I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Cisco (Bengaluru) in Dec 2018
Interview
The interview comprised of 3 technical rounds.
1st round was an online hackerrank test round. I cleared it was called within 2 weeks for the interview. Then I had 2 technica rounds CV round and non CV round. Both were purely coding. I was asked to write programs on white board. I answered all the questions correctly in the first tound and was able to implement efficient solutions. In the second round though something weird happened. I was being interviewed by a guy who had a meeting with the director at that very point. So he was doing both the things at the same time. Asked me to implement 3 solutions overall. 2 of which I knew almost instantly as I had practiced a lot. I literally took a holiday specifically for that CISCO interview because I really wanted to be a part of the company and had worked really hard for the opportunity. The third question that I implemented was a cache in C. I used a hash map and coded it completely in c. I was not interrogated at all. Whatever it was ,I knew I was not wrong as hash map is an optimal way to implement a cache as it has constant time insertion, searching and retreival time. I knew that. Whenever I used to look at the interviewer he seemed busy with the computer as he had a meeting. The interview was over and I felt really great as I answered all the questions correctly that the interviewer asked me. Then I met the HR and she asked me if I the interviewer gave me enough attention. I told her straightway that the interviewer was definitely distracted, he even left the office 3 times. I told her that the interviewer managed both the things well as did not want to say bad things , also my interview went really well so I literally wasnt worried at all. She then said she would communicate the result. Till date no communication ,saw a NOT CONSIDERED flag as my application status on the portal. HORRIFYING EXPERIENCE. I emailed ghe HR explaining my situation, still have not received any email. The most horrible experience ever
Standard panel, very simple leetcodes. reverse linked list kind of vibe s . I was literarly asked about how a linked list is structured and reversing it. there was almost no friction which I was shocked by one of the reason I did not accept
I applied online. I interviewed at Cisco (Bengaluru) in Jun 2026
Interview
The interview started well and covered backend concepts, Java, system design, and coding. I answered the questions confidently and had a positive interaction throughout.
After receiving the rejection, I spoke with HR to understand the feedback. I was informed that the interviewer believed I was looking at answers during the interview. This came as a surprise because I was not referring to any external material. I have a habit of looking away while thinking or recalling concepts, which I believe may have been misunderstood.
I wish this concern had been raised during the interview so I could have clarified it immediately. If there are concerns about a candidate’s behavior, discussing them in real time or asking for a room scan can help avoid misunderstandings.
Overall, the interview questions were fair, but I feel my evaluation was influenced by this misunderstanding rather than my technical performance.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Sort a nearly sorted array. I was asked for an optimal solution and discussed the time and space complexity.
They care about your skills, rather than your background. They have a template which they provide and you got to fill that, everyone is provided a unique number. You are instructed not to disclose any of your personal details in the due course of your interview.