Cisco Software Engineer candidates report an online coding assessment, recruiter and resume conversations, and technical rounds mixing easy-to-medium coding with networking and OS fundamentals. Depth and round count vary by team.
$138K
Avg. Base Comp
$185K
Avg. Total Comp
2-5 rounds
Typical Rounds
3-4 weeks
Process Length
Candidates describe the Cisco Software Engineer interview as a mix of familiar coding screens and fundamentals that reflect Cisco's networking roots. Several report an online assessment first, with LeetCode-style questions at easy-to-medium difficulty, though one candidate described two medium-to-hard problems alongside multiple-choice questions on data structures, operating systems, networks and databases.
The live technical rounds usually leaned practical. Reported coding prompts include 2-sum, a redundant-edge graph problem, linked-list cycle detection, and string or palindrome questions. Some candidates were also asked to run their code, so write code that actually executes, not just pseudocode. One candidate was asked to repeat a C++ answer in Python.
Networking and systems questions came up repeatedly, though depth depended on the team. Candidates mention TCP/IP layers, VLANs, ACLs, socket programming, processes and memory management. Another reported a Java concurrency question (bounded buffer and an executor service) in a round labeled system design.
Project defense mattered too. Several candidates said interviewers spent much of the time on their resume, internships, architecture decisions and what they personally contributed. Outcomes were mixed: some candidates received offers, while others were rejected after the assessment, after a short HR screen, or after later rounds. Prepare a clear story for each project, practice easy-to-medium problems aloud, and review core networking and OS basics.
Synthesized from 66 candidate reports by our editorial team.
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| Question | |
|---|---|
| Get Top N Frequent Words | |
| Cyclic Detection | |
| Closed Accounts | |
| Sort Strings | |
| Precision and Recall | |
| Hurdles In Data Projects | |
| Cloud-Agnostic Deployments | |
| String Palindromes | |
| Deciding Between Solutions | |
| VLAN 2 Connectivity Issue | |
| Testing Constraints | |
| Relational Migration | |
| Why Do You Want to Work With Us | |
| Justify a Neural Network | |
| Your Strengths and Weaknesses | |
| Merge Sorted Lists | |
| Prime to N | |
| Over-Budget Projects | |
| The Brackets Problem | |
| Bagging vs Boosting | |
| Size of Joins | |
| Find Duplicate Numbers in a List | |
| Swapping Nodes | |
| CNNs vs Intensity-Based Features | |
| Append Frequency | |
| Groups of Anagrams | |
| Longest Increasing Subsequence | |
| Skyscanner Partner ETL | |
| Valid Anagram |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Candidates report an online assessment early in the process, often with two or three LeetCode-style coding questions. Some versions also add multiple-choice questions on data structures, operating systems, networks and databases. Difficulty is typically described as easy to medium, though one candidate found it harder, and at least one was rejected right after it.
Candidates commonly describe an initial recruiter or HR call covering motivation for Cisco, location or relocation, and a walkthrough of their resume or current project. One candidate was also asked how they had used AI. This stage may be brief, and one candidate reported being rejected after only this call.
Candidates report one or more technical rounds combining easy-to-medium coding with fundamentals. Reported topics include 2-sum, graph and linked-list problems, OOP, operating systems, TCP/IP, switching and sockets. Depth likely varies by team. Interviewers may ask you to run your code or explain your reasoning aloud.
Several candidates describe a manager, team-lead or panel conversation centered on their resume, internships, project architecture choices and teamwork. Some panels included several interviewers, and some mixed technical and behavioral questions in one session. Be ready to explain exactly what you built and why.
Some candidates report a short closing conversation about relocation, logistics or fit, sometimes only 10 to 15 minutes. Outcomes varied: some candidates reported offers and others were rejected. One candidate who received an offer reported long silence from the hiring manager afterward, so timing of follow-up may vary.
