Section 1: Cognitive Assessment (20 Questions)
Accenture cognitive focuses on logical reasoning, critical thinking, and abstract pattern recognition. These questions require careful analysis.
Logical Reasoning (8 Questions)
Q1. If all Bloops are Razzies and all Razzies are Lazzies, which statement must be true?
(A) All Lazzies are Bloops
(B) All Bloops are Lazzies
(C) Some Lazzies are not Razzies
(D) No Bloops are Lazzies
Solution:
Bloops → Razzies → Lazzies
By transitivity: All Bloops are Lazzies
Answer: (B)
Q2. In a certain code, 'MOUSE' is written as 'PRXVH'. How is 'HOUSE' written?
Solution:
Pattern: Each letter +3 positions
M→P, O→R, U→X, S→V, E→H
HOUSE: H→K, O→R, U→X, S→V, E→H
Answer: KRXVH
Q3. Six people A, B, C, D, E, F are sitting in a circle facing center. B is between F and C. A is second to the left of B and second to the right of E. Who is to the immediate right of E?
Solution:
From given info: B is between F and C → F-B-C or C-B-F
A is second left of B (so one person between A and B going left)
A is second right of E (one person between E and A going right)
Arrangement: E - ? - A - ? - B (with F and C around B)
Working out: E - D - A - F - B - C (facing center)
Immediate right of E =
D
Q4. Statements: Some doctors are engineers. All engineers are teachers.
Conclusions: (I) Some teachers are doctors. (II) All doctors are teachers.
Solution:
Some doctors are engineers + All engineers are teachers = Some doctors are teachers (I-A = I type)
Conclusion I: Some teachers are doctors —
Follows (converse of derived conclusion)
Conclusion II: All doctors are teachers —
Does not follow (only SOME doctors are engineers)
Only Conclusion I follows
Q5. Find the next number in the series: 2, 5, 11, 23, 47, ?
Solution:
Pattern: Each number × 2 + 1
2×2+1=5, 5×2+1=11, 11×2+1=23, 23×2+1=47
47×2+1 =
95
Q6. A is the father of B. C is the mother of D. E is the son of A. B is the sister of E. How is D related to E if C is the wife of A?
Solution:
A (father) + C (mother, wife of A)
Children: B (daughter, sister of E), E (son)
C is mother of D, so D is sibling of B and E
D is
sibling (brother/sister) of E
Q7. If '+' means '÷', '×' means '-', '÷' means '+', and '-' means '×', then: 18 + 6 ÷ 3 × 4 - 2 = ?
Solution:
Replace operators: 18 ÷ 6 + 3 - 4 × 2
Following BODMAS: 18÷6 = 3, then 4×2 = 8
= 3 + 3 - 8 =
-2
Q8. Pointing to a photograph, Ravi said, "She is the daughter of the only son of my grandfather." How is the woman in the photo related to Ravi?
Solution:
Only son of Ravi's grandfather = Ravi's father
Daughter of Ravi's father = Ravi's sister
Answer: Sister
Critical Thinking (6 Questions)
Q9. Statement: "The new highway has reduced travel time by 40%, but accident rates have increased by 25%."
Which conclusion is most strongly supported?
(A) The highway is a failure
(B) Speed limits should be reduced
(C) There is a trade-off between travel time and safety
(D) The highway design is fundamentally flawed
Answer:
(C) — The statement presents both a benefit (reduced travel time) and a cost (increased accidents), suggesting a trade-off. Other options are assumptions not directly supported.
Q10. Argument: "Companies should invest in employee wellness programs because healthy employees are more productive."
Which assumption underlies this argument?
Answer:
Key assumption:
Wellness programs actually improve employee health.
The argument links wellness programs → healthy employees → productivity.
Without the assumption that wellness programs work, the argument fails.
Q11. Data: Sales increased by 20% in Q1, 15% in Q2, 10% in Q3, and 5% in Q4.
Which inference is most accurate?
(A) Annual sales grew by 50%
(B) Growth rate is declining each quarter
(C) Q4 had the lowest sales
(D) Sales will decline next year
Answer:
(B) — Growth rate clearly declined: 20% → 15% → 10% → 5%
(A) is wrong — percentages don't simply add
(C) is wrong — Q4 had lowest growth, not lowest sales
(D) is speculation
Q12. "All successful companies focus on customer satisfaction. XYZ Corp focuses on customer satisfaction."
Can we conclude XYZ Corp is successful?
Answer:
No, we cannot conclude this.
This is a logical fallacy called "affirming the consequent."
All successful → focus on customers ≠ All who focus on customers → successful
Customer focus is necessary but not sufficient for success.
