of the existing class is called the child class.
• Polymorphism: The etymology for the polymorphism is poly, which means “multiple”, and morph, which means “forms”. Therefore, polymorphism means multiple forms. In OOPs, the same entity, e.g., a function or operator, behaves differently in different scenarios.
• Data Abstraction: It is a process of hiding the implementation details from the user and displaying only essential information.
• Encapsulation: It is a process of binding the data and the functions that manipulate that data.

19. Does Java support multiple inheritances? How do you achieve multiple inheritances in Java?

No, Java does not support multiple inheritances. But, we can achieve multiple inheritances in Java using interfaces.

20. What do you know about a final class?

A final class is a class that we cannot inherit or extend. Also, we cannot create subclasses for a final class. We can declare a final class in Java using the final keyword.

Syntax:

final class class_name{
//methods and fields
}

21. Can you explain Java threads?

A thread in Java is the smallest unit of executable code in a program. Alternatively, we can say that a thread is a path followed while executing a program. In general, a thread acts as a sequence of nested executed statements that allow multiple activities in a single process. Every Java program has at least one thread, called the main thread. Java Virtual Machine (JVM) creates this main thread when the main method of a Java program is invoked. Additionally, Java threads are independent. Therefore, any exception occurring in one thread does not affect other threads of a Java program.

22. Can you state the uses of pointers in C?

The following are the uses of pointers in C:

• With pointers, we can traverse through an array of integers and characters.
• When we execute a C program, we use pointers in the allocation and deallocation of memory.
• We use a pointer to pass the reference of a variable to the other functions.
• With pointers, we can construct various data structures, like LinkedList, graph, tree, etc.

23. Differentiate C and C++.

The following table draws key differences between C and C++:

24. Can you state the difference between C++ and Java?

The key differences between C++ and Java are:

25. What is the difference between pseudocode and structured English?

Structured English is a simple English language we use to write the structure of a program module using programming language keywords. On the other hand, pseudocode is more like a programming language and uses native English language words or sentences to code a program.

Intermediate-Level HCL Interview Questions

26. What do you understand about a database and DBMS?

A database is a collection of structured data organized systematically on an electronic system. DBMS stands for Database Management System. It is responsible for managing a database. DBMS is an application that stores and manages the data of an entire organization. It allows us to create databases as per our requirements. Also, it accepts requests for data from other applications and users and provides them with the required data.

27. Can you explain the difference between method overriding and method overloading in Java?

The following table highlights the differences between method overriding and method overloading in Java:

28. What do you know about aggregate functions in SQL?

An aggregate function in SQL performs calculations on a set of values and returns a single value. There are five aggregate functions in SQL, as listed below:

• SUM(): This function returns the sum of values in a set.
• MAX(): The MAX() function returns the maximum value from a set of values.
• MIN(): This function returns the minimum value from a set of values.
• AVG(): The AVG() function returns the average of a set of values.
• COUNT(): The COUNT() function returns the number of rows in a database table.

29. Differentiate between Primary Key and Foreign Key.

The following table draws the key differences between the primary key and foreign key:

30. Can you explain the terms compiler, interpreter, and assembler?

• Compiler: A compiler is a language processor that reads an entire source code written in a high-level language at once and then translates it into an equivalent program in a machine language. Popular examples of compiled languages are C, C++, and Java.
• Interpreter: An interpreter is a language processor that translates a single line of a source program into a machine code before moving to the next line. If there is an error in a particular statement of a program , an interpreter terminates the translating process and displays an error message.
• Assembler: An assembler translates a program written in assembly language into an equivalent machine code. The input to an assembler is a source program that contains assembly language instructions. The output that the assembler generates is the object code or machine code understandable by computers.

31. What do you know about the prefix and postfix operators?

Prefix and postfix operators are used to increment and decrement operators, i.e., “++” and “--”. If we write increment and decrement operators before an operand, they are referred to as prefix operators, and if we write them after an operand, they are termed as postfix operators. The increment operator (++) increases the value of an operand by 1, whereas the decrement operator (--) decreases the value of an operand by 1. The result of an operand changes depending upon whether we use an operator as a prefix or postfix. If we use the increment operator as a prefix operator, like ++var, the value of var will be increased by 1 and then returned. On the other hand, if we use the increment operator as a postfix operator, like var++, the value of var is returned first and then gets increased by 1.

32. What do you know about the foreign key?

A foreign key is a set of columns in one table that refers to the primary key of another table. Therefore, we use foreign keys to join database tables. The table with a foreign key is called the child table, whereas the table with the primary key is called the parent or reference table.

