Unacademy Placement Papers 2026

Introduction

Unacademy stands as one of India's largest online learning platforms, revolutionizing test preparation and education accessibility since its inception in 2015. Founded by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini, and Hemesh Singh, the Bangalore-based ed-tech unicorn began as a YouTube channel and rapidly evolved into a comprehensive learning ecosystem. With over 60 million registered users and a network of more than 60,000 educators, Unacademy has democratized education by making quality coaching accessible to students across India at affordable prices.

The platform offers comprehensive courses for competitive examinations including UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, JEE, NEET, and various state-level exams. Unacademy's growth trajectory has been remarkable, with strategic acquisitions of platforms like PrepLadder, CodeChef, and Rheo TV expanding its portfolio. For aspiring professionals, Unacademy represents an opportunity to work in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment that values creativity, data-driven decision making, and a passion for transforming education. The company actively hires for engineering, product, data science, content, and business development roles.

Unacademy Selection Process and Interview Rounds

Round	Description	Duration	Key Focus Areas
Online Coding Test	HackerRank/CodeChef platform assessment	90-120 minutes	Data Structures, Algorithms, Problem-solving, Code efficiency
Technical Screening	Phone/Video technical interview	45-60 minutes	CS fundamentals, Coding discussion, Resume deep-dive
System Design Round	Architecture and design discussion	60-90 minutes	Scalable systems, Database design, API design, Microservices
Coding Round	Live coding session	60 minutes	Real-time problem solving, Code quality, Optimization
HR + Culture Fit	Behavioral interview	45-60 minutes	Values alignment, Motivation, Career aspirations

Technical and Aptitude Questions with Answers

Technical Questions

Q1: How would you design a rate limiter for an API?

Token Bucket Algorithm:

• Tokens are added to a bucket at a fixed rate
• Each request consumes one token
• If bucket is empty, request is rejected

Sliding Window Log:

• Stores timestamp of each request
• Removes timestamps outside the current window
• Counts requests in current window

Implementation considerations:

• Storage: Redis for distributed systems
• Headers: X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining
• Response: 429 Too Many Requests when limit exceeded

Q2: Explain CAP theorem and its implications in distributed systems.

• Consistency: All nodes see the same data at the same time
• Availability: Every request receives a response (success or failure)
• Partition Tolerance: System continues to operate despite network partitions

Implications:

• CP systems: Sacrifice availability (MongoDB, HBase)
• AP systems: Sacrifice consistency (Cassandra, DynamoDB)
• CA systems: Sacrifice partition tolerance (Traditional RDBMS)

In practice, partition tolerance is mandatory, so systems choose between CP and AP.

Q3: What is the difference between SQL and NoSQL databases? When would you use each?

SQL Databases:

• Structured schema with tables and relationships
• ACID compliance (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability)
• Vertical scaling
• Use cases: Financial transactions, Inventory management, Complex queries
• Examples: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle

NoSQL Databases:

• Flexible schema (document, key-value, column, graph)
• BASE properties (Basically Available, Soft state, Eventually consistent)
• Horizontal scaling
• Use cases: Real-time analytics, Content management, IoT data, Social networks
• Examples: MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis, Neo4j

Q4: Implement a LRU (Least Recently Used) Cache.

from collections import OrderedDict

class LRUCache:
    def __init__(self, capacity):
        self.capacity = capacity
        self.cache = OrderedDict()
    
    def get(self, key):
        if key not in self.cache:
            return -1
        # Move to end (most recently used)
        self.cache.move_to_end(key)
        return self.cache[key]
    
    def put(self, key, value):
        if key in self.cache:
            self.cache.move_to_end(key)
        self.cache[key] = value
        if len(self.cache) > self.capacity:
            # Remove first item (least recently used)
            self.cache.popitem(last=False)

Q5: What are the different types of HTTP caching mechanisms?

