Understanding The Cognizant Recruitment Process 2024 (Updated)

Cognizant is a multinational technology giant based in the United States that deals in business consulting, information technology, and outsourcing. Cognizant technology solutions help businesses in modernizing technology and improving customer experiences. Cognizant specializes in IT, consulting, ITO, information security, and BPO services. In 2022, Cognizant expected a revenue of over USD 20 billion and hires over 50,000 freshers from colleges in India.

How to apply at Cognizant?

Cognizant conducts both off-campus and on-campus recruitment drives to hire engineers across streams. For Cognizant's off-campus drive, one can keep a tab on the opportunities available on their website and apply directly through the online form. You can also register on the Cognizant talent community to track the relevant job opportunities.

Cognizant hiring channels

The cognizant recruitment process needs students to go through either an aptitude test or skill-based assessments along with technical and HR interviews. The hiring channels at Cognizant are spread across four different routes which are as follows:

Gen C: Individuals with minimal programming expertise. They should have the ability to comprehend complex problems and deliver smart solutions. For this stage, knowledge of programming is recommended but not mandatory.
GenC Elevate: For this stage, only individuals with foundational programming language knowledge are eligible. Once selected, individuals join Cognizant and get a skill-based bonus along with the GenC package.
GenC Pro: Individuals with expertise in specific technologies, such as PEGA, Salesforce, SAP, Cybersecurity, ServiceNow, etc. are eligible for being hired through this channel. The salary package of GenC Pro candidates includes a skill premium over and above the GenC package.
GenC Next: This hiring mode is suitable for individuals who have advanced programming abilities, coding skills, and full-stack abilities. GenC Next candidates have a differential salary package after a mandatory three-month internship with a stipend.

Cognizant reasoning questions are designed for testing their logical reasoning, quantitative ability, problem-solving skills, etc. while the technical questions test their coding prowess.

Freshers or recent engineering graduates are eligible to take the GenC and GenC Elevate channels.

Eligibility criteria for Cognizant recruitment process

The eligibility criteria for participating in the Cognizant recruitment process are as follows:

More than 60% marks in 10th and 12th.
Minimum percentage criteria - 60% marks in graduation.
Maximum gap after class 12th or between semesters should be 1 year.
Qualification must be BE, B Tech, ME, M Tech, or MCA.
Candidate must not have any pending backlogs during the selection process.

Roles offered by Cognizant for entry-level positions

Channel

Job Role

Experience

Gen C

Application Analyst

Infrastructure Engineer

Quality Engineer

Minimal programming experience

GenC Elevate

C/Unix

Dot Net

Cloud

Java

Software Engineer/Tester

IoT Developer

Foundational knowledge in any middle-level language or high-level languages and database.

Assessment process by Cognizant for entry-level positions

Below is an overview of the assessment rounds at Cognizant:

Stage 1: Written Rounds

Category

Assessment Round

Syllabus

Sectional Time Limit

No. of Questions

GenC

Aptitude Test

Cognizant recruitment process usually have aptitude questions related to:

Analytical ability (Data sufficiency, Venn diagrams, blood relations, etc.)
Abstract reasoning (Cubes& dice, paper folding & cuts, mirror images, etc.)
Critical thinking (Coding-decoding, syllogism, input-output, etc.)
Numerical ability (Ages, time & work, probability, equations, profit-loss, arithmetic operators, etc.)
Verbal ability (Para-jumbles, reading comprehension, synonyms, antonyms, etc.)
Data Analysis (Data interpretation)

60 to 90 minutes

There will be around 2 to 3 questions from Data Analysis and for the rest of the sections the questions will range from 7 to 15 (approx)

GenC Elevate

Section 1: Conceptual and code analysis

Section 2: Coding

Control Structure, OOPS, Classes (base class, child class, etc.), Objects(C/C++), Struct, Trees, DSA-Arrays, Exception Handling(JAVA/C++), Searching/Sorting, Pointers, File Handling(JAVA), Utility API(JAVA, C++), Basic Query Language

Section 1: 30 minutes

Section 2: 70 minutes

Section 1: 15 questions

Section 2: 4 questions

Note: There is no negative marking in these rounds.

Stage 2: Interview Process

The entire interview process has two rounds - technical interview and HR interview.

Technical Interview Round
Category	Duration	Topics
GenC	20 to 30 minutes	Programming languages such as C, C++, DSA, and basic questions about projects done during graduation.
GenC Elevate	30 minutes	Programming languages such as C, C++, DSA, DBMS, SDLC, Projects, Certification courses(if any) NOTE: Certification courses such as AI, ML, Cybersecurity, etc. add value to your CV. However, you must only add these to your CV if you are thorough with these topics.
HR Round
For both categories	Not defined	Cognizant interview questions include basic questions about your personality, education, interests, family background, internships, current technology trends, etc.

TIP: The interview panel may ask you about any detail mentioned in your CV. Going through some popular HR interview questions can help you prepare well for this round. Plus excellent body language and a formal dress code are a must. Also, keep yourself updated with contemporary technology trends.

Fresher salary at Cognizant

The expected salary details along with the positions are as follows:

FAQs regarding Cognizant recruitment process

Q1. Can I apply for more than one position at the same time?

You can apply for more than one position that matches your qualifications and skills.

Q2. Can I reapply at Cognizant if I fail the written round?

Yes, you can reapply at Cognizant for vacant positions if you fail the written round. However, you are not eligible to reapply if you happen to fail the Cognizant interview process. Hence, for a fruitful interview experience with the Cognizant interview panel, apart from having excellent communication skills, one must also brush up on their technical knowledge for the interview rounds.

Q3. Are any training and development opportunities provided after I am hired at Cognizant?

Cognizant's company culture strongly encourages training and development to help employees have good career growth. Thus, the learning programs include:

Specialized training programs to help in the integration of new recruits into the dynamic business environment.
Focused courses to develop knowledge on technical expertise, soft skills, etc.
Leadership development programs to nurture successful industry leaders.

About Cognizant

Cognizant is an American multinational corporation headquartered in New Jersey that provides digital, technology, consulting, and operations services. It was founded as an in-house technology unit of Dun & Bradstreet in 1994 and started serving external clients in 1996. The company made an initial public offering in 1998, after a series of corporate splits and restructures of its parent companies. It was the first software services firm listed on the NASDAQ. It gradually ventured into application development, complex systems integration, and consulting work. In 2015, Fortune magazine named it the world's fourth most admired IT services company and is currently one of the most successful and rapidly-growing organizations.

We hope you now have a clear understanding of the Cognizant recruitment process! Good Luck!

Shreeya Thakur

Sr. Associate Content Writer at Unstop

I am a biotechnologist-turned-content writer and try to add an element of science in my writings wherever possible. Apart from writing, I like to cook, read and travel.