Ignite selection has four stages and, from the 2025 and 2026 cycles, a fairly predictable rhythm: test → shortlist within a few weeks → document check and interview on one visit → offer within about a month.
Stages
| Stage | What happens | Timing (2025–26 pattern) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Registration | NextStep profile + Apply For Drive | May – July |
| 2. In-centre assessment | 120-min TCS iON test — see exam pattern | June (2025) / 26 August (2026) |
| 3. Shortlisting | Email + NextStep status update for candidates above cut-off | 2–4 weeks after the test |
| 4. Document verification | Originals of marksheets and ID checked at the venue | Same day or day before interview |
| 5. Interview | Single panel — Technical + Managerial + HR | 3–6 weeks after the test |
| 6. Offer & BGV | Offer letter on NextStep; background verification; joining with the next Ignite batch | About a month after interview |
What candidates report about the interview
One panel of two or three — an HR, a manager and a technical interviewer — for 20–30 minutes. Typical flow: self-introduction, a question on your preferred programming language, a small program on paper (swap without a temporary variable, reverse a string), your final-year project, then relocation and shift flexibility. Java fundamentals and DBMS (joins, normal forms, ACID) are the most common technical themes. Model answers are on the interview questions page.
Interview days run late — 2025 candidates report slots starting hours after schedule. Carry water, snacks and every original document.