Google WE Program - 2021

What is the goal of this program?

Women pioneered the early days of computing in the 1800s. Despite these high early accomplishments, women lost ground in the technology sector and represent a mere 26% of the global tech workforce...

WE, offered by TalentSprint and supported by Google, seeks to balance this gender disparity. This 2 year experiential interactive online program selects, trains, and nurtures capable first-year women engineering students to reach their true potential as world-class software engineers.

Who all are eligible to apply?

•  Women students currently in the first year of engineering

•  Degrees: B.E., B.Tech

• Streams: IT, CS, EEE, ECE, or equivalent

• Grade: Over 70% in both X and XII

Note: The program structure and eligibility criteria keep on changing every year so it is advised to check from the program website.

Let us have a detailed look at the entire process along with the exact timeline. It is to be noted that the dates mentioned are as per my personal experience with the program. It may vary a little when compared to other applicants. 

March 1 - March 21, 2021 (Application Phase)

During this time period, interested candidates had to fill out the application form on the main site of WE. The form consisted of basic general information and contact details. We were also asked to submit our academic transcripts along with the form. I submitted my application on the 19th of March. There were a total of 27,643 participants who applied for this cohort.

In this span of 21 days, 3 Instagram live sessions were conducted by the Program Leads. Everything related to the program eligibility, selection criteria, program schedule, scholarship, etc... was explained thoroughly through these sessions.

We were also told that if our application passes their basic criteria, we will have to appear for their selection test.

March 22, 2021 (Received the OA Link)

I received a mail from TalentSprint that I was eligible to participate in the selection process and can appear for the selection test. I got my test details (ID and link) along with this mail. It was an Aptitude test. They also attached a sample question paper so that we can get an idea of what to expect in the actual test.

March 23, 2021 (The Aptitude Test day)

To give the test, we had to login to the TalentSprint website using the credentials provided by them. It was a 60 minute online proctored test. I don't remember exactly but there were around 30 questions in total. We need to keep our webcam on throughout the test duration. The software was strong enough to detect even the slightest sound in the surrounding. It also monitored our eye moments. If you get more than 3 warnings during the test then you would be disqualified. Hence, it is advised to make sure that you are sitting in a well-lit quiet environment.

How to prepare for the test?

I prepared for the test in less than 24 hours. And trust me this much practice was more than enough. With that being said, I am not motivating you to do the same??. Here are a few steps which I followed.

[1] Analyze the sample test paper. Go through all the questions and figure out which topics do they ask questions from. Do write the topics side by side.

[2] There are various tricks to solve aptitude questions quickly. So go to YouTube and search for tricks to handle the questions. This will help you solve the questions easily in less time.

[3] The toughest thing during the aptitude test is time management. You might be able to solve all the questions but solving them within the time limit is a little challenging. Hence it is advised to practice as many questions as you can and give at least one time-based test before the actual test.

Resources to practice questions: 

• Indiabix.com

• Fresherworld.com

March 26, 2021 (Aptitude Test Result)

I received the mail that I was in the top 3800 participants and was selected for further rounds. I was beyond excited!! We were informed through this mail that we will have a live orientation session on the 28th of March. Further steps of the program were explained to us in this session.

March 29 - April 7, 2021 (Learning to Learn Sessions)

During this time period, we had live interactive training sessions. We were taught basic coding here. The sessions were on alternate days. Ie. one day sessions were scheduled for C++/Java coders and on the next day the session was for Python coders. We were also given access to the learning modules on the TalentSprint platform. We had our final test scheduled for the 10th of April. To help us prepare for it, 3 practice tests were scheduled for us. We had 3 attempts for each of these 3 tests. 

Here are a few questions from the practice tests: Max of 3 numbers, Digital Root, Narcissistic Number, Kaprekar Number, Check Palindrome, Collatz sequence, Perfect Number, Check if even number is present at even place, etc...

We also had to give a mandatory Pearson Versant Test during this time period. I gave my Versant test on the 6th of April. For those who don't know, Versant is a test that measures your English language skills. Do let me know through any of my socials if you want to know more about this test.

April 10, 2021 (Final Technical Test Day)

After rigorous practice sessions and multiple practice tests, we had our Final Assessment. The test window was open for 2 days ie. 12 AM on April 10 to 11: 59 PM on April 11. It was a 3 hour long proctored test. We could only attempt the test once. We had to finish the test in one go only, there was no option to save it and continue later. So pick the time which suits you the best. There were a total of 3 coding questions and 2 MCQ questions in the test. Luckily, I was able to solve all 3 of them with all test cases passed. 

It is to be noted that the coding test is just one part of the judging criteria. Final scholars are selected on the basis of their overall performance in all these tests. So don't stress if your coding round does not go well. Just give your best!

April 18, 2021 (Result Time)

As per the program timeline, selected participants would be contacted between April 14 to April 24. I was eagerly awaiting the results. And here's what I got. 

I secured a position in the top 200 and got a  50% scholarship worth INR 1,50,000. I was extremely happy. The joy knew no bounds!! 🥳

I hope this article helped you get an insight into the entire process. Do share this article with all those who need it. If you are applying for the program, I wish you Good Luck! Just give your best and leave the rest. Even if you don't get selected, you will learn and grow a lot through the application process. Always remember that the world is full of opportunities and this was just a beginning.

If you have any queries, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn :) If we aren't connected, do write a connection message while sending the request. It will help me filter out easily from the requests and quickly help you out.