Sapient Recruitment Process and Sample Questions

This section details the Sapient recruitment process and provides examples of questions asked in each round.

About Sapient.

Sapient is a global consulting and marketing firm offering services in business, marketing, and technology. It operates in three divisions: SapientNitro (digital marketing), Sapient Global Markets (business and technology services), and Sapient Government Services (government, health, and education).

Sapient Recruitment Process.

1. Online Written Exam: Tests verbal ability, quantitative aptitude, technical aptitude, and logical reasoning.
2. Technical Interview: Assesses technical skills and experience.
3. HR Interview: Evaluates cultural fit and communication skills.

Academic Criteria.

• Minimum 6.5 CGPA or 60-65% throughout academics.
• No more than a one-year education gap.
• B.E./B.Tech or MCA degree.

First Round: Online Written Exam.

The written exam has four sections:

Sample Questions:

Verbal Ability Questions:

1. Analogy question (Probe: Wound :: Anemography: ?)
2. Antonym of "FLAGITIOUS"
3. Antonym of "NADIR"
4. Synonym of "FORAY"
5. Odd one out (Arc, Diagonal, Radius, Tangent, Diameter)
6. Sentence completion ("Sujit and Udit are twins but they do not look...")
7. Sentence completion ("It's very kind of you to... speak at the lecture hall.")
8. Sentence completion ("Rohan always stammers in public meetings, but his today's speech...")

(Answers are provided in the original text.)

Quantitative Aptitude Questions:

1. Train problem (relative speed and length calculation)
2. Logarithm problem (finding log 9 given log 27)
3. Probability problem (drawing a ball from a bag)
4. Permutation and combination problem (arranging letters)
5. Work problem (A, B, and C working together)
6. Logarithm problem (number of digits in 2^64)
7. Profit and loss problem (toy sales)
8. Permutation and combination problem (arranging letters in CORPORATION)
9. Number theory problem (remainder after division)
10. Number series problem

(Answers and explanations are provided in the original text.)

Logical Reasoning Questions:

1. Coding problem (A=1, FAT=27, find ACT)
2. Blood relation problem
3. Statement and conclusion problem
4. Ordering problem (arranging words in a sequence)
5. Statement and conclusion problem
6. Insufficient data problem (Shubham's birthday)
7. Number series problem
8. Ordering problem (arranging animals by size)
9. Number series problem
10. Number series problem

(Answers are provided in the original text.)

Technical Aptitude Questions:

1. Assembler's Role in Code Execution.

An assembler translates assembly language code into machine code *before* the computer can execute it.

2. Non-Derived Data Type in C++.

From the given options, enum (enumeration) is not a derived data type in C++.

3. C++ switch Statement Output.

function fun() {
  int a = 1;
  switch (a) {
    case 1:
      std::cout << "5";
    case 2:
      std::cout << "6";
    case 3:
      std::cout << "7";
  }
}

567

The output is "567" because there are no break statements in the switch cases.

4. Calculating the Square of a Variable in C.

Use the pow() function: pow(x, 2)

5. Default Parameter Passing Technique in C.

Call by value.

6. Bipartite Graph Characteristic.

A bipartite graph contains no cycles of odd length.

7. Binary Search Tree Traversal for Sorted Output.

In-order traversal.

8. Stack Operation for Item Retrieval.

Pop.

9. Data Structure Overflow.

Overflow occurs when you try to add data to a data structure that's already full.

10. Maximum Comparisons in Binary Search.

log₂(n) + 1

1. For Loop vs. While Loop in C.

2. Null Pointers in C.

A null pointer is a pointer that doesn't point to any valid memory location. It's often used to indicate the end of a list or to represent an invalid pointer.

3. Static vs. Dynamic Binding.

Static binding (early binding) occurs at compile time. Dynamic binding (late binding) occurs at runtime. Dynamic binding is used for polymorphism (method overriding).

4. Polymorphism in Java.

Polymorphism allows an object to take on many forms. In Java, it's achieved through method overloading (compile-time polymorphism) and method overriding (runtime polymorphism).

