I applied through university. I interviewed at Cisco
Interview
The initial round was an online coding and MCQ round on Aptitude, Data Structures, Algorithms and Networks. The MCQ's were done first and the coding question was done at the end
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Coding Question: Given a 3x3 grid with numbers from 1-9, find the minimum number of swaps that have to be done so that the grid becomes sorted. Two elements can be swapped only if they share an edge between them and if the sum of the elements is prime.
They care about your skills, rather than your background. They have a template which they provide and you got to fill that, everyone is provided a unique number. You are instructed not to disclose any of your personal details in the due course of your interview.
I applied online. I interviewed at Cisco in May 2026
Interview
Series of 4 interviews, First screening with HR Recruiter, reviewed resume and qualifications, second was hiring manager, reviewed experience and skills. Technical interview with team as a panel type interview, Last with hiring Director.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Technical questions on networking. Experience with work enviroment
The interview process was two rounds. The first round was a behavioral interview. Straightforward questions, like tell me about the most technically challenging project you have worked on. The second round was a system design interview.