33. What are access specifiers?

Access specifiers or access modifiers are the keywords in object-oriented programming languages that set the accessibility of classes, methods, and other members. In simple terms, access modifiers define the access of methods, classes, or variables to other parts of an application. There are three types of access modifiers, namely public, private, and protected.

• Public: When we declare class members as public, they are available to everyone, i.e., data members and data functions of a class declared as public can be accessed by other classes or functions.
• Private: When we declare class members as private, they are only accessible by member functions inside that class. We cannot access private class members using any object or function outside that class. Only the member functions or friend functions can access the private data of members of a class.
• Protected: Like private class members, we cannot access protected class members outside that class unless with the help of the friend function. The only difference between protected and private class members is that we can access protected class members by any subclass of that class.

34. Can you differentiate between abstract class and interface?

The following table differentiates between the abstract class and interface:

35. What are different cloud computing service models?

There are four different cloud computing service models, namely IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and FaaS. Let us discuss each of these briefly.

• IaaS: IaaS stands for Infrastructure as a Service. It is a computing infrastructure managed over the internet.
• PaaS: PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. It is a cloud computing platform for developing, testing, running, and managing applications.
• SaaS: SaaS stands for Software as a Service. In this type of service model, cloud service providers host different applications.
• FaaS: FaaS stands for Function as a Service. It provides a platform for customers to develop, run, and manage application functionalities without requiring to build and maintain infrastructure associated with developing and launching an application.

36. What do you understand about Big Data?

As its name suggests, big data means massive volumes of data that grow exponentially with time. Big data is data of a very large size that no conventional database management system can store or process efficiently. One common example of big data is the New York Stock Exchange which generates around 1 terabyte of trade data every day. Also, Facebook, which is a social media platform, generates around 4 petabytes of new data every day.

Advanced-Level HCL Interview Questions

37. What are constraints in SQL?

SQL constraints are a set of rules to be applied on the tables of a relational database to control what data can be inserted, deleted, or updated. We use constraints to ensure the accuracy and reliability of data stored in database tables. The following are different constraints used in SQL:

• NOT NULL: It ensures that a database column does not have a NULL value.
• UNIQUE: It ensures that all values in a specific database column are unique.
• PRIMARY KEY: It is a combination of NOT NULL and UNIQUE. It ensures that a database column has unique and NOT NULL values.
• FOREIGN KEY: It prevents actions that would destroy links between database tables.
• CHECK: It ensures that all the values in a database column satisfy a particular condition.
• DEFAULT: It sets the default value for a database column if it is not specified.

38. What do you understand about SQL joins?

A SQL join combines rows from two or more database tables based on a related column between those tables. There are four types of joins in SQL, as listed below:

• INNER JOIN: It returns records that have matching values from both tables.
• LEFT OUTER JOIN: It returns all records from the left table and the matched records from the right table.
• RIGHT OUTER JOIN: It returns all records from the right table and the matched records from the left table.
• FULL OUTER JOIN: It returns all records when there is a match in either the left table or the right table.

39. List out 8 V’s of big data.

The following are the 8 V’s of big data:

• Velocity
• Volume
• Value
• Variety
• Veracity
• Validity
• Volatility
• Visualization

40. Can you explain different Linux process states?

The following are the five process states in Linux:

• New or Ready: A new process is created and is ready to run.
• Running: The process is running currently.
• Block or Wait: The process waits for the input from the user and if it doesn't have any resource, such as memory or input to run, it remains in a blocked or waiting state.
• Terminated or Completed: The process has completed its execution or it is terminated by the operating system.
• Zombie: The process is terminated but information associated with it still exists and is available in the process table.

41. What is the difference between Linux and Unix?

The following table highlights the differences between Linux and Unix systems :

42. What is the __init__() method in Python?

The __init__() method in Python is analogous to constructors in C++ and Java. When we create a new object of a class, Python automatically calls __init__() to initialize that object’s attributes. Since the __init__() method has two underscores on each side, it is often referred to as dunder init.

Example:

class Employee:
def __init__(self, name):
self.name = name
def display_hi(self):
print('Hello,', self.name)
e = Employee('Welcome to TechGeekBuzz!')
e.display_hi()

Output:

Hello, Welcome to TechGeekBuzz!

43. What is the role of the Domain Name System (DNS)?

The primary role of the Domain Name System (DNS) is to translate domain names, (understandable by humans) into IP addresses (understandable by machines). In other terms, the domain name system maps the name people use to access a website to the IP address that the computer uses to locate that website. People use domain names like techgeekbuzz.com or learndunia.com to retrieve the required information online. On the other hand, web browsers interact through Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Therefore, DNS translates domain names into IP addresses so that web browsers can load Internet resources. DNS is often referred to as the Phonebook of the internet.

