I am Sajan Acharya, a Lead Software Engineer in Kathmandu. I have sat on both sides of the table: as a nervous fresher with a printed CV in a plastic file, and later as the interviewer running technical rounds, reviewing take-home tasks, and deciding who gets the offer. Interviews in Nepal have their own rhythm—written tests, questions about going abroad, salary conversations that feel uncomfortable—and most generic advice from the internet ignores that context. This guide covers the process as it actually happens here, and how to prepare for each step.
One mindset shift before we start: an interview is not an exam you pass by memorizing answers. It is a conversation where the company is trying to answer one question—“Can this person solve our problems without creating new ones?” Everything you prepare should help them answer yes. If you are still building the skills that interviews test, start with how to become a software developer in Nepal.
What do the best software engineers in Nepal do differently in interviews? In my experience, they explain their thinking out loud, show real proof of work, and ask sharp questions about the team. None of that is talent; it is preparation. Everything below is the preparation I recommend to the engineers I mentor—and the same bar I apply when I hire as a lead software engineer in Nepal.
How the typical interview process works in Nepal
Processes vary by company size, but most IT companies in Nepal follow a version of the flow below. Smaller companies may merge rounds into a single visit; larger outsourcing and product companies often run every step, sometimes over two to four weeks.
Typical hiring flow in Nepal's IT companies
1. Application → LinkedIn, Merojob, Kumarijob, Jobscater, company careers
page, or referral from an employee
2. CV screening → HR or a senior engineer spends 30–60 seconds on your CV
3. Phone / HR call → availability, current and expected salary, notice period
4. Written test → MCQs + logic + coding on paper or an online platform
or online test (common for freshers and bulk hiring)
5. Technical round → fundamentals, your projects, live coding or debugging
6. Take-home task → small feature or mini project, 2–5 days deadline
(optional)
7. Final / HR → culture fit, salary negotiation, joining date
8. Offer letter → salary breakdown, probation, notice period, benefitsPrepare a CV that survives 30 seconds
Your CV is not your life story. Keep it to one page for juniors and two for seniors. Put links to GitHub, LinkedIn, and deployed projects at the top. For every project, write what you built, the stack, and one result or challenge you solved. Remove photos, date of birth, father’s name, citizenship number, and marital status—they add nothing and some are privacy risks. A clean PDF named Firstname_Lastname_CV.pdf is more professional than a Word file called “final cv new (2).docx”.
- Lead with a two-line summary: role you want, core stack, and years of experience
- Show 2–3 real projects with live links, not ten tutorial clones
- Use bullet points starting with verbs: built, designed, optimized, integrated, reduced
- Mention numbers where honest: users served, response time improved, features shipped
- Tailor the top skills to the job post; if they want Next.js and PostgreSQL, those should be visible in the first glance
- Referrals matter a lot in Nepal’s small IT community—ask seniors, alumni, and ex-colleagues to refer you
The written test and online assessment
Written tests are still common for freshers and interns in Nepal, especially when a company receives hundreds of applications. Expect multiple-choice questions on programming fundamentals, databases, networking basics, and aptitude, plus one to three coding problems. You are rarely expected to solve hard algorithm puzzles; interviewers want clean logic, correct edge cases, and readable code. Practice writing code by hand or in a plain editor without autocomplete, because that is where many candidates freeze.
Topics that show up again and again in Nepal's written tests
Programming → loops, arrays, strings, functions, recursion, OOP concepts
JavaScript → var/let/const, closures, promises, async/await, == vs ===
Databases → SQL joins, GROUP BY, primary vs foreign keys, normalization
Web basics → HTTP methods, status codes, REST, cookies vs localStorage
DSA (basic) → reverse a string, find duplicates, two-sum, sort an array,
count word frequency, check palindrome, FizzBuzz variations
Aptitude → series, percentages, logical reasoningThe technical interview: what interviewers actually check
In the technical round, the interviewer is not only checking whether your answer is correct. They are watching how you think. When you get a problem, repeat it in your own words, ask a clarifying question, explain your approach before typing, and talk while you code. If you get stuck, say what you are trying and why. Silence for five minutes followed by a wrong answer looks much worse than a spoken approach with a small bug. For experienced candidates, most of the round is a deep dive into projects you listed—so never put anything on your CV you cannot explain line by line.
