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AIRBNB · SDE 1

Airbnb SDE 1 interview

The SDE 1 (entry-level software engineer) level at Airbnb is G7 Software Engineer, for new grads and engineers with up to about 2 years of experience. The rounds at this level, how each one is scored, and the questions to practise first.

From public candidate reports and Airbnb's careers pages, checked November 2026. Processes vary by team. AlgoRung is not affiliated with Airbnb.

Track my Airbnb prep
Airbnb titleG7 Software Engineer
ExperienceNew grads and engineers with up to about 2 years of experience
Interviews after screeningAbout 5
System design roundUsually not

The SDE 1 rounds, in order

  1. Phone / recruiter screen · 30 min

    A recruiter call on background, motivation and light behavioral questions.

    At SDE 1: Usually one medium problem. Explain your idea before coding and test by hand at the end.

  2. Online assessment · 90 min

    Some early-career candidates take an online assessment instead of the live screen.

    At SDE 1: The main filter for new grads and campus drives. Expect two medium problems, sometimes one hard. Passing all test cases on both usually gets you to the next round.

  3. Coding (DSA) · 60 min

    The technical screen requires running code, not pseudocode, on medium-hard problems often framed around bookings.

    At SDE 1: The largest part of the loop: often three coding rounds. Medium problems, sometimes one hard. Correct, clean code and clear reasoning matter more than speed.

  4. Coding (DSA) × 2 · 60 min

    Onsite coding is reported as harder than average and DP-heavy; senior candidates may get only one coding round.

    At SDE 1: The largest part of the loop: often three coding rounds. Medium problems, sometimes one hard. Correct, clean code and clear reasoning matter more than speed.

  5. Behavioral × 2 · 45 min

    Two core values interviews, often run by trained employees outside the hiring team, which can block an offer on their own.

    At SDE 1: Stories from internships, projects or your first job are fine. Show learning, ownership and teamwork.

  6. Hiring committee

    A committee sets the level, and team matching calls happen before the offer.

    At SDE 1: Mostly about whether the packet clears the bar; team match can take a few weeks.

What Airbnb interviewers look for

Behavioral rounds are based on the Core values: Champion the Mission, Be a Host, Embrace the Adventure, Be a Cereal Entrepreneur. Questions for each one.

Coding questions to practise for Airbnb SDE 1

The largest part of the loop: often three coding rounds. Medium problems, sometimes one hard. Correct, clean code and clear reasoning matter more than speed.

Difficulty
Topic
6 questions
  1. Alien Dictionary Hard Graphs also Amazon, Meta
  2. Combination Sum (repeating elements) Medium Recursion & Backtracking
  3. Coin Change Medium Dynamic Programming also Google, Goldman Sachs, Salesforce
  4. Cheapest Flights Within K Stops Medium Graphs also Google, Flipkart, Swiggy
  5. Reconstruct Itinerary Hard Graphs also Amazon
  6. Maximum Profit in Job Scheduling Hard Dynamic Programming also Razorpay

How the coding round is scored · The online assessment

Design at SDE 1

Mid-level candidates and above get one design round. Senior and staff candidates are judged on product-driven trade-offs (latency, consistency, user experience) and on scope, not on reciting distributed-systems vocabulary.

All Airbnb system design questions

Questions people ask

How many rounds are in the Airbnb SDE 1 interview?

About 5 interviews after the screening: phone / recruiter screen, online assessment, coding (dsa), behavioral, hiring committee.

Is there a system design round for Airbnb SDE 1?

Usually not as a separate round. Mid-level candidates and above get one design round. Senior and staff candidates are judged on product-driven trade-offs (latency, consistency, user experience) and on scope, not on reciting distributed-systems vocabulary.

What coding questions does Airbnb ask at SDE 1?

The same question pool is used across levels; the bar rises with level. Most reported: Alien Dictionary, Combination Sum (repeating elements), Coin Change, Cheapest Flights Within K Stops, Reconstruct Itinerary.

What does Airbnb expect in coding rounds at SDE 1?

The largest part of the loop: often three coding rounds. Medium problems, sometimes one hard. Correct, clean code and clear reasoning matter more than speed.

SDE 1 interviews at other companies

SDE 1 interview questions across all companies · Behavioral questions