Coding questions
Synopsys Online Assessment
Overview
Here is how public prep guides and student write-ups describe the Synopsys online assessment. This is not an official company brochure.
EDA company interviews often mix software DSA with digital-logic and tool/OS depth.
Usual selection rounds
Rounds students usually mention: Online technical test → Multiple technical interviews → Managerial → HR (varies)
| Item | From student reports |
|---|---|
| Platform | Online technical test |
| Online test summary | GFG SDE internship: 90-min test with Software I (C/C++ pseudo), Software II (C++/OOPs pseudo), Digital logic. Older on-campus: 60 MCQs across quant, logical, C/C++, DSA, digital design. |
| Eligibility notes | Drive-specific |
| Branches (reported) | CSE/ECE and related for SDE/EDA tracks |
Online test sections
| Section | Questions | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C/C++ / OOPs pseudocode | - | part of ~90 min | - |
| Digital logic | - | - | Appears even on some SDE internship papers |
Extra notes from sources
- Check your college placement email for the platform, section order, and timing.
Sample practice question styles
These are practice questions for speed - not claimed to be from a real Synopsys live paper.
Coding Q1: Check prime
Problem: Write a function that returns true if n is prime and false otherwise. Handle n < 2 correctly.
Approach: Return false for n < 2. Trial-divide from 2 to floor(sqrt(n)). If any divisor divides n evenly, it is composite; otherwise prime.
Complexity: O(√n) time
Synopsys 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: Valid parentheses
Problem: Given a string containing only ‘()[]’, decide whether the brackets are balanced and correctly nested.
Approach: Scan left to right with a stack. Push opening brackets. On a closing bracket, the stack top must be the matching opener. At the end the stack must be empty.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
Synopsys 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: Two Sum
Problem: Given an array of integers and a target, return indices of two numbers that add up to the target. Assume exactly one solution and you may not use the same element twice.
Approach: Walk the array once. For each value x, check whether target − x was seen earlier in a hash map of value → index. If yes, return both indices; else store x.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
Synopsys 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: Longest substring without repeating characters
Problem: Given a string s, find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters. Example: ‘abcabcbb’ → 3 (‘abc’).
Approach: Sliding window with a map (or last-seen index) of characters. Expand the right pointer; when a duplicate appears inside the window, move the left pointer past the previous occurrence.
Complexity: O(n) time
Synopsys 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.
Prep tips from those student reports
- Do not skip digital logic if applying to Synopsys software/EDA hybrids
- Every resume keyword (Linux, ML, deep learning) can become an interview chapter
- Practice explaining projects end-to-end
Sources
- Synopsys Interview Experiences for SDE Internship - GFG (gfg)
- Interview Experience with Synopsys - On Campus - GFG (gfg)
These notes come from public reports and can differ by campus, year, and role. If your college placement email or the official careers/notification PDF says something different, follow that.
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