23/03/2025, 12:36 Interview Experience at MasterCard for SDE-1 (On Campus) | by Shreyash Bachate | Medium
Interview Experience at MasterCard for SDE-1
(On Campus)
Shreyash Bachate · Follow
6 min read · Aug 17, 2023
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First of all, Mastercard sent coding round link to all the shortlisted candidates. The
coding round consists of 2 questions.
1. First question was based on operations on rows of matrix. It was easy-medium
question. But I managed to solve 6 test cases out of 12. (I tried everything but not
able to solve completely).
2. Second question was based on string manipulation. It was consists of key and
message, and we give output as encrypted message using the given key. Key consists
of 26 letters of alphabet where each alphabets corresponding encrypted letter is
given. It was medium question based on string and implementation. I finished
solving the question completely.
After that coding round only 38 candidates were Shortlisted For Interview and I was
one of them. The shortlisting is based on CGPA and submission time of the test.
After that 3 rounds are scheduled. Out of 3 there are 2 technical rounds and 1 HR
round. Every round is an elimination round.
First Technical Round :-
She first told me to introduce myself and asked question on my project. She asked
me about JWT authentication. I told everything I know about JWT along with
encryption and Hashing concepts (Salting also).
After that she told me to explain any one hashing and encryption algorithm.
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23/03/2025, 12:36 Interview Experience at MasterCard for SDE-1 (On Campus) | by Shreyash Bachate | Medium
After that she asked me about how you provide security to your hosted project(TLS ,
SSL). I explained everything about that.
Then she asked questions about Operating Systems. In that she asked me about
Paging , Segmentation and later she told me to explain any one scheduling
algorithm. I explained Round Robin to her.
Later she asked me questions on Data Structures. In that she asked me about What
is singly and doubly linked list. How to add node at end of doubly linked list. How to
traverse linked list. I explained every details of linked list to her. After that she asked
me about hashing and types of hashing, and also about how to avoid collision in
hashing.
After that she moved to Database and Management Systems(DBMS). She asked me
about ACID properties. Also she asked me about normal forms and also about
deadlocks. I only remembered two conditions of deadlock but she was satisfied with
my answers.
Later she asked me about Java. As I studied JAVA during my diploma and in second
year , I was confident enough to answer the questions that she asked on JAVA.
(Though I haven’t prepared for questions on JAVA). She first asked me Why C++ ,
Why not JAVA? Followed by Advantages of JAVA over C++.
Also she asked me Is JAVA is compiled or interpreted. This questions was just
cakewalk for me on JAVA as I studied JAVA for more than 2 years. I answered all the
questions very confidently. She was fine with my answers.
Later she gave me one question to solve. She said that you can write algorithm or
pseudocode. The question was based on transpose of sparse matrix. I have to
transpose given sparse matrix with less time complexity than O(N²). As she told me
brute force that you traverse all the rows and convert that rows to columns. This will
have complexity O(N²). This was pretty easy question but I took time to solve this.
Finally I got optimal approach as traverse only upper triangular or lower triangular
matrix. And convert row to column and column to row. This approach had
complexity O(N*logN). She was pretty happy with my intuition and problem solving
skills.
Then she asked me about which subject you like the most. As I was questioned by
her on every core subject except Computer Networks I told that CN is my favourite
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23/03/2025, 12:36 Interview Experience at MasterCard for SDE-1 (On Campus) | by Shreyash Bachate | Medium
subject (And I like Computer Networks also). So she asked me about questions on
Router and Switch. I answered all of them correctly. She was happy with my
answers.
She told me that she had one last question for me and she asked me about how you
scale your project for more than 1000 customers if they simultaneously interact with
your system. Although I haven’t know in detail about Docker and Kubernetes (I did a
lot of problem solving than development ), I was underconfident about that, but
finally I told her about use of Docker and Kubernetes to scaling the system, and I
also told that I am newbie to Docker and Kubernetes. So she was happy with that , I
explored all the cloud related stuff with my problem solving.
After that she told me that If I have any questions for her. I asked about cloud that
MasterCard currently use, and all the questions related to how transaction happen
in system.
After that she asked me about my hobbies and she told me that your profile is quite
impressive and she took my resume.
The interview was carried almost 50–55 minutes. I answered almost all the
questions correctly , So I was confident enough that I cleared that round and also
the Interviewer was pretty nice to me.
After first round 27 students were shortlisted for second round.
Second Technical Round :-
As always the interview started with my introduction , and he asked me a lot of
questions on my projects.
He asked me questions on github and Eclipse.
He asked me that If I know core JAVA, Advance JAVA. Then he asked me about why
you done diploma over 12th? I gave my opinion on that. He was pretty happy on
answers.
Then he asked me that your profile look impressive but why you are not doing any
internship? I told to him that I applied for every company that visited our college for
internship in 3rd year but they rejected me because lack of projects and
development skills. So after that I work hard on myself developed projects on
machine learning and MERN stack.
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23/03/2025, 12:36 Interview Experience at MasterCard for SDE-1 (On Campus) | by Shreyash Bachate | Medium
After that he asked me about where you can integrate machine learning or AI in e-
commerce website.
Later, he asked me about OOPS concepts and some questions on abstraction and
inheritance with real life example.
After he asked me about my achievements. Till then I had completed my 365+ days
streak on leetcode , so he appreciated me for my perseverance and hardworking
skill.
Later he asked me about my hobbies and he asked me that if I have any questions
for him. I asked a lot of questions on how mastercard integrating blockchain for
securing transaction and what technologies mastercard currently use.
It was almost 20–25 minutes long interview. I answered all the questions correctly
and I was enough confident that I clear that round.
After second round only 5 students are removed and 22 students were remained for
HR round.
HR round:-
As always she asked me to introduce myself. After that she told me that tell me
something that is not mentioned on resume.
After that she asked me about my Parent’s and my siblings. She also asked me about
my hometown and how frequently I go to Kolhapur.
Then she asked me golden question WHY MASTERCARD? As I was prepared for that
I told my perspective. Then she asked me about why I not mentioned any internship
on my resume. I told the same answer that I told in second interview. She was
satisfied with my answer.
She asked me on how did you face rejections from your interviews that you gave
during internships.
Also she appreciated my achievements. Then she asked me that If I have any
question for her.
I asked her about work culture in MasterCard. That was it.
It was around 10–15 minutes of HR round.
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Results :-
As my HR round was taken first among all the 22 candidates I was enough confident
that I cracked an offer. But I was wrong . They rejected me and hire Only 9 students.
I was not one of them.
Verdict :-
Open in app
Rejected by MasterCard.
42
Search
But , Story was not ended,
After two days I got a call from TNP office regarding that Mastercard recommended
me to join Full Time Offer as SDE-1.
As they wanted me so how do I reject.
Finally Selected.
Keypoints:-
1. Be honest about yourself on your resume.
2. Answer questions with strong self-assurance.
3. Stick to your answers faithfully.
4. Do the correct things when nobody is watching you.
Interview Mastercard Experience Sde 1
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