My Tekion SDE-1 (Backend) Interview Experience

Kuldeep Rajput

Last Updated : 08 October 2025

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Interviewing at Tekion for the SDE-1 (Backend) position was a memorable learning journey. The overall interview process gave me valuable insights into how Tekion evaluates candidates both technically and behaviorally.

In this blog, I will walk you through the entire interview process, including question types, coding problems, design discussions and key preparation tips for future candidates. Here, I have also included all the interview questions that were asked during my interviews.

Round 1: Online Assessment (Coding)

Difficulty: Medium
Duration: 60 minutes
Mode: Remote

The process began with an online assessment consisting of three algorithmic problems designed to test problem-solving skills and data structure fundamentals.

Problem 1: Minimum Cost Path in a Grid

Type: Dynamic Programming

Find the minimum cost to move from the top-left to the bottom-right corner of a grid, navigating around obstacles. You could only move right or down and each cell had an associated cost.

My Approach:

I implemented a DP table to store the minimum cost at each cell, using the formula:

dp[i][j] = cost[i][j] + min(dp[i-1][j], dp[i][j-1])

This ensured an optimal solution with O(n²) complexity.

Problem 2: Length of the Longest Arithmetic Progression

Type: Dynamic Programming + Hash Map

Given an array, find the length of the longest arithmetic progression (AP) that can be formed from its elements.

My Approach:

I sorted the array and used a hash map of differences to keep track of AP lengths dynamically.
For every pair (i, j), I calculated the difference diff = arr[j] - arr[i] and updated dp[j][diff] = dp[i][diff] + 1.

Problem 3: Minimum Number of Stops to Reach Target

Type: Greedy Algorithm

You are given a target distance and a list of fuel stations. Find the minimum number of stops required to reach the target, assuming you start with a certain amount of fuel.

My Approach:

I used a max-heap to keep track of the best refueling options as I moved forward.
While my solution worked, I felt there was room for space optimization.

Result: I managed to solve all three problems successfully, though I noted that my third solution could have been optimized further.

Round 2: DSA + Logical Thinking

Difficulty: Medium
Duration: 60 minutes
Mode: Remote

This round was focused entirely on Data Structures and Algorithms. The interviewer tested my analytical reasoning and efficiency in solving classical DSA problems.

Problem 1: 8-Ball Weighing Puzzle

Out of 8 identical-looking balls, one is heavier. You can use a balance scale only 3 times to find the heavier ball.

My Approach:

I applied a divide-and-conquer strategy, dividing the balls into three groups to minimize comparisons.
After each weighing, I reduced the search space by one-third until the heavier ball was identified.

Problem 2: Product of Array Except Self

Given an array nums, return an array where each element is the product of all other elements except itself without using division.

My Approach:

I computed two auxiliary arrays:
- Prefix product: product of all elements before the current index.
- Suffix product: product of all elements after the current index.
Then combined them to get the final answer in O(n) time and O(1) extra space.

Result: The discussion went smoothly, the interviewer appreciated my step-by-step explanation and dry runs.

Round 3: Low-Level Design (LLD)

Difficulty: Medium
Duration: 60 minutes
Mode: Remote

This round tested my object-oriented design skills, Java fundamentals and ability to design scalable systems.

Discussion Topics:

Past project architecture : design decisions, scalability and patterns used.
Java + Mockito: detailed discussion on mocking, dependency injection and unit testing using TDD.

Design Problem: Elevator System

Design an elevator system for a multi-floor building that efficiently handles multiple requests.

Key Considerations:

Elevator scheduling (up/down requests)
Prioritization logic
Handling multiple elevators

Modular class design for extensibility

I designed the system using OOP principles, defining classes like Elevator, Request and Scheduler. Focused on clean modular design, thread-safe request handling and optimized scheduling algorithms. The interviewer appreciated my detailed approach and design clarity.

Round 4: Hiring Manager (HM) Discussion

Difficulty: Medium
Duration: 60 minutes
Mode: Remote

This round combined technical and behavioral evaluation. The hiring manager assessed not only my technical depth but also my problem-solving attitude and team communication style.

Technical Topics:

Java Concurrency: Discussion around threads, synchronization and common pitfalls like race conditions and deadlocks. I explained how I used synchronization blocks and thread-safe collections in past projects.

Behavioral Questions:

Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your team on a technical decision.
How do you manage tight deadlines while maintaining code quality?
What's your approach when handling production issues under pressure?

These questions aimed to evaluate my collaboration, communication and decision-making abilities in real-world situations.

Preparation Tips for Future Candidates

If you're preparing for Tekion's SDE-1 (Backend) interview or similar roles, here's what I'd recommend:

Master DSA fundamentals : Arrays, Linked Lists, Trees and Dynamic Programming.
Focus on Java concepts : Concurrency, Collections, OOP principles and Exception handling.
Practice System Design : Start with Elevator System, Cache Systems and Request Schedulers.
Work on communication : Clear explanation and structured thinking go a long way.
Mock interviews : Practice with peers or mentors to refine your articulation and timing.

Round 1: Online Assessment (Coding)

Difficulty: Medium
Duration: 60 minutes
Mode: Remote

The process began with an online assessment consisting of three algorithmic problems designed to test problem-solving skills and\ndata structure fundamentals.