Accenture Interview Questions

Accenture is a leading consulting and technology services company with a global presence. Founded in 1989, it offers a wide range of services in strategy, digital, technology, and operations across various industries. With a focus on helping clients reduce costs and improve efficiency, Accenture is a major player in the IT and outsourcing industry.

Accenture Recruitment Process

The Accenture Recruitment Process is a little challenging as per the experience shared by some of the previously interviewed candidates. The candidates are often daunted by the tough questions in every interview rounds at Accenture, as the number of applications received would be a little high. Hence a thoughtful preparation strategy and consistent practice can definitely enable you to crack this interview process.

First of all, the academic criteria to apply for an Accenture interview is as below:

• Candidates possessing a relevant graduate degree with an aggregate of 60% are eligible.
• Candidate should be passed in all the subjects and not have an active backlog.
• The education gap should not be more than one or two year in between your studies, depending on roles.

Usually, the Recruitment Process at Accenture involves the following three rounds:

1. Online Assessment Test (Cognitive, Technical and Coding Assessment )
2. Communication Assessment
3. Technical Interview
4. HR Interview

For experienced candidates also, the Accenture interview rounds will normally remain the same. But in the case of some important roles, you may have to face two or more rounds of technical interviews followed by an HR interview.

Online Assessment Test:
Accenture’s online assessments are the first hurdle in their Recruitment Process. These tests assess your Coding skills, English Ability, Critical Reasoning and Problem Solving, Abstract Reasoning, Pseudo Code, Networking Security and others.It’s timed and acts as a knockout round, so answer quickly and accurately.

Online Communication Assessment Test:
This is a non elimination round. It has 6 sections with varying time required for each candidate to attend each question. The sections are Reading(8 ques), Listening(16 ques), Questions and Answers(24 ques), Jumbled Sentences(10 ques), Retelling a story (3 ques), Speaking(2 ques).

This round checks your fluency and confidence whilst speaking in English so practice hearing voices from videos as this will help you while reading and listening rounds. In this round you will also have to answer open-ended questions, so be sure to be creative by forming proper storylines and add moral value if deemed necessary. It is an easy round don’t worry.

Technical Interview:
Passing an online test lands you a technical interview at Accenture. This interview assesses your coding and problem-solving skills. Brush up on data structures, algorithms, and computer science fundamentals (OS, DBMS, CN) to shine. The specific technical areas tested will depend on the job you applied for. Experienced candidates or those applying for critical roles may face multiple technical interview rounds.

HR Interview:
The HR interview is the final step at Accenture. It assesses your personality, fit for the company culture, and background suitability for the role. Unlike prior rounds that focused on skills, HR interviews ask about your interests, strengths, weaknesses, and salary expectations. They also gauge your knowledge of Accenture itself.

In some-case, technical and hr interview are combined together for freshers.

Accenture Interview Questions

Explain your project ?What are some kind of challenges, problems faced during your project and how did you deal with them?

Talk about your final year project. Focus on your contribution to the project, what work you did, how you completed your tasks, problems you faced, etc. The interviewer will also ask about your teamwork and leadership skills from this question.

What is call by value and call by reference in C Programming language?

We can pass value to function by two different ways: call by value and call by reference.

In case of call by value, a copy of value is passed to the function, so original value is not modified in the call by value.

But in case of call by reference, an address of value is passed to the function, so original value is modified in the call by reference.

Why there are no global variables in Java?

Global variables are globally accessible. Java does not support globally accessible variables due to following reasons:

1. The global variables breaks the referential transparency
2. Global variables creates collisions in namespace

What is method overloading and method overriding?

Method overloading: When a method in a class having the same method name with different arguments is said to be method overloading. 

Method overriding: When a method in a class having the same method name with same arguments is said to be method overriding.

What is the difference between a constructor and a method?

A constructor is a member function of a class that is used to create objects of that class. It has the same name as the class itself, has no return type, and is invoked using the new operator.

A method is an ordinary member function of a class. It has its own name, a return type (which may be void), and is invoked using the dot operator.

What is meant by Inheritance and what are its advantages?

Inheritance is the process of inheriting all the features from a class. 

The advantages of inheritance are:-

•  reusability of code 
• accessibility of variables and methods of the super class by subclasses.

What is SQL, and why is it important?

SQL stands for Structured Query Language, and is the most important data processing language in use today. It is not a complete programming language like Java or C#, but a data sublanguage used for creating and processing database data and metadata. All DBMS products today use SQL.

What is recursion?

Using recursion, one function can be called multiple times. This reduces the code length, reducing the overall complexity of the program.

What is the use of “static” keyword in Java?

