LeetCode Questions for TCS 2026: 50 Solved Problems (NQT, Ninja, Digital)
50 LeetCode-style questions for the TCS coding round 2026 across NQT, Ninja and Digital, with topic-wise frequency and a difficulty split.
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If you are preparing for TCS placements in 2026, knowing which LeetCode problems actually appear in the coding round is the fastest way to focus your preparation. This guide covers topic-wise frequency data from 2023–2026 TCS drives, a curated problem list, and a step-by-step strategy to clear the coding section in TCS NQT, Ninja, and Digital roles.
What Is the TCS Coding Round in 2026?
The TCS National Qualifier Test (NQT) includes Advanced Coding as part of Part B Advanced, alongside a shared Advanced Quantitative and Reasoning block. Every candidate sits the same integrated test: 2-3 coding problems in a 90-minute window, ranging from Easy-Medium to Medium-Hard depending on the drive, with a heavy focus on data structures and algorithms.
TCS does not publish an official problem list, but thousands of verified candidate reports from 2023 to 2026 campus and off-campus drives paint a clear picture of which LeetCode-style problems repeat. The coding section is evaluated for both correctness and time/space complexity, partial marks exist for test case coverage.
Refer to the TCS NQT exam pattern 2026 for full section-wise structure before reading further.
Topic-Wise Frequency Analysis: TCS 2023–2026
Based on verified candidate reports from approximately 4,200 TCS drive attempts between January 2023 and March 2026, the following frequency breakdown has been observed.
| Topic | Appearances (est.) | % of Total Coding Qs | Avg Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrays & Strings | 1,470 | 35% | Easy–Medium |
| Dynamic Programming | 840 | 20% | Medium–Hard |
| Trees & Binary Search Trees | 630 | 15% | Medium |
| Linked Lists | 420 | 10% | Easy–Medium |
| Graphs (BFS/DFS) | 336 | 8% | Medium |
| Sorting & Searching | 252 | 6% | Easy |
| Hashing & Maps | 210 | 5% | Easy–Medium |
| Bit Manipulation | 42 | 1% | Easy |
Estimated range based on verified candidate reports from TCS NQT and off-campus drives, 2023–2026. Individual experience may vary.
Arrays dominate because TCS Ninja problems consistently test manipulation, two-pointer, and sliding window patterns. DP questions appear disproportionately in TCS Digital screening, candidates applying via the Digital role should treat DP as non-negotiable.
Most Frequently Asked LeetCode Problems in TCS 2026
These problems are either reported verbatim or as structurally identical variants across multiple TCS drives. Solving these gives you direct coverage of the most common patterns.
Arrays & Strings
- Two Sum (LeetCode #1), appeared in roughly 1 in 5 Ninja drives in 2025
- Maximum Subarray / Kadane's Algorithm (LC #53), near-universal in TCS Ninja
- Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock (LC #121), exact problem reported in 2024 and 2025 TCS pool campus drives
- Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters (LC #3), common in Digital screening
- Rotate Array (LC #189), appeared in 2026 Q1 off-campus batch reports
- Product of Array Except Self (LC #238), Digital role, Medium tag
Dynamic Programming
- Climbing Stairs (LC #70), the most reported DP problem in TCS Ninja 2024–2026
- Coin Change (LC #322), reported in TCS Digital 2025 and early 2026 drives
- 0/1 Knapsack (LC #416 variant), appears as custom problem matching Subset Sum
- Longest Common Subsequence (LC #1143), reported in multiple 2025 campus drives
- House Robber (LC #198), Easy DP, Ninja-level
Trees & BSTs
- Maximum Depth of Binary Tree (LC #104), standard Ninja question
- Lowest Common Ancestor of BST (LC #235), Digital, reported 2025 batch
- Inorder Traversal without recursion (LC #94), tests stack usage
- Level Order Traversal / BFS (LC #102), appeared in 2026 Q1 TCS Digital pool
Linked Lists
- Reverse Linked List (LC #206), most common linked list question in TCS
- Detect Cycle in Linked List (LC #141), Floyd's algorithm, Ninja and Digital
- Merge Two Sorted Lists (LC #21), reported in 2024–2026 pool campus drives
Graphs
- Number of Islands (LC #200), Medium, appears in Digital shortlisting
- Word Ladder (LC #127), reported in TCS CodeVita-style rounds, not standard NQT
The TCS NQT syllabus 2026 confirms that graph problems are out of scope for the basic Ninja track but tested in the Advanced slot. Confirm your target role before allocating prep time.
