Track: SDE-3 / Senior

SDE-3 / Senior

Overview

The Conga SDE-3 interview process consists of three technical rounds covering database concepts, programming problems, and system design. The process is rigorous, with a strong emphasis on enterprise-level problem-solving, .NET ecosystem expertise, and scalable architecture design. Candidates with prior FAANG experience are expected to demonstrate depth in error handling, integration patterns, and real-world trade-offs.

Round Breakdown

Round 1: Database & System Design Fundamentals

Format: Discussion-based round focused on theoretical and conceptual questions. Topics Covered:

• Differences between SQL and NoSQL databases.
• Designing recommendation engines (e.g., Netflix, Spotify).

Exact Questions Asked:

1. SQL vs. NoSQL: Compare and contrast SQL and NoSQL databases, including use cases for each.
2. Design a Recommendation Engine: Design a system similar to Netflix or Spotify, covering data ingestion, storage, and recommendation algorithms.

Source: LeetCode Discussion

Round 2: Programming & OOP Principles

Format: Hands-on coding round with two problems. Focus Areas:

• Stream processing.
• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) principles.

Exact Questions Asked:

1. Extract Unique Elements from a Stream: Write a program to extract all unique elements from a stream of data (e.g., using a hash-based approach or sliding window).
2. Evaluate Mathematical Expressions Using OOP: Design a system to evaluate mathematical expressions (e.g., 10+20, 20-10) using OOP principles like polymorphism and encapsulation.

Source: LeetCode Discussion

Round 3: System Design & Enterprise Integration

Format: Hybrid round combining theoretical concepts and system design. Focus Areas:

• .NET ecosystem (e.g., .NET Core vs. .NET Framework).
• Enterprise Integration Patterns (e.g., ETL, Publisher/Subscriber).
• SDLC and architectural trade-offs.

Exact Questions Asked:

1. Abstraction vs. Encapsulation: Provide real-world examples to distinguish between abstraction and encapsulation.
2. .NET Core vs. .NET Framework: Compare and contrast .NET Core and .NET Framework, including performance, compatibility, and use cases.
3. SDLC Concepts: Explain key Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall) and their trade-offs.
4. Design an ETL System: Design an Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) system, covering data extraction from heterogeneous sources, transformation logic, and loading into a target system.
5. Publisher/Subscriber Pattern: Explain the Publisher/Subscriber pattern with examples and its use cases in enterprise systems.
6. Enterprise Integration Patterns in ETL: Discuss patterns like Message ID and Correlation ID in the context of ETL systems.
7. Error Handling in ETL: How would you handle error scenarios in an ETL system with heterogeneous source systems?

Source: LeetCode Discussion