Amazon interview experience Real time questions & tips from candidates to crack your interview

SDE - Intern

Amazon
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2 rounds | 4 Coding problems

Interview preparation journey

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Journey
My journey started with building strong fundamentals rather than chasing outcomes. In the early stages, I focused on understanding the basics of computer science—data structures, algorithms, and core problem-solving—while consistently practicing and reflecting on my mistakes. Progress was slow at first, but staying disciplined and patient helped me build confidence over time. Alongside academics, I worked on projects and internships that pushed me beyond comfort zones. These experiences taught me how real systems work, how to debug under pressure, and how important clarity of thought and ownership are while building solutions. I learned that it’s not about knowing everything, but about being able to learn quickly and reason clearly. There were phases of rejection, self-doubt, and comparison, but I treated each setback as feedback rather than failure. Instead of giving up, I refined my approach—strengthening weak areas, revisiting fundamentals, and staying consistent even when motivation dipped. Cracking the Amazon interview felt less like a sudden breakthrough and more like the natural outcome of sustained effort over time. The biggest lesson from this journey is that consistency, strong fundamentals, and belief in the process matter far more than shortcuts or last-minute preparation. I hope my experience encourages others to trust their learning journey, stay patient, and keep showing up—even when results aren’t immediately visible.
Application story
I applied for the role through my college’s on-campus placement process after the opportunity was shared by the placement cell. The application began with submitting my resume, followed by shortlisting based on eligibility and profile. The process was well-structured and communicated clearly at each stage, with different evaluation rounds conducted over a scheduled timeline. After progressing through the selection stages, I was invited to the interview rounds, which completed the application journey.
Why selected/rejected for the role?
I believe I was selected because of my strong fundamentals in computer science, consistent problem-solving approach, and ability to clearly explain my thinking. My projects and experiences showed ownership, learning ability, and alignment with the role’s requirements.
Preparation
Duration: 3 months
Topics: Data Structures and Algorithms, Operating Systems, Database Management Systems, Object-Oriented Programming, Computer Networks, System Design, Problem Solving and Coding Practice
Tip
Tip

Tip 1: Focus on strong fundamentals instead of memorizing patterns.
Tip 2: Practice consistently and analyse mistakes after every problem.

Application process
Where: Campus
Eligibility: No Backlogs, (Stipend: 1.1L per month)
Resume Tip
Resume tip

Tip 1: Keep your resume one page, cleanly formatted, and easy to scan with clear bullet points.
Tip 2: Focus on impact and results—quantify your work where possible (performance, scale, users).
Tip 3: Highlight skills and projects that are relevant to the role and that you understand deeply.
Tip 4: Avoid unnecessary buzzwords, proofread carefully, and be honest—everything on your resume can be discussed in interviews.

Interview rounds

01
Round
Medium
Online Coding Test
Duration90 minutes
Interview date4 Oct 2025
Coding problem2

The Online Assessment round consisted of timed coding problems designed to evaluate problem-solving skills, data structures and algorithms knowledge, and coding accuracy. It tested the ability to write efficient, correct solutions within given constraints while managing time effectively.

1. Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters

Moderate
30m average time
65% success
0/80
Asked in companies
FreshworksQualcommAdobe

Given a string input of length n, find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters i.e return a substring that does not have any repeating characters.

Substring is the continuous sub-part of the string formed by removing zero or more characters from both ends.

Problem approach

Use two pointers (left and right) → sliding window
Maintain a set (or map) to store characters in current window
Move right pointer:
If character is not in set, add it
Update maximum length
If character already exists:
Remove characters from the left until duplicate is removed
Move left pointer forward
Continue until end of string
This ensures every character is processed efficiently.

Try solving now

2. Rotting Oranges

Moderate
20m average time
78% success
0/80
Asked in companies
IBMSliceSamsung R&D Institute

You have been given a grid containing some oranges. Each cell of this grid has one of the three integers values:

  • Value 0 - representing an empty cell.
  • Value 1 - representing a fresh orange.
  • Value 2 - representing a rotten orange.
  • Every second, any fresh orange that is adjacent(4-directionally) to a rotten orange becomes rotten.

    Your task is to find out the minimum time after which no cell has a fresh orange. If it's impossible to rot all the fresh oranges then print -1.

    Note:
    1. The grid has 0-based indexing.
    2. A rotten orange can affect the adjacent oranges 4 directionally i.e. Up, Down, Left, Right.
    
    Problem approach

    Traverse grid and push all rotten oranges into a queue
    Count number of fresh oranges
    Perform multi-source BFS:
    For each level (minute), rot adjacent fresh oranges
    Reduce fresh count
    Increase time after each BFS level
    If fresh oranges remain → return -1
    Else return total time

    Try solving now
    02
    Round
    Medium
    Video Call
    Duration60 minutes
    Interview date9 Oct 2025
    Coding problem2

    The interview was conducted during the day and not late at night. The overall environment was professional, calm, and well-organized, with clear instructions provided throughout the process. There were no major distractions or technical issues, and the process moved smoothly from start to finish. The interviewer was polite, attentive, and approachable, making the discussion comfortable while encouraging clear explanations and logical thinking.

    1. Basic Calculator Il

    Moderate
    25m average time
    75% success
    0/80
    Asked in companies
    MicrosoftAmazonNextech

    You are given a string ‘STR’, which represents an expression. Your task is to evaluate the value of the expression. The integer division should truncate toward zero.

    For Example:
    Consider STR = “3+2*2”
    Using the BODMAS rule, the expression after evaluation gives 7. Hence, the answer is 7.
    
    Problem approach

    Step 1: I noted that the expression has no brackets, only operators with precedence.
    Step 2: I chose a one-pass approach without using a stack.
    Step 3: I built numbers while scanning the string character by character.
    Step 4: On encountering an operator, I processed the previous one immediately.
    Step 5: I handled * and / first by updating the last value directly.
    Step 6: I handled + and - by adding the last value to the result.
    Step 7: After traversal, I added the final value to get the answer.

    Try solving now

    2. Find The Single Element

    Easy
    10m average time
    95% success
    0/40
    Asked in companies
    AmazonStimVeda NeurosciencesSalescode.ai

    You are given a sorted array 'arr' of positive integers of size 'n'.


    It contains each number exactly twice except for one number, which occurs exactly once.


    Find the number that occurs exactly once.


    Example :
    Input: ‘arr’ = {1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4}.
    
    Output: 2
    
    Explanation: 1, 3, and 4 occur exactly twice. 2 occurs exactly once. Hence the answer is 2.
    
    Problem approach

    Step 1: I observed that duplicate numbers cancel each other if XOR is applied.
    Step 2: I initialized a variable ans with 0.
    Step 3: I iterated through the array and applied XOR with each element.
    Step 4: Since a ^ a = 0 and a ^ 0 = a, all duplicates were removed.
    Step 5: The remaining value in ans was the non-duplicate element.

    Try solving now

    Here's your problem of the day

    Solving this problem will increase your chance to get selected in this company

    Skill covered: Programming

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