TCS HackQuest (Season-10) Interview Experience

Overview

The entire process spanned across three main stages:

• Round 1: CTF & Cyber Security Challenges (December 2025)
• Round 2: Advanced Proctored Round (January 2026)
• Final Interview: Technical + HR + Managerial (February 2026)

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Round 1: CTF & Cyber Security Challenges (December 2025)

The first round was conducted in December 2025 and was based on Capture The Flag (CTF) and cybersecurity challenges.

Key Highlights:

• Each time window introduced a new set of questions.
• We had to:

1. Find the flag 2. Document our approach in detail

Difficulty Level:

Easy to Medium

My Experience:

This round tested practical cybersecurity skills such as:

• Basic web vulnerabilities
• Encoding/decoding techniques
• Logical problem-solving

The challenges were beginner-friendly but required a clear understanding of concepts. The documentation part was important—it evaluated how well you could explain your thought process.

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Round 2: Proctored Advanced Round (January 2026)

The second round was conducted in January 2026 and was a proctored assessment.

Key Highlights:

• Similar format to Round 1 (CTF-based)
• More complex
• Proctored environment

Difficulty Level:

Medium to Advanced

My Experience:

This round required deeper knowledge of cybersecurity concepts and faster problem-solving skills. Compared to the first round, the questions were more challenging and required better analytical thinking.

Time management played a crucial role here.

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Final Interview (February 2026)

The final interview took place in February 2026 at the TCS office.

Panel Composition:

• 1 Technical Interviewer
• 1 Managerial Interviewer
• 1 HR Interviewer

Duration:

Approximately 1.5 to 2 hours

Interview Flow:

The interview started with technical questions and later moved to HR and managerial discussions.

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Technical Questions Covered:

• Cyber Security fundamentals
• Data Structures
• Cloud Computing
• Web Development
• DBMS
• Networking

The questions were mostly concept-based with some practical scenarios.

HR & Managerial Round (Last ~30 minutes):

• Strengths and weaknesses
• Challenges faced while working in a team
• Conflict resolution approach
• General behavioral questions

Difficulty Level:

Easy to Medium

My Experience:

The interviewers were very supportive and created a comfortable environment. They focused more on understanding my thought process rather than just checking for correct answers.

It felt more like a discussion than an interrogation, which helped in performing better.

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Final Result

The entire process was smooth and well-organized.

• Result timeline: Within 15 days after the interview
• Outcome: Received offer letter

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Key Takeaways

• Focus on fundamentals of cybersecurity and problem-solving
• Practice CTF challenges regularly
• Work on explaining your approach clearly
• Revise core CS subjects (DSA, DBMS, Networking, Cloud)
• Stay calm and confident during interviews

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Conclusion

TCS HackQuest was a great learning experience. The process not only tested technical knowledge but also evaluated communication and problem-solving abilities.

If you’re preparing for HackQuest, focus on hands-on practice and clarity of concepts—you’ll do great.

Good luck!