5. Types of Polymorphism.

• Compile-time polymorphism (static): Achieved through method overloading.
• Runtime polymorphism (dynamic): Achieved through method overriding.

6. malloc() vs. calloc().

7. Swapping Two Numbers Without a Third Variable (C++).

#include <iostream>

int main() {
  int a = 30, b = 20;
  std::cout << "Before Swapping: a= " << a << ", b= " << b << std::endl;
  a = a + b;
  b = a - b;
  a = a - b;
  std::cout << "After Swapping: a = " << a << ", b = " << b << std::endl;
  return 0;
}

8. Set vs. List.

9. Copy Constructor and Assignment Operator.

A copy constructor creates a new object as a copy of an existing object. An assignment operator assigns the value of one object to another existing object.

10. Data Definition Language (DDL) in SQL.

DDL (Data Definition Language) commands define the structure of a database (creating, modifying, deleting tables, etc.). Examples: CREATE, ALTER, DROP.

11. TRUNC() and ROUND() Functions in SQL.

TRUNC() removes the decimal part of a number without rounding. ROUND() rounds a number to a specified number of decimal places.

12. Inheritance in Java.

Inheritance allows a class (subclass) to inherit properties and methods from another class (superclass). It promotes code reuse and establishes an "is-a" relationship.

13. Method Overloading vs. Method Overriding.

14. Method Overriding in Java.

Method overriding occurs when a subclass provides a specific implementation for a method that is already defined in its superclass. The method signature (name and parameters) must be identical. The return type must also be the same.

15. Database Normalization.

Database normalization is a process of organizing data to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity. It involves breaking down larger tables into smaller ones and defining relationships between them.

16. Palindrome Check in C++.

#include <iostream>
#include <algorithm> //for reverse function

bool isPalindrome(int n) {
  std::string s = std::to_string(n);
  std::string rs = s;
  std::reverse(rs.begin(), rs.end());
  return s == rs;
}

int main() {
  int n = 181;
  if (isPalindrome(n)) {
    std::cout << "The number " << n << " is a palindrome" << std::endl;
  } else {
    std::cout << "The number " << n << " is not a palindrome" << std::endl;
  }
  return 0;
}

17. Runtime Polymorphism in Other Languages.

Yes, runtime polymorphism (dynamic dispatch) is a concept found in many object-oriented programming languages beyond Java (including C++, C#, etc.).

18. Virtual Functions in C++.

A virtual function in C++ is a member function that can be overridden in derived classes. The virtual keyword is used in the base class declaration. This enables runtime polymorphism.

19. Adding Two Numbers Without the + Operator (C++).

#include <iostream>

int add(int a, int b) {
  while (a != 0) {
    int carry = a & b;  // Find the carry bits
    b = a ^ b;         // XOR gives the sum without carry
    a = carry << 1;     // Shift carry bits to the left
  }
  return b;
}

int main() {
  int a = 20, b = 10;
  std::cout << "Addition of a and b is " << add(a, b) << std::endl;
  return 0;
}

20. Default Case in a switch Statement.

The default case in a switch statement is executed if none of the other cases match the controlling expression's value.

21. switch Statement vs. if-else Statement.

22. Self-Describing Databases.

Databases are self-describing because they contain metadata (data about data), which describes the structure of the database itself (tables, columns, relationships, etc.).

23. ConcurrentMap in Java.

ConcurrentMap is a thread-safe interface for managing maps that allow concurrent access and modification by multiple threads. It extends the Map interface.

24. Paging in Operating Systems.

Paging is a memory management technique where the operating system divides both main memory and secondary storage into fixed-size blocks (pages). This allows for efficient virtual memory management.

25. Hashtable in Java.

Hashtable is a thread-safe implementation of a hash table in Java. It maps keys to values. Keys must implement hashCode() and equals() methods.

26. DBMS vs. RDBMS.

27. Joins in SQL.

Joins combine rows from two or more tables based on a related column. Types include inner join, left (outer) join, right (outer) join, and full (outer) join.

28. Interface vs. Abstract Class in Java.

29. Static Block vs. Initialization Block in Java.

A static block is executed only once when the class is loaded. An initialization block is executed each time a new object of the class is created.