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

SDE - 2

Microsoft
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3 rounds | 5 Coding problems

Interview preparation journey

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Journey
I started with the basics of programming, gradually building my skills and knowledge through hands-on projects and continuous learning. Over time, I gained experience in various technologies and worked at Publicis Sapient and Tekion Corp, which helped me grow professionally. Networking played a crucial role in my journey; I obtained this opportunity at Microsoft through a LinkedIn referral. Staying curious, constantly improving, and connecting with the right people enabled me to land this role.
Application story
I applied for the role at Microsoft through a LinkedIn referral, which helped me get noticed by the hiring team. After the referral, I was contacted by a recruiter to initiate the process. The interviews were scheduled, and the process was well-organized, with clear communication at each step. It involved multiple rounds of technical discussions and interactions with various teams before the final decision. Overall, the experience was smooth and transparent.
Why selected/rejected for the role?
Though I was not selected for this role, I gained valuable interview experience. My resume showcased relevant projects that aligned with the job requirements, and my prior work experience demonstrated that I could handle real-world scenarios. Additionally, clear communication, a problem-solving mindset, and my ability to collaborate effectively during the interview process likely contributed to my candidacy. This experience taught me the importance of showcasing practical skills and clearly explaining my approach.
Preparation
Duration: 6 Months
Topics: Data Structure and Algorithms, Low Level Design, High Level Design, Computer Core Subject, OOPS
Tip
Tip

Tip 1: Solve DSA questions daily.
Tip 2: Prepare 2-3 system design questions each week.
Tip 3: Continuously try to conduct mock interviews with your friends.

Application process
Where: Linkedin
Eligibility: The eligibility criteria for the application were as follows: a CGPA above 7, no specific criteria for degree or branch, at least two development projects listed on the resume, and a minimum of 2 years of professional experience. (Salary Package: 45 LPA).
Resume Tip
Resume tip

Tip 1: Highlight key projects that demonstrate your technical skills and problem-solving abilities.
Tip 2: Keep your resume concise and tailor it to the role you are applying for, focusing on relevant experiences and accomplishments.

Interview rounds

01
Round
Medium
Online Coding Test
Duration60 minutes
Interview date20 Sep 2024
Coding problem2

This round was scheduled on the Codility platform, where I had to solve two coding questions in 90 minutes.

1. House Robber

Moderate
26m average time
0/80
Asked in companies
CognizantTata Consultancy Services (TCS)Paytm (One97 Communications Limited)

A thief wants to loot houses. He knows the amount of money in each house. He cannot loot two consecutive houses. Find the maximum amount of money he can loot.

Problem approach

Approach:
Use dynamic programming to solve this problem.
Define an array dp[] where dp[i] represents the maximum money that can be robbed up to the i-th house.
At each house, the robber has two choices:
Rob the current house, skip the previous one.
Skip the current house and take the maximum robbed up to the previous house.
Formula:
dp[i] = max(dp[i-1], dp[i-2] + houses[i])
Where dp[i-1] represents not robbing the current house, and dp[i-2] + houses[i] represents robbing the current house (and the one-two house before).

Try solving now

2. DFS Traversal

Moderate
35m average time
65% success
0/80
Asked in companies
LinkedInReliance Jio Infocomm LtdInfosys

Given an undirected and disconnected graph G(V, E), containing 'V' vertices and 'E' edges, the information about edges is given using 'GRAPH' matrix, where i-th edge is between GRAPH[i][0] and GRAPH[i][1]. print its DFS traversal.

V is the number of vertices present in graph G and vertices are numbered from 0 to V-1. 

E is the number of edges present in graph G.
Note :
The Graph may not be connected i.e there may exist multiple components in a graph.
Problem approach

Solution Approach:
Use DFS to traverse the tree.
For each node, add its value to the cumulative sum.
Traverse to the left child and right child recursively.

Try solving now
02
Round
Medium
Video Call
Duration60 minute
Interview date23 Sep 2024
Coding problem2

This round was scheduled one week after the online coding round, which lasted for one hour, during which the interviewer asked two coding questions.

1. Intersection of Two Linked Lists

Easy
25m average time
73% success
0/40
Asked in companies
GoogleCognizantAccenture

You are given two Singly Linked Lists of integers, which may have an intersection point.

Your task is to return the first intersection node. If there is no intersection, return NULL.


Example:-
The Linked Lists, where a1, a2, c1, c2, c3 is the first linked list and b1, b2, b3, c1, c2, c3 is the second linked list, merging at node c1.

alt.txt

Problem approach

Approach:
We can find the length of both linked lists.
Traverse the longer list by the difference in length.
Then, traverse both lists in parallel until the common node is found.

Try solving now

2. Two Sum

Easy
10m average time
90% success
0/40
Asked in companies
Hexaware TechnologiesFacebookAmazon

You are given an array of integers 'ARR' of length 'N' and an integer Target. Your task is to return all pairs of elements such that they add up to Target.

Note:

We cannot use the element at a given index twice.

Follow Up:

Try to do this problem in O(N) time complexity. 
Problem approach

Loop through each number in the array.
For each number, loop through the rest of the array and check if their sum equals the target.
If found, return the indices of both numbers.
If no solution exists, return an empty array or appropriate message.

Try solving now
03
Round
Easy
Video Call
Duration60 minutes
Interview date24 Sep 2024
Coding problem1

The Low-Level Design (LLD) round took place early in the Morning, around 9:30 AM, creating a calm but focused environment. The interviewer was knowledgeable, and approachable, and encouraged open discussion, which made the process collaborative. The task involved designing a system at a granular level, focusing on class structure, and component interaction, and adhering to principles like SOLID and separation of concerns. Key areas discussed included API design, error handling, and handling edge cases. The interviewer gave insightful feedback and pushed me to think about optimizations and scalability throughout the session.

1. System Design

Key Requirements for Movie Ticket Booking System:
User Registration & Login: Users can create accounts, log in, and manage profiles.
Browse Movies: View and filter movies by genre, language, or rating.
Theater & Showtimes Selection: Select theatre and showtimes with seat availability.
Seat Selection: Choose specific seats with real-time availability.
Ticket Booking & Payment: Book multiple tickets, apply for promotions, and make secure payments.
Booking Confirmation: Receive a confirmation with details and a QR code for verification.
Booking Modification: Allow booking cancellations or modifications before the showtime.
Admin Management: Admins can manage movies, showtimes, and bookings.
Non-Functional:
Scalability, Performance, Security, High Availability, and Concurrency.
This summarizes the main requirements of the system concisely.

Problem approach

Tip 1: Break Down the Requirements.
Tip 2: Design for Scalability and Concurrency.
Tip 3: Use OOP and Modular Design.
Tip 4: Handle Real-Time Updates and Data Consistency.
Tip 5: Use Design Principles and patterns.

Here's your problem of the day

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

Skill covered: Programming

Which SQL keyword removes duplicate records from a result set?

Choose another skill to practice
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