CGI Software Engineer interviews commonly combine an HR screen, often a coding or MCQ assessment, and one or more technical rounds on Java, Spring Boot, SQL, and OOP, with a managerial or HR round near the end; structure varies by team and level.
$108K
Avg. Base Comp
$130K
Avg. Total Comp
2-4 rounds
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
CGI's Software Engineer interviews lean heavily on practical backend knowledge rather than algorithm-heavy puzzles. Across the reported experiences, candidates repeatedly describe a process built around Java fundamentals, Spring/Spring Boot, and SQL. Topics like streams, multithreading, serialization, thread life cycle, dependency injection, and microservices come up directly in technical rounds. One candidate was asked to work through an object-oriented design scenario on the spot with little guidance, and others were questioned on OOP concepts and design patterns. Being able to explain OOP with concrete examples from your own projects, not just definitions, is one of the more reliable signals from this evidence.
The process structure varies by team and level. One candidate reported a two-round loop: an OOP and scenario screen, followed by a combined technical-and-behavioral round. Others went through three or four stages that added a managerial, techno-managerial, or client round, plus a separate HR and salary conversation. A coding or multiple-choice assessment early in the process appears in several accounts. When coding did come up in interviews, candidates describe basic exercises such as reversing strings or stream-based grouping rather than hard algorithms. Behavioral questions about resolving disagreements, career motivation, or working with non-technical colleagues typically show up alongside the technical rounds rather than as a standalone deep-dive.
The exact stack can depend on the team. Beyond Java and Spring, candidates mention Angular, Node.js, AWS, and requirement-specific topics like SCD type 2. Before the interview, review the job posting's tech stack alongside your own resume projects. Be ready to explain CI/CD, SDLC, and the measurable impact of your work.
Synthesized from 11 candidate reports by our editorial team.
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Real interview reports from people who went through the Cgi process.
The hardest part for me was that the questions stayed pretty basic, but the interviewers expected quick, confident answers and didn’t spend much time explaining anything. I went through three rounds total: two technical rounds and one managerial round. The first round felt like a screening, and the second was the deeper technical discussion. In the technical rounds, they focused heavily on Java fundamentals and Spring Boot, and I also got asked some Angular-related questions. The Java portion included things like externalization, the difference between final, finally, and finalize, method overloading, serialization and the methods required for it, the ternary operator, thread life cycle, marker interfaces, and the static keyword. On the Spring side, they asked about dependency injection and its types, Spring Actuators, POST vs PUT, monolithic vs microservices, and general Spring Boot features.
What stood out most was that one interviewer gave me a scenario and asked me to work through an object-oriented design solution on the spot, but didn’t really guide the conversation much. It felt more like a resume grill than a structured design discussion, so being able to explain my past work clearly mattered a lot. The process itself was straightforward and moved fast, and the HR/managerial round was mostly the final step after the technical screens. I didn’t get the offer in the end, and from my experience they seemed to value candidates who could join quickly and answer directly from their resume and day-to-day backend work. If you’re preparing, I’d focus on core Java basics, Spring Boot concepts, and being ready to talk through your own projects in detail rather than expecting deep algorithm rounds.
Prep tip from this candidate
Brush up on core Java fundamentals like serialization, thread life cycle, marker interfaces, and the final/finally/finalize differences, since those came up directly. Also be ready to explain your resume projects clearly and walk through an object-oriented design scenario with little interviewer guidance.
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Sourced from candidate reports and verified by our team.
Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Cgi
Given an integer N, write a function that returns all of the prime numbers up to N
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Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Several candidates start with an HR or recruiter call covering background, motivation, and sometimes current or expected salary. This stage is typically described as brief and conversational rather than technical. In at least one account, the HR round instead came at the end and focused on salary expectations.
Several experiences mention an online multiple-choice test or a combined coding-and-MCQ test early in the process. One internship candidate believed the multiple-choice assessment applied to all levels. The accounts give little detail on its content.
The core of the process is one or more technical rounds. They cover Java fundamentals (streams, multithreading, serialization, thread life cycle), Spring and Spring Boot (dependency injection, Actuators, microservices), and SQL. Candidates describe basic coding exercises such as reversing strings or stream grouping rather than hard algorithms. Depending on the team, candidates also report stack-specific questions on SCD type 2, Angular, or Node.js and AWS.
Interviewers frequently ask candidates to walk through resume projects in detail. Topics include design pattern choices, CI/CD or SDLC work, and how impact was measured. Multiple candidates report this carried real weight, with interviewers probing depth of understanding rather than relying only on definitional answers.
A later round often shifts toward managerial or scenario-based territory, with questions about resolving disagreements, working with non-technical colleagues, and career motivation. One account described a client round run as a code-along, and an internship candidate's technical round included a program manager.
Some accounts close with a discussion of current and expected salary and negotiability, sometimes folded into the HR round. Reported outcomes varied: some candidates received offers and others did not. One candidate sensed that budget was a factor.