Q13. A company claims: "Our product has 95% customer satisfaction."
What question would be most important to evaluate this claim?
Answer:
Most important question:
"How was the survey conducted and who was sampled?"
Key considerations: Sample size, selection bias (only satisfied customers responded?), survey methodology, definition of "satisfaction."
Q14. Statement: "The government should ban plastic bags to protect the environment."
Which is the strongest counter-argument?
(A) Plastic bags are convenient
(B) Alternative bags may have higher carbon footprint
(C) People will resist the ban
(D) Plastic manufacturers will lose jobs
Answer:
(B) — This directly challenges the premise that banning plastic helps the environment. If alternatives are worse environmentally, the ban defeats its own purpose. Other options are side-effects, not challenges to the core argument.
Abstract Reasoning (6 Questions)
Q15. In a sequence of figures, a circle moves from corner to corner clockwise, while a triangle rotates 45° counter-clockwise each step. After 4 steps, starting from the top-left corner with an upward-pointing triangle, what will be the configuration?
Solution:
Circle moves: TL → TR → BR → BL → TL (back to start after 4 steps)
Triangle rotates: 45° × 4 = 180° counter-clockwise
Starting upward → after 180° → pointing downward
Answer: Circle at top-left, triangle pointing downward
Q16. Find the odd one out: 121, 144, 169, __(196)__, __(224)__, 256
Which number doesn't belong?
Solution:
121 = 11², 144 = 12², 169 = 13², 196 = 14², 256 = 16²
224 is NOT a perfect square (224 = 14.97²)
Answer: 224 doesn't belong
Q17. If ▲ + ● = 15, ● + ■ = 23, and ▲ + ■ = 20, find the value of ▲ + ● + ■.
Solution:
Adding all three: 2(▲ + ● + ■) = 15 + 23 + 20 = 58
▲ + ● + ■ = 58/2 =
29
Q18. A cube is painted red on all faces, then cut into 64 smaller identical cubes. How many small cubes have exactly 2 faces painted?
Solution:
64 cubes = 4×4×4 arrangement
Cubes with 2 faces painted = edge cubes (excluding corners)
Each edge has 4-2 = 2 cubes with 2 faces painted
Cube has 12 edges
Total = 12 × 2 =
24 cubes
Q19. Pattern sequence: AB, DE, HI, MN, ?
Solution:
First letters: A(1), D(4), H(8), M(13) → gaps: +3, +4, +5 → next +6 → S(19)
Second letters: B(2), E(5), I(9), N(14) → gaps: +3, +4, +5 → next +6 → T(20)
Answer: ST
Q20. In a matrix pattern, rows contain increasing numbers of dots. Row 1 has 1 dot, Row 2 has 3 dots, Row 3 has 6 dots. How many dots in Row 7?
Solution:
Pattern: 1, 3, 6 → These are triangular numbers
Row n has n(n+1)/2 dots
Row 7 = 7×8/2 =
28 dots
Section 2: Technical Assessment (15 Questions)
Accenture technical focuses on SDLC, Agile methodology, OOP concepts, SQL, and networking basics.
SDLC & Agile (5 Questions)
Q21. Which SDLC phase involves creating design documents and architecture diagrams?
(A) Requirements Analysis (B) Design (C) Implementation (D) Testing
Answer:
(B) Design — The Design phase creates HLD (High-Level Design) and LLD (Low-Level Design) documents, architecture diagrams, and database schemas.
Q22. In Scrum, what is the maximum recommended duration of a Sprint?
(A) 1 week (B) 2 weeks (C) 4 weeks (D) 6 weeks
Answer:
(C) 4 weeks — Sprints are typically 2-4 weeks. Maximum is 4 weeks (1 month). Longer sprints reduce adaptability.
Q23. What is the primary purpose of a Sprint Retrospective?
Answer:
Sprint Retrospective is held at the end of each Sprint to
reflect on what went well, what didn't, and identify improvements for the next Sprint. It focuses on team process improvement, not product review.
Q24. Which is NOT an Agile principle?
(A) Working software over comprehensive documentation
(B) Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
(C) Detailed planning over responding to change
(D) Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Answer:
(C) — Agile Manifesto says "Responding to change over following a plan." Detailed planning contradicts Agile's adaptive approach.
Q25. What is the role of a Product Owner in Scrum?
Answer:
Product Owner is responsible for:
•
Maximizing product value
• Managing and prioritizing the Product Backlog
• Defining user stories and acceptance criteria
• Representing stakeholder interests
• Making final decisions on product features
OOP & Programming (5 Questions)
Q26. What is the difference between Abstraction and Encapsulation?
