Track: SDE-1 / New Grad

Standard Chartered Bank – SDE-1 / New Grad Interview Briefing

Overview

The hiring process for Standard Chartered Bank’s SDE-1 / New Grad role is designed to evaluate a candidate’s technical prowess, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. The process includes multiple elimination rounds, such as Pymetrics, behavioral assessments, and coding challenges, followed by technical and HR interviews. The questions and assessments are tailored to gauge both foundational knowledge and practical application in real-world scenarios.

Online Assessment (OA) Format

The OA consists of three distinct elimination rounds:

1. Pymetrics Game Assessment: A gamified evaluation focusing on cognitive and behavioral traits.
2. Valued Behavior Assessment: A 14-question situational judgment test to assess alignment with Standard Chartered’s core values.
3. Coding Assessment (Hackerrank): Two algorithmic problems, both requiring dynamic programming (DP) expertise:
   • DP on Matrix: Calculate the number of paths from (0, 0) to (n-1, m-1) in a grid.
   • DP on Trees: Solve the "reverse edges" problem on trees.

Round Breakdown & Key Questions

1. Technical Interview (Round 1)

Focus: SDE internship experiences, projects, OOPs basics, OS concepts, and high-level design. Key Questions Asked:

• OOPs Basics: Fundamental principles and their practical applications.
• Design a Bike Class: Implementation of classes, inheritance, and polymorphism.
• OS Concepts: Types of operating systems, process management, and memory allocation.
• Banking-Related Terms: Basic terminology used in banking systems.
• System Design: Design Amazon/Flipkart (High-Level Design).

2. Technical Interview (Round 2)

Focus: Deep dive into projects and HR-related discussions. Key Questions Asked:

• Projects Discussion: Detailed explanation of past projects, challenges faced, and solutions implemented.
• HR-Based Questions: Preparation for common HR questions (e.g., strengths, weaknesses, career goals).

3. HR Round

Focus: Personal and professional alignment with the company’s culture. Key Questions Asked:

• Family Background: Brief discussion on the candidate’s background.
• Future Aspirations: Long-term career goals and how they align with Standard Chartered’s vision.

Preparation Tips

• Algorithms: Master dynamic programming (matrix and tree problems) and system design fundamentals.
• OOPs & OS: Revisit core concepts and their applications in real-world scenarios.
• Behavioral: Prepare structured responses for situational questions using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method.
• Banking Domain: Familiarize yourself with basic banking terminologies and processes.

Source: LeetCode Discuss Post