Service-Based · Company-wise prep
TCS (TCS NQT) Placement Preparation
TCS hires most freshers through the TCS NQT (National Qualifier Test). Your NQT score decides whether you are considered for a Ninja, Digital or Prime interview, so aptitude speed and the two coding questions matter most.
- 4 rounds
- 3 fresher roles
- 16 tagged DSA problems
Roles freshers apply for at TCS
Ninja
Entry-level role. A good Foundation section score is enough.
Digital
Needs a strong Advanced section and coding. The interview is more technical.
Prime
The highest band. Needs strong coding and advanced aptitude.
TCS selection process, round by round
The pattern can change slightly every season. Always read the official notification before applying.
- 1
NQT Part A: Foundation
Numerical Ability, Verbal Ability and Reasoning Ability. Each section is timed separately, so sectional speed is essential.
- 2
NQT Part B: Advanced
Advanced quant and reasoning plus a coding section (usually 2 problems: one easy, one medium). This part decides Digital/Prime.
- 3
Technical Interview
Basics of one language, OOPs, DBMS/SQL, your resume projects and sometimes a short coding question.
- 4
Managerial + HR
Situational questions, relocation, shifts, documents and 'Tell me about yourself'. TR, MR and HR often happen in one sitting.
Focus areas: what matters most
Aptitude topics
- Number System
- Percentages
- Time and Work
- Time, Speed and Distance
- Series
- Reading Comprehension
Core CS subjects
- The 4 pillars of OOPs
- DBMS basics and SQL queries
- Fundamentals of one language (C/C++/Java/Python)
DSA problems for TCS (16)
Questions on these patterns are commonly reported in TCS tests and interviews. The exact questions change every season.
| Problem | Pattern | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Two Sum (opens in new tab) | Arrays | Easy |
| Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock (opens in new tab) | Arrays | Easy |
| Maximum Subarray (Kadane's Algorithm) (opens in new tab) | Arrays | Medium |
| Move Zeroes (opens in new tab) | Two Pointers | Easy |
| Valid Palindrome (opens in new tab) | Two Pointers | Easy |
| Valid Anagram (opens in new tab) | Strings | Easy |
| Longest Common Prefix (opens in new tab) | Strings | Easy |
| Reverse Words in a String (opens in new tab) | Strings | Medium |
| Contains Duplicate (opens in new tab) | Hashing | Easy |
| Maximum Average Subarray I (opens in new tab) | Sliding Window | Easy |
| Valid Parentheses (opens in new tab) | Stack | Easy |
| Reverse a Linked List (opens in new tab) | Linked List | Easy |
| Merge Two Sorted Lists (opens in new tab) | Linked List | Easy |
| Middle of the Linked List (opens in new tab) | Linked List | Easy |
| Climbing Stairs (opens in new tab) | Dynamic Programming | Easy |
| Binary Search (opens in new tab) | Binary Search | Easy |
TCS preparation tips
- Every section has its own timer. If you get stuck in one, you cannot borrow time from another, so practise all three sections daily.
- In coding, finish the easy problem first and pass all test cases before moving to the medium one.
- Read the input/output format carefully. Many students fail test cases only because they read input wrongly.
- Know the basics of your chosen language well (pointers, strings, OOPs) for the interview.
- Check the official TCS NQT notification every season. The pattern changes in small ways.
Approximate package range
Approximate, for awareness only
| Role | Approx. CTC |
|---|---|
| Ninja | about 3.4 - 3.6 LPA |
| Digital | about 7 LPA |
| Prime | about 9 - 11.5 LPA |
Your next step
What to do 2 days before the TCS test
Don't open a new topic. Revise only this page's rounds, focus topics and your starred DSA problems.