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 through college or university. I interviewed at Cognizant (Hyderābād) in Aug 2022
Interview
The students who clear the written round are called for Technical Interview. There is no hard & fast rule for which questions will be asked in this round, you can expect questions on any topic depending on the panel. To clear this round you should be clear with your basics
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
You should be prepared with Data structures and Algorithms, DBMS,OOPs concepts and aptitude questions
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.