Answer:
Abstraction: Hiding complex implementation details, showing only essential features. (What an object does)
Encapsulation: Bundling data and methods together, restricting direct access using access modifiers. (How an object protects its data)
Example: A car's steering wheel is abstraction (hides complexity), private engine variables are encapsulation.
Q27. Which type of inheritance is NOT supported directly by Java?
(A) Single (B) Multilevel (C) Hierarchical (D) Multiple (through classes)
Answer:
(D) Multiple inheritance through classes — Java doesn't allow a class to extend multiple classes (diamond problem). However, multiple inheritance is supported through interfaces.
Q28. What is polymorphism? Give an example.
Answer:
Polymorphism: Ability of an object to take many forms.
Compile-time (Static): Method overloading — same method name, different parameters
Runtime (Dynamic): Method overriding — subclass provides specific implementation
Example: Animal.speak() → Dog.speak() returns "Bark", Cat.speak() returns "Meow"
Q29. What is the purpose of an Interface in OOP?
Answer:
Interface defines a
contract — a set of methods that implementing classes must provide.
• Enables abstraction and loose coupling
• Allows multiple inheritance of type
• Enables dependency injection and mocking
• Example: Comparable interface requires compareTo() method
Q30. What is a Design Pattern? Name three common patterns.
Answer:
Design Patterns are
reusable solutions to common software design problems.
Common patterns:
•
Singleton: Only one instance of a class
•
Factory: Create objects without specifying exact class
•
Observer: Notify dependents of state changes
SQL & Databases (3 Questions)
Q31. Write a SQL query to find the second highest salary from an Employee table.
Answer:
SELECT MAX(salary) FROM Employee
WHERE salary < (SELECT MAX(salary) FROM Employee);
-- Or using LIMIT/OFFSET:
SELECT DISTINCT salary FROM Employee
ORDER BY salary DESC LIMIT 1 OFFSET 1;
Q32. What is normalization? Explain 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF.
Answer:
Normalization: Process of organizing data to reduce redundancy.
1NF: Atomic values, no repeating groups (each cell has single value)
2NF: 1NF + No partial dependencies (all non-key columns depend on entire primary key)
3NF: 2NF + No transitive dependencies (non-key columns depend only on primary key)
Q33. What is the difference between INNER JOIN and LEFT JOIN?
Answer:
INNER JOIN: Returns only matching rows from both tables.
LEFT JOIN: Returns all rows from left table + matching rows from right table (NULLs for non-matches).
Example: If Employee has 100 rows and Department has 10, INNER JOIN returns only employees with valid departments; LEFT JOIN returns all 100 employees.
Networking & Cloud (2 Questions)
Q34. What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
Answer:
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol):
• Connection-oriented, reliable
• Guarantees delivery, ordering
• Slower due to overhead
• Used for: HTTP, FTP, Email
UDP (User Datagram Protocol):
• Connectionless, unreliable
• No delivery guarantee
• Faster, lower overhead
• Used for: Video streaming, gaming, DNS
Q35. What are the three main cloud service models? Give examples.
Answer:
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): Virtual machines, storage, networks
Examples: AWS EC2, Azure VMs, Google Compute Engine
PaaS (Platform as a Service): Development platform, databases
Examples: Heroku, Google App Engine, Azure App Service
SaaS (Software as a Service): Complete applications
Examples: Gmail, Salesforce, Microsoft 365
Section 3: Coding Assessment (2 Problems)
Accenture coding section has 2 medium-difficulty problems. Focus on clean code, handling edge cases, and efficient solutions.
Coding Problem 1: Array Equilibrium Index
Problem: Find the equilibrium index of an array. An equilibrium index is an index where the sum of elements at lower indices equals the sum of elements at higher indices.
Input:
First line: N (size of array)
Second line: N space-separated integers
Output: First equilibrium index, or -1 if none exists
Example:
Input: N=7, arr=[-7, 1, 5, 2, -4, 3, 0]
Output: 3 (sum of left [−7,1,5] = -1, sum of right [-4,3,0] = -1)
Python Solution:
def equilibrium_index(arr):
n = len(arr)
if n == 0:
return -1
total_sum = sum(arr)
left_sum = 0
for i in range(n):
right_sum = total_sum - left_sum - arr[i]
if left_sum == right_sum:
return i
left_sum += arr[i]
return -1
n = int(input())
arr = list(map(int, input().split()))
print(equilibrium_index(arr))
Coding Problem 2: Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters
Problem: Given a string, find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters.
