Cadence 2026 aptitude
Quantitative, reasoning, and verbal drills with solutions
Cadence 2026 Pattern Details
Overview
This page collects Cadence placement papers from 2026 with practice questions, worked solutions, and the exam pattern students reported that cycle. Use it when you want drive history: what the first round looked like, which topics repeated, and how to approach solutions. Work the sets below under a timer, then compare with newer material so your prep matches both established Cadence patterns and recent shifts.
Download / jump links
Cadence 2026 coding
DSA practice aligned to Cadence online assessments
Cadence interview experience
Round structure and tips from student reports
Cadence prep guide
Study plan and weekly schedule
Cadence Aptitude Mock Quiz
Timed placement-style MCQs with score and explanations after you submit. Use it to check speed and accuracy before the real test.
Questions15
Time10 min
Quantitative
The ratio of ages of A and B is 3:5. After 8 years, the ratio becomes 5:7. Find the present age of A.
Let present ages be 3x and 5x. After 8 years: - A's age: 3x + 8 - B's age: 5x + 8 Given: (3x + 8)/(5x + 8) = 5/7 7(3x + 8) = 5(5x + 8) 21x + 56 = 25x + 40 4x = 16 x = 4 Present age of A = 3x = 3 × 4 = 12 years
Quantitative
A and B finish a job in 12 and 18 days. Working together they finish in:
1/12 + 1/18 = 5/36 → 36/5 = 7.2 days.
Quantitative
Two numbers are in ratio 3:5 and their sum is 56. The larger number is:
Parts = 8. Larger = 5/8 × 56 = 35.
Quantitative
A is the father of B. B is the brother of C. How is A related to C?
Correct answer: Father
Reasoning
A walks 10m North, turns right walks 5m, turns right walks 10m. Direction from start?
Correct answer: East (5m east of starting point)
Verbal
A man sells an article at a loss of 10%. If he had sold it for ₹45 more, he would have gained 5%. Find the cost price.
Correct answer: ₹300
Reasoning
Find the next number: 2, 5, 11, 23, 47, ?
Pattern: Each number = previous × 2 + 1 2×2+1=5, 5×2+1=11, 11×2+1=23, 23×2+1=47 Next: 47×2+1 = 95
Verbal
Choose the correct form: "I _____ to the store yesterday."
"Yesterday" indicates past tense, so "went" is correct.
Verbal
Antonym of "Benevolent":
Benevolent ↔ malevolent.
Quantitative
A bank charges a processing fee of 2% on a loan amount. If the loan amount is ₹1,000,000, what is the processing fee?
Correct answer: ₹20,000
Reasoning
All pens are books. Some books are papers. Conclusion: Some pens are papers.
No definite overlap between pens and papers.
Quantitative
Find the error: "Each of the students have completed their assignment."
"Each" is singular, so "has" should be used instead of "have", and "his or her" instead of "their".
Verbal
Antonym of "Permanent":
Permanent ↔ temporary/brief.
Reasoning
Odd one out: 8, 27, 64, 100, 125
Others are perfect cubes; 100 is not.
Reasoning
Odd one out: Rose, Lily, Lotus, Leaf
Others are flowers.
Your score
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Review
Cadence exam pattern 2026
| Section | What shows up | Prep focus |
|---|---|---|
| Online assessment | Coding and/or MCQ filter | Weekly timed mocks |
| Technical rounds | DSA, CS fundamentals, projects | Live problem solving |
| HR / hiring manager | Motivation and communication | Specific, evidence-based answers |
First round: Cadence Online Assessment
Skills emphasized: DSA, algorithms, C++, digital fundamentals
Languages: C++, Python
Sample Cadence questions with solutions
These are practice-style questions aligned to patterns students report for Cadence drives around 2026. They are not leaked live papers. Work them timed, then read the solutions only after you have an answer.
Quantitative aptitude (2026)
Q1: Net percent change
Problem: A number is increased by 20% and then decreased by 20%. What is the net percentage change?
Solution: Start with 100 → 120 → 96. Net change = 4% decrease. Formula: successive +a then −a gives −(a²/100)% = −4%.
Answer: 4% decrease
Q2: Consumption cut
Problem: If the price of an item rises by 25%, by what percent should consumption fall so that expenditure stays the same?
Solution: Required reduction = r/(100+r) × 100 with r = 25. = 25/125 × 100 = 20%.
Answer: 20%
Q3: Compound mark-discount
Problem: An article is marked 40% above cost and sold after a 10% discount. Find the profit percent.
Solution: SP = CP × 1.4 × 0.9 = 1.26 CP. Profit = 26%.
