Saturday, September 29, 2007

Tests @ ILP

Hi Friends,

First of all, thank you all for your contribution to the poll on the “Foreign Language”. 46% people want to learn French. German is at second place with 37% of votes. Spanish has been recently introduced in ILP. Not many people are interested in learning Japanese. Let me tell you that TCS is getting lots of Japanese assignments. Many Japanese associates have taken off to India and many of us will be flying to Japan for onsite assignments. So, if you get Japanese language to learn in ILP, don’t be disappointed.

Well, this article at last passed through my “Busy Schedule” filter. I received lots of comments, mails and scraps asking about the information on Tests @ ILP. So, I thought of sharing this information with you.

It’s been a year since I joined ILP in Hyderabad. There are lots of changes in the tests pattern since then. But at least you can have a bird’s eye view of the tests in ILP. Whatever I remember, you can find it in this article (I forget the things pretty fast). There is only one key test during ILP and that’s mid-term. After 25 working days, you have a mid-term test. This test would be on the technical topics and doesn’t cover the foreign language and soft skills. The test would be of total 50 marks and you have questions of a mixture of formats. For example, you have multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks etc. Each question carries marks based on the difficulty level. You will be made to sit in the allocated classrooms for the test and there’ll be one supervisor for each classroom (that’s obvious, isn’t it?). The mid-term test was open-book test in our times, but I heard recently from one of the associates in ILP that it’s no longer an open-book test (tough luck guys, now you have to study). The test would be simple. If your basic concepts are clear then it’s very easy to crack the test, in fact it’s “very difficult to fail”. (If anyone manages to fail, please let me know)

Mid-term test is very important (Why important? Wait, I’ll let you know). Don’t take it frivolously and do study to get a decent score in the test. The score of the mid-term test determines your rating in the first quarter in TCS. You have quarterly appraisals in the first year. These quarterly ratings are used to decide your confirmation rating (after completing a year in TCS) which in turn decides your annual increment (So, now you know why mid-term score is so important :-) If you get a rating of “5” in first 3 quarters, you’ll be confirmed in just 9 months (Early confirmation)

Apart from the mid-term test, you have loads of mock tests, small assignments, project stuff, presentations and much more. There are various self-tests to analyze your personality traits and to understand the business etiquette during soft skills sessions. You will enjoy tons of such exercises during ILP. I’ll publish few of them in my next posts. Tell then, enjoy and have a nice time.

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey thanks a lot.Ve been expecting this for quite sometime.Gr8 job senior!!!!!!

Rudranil said...

hey thnkssss a lot,my ilp is in coimbatore from nov 28th.Can u kindly
furnish some info(if u have any on cbe).It will b of grtt help.THNK U
Rudranil

DHusen said...

THANK U VERY MUCH 4 SUCH WONDERFUL ARTICLES..DO POSTING THAT..

Unknown said...

hey thanx a lot.....ur posts are gr88 help...just a lil doubt wat all sub r asked in midsems

Unknown said...

thanks a lot..gr8...and actually my ilp starts after oct 15th..did i have to bring any books.. and how to reach CMC center... pls post on these accounts too

ILP Days... said...

Hi Satish,

U need not get any books with u since all the study material will be provided by TCS. You may carry few books for ur reference but that's absolutely not necessary.

About reaching CMC, if u get accommodation in Kondapur or Madhapur, CMC centre is about 15-20 mins from these places by bus. It's near Guchhibowli Stadium. Very nice place indeed. TCS buses will come to get u there everyday.

ILP Days... said...

Hi Parul,

The topics for the mid-term would be,
1. Software Engineering
2. UNIX, C, Shellscript
3. Data structures & Algorithms
4. Programming Techniques
5. Operating Systems
6. Testing Techniques

These are some of the topics for the mid-term. There are changes since I joined ILP last year. The topics may change but all the material will be provided, so don't worry...

