Graduate Hardware Engineer Interview Experience - Cambridge, United Kingdom
Process
APPLICATION
I applied for a Graduate Hardware Engineer - Design and Verification position through the ARM Careers website. A week after I was contacted by email for an interview using HireVue, a website through which you record yourself answering questions in a limited amount of time.
HireVue interview, 90 minutes
4 behavioral questions + 2 VHDL exercises.
3 days after I was invited to an on-site interview, with travel and accommodation expenses fully covered by ARM.
On-site interview, 90 minutes
Face-to-face interview with principal engineers from the teams included in the application (CPU, Media Processing and Systems & Software). It included a short resume check followed by 3 technical questions about memory interfacing, CPU microarchitecture and FSM design.
Two weeks after the on-site interview I was contacted by phone and then by email with an offer from 2 teams. Both HR and interviewers were very laid back; it was a really smooth experience and I would certainly recommend that.
Questions
Can you write a VHDL implementation of a counter? Can you write a VHDL implementation of a FSM controlling a traffic light? Can you draw the microarchitecture of a CPU? Can you draw the FSM diagram of an elevator?
Was this helpful?
Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 9 interview experiences for the Arm Graduate Hardware Engineer role in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Success Rate
Arm's interview process for their Graduate Hardware Engineer roles in Cambridge, United Kingdom is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Arm's Graduate Hardware Engineer interview process in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Arm Work Experiences
- 4.0Good work-life balance, but no free lunchGraduate Hardware Engineer • Current EmployeeCambridge, United KingdomSeptember 10, 2026Pros: The work life balance is in the UK.Cons: There is no free food at lunch time.
- 5.0A Great Place to WorkGraduate Hardware Engineer • Current EmployeeCambridge, United KingdomJanuary 11, 2023Pros: As a graduate, I have been entrusted with a high degree of responsibility - despite my relative lack of experience. This has allowed me to quickly demonstrate my abilities. My team is highly collaborative; we succeed (and fail) together. Arm has a caring culture. Everybody is famously generous with their time, no matter their seniority. We have quarterly 'days of care', where all staff receive a day off to do what matters to them (relax/hobbies/family time). There are a large number of societies and internal events. Managers are told to encourage a healthy work/life balance, where hours and location are semi-flexible (as long as you complete the required amount). Engineering salary is competitive for the industry. Very strong from a DEI standpoint.Cons: There could be more collaboration between offices. The current systems are not equipped to deal with cross-office working. I work in a smaller team, where employing more engineers would help us deliver a wider range of products to meet market demand. The failed acquisition stalled the company's roadmaps and resulted in restructuring. A lump sum reward that could be spent on well-being was removed to align rewards packages, at great expense to junior engineers. There is incoherency between years of grads regarding pay levels between bachelor's and master's graduates. For our year, there is no benefit in obtaining a master's degree.
- 5.0Lovely atmosphereGraduate Hardware Engineer • Current EmployeeBudapest, HungaryDecember 3, 2025Pros: The colleagues are always helpful. The atmosphere is like in a family home. Best work-life balance a company could offer.Cons: The workload is a lot sometimes but it's normal at a company as competitive as Arm.