Answer: 26%
Q4: Loss to profit shift
Problem: An article sold at 10% loss would give 5% profit if sold for ₹60 more. Find the cost price.
Solution: 0.9P + 60 = 1.05P 60 = 0.15P P = 60 / 0.15 = ₹400.
Answer: ₹400
Q5: Worker scaling
Problem: Eight workers finish a job in 10 days. How many days will 10 workers take for the same job (same pace)?
Solution: Total man-days = 8 × 10 = 80. Days for 10 workers = 80 / 10 = 8 days.
Answer: 8 days
Q6: Distance from speed
Problem: A vehicle travels at 60 km/h for 2.5 hours. How far does it go?
Solution: Distance = speed × time = 60 × 2.5 = 150 km.
Answer: 150 km
Q7: Compound ratio
Problem: If two ratios are 3:5 and 5:7, what is the compound ratio?
Solution: Compound ratio = (3/5) × (5/7) = 3/7, written as 3:7.
Answer: 3:7
Q8: SI three years
Problem: Find simple interest on ₹5000 at 8% per annum for 3 years.
Solution: SI = 5000 × 8 × 3 / 100 = ₹1200.
Answer: ₹1200
Coding practice (2026)
Coding Q1: Merge overlapping intervals
Problem: Given a list of intervals [start, end], merge all overlapping intervals and return the non-overlapping set that covers the same ranges.
Approach: Sort by start time. Walk once, merging into the last interval in the result when the next start is ≤ current end; otherwise append a new interval.
Complexity: O(n log n) time from the sort
Cadence tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q2: Top K frequent elements
Problem: Given an integer array and an integer k, return the k most frequent elements. Order among equals can be arbitrary unless the problem says otherwise.
Approach: Count frequencies with a hash map, then use a heap of size k (or bucket sort by frequency) to extract the top k keys.
Complexity: O(n log k) with a heap
Cadence tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q3: Linked list cycle
Problem: Given the head of a linked list, return true if there is a cycle and false otherwise.
Approach: Floyd’s tortoise and hare: move one pointer one step and another two steps. If they meet, a cycle exists. If the fast pointer hits null, there is no cycle.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) space
Cadence tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q4: Binary tree level order
Problem: Given the root of a binary tree, return the level-order traversal (breadth-first) as a list of levels.
Approach: Use a queue. For each level, drain the current queue size, collect values, and enqueue children for the next level.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
Cadence tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q5: Coin change (min coins)
Problem: Given coin denominations and an amount, return the fewest coins needed to make that amount, or -1 if it is impossible.
Approach: Unbounded knapsack DP: let dp[x] be the minimum coins for amount x. For each coin, update dp[c..amount]. Initialize dp[0] = 0 and the rest to a large sentinel.
Complexity: O(amount × coins)
Cadence tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q6: Binary search
Problem: Given a sorted array of distinct integers and a target, return the index of target or -1 if missing.
Approach: Maintain lo/hi. Compare mid with target and shrink the half that cannot contain it. Careful with overflow-free mid and empty arrays.
Complexity: O(log n) time
Cadence tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q7: Move zeros
Problem: Move all zeros in an array to the end while keeping the relative order of non-zero elements.
Approach: Two pointers: write non-zeros toward the front, then fill the remainder with zeros. Or swap zeros as you scan.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) space
Cadence tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q8: Rotate array
Problem: Rotate an array to the right by k steps. Example: [1,2,3,4,5,6,7], k = 3 → [5,6,7,1,2,3,4].
Approach: Normalize k %= n. Reverse the whole array, reverse the first k elements, then reverse the rest. That yields the rotation in place.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) space
Cadence tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Deep prep notes for Cadence
How the Cadence Online Assessment usually feels
Students usually say the first round is time-tight - easy marks vanish if you sit too long on one hard question. For Cadence, skim the paper in a couple of minutes, mark what you can finish cleanly, and protect accuracy. Languages people commonly use: C++, Python.
Topic weight hints
| Area | Why it matters at Cadence |
|---|---|
| DSA | What usually helps you clear the first round |
| Core CS (OOPs / DBMS / OS) | Technical interview depth |
| EDA, Computational Software awareness | Helps in managerial / HR conversations |
| Communication | Explain your approach clearly; keep a few real examples ready for HR |
14-Day sprint
- Days 1-3: Learn the 2026 pattern and take two sectional mocks
- Days 4-7: Closed practice on weak topics from your error log
- Days 8-10: Full mocks every other day; review the same day
- Days 11-14: Practice explaining projects out loud, light revision, sleep and IDs ready