Interview experience
Cisco Interview Questions
Overview
Section titled “Overview”Cisco’s fresher loop pairs an online coding test with two technical rounds that probe networking and OS depth, not just DSA.
Cisco interview process at a glance
Section titled “Cisco interview process at a glance”| Round | Duration | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Online Assessment (“Code with Cisco” test) | 60-90 min | 30-40 MCQs (OS, DBMS, computer networks, OOP) + 2 DSA problems |
| Technical Round 1 | 45-60 min | DSA problem-solving + detailed project/resume discussion |
| Technical Round 2 | 45-60 min | Networking and CS-fundamentals depth; basic system design for some tracks |
| HR / Managerial | 30-45 min | Motivation, culture fit, relocation, logistics |
Online Assessment / “Code with Cisco” test
Section titled “Online Assessment / “Code with Cisco” test”The screening test runs 60-90 minutes on most drives: a large MCQ section covering OS, DBMS, computer networks, and OOP concepts, plus 2 DSA coding problems (easy-to-medium). Some cycles run this under the “Code with Cisco” branding, a nationwide test Cisco uses for its India campus pipeline.
Common questions
- MCQs on OSI layers, DNS, DHCP, and the difference between switches, hubs, and routers
- OS basics: process scheduling, deadlocks, memory management
- DBMS basics: normalization, joins, indexing
- Reverse a linked list / string manipulation coding problems
Full round-by-round accounts are on the Cisco interview experience page.
Technical Round 1
Section titled “Technical Round 1”A 45-60 minute round focused on live DSA problem-solving, followed by a detailed walkthrough of a resume project - tech stack choices, the hardest bug you hit, and what you’d change.
Common questions
- Detect a cycle in a linked list
- Binary tree level-order traversal
- Explain the architecture and trade-offs of your most substantial project
- Basic OOP questions: polymorphism, inheritance, abstraction with examples
See how candidates actually handled this stage on the Cisco interview experience page.
Technical Round 2
Section titled “Technical Round 2”This round leans further into computer networks and OS than a typical software-company loop, since Cisco’s core business is networking hardware and software. Some tracks add a lightweight system-design or scenario question.
Common questions
- Explain TCP vs UDP, and where each is used
- Walk through what happens when you type a URL into a browser
- Deadlock conditions and how an OS avoids or recovers from them
- A short system-design or scenario question (varies by team and role)
HR / Managerial round
Section titled “HR / Managerial round”The closing round checks motivation, team fit, and logistics rather than technical depth. Managerial variants sometimes fold in a light behavioural question about how you’d approach the role.
Common questions
- Why Cisco, and what do you know about its networking products and culture?
- How would you maximise learning over an internship or first year?
- Are you open to relocation, and what is your notice period?
- Describe a time you resolved a conflict with a teammate
Sample answer frameworks for each of these are on the Cisco HR interview questions page.
Code with Cisco: the campus hiring funnel
Section titled “Code with Cisco: the campus hiring funnel”Cisco’s India campus hiring runs through a distinct funnel rather than a plain walk-in drive. “Code with Cisco” opens a nationwide online test to final-year students at participating colleges; a shortlist of top scorers is then invited to a multi-day, Cisco-sponsored hackathon at its Bengaluru campus (travel, food, and stay covered for finalists). Strong hackathon performance can fast-track candidates toward internship or full-time software-engineering offers, running alongside - not instead of - the standard technical-and-HR loop described above. Treat it as Cisco’s version of a mass campus drive: high volume at the top of the funnel, with the interview rounds still deciding the outcome.
Frequently asked questions about Cisco interviews
Section titled “Frequently asked questions about Cisco interviews”What is the Cisco interview process for freshers?
Cisco’s campus loop usually runs: 1. Online Assessment / “Code with Cisco” test (60-90 min) - 30-40 MCQs on OS, DBMS, computer networks, and OOP, plus 2 DSA coding problems. 2. Technical Round 1 (45-60 min) - DSA problem-solving and a detailed project/resume walkthrough. 3. Technical Round 2 (45-60 min) - networking and CS-fundamentals depth, sometimes basic system design. 4. HR / Managerial (30-45 min) - motivation, culture fit, relocation. End-to-end timeline is commonly reported as 2-8 weeks.
What questions are asked in Cisco interviews?
Expect DSA basics (linked lists, trees, strings), and a heavier-than-usual computer networks section - OSI layers, DNS, DHCP, switches vs routers vs hubs - alongside OS (process/memory management, deadlocks) and DBMS. Technical rounds also dig into your resume project in detail, and HR asks about relocation, notice period, and why Cisco.
How many rounds are there in the Cisco interview?
Typically 4 stages for freshers: Online Assessment, Technical Round 1, Technical Round 2, and HR/Managerial. Experienced-hire loops reported on Blind commonly compress this to a recruiter screen plus two technical rounds and one system-design round, then a hiring-manager conversation. Exact composition varies by team and by hiring cycle.
What is “Code with Cisco”?
Code with Cisco is Cisco India’s flagship campus recruiting funnel: a nationwide online coding test open to final-year students, followed by shortlisting and - for top performers - a multi-day, Cisco-sponsored hackathon at its Bengaluru campus. Strong performers there are fast-tracked toward internship or full-time software-engineering offers, alongside the standard interview loop.
What is the Cisco fresher salary package?
Student reports put fresher India packages in the roughly ₹20-30 LPA range, though this varies by role, location, and hiring cycle. Confirm exact figures on your own offer letter rather than relying on aggregated estimates.
Is Cisco’s process different for freshers vs experienced hires?
Yes. Fresher/campus loops lean on the Online Assessment plus two structured technical rounds and HR. Experienced-hire loops reported on Blind and Glassdoor skew toward a recruiter screen, two technical rounds, and a dedicated system-design round before a hiring-manager conversation - with less emphasis on CS-fundamentals MCQs and more on architecture and prior-project depth.
How should I prepare for Cisco interviews?
Practise timed DSA on arrays, strings, linked lists, and trees; revise computer networks in real depth (OSI model, DNS, DHCP, routing basics) since Cisco weighs this more than most software-only companies; keep one clear project narrative ready; and prepare STAR-style answers for the HR round.