Infosys HackWithInfy and InfyTQ: Routes to Power Programmer Roles
What Infosys's official HackWithInfy pages say about eligibility, rounds, sample questions and pre-placement routes, where InfyTQ fits now, and a ten-week plan.
Last updated: 13 October 2026 · By the Asuraa Team
Quick answer: HackWithInfy is Infosys's coding contest and its main published route to pre-placement opportunities for Specialist Programmer roles. The 2026 edition was for engineering and MCA students graduating in 2027: two three-hour individual coding rounds (March and April 2026), then the top 100 to a four-day team Grand Finale in November 2026. Infosys now describes InfyTQ as a learning platform, not a hiring test.
Key takeaways
- Infosys's HackWithInfy 2026 terms made B.E., B.Tech, M.E., M.Tech, Dual Degree, MS (Research), MCA and five-year integrated M.Sc students graduating in 2027 eligible.
- HackWithInfy 2026 had two three-hour individual coding rounds in March and April 2026, followed by a four-day team Grand Finale scheduled for November 2026.
- Infosys selects the top 100 from Round 2 for the finale based on score, sectional cut-offs, test cases passed and code efficiency.
- Infosys lists pre-placement opportunities for Specialist Programmer and other specialised-unit roles as a HackWithInfy benefit.
- Infosys's graduates page describes InfyTQ as a learning and engagement platform and Power Programmers as an exclusive coding unit.
What is HackWithInfy, and how does it lead to Infosys jobs?
HackWithInfy is Infosys's national coding competition for engineering students, and it is the main published route to pre-placement opportunities for Specialist Programmer and other roles in Infosys's specialised units (Infosys HackWithInfy). The 2026 edition was open to engineering students graduating in 2027. Besides pre-placement opportunities, Infosys lists internships at its campuses, exclusive projects in AI, ML, VR and AR, mentorship, and a "Champion of Champions" award for the best individual performer.
Infosys's graduates page describes HackWithInfy as a coding competition, Power Programmers as an exclusive coding unit, and InfyTQ as a learning and engagement platform. In other words, HackWithInfy is the contest that opens doors, Power Programmer is the type of team you aim for, and InfyTQ is where you learn.
For the regular mass-hiring route and its test, see the Infosys hiring process for freshers and the Infosys exam pattern for freshers.
Who is eligible for HackWithInfy?
Under the 2026 terms and conditions, B.E., B.Tech, M.E., M.Tech, Dual Degree, MS (Research), MCA and five-year integrated M.Sc students graduating in 2027 were eligible, provided they were residents of India and at least 18 years old at registration (HackWithInfy 2026 T&C). Participation was free. Registration began on 6 February 2026 through college placement officers, followed by an Infosys survey form.
Each edition targets the batch one year from graduation, so check the current year's terms on the official page when the next edition opens.
What are the rounds in HackWithInfy?
There are two individual coding rounds and a team Grand Finale. Infosys's 2026 page and terms set out this structure (Infosys; T&C):
| Stage | Timing (2026 edition) | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Block | January to March 2026 | Practice and preparation sessions |
| Round 1 | March 2026 | Three-hour individual coding assessment on the Infosys Assessment Platform |
| Round 2 | April 2026 | Three-hour individual coding assessment for Round 1 qualifiers; the page calls it a face-to-face contest |
| Grand Finale | November 2026 (terms: second half of 2026) | Four-day team event including a hackathon; teams decided by Infosys |
Selection to the finale is from the top 100 of Round 2, based on overall score and/or sectional cut-offs, the number of test cases passed and the efficiency of the code (T&C). Finalists must bring their own laptop. As of January 2026, Infosys listed team prizes of USD 3,300, 1,650 and 1,100 for the top three.
What happens at the HackWithInfy Grand Finale?
The finale is a four-day team event that includes a hackathon, and Infosys, not the participants, decides the teams (T&C). Top teams present their work to a jury, and a judging panel of Infosys employees picks the winners, with results announced during the finale (Infosys).
Two terms are worth reading before you build anything. First, winners agree that intellectual property in the entry they submit vests with Infosys. Second, prizes are subject to applicable laws, including tax. Neither is unusual for corporate contests, but you should know them before investing four days of work.
Practically, the finale tests teamwork as much as coding. Practise splitting a problem with friends, agreeing on interfaces early, and presenting a working demo in five minutes.
What kind of questions does HackWithInfy ask?
Hard algorithmic problems with large inputs. Infosys's 2026 sample questions include four problems labelled from easy to complex: a budget-constrained greedy selection, a maximum-subarray problem with swaps, a pairing problem with a parity condition, and a graph traversal combined with dynamic programming over layers. Input sizes go up to 10^5 elements, with values up to 10^9 in some problems.
That tells you three things. You need O(n log n) or better solutions for large cases. You must handle 64-bit integers. And greedy, prefix-sum, DP and graph techniques all appear, often combined.
What do Specialist Programmer and Digital Specialist Engineer roles pay?
Infosys's official pages do not publish pay for these roles. In late 2025, Network18's Storyboard18, citing Moneycontrol, reported that Infosys's off-campus drive for 2025 graduates offered annual pay of Rs 21 lakh for Specialist Programmer L3, Rs 16 lakh for L2 and Rs 11 lakh for L1 trainees, and Rs 7 lakh for Digital Specialist Engineer trainees (Storyboard18). The same report listed eligibility as BE, BTech, ME, MTech, MCA or integrated M.Sc in computer science, IT and select circuit branches such as ECE and EEE.
