The recruitment process was conducted through a Pool Campus Drive held in Kanpur on September 28, 2017. My institute was one of the four invited. The eligibility conditions were basic, and most students from CS/IT/EC/EE were cleared to appear for this drive. Capgemini delivered a very engaging pre-placement talk, and many attendees were eager to be selected.

The first round was an Aptitude Test to screen candidates for the interviews. This test was organized on the Cocubes platform and was generally straightforward. Part 1 had 32 questions (16 logic, 16 quantitative, no negative marking) to be solved in 50 minutes. Based on my interpretation, the cutoff for this round would have been around 12-13 in each section.

The real challenge came in the form of a Written Communication Test (WCT). An essay had to be completed within 20 minutes, with the judgment criteria focusing more on format and style than on content. For sample topics and questions, one could refer to sites like Indiabix, as many of them were repeated.

Due to the lesser-known WCT, only 25 out of 140 students from my college qualified for the interviews. I was one of them!

My advice for clearing this round:

• Attempt all questions. If you are short on time towards the end, make some intelligent guesses.
• Even if you feel you performed poorly in the Aptitude Test, don't be discouraged, as the WCT is a significant differentiator. If you manage to excel in it, you will likely receive an interview call.
• For preparation: As soon as you receive a notification about the drive, avoid heavy books like Arun Sharma or RS Aggarwal. Instead, Google relevant search terms and read every link, especially from placement websites. Prepare a strong CV. Compile a repository of all questions you encounter online or from seniors, whether they are aptitude, technical, or HR-related.

The results of the Aptitude and WCT were announced after a sum-up of about 1 to 1.5 hours. Soon after, a form was distributed, and the interview process began. There were two interviews: a Technical and an HR interview, which were conducted sequentially for each candidate. The Technical Interview was largely a matter of luck, while the HR interview was a screening process with very few rejections.

1. Tech:

This section was entirely from the CV+ Project. Make sure you are acquainted with every single word on your CV. Don't write in the air. There were candidates who just wrote they knew only C basics, yet they got selected, whereas certain candidates with very vast technical experience were rejected.

This interview can last from 10-20 minutes. Prepare one core subject out of DS very sharply, especially if you are from EC/EE. The maximum chances for questions lie in your project listed on your CV.

1. HR:

This round seemed to be a formality and was almost like rechecking recommendations from the Tech panel. Be precise in your answers, and be confident and responsive. Do think of a question to ask the HR beforehand, but make it sensible.

Avoid any mention of higher studies, other companies, or career exams if you wish to get selected.

After these two interviews, finally, 19 out of 25 were named, and 1 was in waiting. Those who failed to make it to the final cut had either uttered MBA/MS/CAT Research etc., in their interview as their future ambitions or had fared very poorly in the Tech Interview.