• The static keyword is a non-access modifier in Java that is useful for memory management.
• Static property can be shared by all the objects, no separate copies of static members will be created on object creation.
• No need to create the instance of the class for accessing static members, we can directly access them by using the class name.
• The static keyword can be used with the variable, block, method, and nested classes for memory management.
  • Static variable: When a variable is declared with the static keyword, a single copy of the variable will be created and the same variable will be shared across all objects of the class (a class to which the static variable belongs).
  • Static block: A static block helps with the initialization of the static data members. It is a group of statements within a Java class and gets executed exactly once when the class is first loaded into the JVM(Java Virtual Machine).
  • Static method: If the method is declared with the static keyword, then it is considered a static method. The main( ) method is one of the examples of a static method. Static methods are having restrictions such as they can directly call other static methods only, and they can access static data directly.
  • Static class: Only a nested class can be created as a static class. Nested static class doesn’t need a reference of Outer class(a class in which the nested class is defined). A static class does not have permission to access non-static members of the Outer class.

Can we implement multiple interfaces in a single Java class?

Yes, it is allowed to implement multiple interfaces in a single class. In Java, multiple inheritances is achieved by implementing multiple interfaces into the class. While implementing, each interface name is separated by using a comma(,) operator.
Syntax:

public class ClassName implements Interface1, Interface2,..., InterfaceN
{  
    //Code   
}  

Example:

public class Impactmillions implements X, Y
{   
  //Code
}

Here, X and Y are the interfaces implemented by the class Impactmillions.

What is the significance of the “super” and “this” keywords in Java?

• super keyword: In Java, the “super” keyword is used to provide reference to the instance of the parent class(superclass). Since it is a reserved keyword in Java, it cannot be used as an identifier. This keyword can also be used to invoke parent class members like constructors and methods.
• this Keyword: In Java, the “this” keyword is used to refer to the instance of the current class. Since it is a reserved keyword in Java, it cannot be used as an identifier. It can be used for referring object of the current class, to invoke a constructor of the current class, to pass as an argument in the method call or constructor call, to return the object of the current class.

Distinguish between Array and ArrayList provided by Java.

Explain memory allocation process in C

• Memory allocation process indicates reserving some part of the memory space based on the requirement for the code execution.
• There are two types of memory allocation done in C:
  1. Static memory allocation: The memory allocation during the beginning of the program is known as static memory allocation. In this type of memory allocation allocated memory size remains fixed and it is not allowed to change the memory size during run-time. It will make use of a stack for memory management.
  2. Dynamic memory allocation: The memory allocation during run-time is considered as dynamic memory allocation. We can mention the size at runtime as per requirement. It will make use of heap data structure for memory management. The required memory space can be allocated and deallocated from heap memory. It is mainly used in pointers. Four types of the pre-defined function that are used to dynamically allocate the memory are given below:
     • malloc()
     • calloc()
     • realloc()
     • free()

What is virtual inheritance?

Virtual inheritance is a C++ mechanism that assures that grandchild-derived classes inherit only one copy of a base class’s member variables. If two classes B and C inherit from a class A, and class D inherits from both B and C, D will include two copies of A’s member variables: one via B and the other via C. Using scope resolution, these will be available independently.

What is JDBC?

JDBC is a set of Java API for executing SQL statements. This API consists of a set of classes and interfaces to enable programs to write pure Java Database applications.

List the Coffman’s conditions that lead to a deadlock.

• Mutual Exclusion: Only one process may use a critical resource at a time.
• Hold & Wait: A process may be allocated some resources while waiting for others.
• No Pre-emption: No resource can be forcible removed from a process holding it.
• Circular Wait: A closed chain of processes exist such that each process holds at least one resource needed by another process in the chain.

What are short, long and medium-term scheduling?

• Long term scheduler determines which programs are admitted to the system for processing. It controls the degree of multiprogramming. Once admitted, a job becomes a process.
• Medium term scheduling is part of the swapping function. This relates to processes that are in a blocked or suspended state. They are swapped out of real-memory until they are ready to execute. The swapping-in decision is based on memory-management criteria.
• Short term scheduler, also know as a dispatcher executes most frequently, and makes the finest-grained decision of which process should execute next. This scheduler is invoked whenever an event occurs. It may lead to interruption of one process by preemption.

What is diamond problem in JAVA?

Diamond problem also known as deadly diamond problem or deadly diamond of death, occurs when multiple inheritance is conducted in JAVA. JAVA does not support multiple inheritance, and therefore consequently leads to a compilation error if attempted.

What is AVL tree?

AVL stands for Adelson Velskii and Landis. In a binary search tree, if the difference between height of the left and right subtrees is at most one, it is known as AVL tree.

