I applied through university. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Cisco (Pune) in July 2015
Interview
It started with Aptitude Test (Online) of 60 mins.
Then 2 technical rounds.
And 1 HR roound.
They focus on logical thinking, problem solving capability.
Give hints for some problem.
It was great experience for me because i was interviewed by a panel which has experience of 20 years in technical vertical.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They asked me Bruteforcing, big O time complexity, shaker sort vs bubble sort, c memory reprentation, how .exe loads into memory, static variable allocation, IP header.
Reverse a linked list.
And YES the main question ....
Explain shaping and policying in CISCO.
Standard panel, very simple leetcodes. reverse linked list kind of vibe s . I was literarly asked about how a linked list is structured and reversing it. there was almost no friction which I was shocked by one of the reason I did not accept
I applied online. I interviewed at Cisco (Bengaluru) in June 2026
Interview
The interview started well and covered backend concepts, Java, system design, and coding. I answered the questions confidently and had a positive interaction throughout.
After receiving the rejection, I spoke with HR to understand the feedback. I was informed that the interviewer believed I was looking at answers during the interview. This came as a surprise because I was not referring to any external material. I have a habit of looking away while thinking or recalling concepts, which I believe may have been misunderstood.
I wish this concern had been raised during the interview so I could have clarified it immediately. If there are concerns about a candidate’s behavior, discussing them in real time or asking for a room scan can help avoid misunderstandings.
Overall, the interview questions were fair, but I feel my evaluation was influenced by this misunderstanding rather than my technical performance.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Sort a nearly sorted array. I was asked for an optimal solution and discussed the time and space complexity.
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.