- Fundamentals: explain the event loop, how a request travels from browser to database, what an index does, how authentication works
- Your projects: why you chose that stack, the hardest bug you fixed, what you would change now
- Live coding or debugging: a small function, fixing a broken API route, or refactoring messy code
- For mid and senior roles: API design, database modeling, caching, queues, and basic system design such as “design a URL shortener” or “design a notification service”
- Code quality: naming, error handling, tests, and Git habits
For backend-heavy roles, reading material like how to design scalable Node.js APIs gives you the vocabulary interviewers use in design discussions. You do not need to have built a system for millions of users; you need to show that you understand the trade-offs.
Take-home assignments: how to stand out
Many Nepali companies give a small project to build over a few days: a to-do app with authentication, a product listing with filters, or an API with CRUD and pagination. Most candidates submit something that works. The ones who get offers submit something a teammate could maintain. Spend the extra hour on the parts reviewers actually open.
- A clear README: how to run it, environment variables, decisions you made, and what you would do with more time
- Clean commit history instead of one giant “final commit”
- Input validation and error handling, not just the happy path
- A few meaningful tests for the core logic
- A deployed link (Vercel, Render, Railway, or AWS) so reviewers can try it in one click
- Be wary of “assignments” that look like real client work with a week-long deadline; a fair task takes a few hours, not unpaid labor
Nepal-specific questions and how to answer them
Some questions come up far more often in Nepal than in interview guides written for other countries. They are not traps; they reflect real business concerns, especially high attrition when engineers leave for jobs or studies abroad. Answer honestly and calmly.
Q: "Are you planning to go abroad (Australia, Japan, the US, Canada...)?"
A: Be honest. If you have no plans, say so and explain why you want to grow
here. If you might, focus on your commitment for the role's timeframe.
Lying and leaving after three months hurts your reputation in a small market.
Q: "Why are you leaving your current company?"
A: Talk about growth you are seeking, never insult your current employer.
"I want to work on larger systems and own backend architecture" works.
Q: "Are you doing a master's or MBA alongside?"
A: Explain your schedule clearly; companies worry about exams and availability.
Q: "Can you work on Saturdays or overlap with US/Australia hours?"
A: Clarify the expectation and whether it is compensated before agreeing.
Q: "What is your expected salary?"
A: Give a researched, specific number. Avoid "as per company norms."
Q: "What is your notice period?"
A: Usually 1 month in Nepal (sometimes 2–3 for seniors). Never promise
to leave your current job without serving notice.For the salary question, arrive with numbers. My role-wise breakdown in software engineer salary in Nepal gives realistic bands so you can quote confidently instead of guessing.
Behavioral questions and communication
Behavioral questions—“Tell me about a conflict with a teammate,” “Describe a deadline you missed”—test whether you can work in a team with clients and deadlines. Use the STAR structure: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep each answer under two minutes. English fluency matters most for companies with foreign clients, but clarity beats accent or vocabulary. It is fine to pause, think, and answer simply. If an interviewer switches to Nepali to make you comfortable, follow their lead, but be ready to explain technical ideas in English.
Practical tips for interview day
- Kathmandu traffic is unpredictable—leave early and aim to arrive 10–15 minutes before your slot
- Dress neat and simple; smart casual is standard in most IT companies
- For online interviews, test your internet, camera, and microphone, and have a backup (mobile data) in case of load issues or outages
- Carry a printed CV and a notebook; you may be asked to explain something on paper
- Research the company: its products, clients, tech stack, and recent news
- Prepare two or three questions: How is code reviewed? What does the first 90 days look like? How are promotions and increments decided?
After the interview: offer letter and red flags
Send a short thank-you message or email after the interview—it is rare in Nepal and gets noticed. When the offer arrives, read it fully before accepting. Check the gross salary and breakdown, probation period (the Labour Act allows up to six months), notice period, SSF enrollment, leave policy, working days, and any bond or penalty clauses. Walk away politely from offers that require depositing original certificates, paying a security deposit, or signing multi-year bonds for basic training. A good company will explain every clause without pressure.
Before you sign, ask yourself whether the company will actually help you grow—that decision matters more than a few thousand rupees. I share my checklist in how to choose the best IT company in Nepal for career growth. And if you want a mock interview or feedback on your CV and portfolio, get in touch; I regularly help engineers in Nepal prepare for their next step.