Placement Strategy: Aptitude vs Technical Knowledge

The Placement Season is a war on two fronts: General Aptitude (Quant/Logical/Verbal) and Technical Domains (Coding/Core). A common tragedy is the student who is a 5-star coder on CodeChef but fails the first round of TCS because they couldn’t solve a “Time & Work” problem.

The Aptitude Trap (The Filter)

For 70% of companies (Mass Recruiters, Banks, Consulting, and even some Product firms), Round 1 is Aptitude.

• The Logic: It is cheap to administer. They use it to cut 1000 applicants down to 200.
• The Risk: Aptitude has no correlation with coding skill. You can be the best engineer in the batch and still get eliminated here.
• The Standard: You don’t need to be a genius; you just need speed. It is a “Rejection Round,” not a selection round.

The Technical Core (The Selector)

For Product Companies and Startups, Round 1 is Coding.

• The Logic: They need builders. They test Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA).
• The Standard: This is where the job is won. A strong technical interview can override a mediocre aptitude score (if you passed the cutoff).

Comparison Matrix

Component	Mass Recruiters (TCS/Wipro)	Product Giants (Amazon/Adobe)	Startups
Aptitude Weightage	High (50%+)	Low (Qualifier only)	Near Zero
Technical Weightage	Low (Basics)	High (DSA)	Very High (Dev skills)
Prep Time	2 Months	6 Months+	Project-based

Strategic Bandwidth Allocation

1. The “Safety Net” Phase (Month 1-2):
   • Focus 60% on Aptitude. Establish a baseline speed (e.g., solve 30 quants in 30 mins). This ensures you won’t be unemployed.
2. The “Growth” Phase (Month 3-6):
   • Focus 90% on Technical. DSA, System Design, Projects. This is what gets you the ₹10 Lakh+ package.

Conclusion

Prioritize Aptitude IF:

• You are weak in Math.
• Your target is a Service-Based Company or PSU/Bank.
• Placements start in < 1 month.

Prioritize Technical IF:

• You are targeting Product roles.
• You have > 3 months.
• You already have good logical intuition (can solve puzzles easily).

Verdict: Aptitude is Hygiene; Technical is Health. You need hygiene to not get sick (rejected), but you need health to run the marathon (career). Never ignore aptitude completely—it is the most embarrassing way to get rejected.