Unknown said...

hai,u r doing a great job.will u plz clear my dbt.i have applied for cat which is on nov18th,2007 in hyd.but by that time i will be in bhubaneswar under tcs training.will they give me leave to go to hyd.or else what should i do.plz answer me as early as possible.

komal said...

thanks a lot netray

Lakshmi Narayana said...

.is ther any option 4 learning multiple foreign languages?

ILP Days... said...

@Lakshmi Narayana

Currently NO. The simple reason is, if you wish to learn multiple foreign languages during ILP, your batch timings will clash. You master one language during ILP and later you can go for any other languages u wish to learn.

ILP Days... said...

Hi Sravani,

ILP rules are very strict and they do not allow anyone to take leave during ILP. Still, I suggest you to see your ILP co-ordinator and give him/her the idea of this situation beforehand. In normal cases, if want a leave then you have to completely windup your ILP and join the next ILP batch. However, if you cosult your ILP co-ordinator, you may find a way out.

Unknown said...

hai,thanks for ur precious advice.i have a doubt.before joining itself if i talk to co-ordinator about further studies examinations,won't he get angry and may cancel my offer?and one more thing my exam is on sunday,my doj is nov5th.nov18th is 2nd saturday(concerned with my doj).i don't whether it is a holiday or not.if it is a holiday there will be problem for the return journey from hyd as i may miss the class.so,i am not able to decide what to do.i have written to iim to change my exam centre.plz answer my doubt.thanks in advance.

ILP Days... said...

Hi Sravani,

First of all, don't be so tensed, just calm down and think. Nobody can cancel ur offer like that. It would be very good if you talk to ur ILP coordinator as I suggested earlier. In that way, they have the prior idea abt the situation. The worst that can happen is they may reschedule ur ILP, but still there is hope and no harm in trying once.

U r joining on Nov 5th and CAT is on 18th (which is Sunday). So, on Sundays u can do whatever u want to :-) The problem is ur return journey. Well, this seems a bit problematic. You have to be very convincing while talking to ur ILP coordinator. The other thing is that u've asked IIM to change the exam centre. If that is done, then there won't be any problem for u.

The last thing I'd like to suggest you is that prioritize the things. If IIM is ur first choice, let ILP be the secondary one. Try ur level best to get concession for a day from ILP for ur exam. Even if you don't get it, don't compromise on CAT. I hope this proves helpful to you. Wish u all the best.

Unknown said...

Thanks a lot for this good work. I am have been recruited by TCS (off- campus) drive as an 2007 fresher

Any idea on when they are likely to call off- campus recruits for ILP and how about the place of posting is it something TCS ask you at the time of joining ILP?

ILP Days... said...

Hi Karthik,

When did u get ur offer letter? For our batch, we had to wait for a year after receiving offer letter before we got the joining letter (On-campus recruitment). TCS will send u the ILP joining letter by courier. Also, they may inform you by email.

They won't ask u for place of posting at the time of joining ILP (We have no choice of selecting ILP centre). After u complete ur ILP, you'll be given choice to select your desired place of posting. You have to give 3 options based on your priorities. Most of the time, you get the first option itself. My options were Mumbai, Pune, B'lore and I got Mumbai.

Unknown said...

I got my offer letter in July 2007. Any idea on when the ILP call likely to be (based on ur past experience or from what you hear from your friends) will be very usefull

Also I heard we need to sign an bond at TCS will this happen during ILP and will TCS be providing stamp paper for this

ILP Days... said...

Hi Karthik,

Have patience, you'll have to wait for the joining letter. As I said earlier, I got my joining letter after I receiving my offer letter.

About bond, yes, u hav to sign bond with TCS. You have to get the stamp paper yourself. You need to submit it when u join ILP.

Unknown said...

hai,
thanks a lot for helping me with such a great care.i got reply from iim and it said they will inform me abt the change if they wish to do it.any way i will call my ilp coordinator once.take care.bye.

Unknown said...

hai,its me sravani.my centre has been changed to bbsr and i have written the exam yesterday.right now i am in bbsr.thanks for ur help and concern.thanks a lot.take care.bye.

ILP Days... said...