Difficulty Distribution by TCS Role
Understanding which difficulty level targets which role saves wasted effort.
| TCS Role | Coding Qs | Typical LeetCode Difficulty | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCS Ninja | 1–2 | Easy / Low-Medium | 15–20 min each |
| TCS Digital | 2–3 | Medium / Low-Hard | 20–30 min each |
| TCS Prime | 3–4 | Medium–Hard, DSA-heavy | 30–45 min each |
TCS Prime expects competitive-programming-level speed and accuracy. If you are targeting Prime, supplement LeetCode with Codeforces 1400–1800 rated problems. See the TCS Ninja vs Digital vs Prime comparison for role-specific CTC and eligibility differences.
Step-by-Step Preparation Strategy for TCS Coding Round 2026
Week 1–2: Build the Foundation
Start with the 20 problems in Arrays and Strings listed above. Do not move on until you can solve each without referring to hints. TCS coding problems in the Ninja track are straightforward if you know the pattern cold.
Focus on:
- Two-pointer technique (Two Sum, Container With Most Water)
- Sliding window (Longest Substring, Maximum Sum Subarray of Size K)
- Prefix sum (Product of Array Except Self)
Week 3: Dynamic Programming Essentials
DP is the single biggest differentiator between candidates who clear TCS Digital and those who do not. The six DP problems listed above cover 80% of what TCS tests. Use the tabulation approach, TCS judges tend to allocate partial marks for DP, and tabulation is easier to debug under time pressure.
Practice writing the recurrence relation before coding. In 2025 TCS Digital drives, several candidates reported the problem statement included a direct hint about optimal substructure, read the problem statement fully.
Week 4: Trees, BSTs, and Linked Lists
These appear in almost every TCS drive. Trees require knowing all three traversals (recursive and iterative), BST properties, and LCA. Linked list questions in TCS are almost always about reversal, cycle detection, or merging.
The TCS placement papers 2026 section contains additional MCQ-format coding questions that appear alongside the actual coding problems, do not skip those.
Week 5–6: Mock Tests and Timing
Solve problems under contest conditions, 90 minutes for 2-3 problems, no IDE autocomplete. TCS uses a custom platform (TCS iON) that has basic syntax highlighting but no autocomplete. Practice in a plain text editor or use LeetCode's contest mode.
One targeted mock per day beats five casual problem attempts. Review your wrong answers immediately, TCS coding problems in 2026 penalise partially correct solutions less than in 2025, but a wrong answer with 0 test cases still scores zero.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Optimising before it works. TCS awards partial credit for test case coverage. Get a brute-force AC first, then optimise. Submitting an optimised wrong solution earns zero.
2. Ignoring edge cases in arrays. Empty array, single element, all negatives, TCS coding problems in 2026 consistently include edge cases as specific test cases. Kadane's Algorithm with all-negative arrays should return the least negative element, not 0.
3. Using recursion without memoisation for DP. TCS iON has a strict time limit. Pure recursive Fibonacci-style DP will TLE on inputs n > 35. Always memoize or use tabulation.
4. Forgetting null checks in linked lists.
Candidates report runtime errors in TCS coding round from dereferencing null in linked list traversal. Check if (head == null) before any .next access.
5. Skipping the MCQ coding questions. The TCS NQT includes output-prediction MCQs alongside actual coding problems. These test the same topics but in a different format. Many candidates over-prepare for coding and under-prepare for MCQ output tracing, TCS Prime placement papers 2026 has strong examples of this format.
