Intel Interview Experience

Had a chance to sit for inteview with Intel during campus placement. I am overjoyed that i was finally recruited by them. It was one of my dream company. Very Happy to be there.

Below is my interview experience.


Shortlisting Criteria

* Resume based Shortlisting

* Students shortlisted with either work in systems area or high cpi or excellent
resume

* Many shortlisted students with good interviews were eventually rejected because their work did not match with intel's profile. This time they were looking for people with networks or graphics background.

* Intel is a company to target if you are good in systems, architecture etc. People weak in algorithms can target this company as there very are few questions from algorithms.

Interviews

I had three back to back interviews with hardly any gap between the interviews.

Technical Interview 1

* WAP to count the number of set bits in a number efficently. Cases when the number is positive and negative.

* How can we support OOP features in C? What about the access specifiers? How can we do it in C?

* Do u have any experience with linux kernel or device driver. No. I said i had interest in OS, and given the opportunity i can work. I was always trying to drag the interviewer towards OS and i was successful in it.

* Do you know anything about ARM or intel architecture? No.

* One program was given and i had to find error. The program had a function which returned addess of a local variable.

* How is memory protection done in OS?

* What are the various modes of operation of a process? User and kernel mode. What was the need to have two such different modes?

* What happens durig system call?

* What exactly happens in the trap instruction?

* What are the advantages and disadvantages of kernel and user threads?

* Some basic questions on my mtp (M.tech project). He wanted to know about my mtp.

* Can we start a bash shell from another bash shell? Yes.

* What is we want the new shell to use a enviroment variable of the old shell?

HR Interview

This was supposed to be a HR interview, but turned out to be a technical + HR interview. This was the toughest of the three interviews.

* What is the difference between device driver and firmware. Couldnt answer

* What type of work you want at intel. I said, system related.

* Suppose you are working on your preferred field, but suddently you are told that you would not working on this field any more and now you have to work on a field that you have no interest. What will you do?

* Give an example from your life when you successfully completed an uninteresting task? I said i had taken a course called “Philosophy of mind” in which i did well. Then he asked me to say anything on philosophy of mind. I couldnt say a word.

* Are you a honest person?

* Who is the most honest person that you have met ever?

* Who is the most honest politician? I said Gandhi. He asked why? Could not answer.

* He got angry and said that you dont know anything, why should i hire you? I said it is not important to know everything, but it is important to know few things in great details (I committed a great mistake by saying this). Ok, tell me what is your field (in which you know in great details).I said wireless networks.

* He asked me difference between 3G and 4G? How does GSM work? Could not say even a word.

* How does CDMA work. Explained.

* Which type of network will support more customers - TDMA based or GSM based. Explained.

* Do u think you will be selected? Yes. Why?

* Give me a situation where you showed your creativity?

Technical Interview 2

* Expalin me the TCP/IP protocol stack.

* Explain me your mtp.

* Do u know what is 802.1x eap? I said no.

* How does virtual function work in c++.

* When is Vtable created.?

* What if we delete the this pointer within a class fuction? What will happen?

* Would you like to work on graphics or networks?

Resources for preparation

1. Prepare your resume very well
2. Brush up your OS skills
3. Apply only if you like systems related work.