The HCLTech syllabus covers four MCQ sections and a coding round. The topic list below is compiled from recent memory-based HCLTech papers — the same topics repeat drive after drive, so treat this as your preparation checklist.
Quantitative Aptitude (15 questions, 15 min)
- Number system, HCF & LCM, divisibility
- Percentages, Profit & Loss, Simple & Compound Interest
- Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns
- Speed–Time–Distance and Trains
- Ratio & Proportion, Averages, Ages
- Progressions (A.P.), Probability, Data Interpretation basics
Logical Reasoning (15 questions, 15 min)
- Blood relations (an HCLTech favourite — multiple per paper)
- Syllogisms and statement–conclusion
- Mathematical inequalities (chained comparisons)
- Coding-decoding and code-language questions
- Seating and linear arrangements with professions
- Series, analogies, directions
Verbal Ability (15 questions, 15 min)
- Error identification (spot the wrong part)
- Fill in the blanks — prepositions, verb forms
- Synonyms, antonyms and spelling
- Idioms and phrases
- Sentence rearrangement (para jumbles)
- Reading comprehension (short passages)
Computer Fundamentals (15 questions, 15 min)
- Pseudocode and output tracing (XOR tricks, recursion)
- C programming — memory, malloc/calloc, operators
- OOP — the four pillars, overloading vs overriding
- DBMS — keys, ACID, normalization, basic SQL queries
- Operating systems — paging, segmentation, deadlock, context switch
- Networking — TCP/IP, the three-way handshake, OSI basics
Coding Round (2 problems, ~20 min)
- String manipulation (reversal, run-length encoding, character moves)
- Arrays and matrices (traversals, spiral order, max/min)
- Digit logic (borrow counting, digit sums)
- Languages allowed: C, C++, Java, Python
Non-CS branch? Computer Fundamentals is where most of your competition loses the sectional cutoff — start with the practice questions two weeks before test day.