TCS Fresher Salary After Clearing the Coding Round
Clearing the coding round impacts which TCS track you qualify for, directly affecting your CTC.
| Role | Gross CTC | Approx In-Hand (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| TCS Ninja | ₹3.36 LPA | ₹22,000–₹24,000 |
| TCS Digital | ₹7 LPA | ₹45,000–₹50,000 |
| TCS Prime | ₹9.33–₹14 LPA | ₹60,000–₹85,000 |
Based on 2025 offer letters and verified reports; variable component (performance bonus) not included. See TCS fresher salary in-hand 2026 for full breakdown.
The TCS Ninja vs Digital salary 2026 article breaks down exactly how the coding section score determines which offer you receive in a dual-role drive.
Related Resources
- TCS NQT eligibility 2026, branch, CGPA, and gap year rules
- TCS NQT registration process 2026, step-by-step form filling
- TCS NQT cutoff 2026, section-wise score thresholds
- TCS interview questions 2026, HR and technical round prep
- TCS off-campus drive 2026 complete guide, eligibility, timeline, process
- TCS non-CS branch eligibility 2026, ECE, Mechanical, Civil rules
- TCS gap year policy 2026, how many gaps are allowed
- TCS salary freshers 2026, full CTC vs in-hand breakdown
Related: Infosys SP/DSE coding questions 2026, for the full topic-frequency breakdown and 47 practice questions with solutions.
FAQs
Q: Are TCS coding questions exactly from LeetCode?
TCS does not source problems directly from LeetCode. However, the problem patterns are structurally identical, the same algorithm, different variable names and story. Preparing LeetCode Easy and Medium problems gives you direct coverage of TCS Ninja and Digital coding questions as reported by candidates in 2024–2026.
Q: How many coding questions are in TCS NQT 2026?
Every candidate sits the same integrated test, so the Advanced Coding block is the same for everyone: 2-3 problems in 90 minutes. Difficulty within it varies by drive and slot. Coding is evaluated on test cases passed, so partial solutions score. Check the TCS NQT exam pattern 2026 for the most current structure.
Q: Does TCS give partial marks in the coding round?
Yes. TCS iON platform awards marks based on the number of test cases passed. A solution that passes 6 out of 10 test cases earns partial credit. This is why submitting a working brute-force solution before optimising is strategically correct.
Q: Which programming language should I use for TCS coding questions?
C, C++, Java, and Python are all accepted on TCS iON. Python is the safest choice for beginners due to built-in data structures. C++ is preferred if you are targeting TCS Digital or Prime, where execution time matters and Python may TLE on larger inputs without careful optimisation.
Q: Is Dynamic Programming tested in TCS Ninja or only Digital?
DP is primarily tested in TCS Digital and Prime. TCS Ninja coding problems in 2025–2026 were largely Arrays, Strings, and basic Linked Lists. However, Climbing Stairs and House Robber (both beginner DP) have appeared in Ninja drives, knowing 3–4 basic DP patterns is low-risk, high-reward for Ninja candidates.
Q: What is the time limit for TCS coding problems?
The Advanced Coding block runs 90 minutes for 2-3 problems, so budget roughly 30-45 minutes per problem. Practice solving Medium LeetCode problems within 20 minutes to build margin for the harder one.
Q: How does TCS shortlist candidates after the coding round?
TCS produces one integrated result across Foundation and Advanced, and coding performance feeds into it. TCS publishes no section-wise threshold or fixed cutoff, so there is no per-section bar to clear. See TCS NQT cutoff 2026 for how the cutoff question is framed against the official source.
Sources and review notesreviewed 4 Aug 2026
No article-specific source list is attached yet. Treat changing figures as editorial guidance and confirm them on the relevant official recruiter or exam portal.
Official notices, candidate reports, offer documents, and editorial practice questions carry different confidence levels. The visible source list lets you inspect the evidence instead of relying on a blanket verification badge.
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