• Cache-Control Headers: max-age, no-cache, no-store, private, public
• ETag: Entity tag for cache validation
• Last-Modified: Timestamp-based validation
• Expires: Absolute expiration date
• Vary: Cache variations based on request headers

Cache Invalidation Strategies:

• Time-based expiration
• Event-based invalidation
• Manual purge

Aptitude Questions

Q6: A batsman scores 85 runs in his 17th innings and increases his average by 3. What is his average after the 17th innings?

16x + 85 = 17(x + 3) 16x + 85 = 17x + 51 85 - 51 = 17x - 16x x = 34

Average after 17 innings = 34 + 3 = 37

Q7: Two pipes A and B can fill a tank in 20 and 30 minutes respectively. If both pipes are opened together, how long will it take to fill the tank?

Together: 1/20 + 1/30 = 3/60 + 2/60 = 5/60 = 1/12 per minute

Time to fill = 12 minutes

Q8: The compound interest on ₹10,000 at 10% per annum for 2 years is:

Compound Interest = 12,100 - 10,000 = ₹2,100

Q9: Find the odd one out: 3, 9, 27, 81, 243, 729, 2187

Wait, let me recheck... Actually all are powers of 3. If there's an error in the series, 3 is the only single digit. Or if 9 is replaced by something else... Assuming the series is correct, there might be a different pattern expected.

Alternative: If the series was meant to be 3, 9, 27, 81, 240, 729... then 240 is odd (should be 243).

Q10: A boat travels 24 km upstream in 6 hours and 36 km downstream in 6 hours. What is the speed of the stream?

Let boat speed = b, stream speed = s b - s = 4 b + s = 6

Adding: 2b = 10, so b = 5 km/h Substituting: 5 + s = 6, so s = 1 km/h

Speed of stream = 1 km/h

Interview Tips for Unacademy

• Master Data Structures and Algorithms: Unacademy places heavy emphasis on coding skills. Practice extensively on LeetCode (Medium-Hard), CodeChef, and HackerRank. Focus on arrays, trees, graphs, dynamic programming, and system design.

• Understand Ed-Tech Business Model: Study how Unacademy monetizes through subscriptions, Plus courses, and Iconic subscriptions. Be prepared to discuss metrics like LTV (Lifetime Value), CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), and retention strategies.

• Showcase System Design Knowledge: For senior roles, expect detailed system design questions. Practice designing scalable systems like a live classroom platform, video streaming service, or recommendation engine.

• Demonstrate Product Thinking: Unacademy values candidates who understand user problems. Be ready to discuss how you'd improve the platform, add new features, or solve specific learner pain points.

• Highlight Open Source Contributions: Unacademy acquired CodeChef, so showing competitive programming experience or open source contributions can give you an edge over other candidates.

Salary and CTC Information

Role	Experience	CTC Range (LPA)	Components
Software Engineer	0-2 years	₹10-18 LPA	Base + Performance Bonus + ESOPs
Senior Software Engineer	2-5 years	₹20-40 LPA	Base + Bonus + Generous ESOPs
Staff Engineer	5+ years	₹40-70 LPA	Base + Bonus + Significant ESOPs
Product Manager	2-5 years	₹20-45 LPA	Base + Performance Bonus + ESOPs
Data Scientist	2-5 years	₹18-35 LPA	Base + Bonus + ESOPs
Content Lead	3-6 years	₹12-25 LPA	Base + Performance Bonus

Additional Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance
• Learning and development budget
• Flexible work from home options
• Free access to Unacademy courses
• Wellness programs and mental health support
• Employee stock options with vesting schedule

Conclusion

Unacademy's recruitment process is rigorous and competitive, reflecting the company's high standards for technical excellence and innovation. Success requires thorough preparation in data structures, algorithms, and system design, combined with a genuine passion for transforming education. The interviewers look for candidates who can think critically, write clean code, and understand the unique challenges of building educational technology at scale.

Focus on building a strong foundation in computer science fundamentals, practice coding problems consistently, and stay updated with the latest trends in ed-tech. Remember that Unacademy values not just technical skills but also your ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and contribute to their mission of democratizing education. With dedication and the right preparation strategy, you can secure a rewarding career at one of India's most innovative ed-tech companies.