Treat these as reported figures for one drive; your offer letter is the only firm number.
Is InfyTQ still a route to Infosys jobs?
InfyTQ is now best treated as a learning platform, not a hiring test. Infosys's graduates page describes it as a learning and engagement platform and does not mention any certification exam linked to hiring (Infosys graduates). Older batches knew InfyTQ for a certification route; do not rely on that without a current official notice.
Infosys Springboard, its free learning platform in India, is a more useful starting point. Infosys says Springboard is free in India through its CSR commitment, open from Class 6 onwards, and offers certification to learners who pass a virtual proctored exam (Infosys Springboard). Use it to build Python, Java, data structures and SQL fundamentals before HackWithInfy.
How should you prepare for HackWithInfy in ten weeks?
Ten weeks of two hours a day suits a student who already knows one language well.
| Week | Focus | Daily target | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complexity, fast I/O, 64-bit arithmetic | 2 easy problems | No overflow bugs |
| 2 | Prefix sums, two pointers, sliding window | 2 problems | Kadane's algorithm and variants |
| 3 | Sorting and greedy with proofs | 2 problems | Explain each greedy choice |
| 4 | Binary search on answers | 2 problems | Solve 3 "minimise the maximum" problems |
| 5 | Heaps and hashing | 2 problems | Priority-queue scheduling problem |
| 6 | Graphs: BFS, DFS, shortest paths | 2 problems | Dijkstra on 10^5 nodes |
| 7 | Dynamic programming basics | 2 problems | Write recurrences before code |
| 8 | DP on graphs, bitmask DP | 2 problems | One layered-DP problem |
| 9 | Infosys sample questions under 3 hours | 1 timed set | Attempt all four |
| 10 | Mixed timed mocks and review | 1 mock | Pass large hidden cases |
Our DSA preparation for placements roadmap covers these topics in order, and the aptitude test preparation guide helps if you also sit the regular Infosys test.
What do most guides on HackWithInfy and InfyTQ get wrong?
Most guides treat InfyTQ as a live certification exam that guarantees an Infosys interview. Infosys's current graduates page lists InfyTQ only as a learning and engagement platform. If you prepare for a non-existent exam, you lose weeks you could have spent on the problems HackWithInfy actually asks.
Guides also give a fixed number of questions per round. Infosys's terms describe two three-hour coding assessments and a selection based on score, sectional cut-offs, test cases passed and code efficiency, but publish no question count. Efficiency matters: a correct but slow solution can still fail hidden large cases.
Finally, the eligible batch shifts every year. The 2026 edition was for 2027 graduates, and registration ran through college placement officers. Check the official page and your placement cell each January. Our company hiring process guides cover how other firms run similar contests.
Related guides
- Company Hiring Process Guides for Freshers in India (2026)
- TCS CodeVita Guide: Rounds, Eligibility and How Winners Get Hired
- HCLTech Exam Pattern for Freshers (2026): Sections and Preparation
- Cognizant GenC Assessment Pattern (2026): Sections, Cut-offs and Prep
FAQ
Who can participate in HackWithInfy?
Under Infosys's 2026 terms, B.E., B.Tech, M.E., M.Tech, Dual Degree, MS (Research), MCA and five-year integrated M.Sc students graduating in 2027 could participate, if they were residents of India aged 18 or above. Participation was free and registration ran through college placement officers. Each new edition targets the next batch.
How many rounds are there in HackWithInfy?
The 2026 edition had two individual rounds, each a three-hour coding assessment on the Infosys Assessment Platform, in March and April 2026. The top 100 from Round 2 move to a four-day team Grand Finale with a hackathon, which Infosys scheduled for November 2026.
Does HackWithInfy give a job at Infosys?
Infosys lists pre-placement opportunities for the Specialist Programmer role and other roles in its specialised units as a HackWithInfy benefit, along with internships and mentorship. It is an opportunity to interview, not an automatic offer. Strong performers still go through Infosys's selection before receiving an offer.
Is the InfyTQ certification exam still held?
Infosys's current graduates page describes InfyTQ as a learning and engagement platform and does not mention a certification exam tied to hiring. Do not plan around an InfyTQ exam unless Infosys publishes a current notice. Use HackWithInfy or the regular campus route to reach Infosys interviews.
What is the salary of an Infosys Specialist Programmer?
Infosys does not publish it on its careers pages. Storyboard18, citing Moneycontrol in late 2025, reported Rs 21 lakh for Specialist Programmer L3, Rs 16 lakh for L2 and Rs 11 lakh for L1 trainees, and Rs 7 lakh for Digital Specialist Engineer trainees in an off-campus drive for 2025 graduates.
What topics should I study for HackWithInfy?
Infosys's 2026 sample questions cover greedy selection, maximum subarray with swaps, pairing with a parity condition, and graph traversal with dynamic programming, with inputs up to 10^5 elements. Focus on greedy, prefix sums, binary search, graphs and DP, and write efficient code that handles 64-bit values.
Final thoughts
HackWithInfy is the clearest published path to Infosys's Specialist Programmer and Power Programmer-style roles, and it rewards efficient algorithms, not memorised patterns. Learn on Springboard or InfyTQ, practise with Infosys's own sample questions, and register through your placement cell when the next edition opens. If you want guidance on a competitive-programming plan, a mentor on Asuraa mentors can review your progress.
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