44. What do you understand about the finalize() method in Java?

The finalize() method in Java is the method of the Object class. The Garbage Collector always calls the finalize() method just before destroying an object to perform the clean-up activity on that object. The clean-up activity refers to closing the resources associated with that object, like a network connection or database connection.

Syntax:

protected void finalize throws Throwable{}

45. What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing is an on-demand delivery of computing services, such as storage, servers, software, networking, analytics, and databases, over the internet. Also, the computing services do not require any active management by the user. In cloud computing, the data is stored, processed, and managed in a shared network of remote servers over the internet.

HCL Coding Questions

46. Can you write a program to find the sum of digits of a number?

Let us write a C program to find the sum of digits of a number.

#include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
int n, sum=0, digit;
printf("Enter the number: ");
scanf("%d",&n);
while(n>0)
{
digit=n%10;
sum=sum+digit;
n=n/10;
}
printf("The sum of the digits of a number is: %d",sum);
}

Output:

Enter the number: 435
The sum of the digits of a number is: 12

47. Write a small program to reverse a string.

Here is a C program to reverse a string using the strrev() function:

#include <stdio.h> 
#include <string.h> 
void main()
{
char st[20];
printf (" \n Enter a string to be reversed: ");
scanf ("%s", st);
printf (" \n After the string is reversed: %s ", strrev(st));
}

Output:

Enter a string to be reversed: TECHGEEKBUZZ
After the string is reversed: ZZUBKEEGHCET

Here is a C program to reverse a string without using the strrev() function:

#include <stdio.h> 
#include <string.h> 
void reversestr(char *str1)
{
int i, len, temp;
len = strlen(str1);
for (j = 0; j < len/2; j++)
{
temp = str1[j];
str1[j] = str1[len - j - 1];
str1[len - j - 1] = temp;
}
}
int main()
{
char str[20];
printf (" Enter the string to be reversed: ");
gets(str);
reversestr(str);
printf (" After reversing the string: %s", str);
return 0;
}

Output:

Enter the string to be reversed: TECHGEEKBUZZ
After reversing the string: ZZUBKEEGHCET

48. Write a program to print a pattern.

This is one of the commonly asked coding questions in the HCL technical round. The recruiters may give you a specific pattern of stars, alphabets, or numbers, and ask you to write a program . You can refer to most-asked pattern programs in C here .

49. Reverse a linked list.

Get access to detailed Java, C++, and Python code for reversing a singly linked list here .

50. Check whether a given string is palindrome or not.

Get access to detailed Python code to check whether a given string is palindrome or not here .

51. Write a program to find a substring of a given string.

Get access to detailed Python code to find a substring of a given string here .

52. Write a recursive function for the Fibonacci series.

You can refer to Python code here .

53. Write a program to convert a decimal number into binary.

You can refer to Python code for converting a decimal number into binary here .

HCL HR Interview Questions

Here are some commonly asked questions in the HR round of the HCL interview.

54. Tell us about yourself?

55. What are your strengths and weaknesses? How do you overcome your weaknesses?

56. Can you tell us about your short-term and long-term goals?

57. Why do you want to join our company?

58. Are you willing to relocate?

59. What are your salary expectations?

60. How do you feel about working late nights and weekends?

61. What is your strategy for working under pressure?

62. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

63. What do you think are the qualities that the best leader has?

How to Prepare for an HCL Interview?

The following are some essential tips that can help you ace your HCL interview:

• For the first round, i.e., the written round, make sure you have practiced and taken a few online tests to understand the nature and complexity of questions.
• For the group discussion round, be confident while speaking. But make sure you have sufficient knowledge about the given topic.
• To prepare for the technical round, go through the frequently asked interview questions mentioned above.
• For the HR round, make sure to go through the job description and understand the company’s requirements. In addition to it, include all your academic achievements and certifications in your resume. Be confident while answering to recruiters.
• Learn from your previous interview experiences.

Conclusion

HCL Technologies is one of the most successful information technology services and consulting companies globally. Every year this company conducts a recruitment drive to hire young talents for different job roles. If you have a thorough knowledge of C, C++, Java, database, Python, and Unix/Linux, you can easily crack the HCL interview.

Along with technical knowledge, you also need to prepare for the aptitude test and develop good communication skills for the HR and group discussion rounds. This article covers the most commonly asked HCL aptitude, technical, coding, and HR interview questions. You can ace your next HCL interview by simply going through these interview questions and their answers.

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