Hi Sravani,

That's gr8. Wish u all the best...

Unknown said...

hai,how r u?right now i am in bhubaneswar,the training is not so good and not so bad.i got oracle stream.i need a small favour from u.will they allocate postings basing on the stream we get?if so what r the options given for oracle people.and what abt chennai?many people in my previous batch batch got chennai.how will the work environment in chennai?what r the places to improve proffessionally?plz reply me as early as possible.thanku.take care.bye.

ILP Days... said...

Hi Sravani,

Candidates are not posted according to the streams. You have to give 3 options for your base branch according to your preferences. I had given Mumbai, Pune, B'lore and I got Mumbai.

I've no idea about the work environment in Chennai since I've never been there. Even if you get Chennai as your base branch and if you don't want to work there, you can ask for the transfer.

Anonymous said...

THE ILP IS NO MORE OF 43 days .. ONLY 23 DAYS .. nd NO MORE A PAID VACATION.

ILP Days... said...

@ Anonymous,

Hi, my ILP was in August 2006. It's obvious that there would have been many changes in ILP format since then. Thanks for the information provided by you. If you have any other latest information about ILP, please share with us. Help our TCS mates to keep themselves updated about ILP.

Thanks once again...

Anonymous said...

hi i heard tht ilp guwahati is gettin tougher n it is 4 only 23dys n they r really hvin nightmares wid da new program well dude do u think same treatment will b wid da ilp guys in hyd

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I'm placed in TCS. I'm expecting the Joining Letter for the ILP Training Programme for 2008. Normally when does the training begin??It has been posted here in the blog that the ILP programme has been cut-shortened to 23 days.Is that confirmed??What abt the accomodation during the course of the training??Does TCS make arrangements for our accomodation??
Awating ur reply

ILP Days... said...

@ Anonymous,

Hi, first of all let me confirm the news of the ILP duration being reduced to 23 days. Kindly read the preceding comment by a TCS friend about this. I think that should clear your doubt.

About the second part of your question, let me tell you that the ILP is to train you for the corporate atmosphere and not to torment you for something. The training might have got tougher but definitely not a nightmare.

ILP Days... said...

Hi Venkatesh,

I think my previous comment must have cleared your doubt about the ILP duration. For details about accommodation, you may read my post on “Accommodation” in this blog.

Katz said...

Hi frendz..After the Background Check & Address Verification has got over, will TCS give us a call and confirm our Job-Offer before actually sending us the Joining Letter via courier..Awaiting ur reply..

Anonymous said...

Hello frenz
I have 3 queries

1. TCS has asked for Criminal Clearance Certificate(An affidavit/notarised undertaking that there is no criminal offence registered/pending against you)..Where do i get this?? Please provide me some guidance on that..

2.TCS has asked for "Date of birth and other details of the person you would like to nominate for Gratuity, Superannuation, Provident Fund and Health Insurance Scheme"..What Documents should i submit in this regard??

3.Along with the Service Agreement TCS has asked for enclosing "Original or attested photocopy of LATEST (Form 16 / PAN Card / IT Returns (acknowledged copy of IT Assessment order copy)"--this doc correspond to the document of the Surety right??

Awaiting ur response at the earliest..I'm a fresher.. Pl help me out..

Anonymous said...

Hello Friend..

I heard a TCS friend of mine comment that the bond amount of 50K needs to be paid(at the time u resign from TCS) only if u need the experience certificate from TCS..He also said in case if v don't need that certificate we need not pay that 50K bond amt to TCS..Is it so??How far is this true??Pl elaborate on this..

In the trainee agreement(last year)TCS has made a mention of this paragraph which follows as:

"During the period of training if a trainee leaves/resigns, the trainee will have to pay liquidated damages amounting to Rs. 50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) and give three calendar months’ written notice or salary in lieu thereof. On being absorbed as an Employee of TCS, after completion of the training period TCS would be entitled to terminate the services of the Employee with three calendar months’ written notice during the tenure of service agreement. However, in case of resignation/leaving of services of TCS by the Trainee, the Trainee will have to pay liquidated damages amounting to Rs.50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) plus give three calendar months’ written notice or salary in lieu thereof. The provisions stated herein for breach by the Trainee of the provisions of this agreement shall be without prejudice to other remedies available to TCS."

