What the TCS interview for freshers is like

Eligibility, as TCS publishes it

• A B.E./B.Tech, M.E./M.Tech, MCA or M.Sc./M.S. in any specialisation, from an AICTE/UGC-recognised institution, in the 2024, 2025 or 2026 batch.
• At least 60% aggregate (or equivalent CGPA) in 10th, 12th, diploma, UG and PG, with "First Class" on the degree within the course duration.
• No pending backlog when you take part, an academic gap of 24 months or less, full-time courses only, up to 2 years of work experience, and age 18 to 28.
• You register on the TCS NextStep portal in the "IT" category and click "Apply For Drive", then pick a skill, 3 test centres and 3 job cities.

The NQT pattern

Per the official drive page, the test has two parts, 190 minutes in total, taken in person at a TCS iON centre:

• Part A, Foundation (75 min): Numerical Ability, Verbal Ability and Reasoning Ability, 25 minutes each.
• Part B, Advanced (115 min): Advanced Quantitative & Reasoning (25 min) and Advanced Coding (90 min). You need it for a Digital or Prime interview.
• TCS does not publish the number of questions, the marking scheme or the cut-offs. Figures you see elsewhere are third-party estimates.
• The test is the same for everyone; the skill you choose at registration is what the interview mostly evaluates.

Ninja, Digital and Prime

In TCS’s words, your test performance decides whether you qualify for a Prime, Digital or Ninja interview. Prime is for complex projects with advanced technologies; Digital for solution projects and new product development; Ninja for application development, maintenance and systems engineering.

Published pay for 0–1 year of experience: Prime 9.09–9.30 LPA (UG) or 11.59–11.80 LPA (PG); Digital 7.09–7.30 LPA (UG) or 7.39–7.60 LPA (PG); Ninja at least 3.4 LPA (UG) or 3.6 LPA (PG). TCS adds that actual pay depends on experience and location, and that internships do not count as experience.

The interview rounds (candidate reports)

TCS only says that shortlisted candidates get an email and that the interview evaluates the skill you chose. Candidates describe three rounds, sometimes held separately and sometimes in one room with three interviewers:

• Technical (TR): programming basics, OOP, SQL and databases, your projects and your chosen skill. One 2026 Digital candidate reports an SQL-heavy round with no data structures.
• Managerial (MR): your projects and internships, teamwork, why you are moving into IT if your branch is different, what you know about TCS, other offers.
• HR: relocation, shifts and weekend work, your background, and a check of documents and backlogs.
• Original documents are checked at the interview and again at joining (official).

Typical questions

The kind candidates report, paraphrased:

• "Explain the four pillars of OOP. What is the difference between abstraction and encapsulation?"
• "Call by value vs call by reference. What does static do?"
• "DELETE vs DROP vs TRUNCATE. Find the Nth-highest salary, with and without OFFSET."
• "Write a factorial with recursion" or "check whether a number is an Armstrong number."
• "Introduce yourself." "Why TCS, and what do you know about it?"
• "Are you willing to relocate or work night shifts?" "Would you accept Ninja instead of Digital?"

Tips

• Pick at registration the skill you can defend for 30 minutes: it is what the technical round is built on.
• Be ready to explain every project on your CV out loud, in English: what you built, why, and what went wrong.
• Prepare a straight answer on relocation, shifts and accepting a different offer category; candidates are asked all three.
• TCS never asks candidates for money. Anyone charging for a TCS interview or offer is not TCS.

Practise the TCS interview with Entrevia

Type the role and "TCS" as the company, and rehearse the technical, managerial and HR rounds out loud with an AI interviewer, in English. At the end you get a scored debrief and one of your own answers rewritten in clearer English, with your facts kept.

You can try a free 7-turn web demo without signing up. A free account gives you 2 full interviews. Premium, in the iOS app, costs US$11.99 a month, US$29.99 for 3 months or US$59.99 a year.

Frequently asked questions

What is the TCS NQT pattern?

Part A, Foundation (75 minutes: numerical, verbal and reasoning), and Part B, Advanced (115 minutes: advanced quantitative and reasoning, and coding). 190 minutes in total, in a TCS iON centre.

What is the difference between TCS Ninja, Digital and Prime?

Your NQT performance decides which interview you get. Prime and Digital need the Advanced section and pay more; Ninja is application development and maintenance, from 3.4 LPA for UG.

How many interview rounds does TCS have for freshers?

TCS does not publish it. Candidates report technical, managerial and HR rounds, sometimes combined into one session.

What is the minimum percentage for TCS?

60% aggregate (or equivalent CGPA) in 10th, 12th, diploma, UG and PG.

Is the TCS interview in English?

Yes, in practice. The NQT is in English, and candidates report interviews in English.

Sources

• TCS: All India NQT Hiring (eligibility, pattern, offers)
• TCS iON: National Qualifier Test
• GeeksforGeeks: TCS NQT Prime interview experience (candidate report)
• GeeksforGeeks: TCS Digital on-campus interview, 2024 (candidate report)
• LeetCode Discuss: TCS Ninja interview, 2024 (candidate report)
• LeetCode Discuss: TCS Digital interview, 2026 (candidate report)