Amazon Interview Experience for SDE-I (On-Campus)

The hiring process for Amazon consisted of 1 Online coding assessment + 2(or)3 Virtual Interview rounds. So, in total there were 3(or)4 rounds. There were minimal eligibility criteria of 6 CGPA and no backlogs.

Online Coding assessment: This consisted of 4 time-locked sections to complete in 2 hours. Could switch questions within the section.

• Section 1: Code debugging – 7 ques, 20 mins
• Section 2: Coding – 2 ques, 70 mins
• Section 3: Workstyle assessment – 20 mins
• Section 4: Reasoning – 24 ques, 35 mins

I solved all 7 debugging questions, passing all the test cases, and I also solved both the coding questions, passing all the test cases. It is better to spend enough time on the Workstyle assessment test, as it carries value too. The reasoning section was solvable in the given time. I got shortlisted for the next round. There were nearly 40 students selected for the next round.

Round 1(Virtual Interview – Coding): The interviewers introduced themselves and asked me to introduce myself too. Then they directly dived into coding questions. The session was on Amazon chime and LiveCode.

1. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/problems/print-anagrams-together/1
2. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/problems/row-with-max-1s0023/1

An optimized solution was expected for both the questions. First, the approach had to be discussed with the interviewers and once they were satisfied coding the required function alone was sufficient. Dry running the code will give an edge.

Round 2 (Virtual Interview- Resume, Coding and behavioral): The interviewers introduced themselves and asked me to introduce myself too. Then I was asked to pick one project from my resume and explain it in detail. After that, one coding question was asked :

1. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/problems/minimum-cost-of-ropes-1587115620/1. First, the approach was discussed. After an optimized solution was coded by me, I was asked to do a dry run and explain the code.

Next, two behavioral questions, related to Amazon’s leadership principles were asked. This is an important part of the interview. Experiences from the past have to be narrated, with relevance to the leadership principles. It’s best to follow the STAR approach.

1. Tell us about a time when you felt you needed more expertise to complete a task.
2. Tell us about a time when you went out of your comfort zone to complete a task.

Then, again another coding question was asked.

1. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/problems/add-two-numbers-represented-by-linked-lists/1. Similarly, an approach had to be explained, and optimised code was expected.

In both rounds, I solved all coding questions with an optimized solution. I also gave detailed narratives for the behavioral questions. It’s best to prepare an answer for standard behavioral questions to save time and create a better impression. Some of the candidates who finished round 2, went on to round 3. But, that was not a decider/qualifier round.

I was offered a 6-month internship at the end of the hiring process.

I practiced coding using the practice questions available in GeeksforGeeks. This was the best resource for me to improve my coding skills. I also prepared CS fundamentals from the various articles available in GeeksforGeeks. Thank you so much GeeksforGeeks.