I'm not able to understand this last para..Can u just throw some light on it??

Awaiting ur Reply
Venkatesh

balasubramaniam said...

hi
i got my tcs offer letter in the month of march 2008, but not yet received my joining date yet, some of my friends r saying that it wil take one more month or more than that too. its bit boring in home, wat all subjects i can study so that it wil be usefull for me in ilp. im from core side , i know just basics in c......

Anonymous said...

hey guys wont we be allowed to visit our hometown durin weekends??or we ll ve classes??i m about to join tcs by aug'08.kindly reply

ILP Days... said...

Hi Lizzie,

You didn’t mention about your ILP location and your hometown. Well, you have alternate Saturdays working. So, on the remaining Saturdays you may go anywhere you wish. If your hometown is near your ILP location, then it’s well and good. Have fun… :-)

ILP Days... said...

Hi Lizzie,

You didn’t mention about your ILP location and your hometown. Well, you have alternate Saturdays working. So, on the remaining Saturdays you may go anywhere you wish. If your hometown is near your ILP location, then it’s well and good. Have fun… :-)

Unknown said...

hi......
i would like to know about second section of ilp,that's oral and writting communication phase.Is there any exam for that phase?

ILP Days... said...

Hi Venkatesh,

The service agreement is for 2 years. It means that if you quit the job before 2 years from the date of your joining, you'll have to pay that amount to the company. After 2 years, you need not pay. About the notice period, it has been reduced from 3 months to 1 month. You have to give a month's notice before quitting the job and serve company during that month's period. This is what that last para means.

Katz said...

Hello friend

I currently don't have my name on my birth certificate..So as per what TCS has said i need to prepare an affidavit stating my name and my dob & other details duly signed by notary..But i'll be able to submit the revised BC b4 the training gets over..The issue now is i don't know the exact content of the affidavit to be typed on the 10 Rs.stamp paper..Can u pl guide me on this??..Awaiting ur reply at the earliest..Thanx for de help..

Anonymous said...

Hiii,
This is Saurabh.I just wannna know is there any possible way out for rescheduling of ILP. If yes then plz help me out.

Unknown said...

Hi Guys,
My ILP is on 4th Aug. I would like to extend this to more 20 days. is it possible. I haven't completed my M.Tech project seminar. Expecting to be completed by 16th Aug.
is such request will b accpetable? I will b planning to send a mail to both ILP co-ordinator and ILP. support@tcs.com
Plz reply me..I am in hurry. I have to produce all my original study documnets. W/o my project seminar univ is not issuing me my originals. What I an do? any better idea? Just 15 days extension not more than that.lz dear help me in this regard.
--Reagrds, MVR

Unknown said...

hi
i just want to know what sort of qs they ask in test.
is is multiple choice or long type
do help

Anonymous said...

sir plz tell me dat wt shud b my prior preparation bfore goin thru the training procedure.
ur blog is really nice.thanx fr dat

Rahul said...

Would like to add your experience to my blog, more readers wud be benefited, do contact me.

ZZZZZZ said...

Hi,I'm from BBSR,my joing date in TCS is on June 23rd 2014,Trivendrum. But I want to go for higher studies.So,can I ask them to reschedule me???
I also need a reason for that,what is best reason. I'm afraid if tell them my real problem,they will cancel my offer.

ILP Days... said...

To ZZZZZZ,

Dude, decide your priorities, you want to join TCS or go for higher studies. You can't have both at the same time.

Even after joining TCS you can go for higher studies by taking LWP (Leave Without Pay). But for that you need to spend some time in TCS before you go for higher studies. But if going for higher studies is your priority now then forget about TCS offer. You will get many offers anytime after you complete your higher studies. Hope that clears your confusion.