Cognizant Automata Fix questions | Cognizant Automata Fix pattern

Cognizant Automata Fix questions | Cognizant Automata Fix pattern

Cognizant Automata Fix Questions & Pattern – Complete Guide

Cognizant’s on-campus recruitment process has evolved, with a new section called Automata Fix being added to their online test. This section focuses on assessing your debugging skills and your ability to fix errors in given programs. If you’re preparing for Cognizant’s recruitment process, here’s what you need to know about the Automata Fix section, its pattern, syllabus, and sample questions.

What is Cognizant Automata Fix?

Automata Fix is a unique assessment introduced by Cognizant to evaluate a candidate’s ability to identify and resolve errors in code. This section specifically tests how well you can:

  • Debug errors in a given program.
  • Add or modify functionality based on pre-existing code.
  • Understand code written by others and fix logical, syntactical, or compilation issues.

The best part? You can take this test in several programming languages, making it versatile for programmers with different language preferences.


Latest Test Pattern & Syllabus for Cognizant Automata Fix

The Automata Fix section consists of a variety of coding problems designed to assess different aspects of programming. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:

Automata Fix Question Types

  1. Logical Questions: These questions assess your understanding of logical concepts such as loops, conditions, and recursion.
  2. Compilation Questions: These focus on checking your knowledge of syntax and language-specific concepts. You’ll need to debug errors that prevent the program from compiling.
  3. Code Reuse Questions: These are more challenging and require you to complete code using predefined structures or functions. You might need to fix bugs in the code and add functionality.

Sample Questions from Cognizant Automata Fix

Here are some sample questions to help you get a feel for the Automata Fix section:

1. Debugging: Print Numbers from N to 0

Given Code:

cCopyEditint main() {
    int n;
    scanf("%d", &n);
    unsigned int i = n;
    while(i >= 0) {
        printf("%d\n", i);
        i--;
    }
    return 0;
}

Input: 4
Output: Infinite loop

Explanation:
The issue here is a logical error. unsigned int ranges from 0 to 65535, which leads to a cyclic behavior when i-- is used. The loop will never terminate. The corrected code should use int i = n; instead.


2. Find Factorial of a Given Number

Given Code:

cCopyEditint main() {
    long int fact = 1, n, i;
    scanf("%d", &n);
    for(i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
        fact = fact * i;
    }
    printf("%d", fact);
    return 0;
}

Input: 20
Output: -2102132736

Explanation:
The issue here is with the scanf and printf format specifiers. Since fact and n are declared as long int, you should use %ld instead of %d in both scanf and printf.


3. Print a Pattern of Numbers

Given Code:

cCopyEditvoid main() {
    int i, j, n;
    scanf("%d", &n);
    for(i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
        for(j = 1; j <= n; j++) {
            printf("%d", i);
        }
        printf("\n");
    }
}

Input: 3
Output:

CopyEdit111
222
333

Explanation:
This code has a logical error. The inner loop should start from j = i instead of j = 1 to achieve the desired pattern. The corrected code is:

cCopyEditfor(j = i; j <= n; j++) {
    printf("%d", i);
}

4. Find the Greatest of Three Numbers

Given Code:

cCopyEditint main() {
    int num1, num2, num3;
    scanf("%d %d %d", &num1, &num2, &num3);
    if (num1 > num2) && (num1 > num3) {
        printf("%d", num1);
    }
    elseif(num2 > num3) {
        printf("%d", num2);
    }
    else {
        printf("%d", num3);
    }
    return 0;
}

Explanation:
There are syntax errors in the code. The condition if (num1 > num2) && (num1 > num3) needs to be corrected to if ((num1 > num2) && (num1 > num3)), and elseif should be corrected to else if.


5. Code Reuse: Convert Binary to Decimal

Given Code:

cCopyEditvoid binarytodecimal(number) {
    // Code to convert binary to decimal
}

Correct Code:

cCopyEditvoid binarytodecimal(int number) {
    int dval = 0, base = 1, rem;
    while (number > 0) {
        rem = number % 10;
        dval = dval + rem * base;
        number = number / 10;
        base = base * 2;
    }
    return dval;
}

Explanation:
This code converts a binary number to decimal by repeatedly extracting each digit and multiplying it by the corresponding power of 2.

Preparing for Cognizant Automata Fix

To ace the Automata Fix section, practice is key! Familiarize yourself with common syntax errors, logical bugs, and code reuse patterns. Understanding the problem, spotting bugs, and fixing them efficiently will help you stand out.

Conclusion

The Cognizant Automata Fix section is a great opportunity to showcase your debugging and problem-solving skills. By understanding the common patterns in coding errors and practicing with real examples, you’ll be well-prepared to handle the challenges in this section.

Cognizant Automata Fix questions