Software Engineer applicants have rated the interview process at Cognizant with 2.7 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 69% positive. To compare, the company-average is 69.3% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Software Engineer roles take an average of 9 days to get hired, when considering 267 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Cognizant overall takes an average of 17 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Cognizant as a Software Engineer according to 267 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 25%
Skills test: 18%
Phone interview: 12%
Background check: 12%
Presentation: 8%
Personality test: 8%
IQ intelligence test: 7%
Group panel interview: 7%
Drug test: 2%
Other: 2%
Here are the most commonly searched roles for interview reports -
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Cognizant (Pune) in Aug 2021
Interview
I applied Online on Monster. Got an Online Test link for 48hrs. Test was with Webcam and Mic switched on with some MCQ questions and a coding round. Next was L2 Technical round. Held on 19th-Aug-21. It was a long interview about 1hr 20mins
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Which Java version you worked on? Featured of Java-8.
What is functional Interface.
What is the need of Functional Interface. Stream API
Interface vs abstract
Can we create object of Abstract class?
OOPs Pillars, why is Encapsulation needed if we have Abstraction.
Interface used in your Spring Project. How can remove the dependency of that interface?
If we create a simple POJO class, what oops concepts are present?
Comparator vs Comparable
Encapsulation vs Abstraction.
How is implemetation of Abstraction & Encapsulation done.
3 methods of Object class
Why Lambda expressions were Introduced?
Implement Lamba Expression and Steam API in a given code.
Hashmap and Internal Working of Hashmap.
Few o/p questions on HashMap.
Great interview experience. The interviewers were friendly, professional, and supportive. Whenever I couldn't answer a question, they patiently explained the expected approach and concepts, making the discussion comfortable, informative, and encouraging throughout.
I applied online. I interviewed at Cognizant (Chennai) in Jun 2026
Interview
only one round of technical interview for senior position, and hr execution was not proper, they didn;t connect when needed and no proper negotiation of salary either since shortlisting for interview
The interview was primarily technical, concentrating on C#, .NET, SQL, and API concepts. Questions tested understanding of core principles and practical application. The process was straightforward, professional, and focused on technical depth.