Input: A string S
Output: Length of longest substring without repeating characters
Example:
Input: "abcabcbb"
Output: 3 (substring "abc")
Python Solution:
def longest_unique_substring(s):
if not s:
return 0
char_index = {}
max_length = 0
start = 0
for end in range(len(s)):
if s[end] in char_index and char_index[s[end]] >= start:
start = char_index[s[end]] + 1
char_index[s[end]] = end
max_length = max(max_length, end - start + 1)
return max_length
s = input()
print(longest_unique_substring(s))
Coding Tips: Accenture values clean, readable code. Use meaningful variable names, add comments for complex logic, and handle edge cases (empty input, single element, all same characters).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is Accenture minimum CGPA requirement?
Minimum 60% or 6.5 CGPA throughout academics. No active backlogs. All branches eligible including non-IT.
2. What is Accenture fresher salary 2026?
ASE: ₹4.5 LPA | SE: ₹8 LPA | SSE: ₹12 LPA. Package depends on assessment score and institute tier.
3. What is Accenture exam pattern 2026?
Cognitive (90 min, 50 Qs) + Technical (60 min) + Coding (45 min, 2 problems). Total ~195 minutes.
4. Is there negative marking in Accenture?
No negative marking. Attempt all questions for maximum score.
5. What programming languages allowed?
C, C++, Java, Python, JavaScript are supported. Python recommended for faster coding.
6. What is Accenture Elevated Program?
Specialized tracks (ML, Blockchain, Cloud) with higher packages (₹8-12 LPA) for top performers.
7. How to prepare in 20 days?
Days 1-6: Cognitive | Days 7-12: Technical | Days 13-17: Coding | Days 18-20: Mocks + Interview.
8. Difference between ASE, SE, SSE?
ASE (₹4.5L) base role. SE (₹8L) for high scorers. SSE (₹12L) for premier institute toppers.
9. How many rounds in Accenture?
3 rounds: Online Assessment → Technical Interview → HR Interview.
10. Topics in technical interview?
SDLC, Agile, OOP, SQL, project discussion, resume-based questions.
11. Is Accenture good for freshers?
Yes, world's largest consulting firm with global exposure, diverse projects, and excellent learning opportunities.
12. What is Accenture training?
6-12 weeks training covering technical skills, Accenture processes, and soft skills. Paid training.
13. Can non-IT students apply?
Yes, all graduates eligible. Non-IT candidates should demonstrate aptitude for technology.
14. How difficult is cognitive assessment?
Harder than typical aptitude. Focuses on logical reasoning and critical thinking. Needs 2-week dedicated prep.
15. Accenture bond period?
Typically no formal bond. Early exit may affect rehire eligibility.
16. When are campus placements?
Sept-Oct (early), Dec-Jan (regular), March-April (extended). Off-campus throughout year.
17. Accenture cutoff scores?
ASE: 55-60% | SE: 70%+ | SSE: 80%+. Coding round heavily weighted for SE/SSE.
18. What are Accenture core values?
Client Value Creation, One Global Network, Respect for Individual, Best People, Integrity, Stewardship. Know these for HR round.
Important Topics Summary
Cognitive: Logical Reasoning, Patterns
Critical: Arguments, Assumptions
SDLC: Phases, Waterfall vs Agile
Agile: Scrum, Sprint, Roles
OOP: 4 Pillars, Design Patterns
SQL: Joins, Subqueries, Normal Forms
Cloud: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
Coding: Arrays, Strings, Algorithms
Accenture Coding Problem Patterns
Most Frequently Asked Problem Types
- Array Manipulation: Two pointers, sliding window, prefix sums
- String Operations: Palindrome, anagram, substring problems
- Mathematical: Prime numbers, GCD/LCM, number theory
- Sorting/Searching: Custom sort, binary search variations
- Hash Maps: Frequency counting, pair finding
Sample Problem: Valid Anagram
def is_anagram(s1, s2):
if len(s1) != len(s2):
return False
char_count = {}
for char in s1:
char_count[char] = char_count.get(char, 0) + 1
for char in s2:
if char not in char_count:
return False
char_count[char] -= 1
if char_count[char] < 0:
return False
return True
print(is_anagram("listen", "silent"))
Sample Problem: Two Sum
def two_sum(arr, target):
seen = {}
for i, num in enumerate(arr):
complement = target - num
if complement in seen:
return [seen[complement], i]
seen[num] = i
return []
print(two_sum([2, 7, 11, 15], 9))
Sample Problem: Maximum Subarray Sum (Kadane's Algorithm)
def max_subarray_sum(arr):
if not arr:
return 0
max_ending = max_so_far = arr[0]
for num in arr[1:]:
max_ending = max(num, max_ending + num)
max_so_far = max(max_so_far, max_ending)
return max_so_far
print(max_subarray_sum([-2, 1, -3, 4, -1, 2, 1, -5, 4]))