Define Linked List

Linked List is a linear data structure where data is stored sequentially.

What is an overflow error?

Overflow errors occur when a program is given an input outside its scope.

Accenture HR Interview Questions

Introduce Yourself

Good Morning/Afternoon. I am ________, a BE/B.Tech graduate from XYZ college. I served as the class representative and the Rotaract Club president. I have actively participated in sports and organized various events, including the college fest. I am applying for this job to gain more professional experience and start my career.

How do you handle criticism?

Initially, I used to get very defensive about criticism. But as I grew in my career, I have realized the importance of feedback. When someone comments on my work, good or bad I take it under a light of improvement. Taking their opinions into consideration and applying myself to improve wherever I am lacking.

What are your key strengths?

My strength, I believe, is my understanding of group dynamics. I’m a groupie who enjoys collaborating on multiple projects with others. So, when it comes to assigning duties, developing material, or working across different sections of a project, I can provide clear instructions and ensure that our task is completed as per our aims and objectives.

Why do you want to join our company?

There are many reasons for me to join your company. However, one of the main reasons for my desire to work for your firm is that it has established a standard in the education field. Especially the “XYZ” project, which has become a case study for experts like myself, and I’ve been following your firm’s exceptional work. With my background and the revolutionary work your organization has done, I believe I would be able to confidently contribute my expertise to future projects for your company.

Tell us something about yourself

This question can make or break your interview. You can make an impactful impression on your interviewer by answering this question enthusiastically. Give a basic introduction of yourself, your academic background, previous experiences, if any, hobbies, strengths, and goals, and try to conclude this question in the best way possible.

Sample answer:

Hello, my name is Rupal I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering, and I bring 2+ of experience in Software Development. In my previous role at Adidas, I successfully deployed a product which is currently a one of the mostly used product by their customers. I am known for my problem solving and web development skills, and I’m excited about the opportunity to leverage my skills and contribute to the success of company. Outside of work, I enjoy reading fictional books.

Why are you interested in this position?

This question helps the interviewer to understand your motivations, whether you’ve researched the company and role, and how well your skills align with the job.

Sample answer:

I’m excited about this position at your company because it perfectly aligns with my skills and career goals. Your commitment to frequent growth of your customers resonates with me. I believe my experience in Java Full stack makes me well-equipped to contribute to your ongoing project, and I’m eager to be part of a team that shares my passion for Java full stack development.

Can you work under pressure?

With the help of this question interviewer wants to gauge your ability to handle stress and tight deadlines, assessing your skills in time management and maintaining composure.

Sample answer:

Absolutely. In my previous role, we often faced tight deadlines due to various reasons. During one instance, I had to release the product in the early stage. This experience taught me the importance of effective time management and maintaining a positive attitude under pressure. I believe challenges present opportunities for growth, and I’m confident in my ability to handle the demands of this role.

What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?

This question is commonly asked in job interviews to assess your self-awareness, honesty, and suitability for the role. It’s an opportunity to showcase your strengths and demonstrate that you’re aware of areas where you can improve.

Sample answer:

Sure, one of my strengths is strong problem solving ability. I have honed this skill through working on several projects. On the flip side, I acknowledge that I can be overly critical of my work at times, which I’m actively working on. However, I believe this self-critical nature also ensures that I constantly strive for improvement and excellence in my tasks.

How will you improve on your weaknesses?

By this, the interviewer wants to know whether you are doing anything or not to overcome your weaknesses. If yes, then what really and if that has actually helped you or not. Everybody has some or the other weakness. Be genuine and open when you talk about this part of yours and try to turn these weaknesses into your advantage by mentioning the ways to overcome them.

Sample answer:

I have taken steps to enhance my weakness by participating in team-building workshops. Although I usually prefer working independently, it is crucial for me to develop trust in my colleagues and seek external assistance when needed.

When was Accenture founded? And What do you know about Accenture?

The question aims to assess your knowledge of the company’s history and your research on Accenture.

Sample answer:

Accenture was founded on January 1, 1989. It is a multinational professional services company providing consulting, technology, and outsourcing services. Accenture operates in various industries, offering innovative solutions to clients globally.

Tell us something about your achievements.

This question is supposed to be answered with a little care. Your creativity, viewpoint, and potential would be tested here. Try not to fake while answering this question because follow-ups can actually backfire. You need to be real and honest as much as possible. Keep it professional and mention such events that happened recently.

Sample answer:

In my previous role, I successfully led a team that implemented a new project management system, improving overall efficiency by 20%. I received recognition for my contributions and was awarded ‘Employee of the Month’ twice.