INTERVIEW ROUNDS

The online assessment (OA)

A timed, auto-graded coding test that filters candidates before any human interview. Hidden test cases decide the score, so a solution that works on the examples but times out on large inputs still fails.

What happens

You get 60 to 120 minutes for two to four problems on a platform like HackerRank or CodeSignal. Some companies add multiple-choice questions, an aptitude section, a work-style survey or a short work simulation. Nobody watches you code; the score is the share of hidden tests you pass, sometimes with a plagiarism and AI-use check on top.

What is expected at each level

SDE 1 · New grad to about 2 years

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.

SDE 2 · About 2 to 5 years

Used by some companies for experienced hires (Amazon, Uber, Salesforce, Oracle). The bar is the same as for SDE 1 but the time is often shorter.

SDE 3 · Senior, about 5 to 10 years

Rare. Most companies replace it with a live screen for senior candidates.

SDE 4 · Staff, principal and above

Almost never used.

How to prepare

• Practise under a timer in the AlgoRung editor: Submit runs the hidden tests, the same way an OA grades you.
• Learn the patterns that show up most: sliding window, two pointers, hashing, BFS on grids, prefix sums and simple DP.
• Always check the constraints first: n up to 10^5 means O(n log n) or better.
• Read input carefully: many OA failures are wrong parsing, not wrong algorithms.

Common mistakes

• Spending 50 minutes on the first problem and never starting the second
• Ignoring large inputs until the final submit
• Not testing edge cases: empty input, one element, all equal values
• Copying from AI tools: many platforms flag it

Companies that use it

• Google · SDE 1
  Some candidates, often from referrals or recruiter outreach, get the Google Hiring Assessment (a survey-style questionnaire) and an easy coding test before any live interview.
• Amazon · SDE 1, SDE 2
  A timed test with two coding problems (easy-medium to medium) plus a work-style survey tied to the Leadership Principles; new-grad versions add a work simulation, making the block 2 to 3.5 hours.
• Microsoft · SDE 1
  Mostly for new grads and campus hiring: two or three easy-to-medium coding problems in 60 to 90 minutes.
• Netflix · SDE 1
  Some early-career loops use a two-part online assessment, and one part may allow AI help.
• Uber · SDE 1, SDE 2
  A timed online assessment scored on hidden tests; problems are hard and must pass every case.
• LinkedIn · SDE 1
  Some entry-level pipelines start with a two-question online assessment.
• Airbnb · SDE 1
  Some early-career candidates take an online assessment instead of the live screen.
• Stripe · SDE 1
  Interns and new grads often get an online assessment with one multi-part problem.
• Atlassian · SDE 1
  Intern and graduate candidates report a timed test with two or three DSA problems before any live interview.
• Goldman Sachs · SDE 1, SDE 2, SDE 3
  An online test with two or three DSA problems; campus drives may add aptitude sections or a recorded video screen.
• Salesforce · All levels
  A proctored online test with two or three medium-to-hard problems.
• Oracle · All levels
  An online or live screen with one or two DSA problems that must pass every test; sometimes a design-pattern task.
• Adobe · SDE 1
  Two coding problems plus a 30-minute aptitude section; experienced hires often skip it.
• Flipkart · SDE 1
  Campus and hiring-drive candidates take a test with about three DSA problems.
• Walmart Global Tech · SDE 1
  Campus and drive candidates take a test with about two medium problems, sometimes with MCQs.
• PhonePe · SDE 1
  Campus hiring uses a coding test; lateral loops usually start straight with machine coding.
• Swiggy · SDE 1, SDE 2
  Two or three DSA problems; one 2025 role required Go.
• Razorpay · SDE 1, SDE 2
  Two or three DSA problems plus MCQs, reportedly including AI and LLM basics.

Other rounds

The phone screen · The coding round (DSA) · The AI-assisted coding round · Low-level design and machine coding · The system design round (HLD) · Team-specific rounds · The behavioral round · The hiring manager round · The bar raiser round · Team match and hiring committee