Top Interview Questions Asked by FAANG (Ranked by Difficulty)
“FAANG interviews don’t just test your knowledge — they assess your thought process, communication clarity, and problem-solving rigor under pressure.”
If you're aiming for a career at a FAANG company, understanding the nature, structure, and complexity of the questions you'll face is crucial. These interviews are notoriously rigorous, often comprising multiple rounds of data structures, system design, behavioral interviews, and domain-specific evaluations.
Below is a list of the most commonly asked questions across FAANG, ranked from Foundational to Expert level, along with insights into why they matter and what interviewers are looking for.
Level 1: Foundational – Easy to Moderate
These questions assess your grasp of core concepts. Expect them in early rounds or as warm-ups.
1. Reverse a Linked List
-
Asked by: Google, Meta
-
Concepts Tested: Pointers, iteration vs. recursion
-
Why it matters: Shows understanding of memory and list traversal
-
Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
2. Valid Parentheses
-
Asked by: Amazon, Apple
-
Concepts Tested: Stacks, character parsing
-
Why it matters: Tests your grasp of data structures in control flow
-
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
3. Two Sum
-
Asked by: Practically all FAANG companies
-
Concepts Tested: Hash maps, time-space tradeoff
-
Why it matters: Measures algorithmic intuition
-
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Level 2: Intermediate – Concept Application
These questions move beyond basics to test your efficiency, edge case awareness, and optimization mindset.
4. Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters
-
Asked by: Amazon, Netflix
-
Concepts Tested: Sliding window, hash sets
-
Why it matters: Balances brute-force thinking vs. space optimization
-
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
5. Merge Intervals
-
Asked by: Facebook, Apple
-
Concepts Tested: Sorting, greedy techniques
-
Why it matters: Often asked to test real-world scenario modeling
-
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
6. Detect a Cycle in a Directed Graph
-
Asked by: Google, Meta
-
Concepts Tested: DFS, visited states
-
Why it matters: Proves understanding of graphs and recursion
-
Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Level 3: Advanced – Problem Solving Mastery
These test your ability to model complex systems, optimize performance, and communicate clearly under pressure.
7. Design LRU Cache
-
Asked by: Amazon, Apple
-
Concepts Tested: HashMap + Doubly Linked List, design patterns
-
Why it matters: Tests algorithm design and data structure composition
-
Difficulty: ★★★★☆
8. Median of Two Sorted Arrays
-
Asked by: Google
-
Concepts Tested: Binary search, partition logic
-
Why it matters: Measures advanced thinking and boundary management
-
Difficulty: ★★★★★
9. Word Ladder (Shortest Transformation Sequence)
-
Asked by: Meta
-
Concepts Tested: BFS, graph traversal, word permutations
-
Why it matters: Tests logical modeling of real-world-like challenges
-
Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Level 4: Expert – Systems & Scalability
Expect these in final rounds or for senior roles. They're open-ended and often involve whiteboarding.
10. Design a URL Shortener (like bit.ly)
-
Asked by: Facebook, Amazon
-
Concepts Tested: System design, hashing, scalability
-
Why it matters: Tests your ability to architect real, large-scale systems
-
Difficulty: ★★★★★
11. Design a Real-Time Chat System
-
Asked by: Google, Meta
-
Concepts Tested: Event-driven architecture, sockets, data consistency
-
Why it matters: Reflects end-to-end systems thinking
-
Difficulty: ★★★★★
12. Design Netflix Recommendation Engine (High Level)
-
Asked by: Netflix (Senior+)
-
Concepts Tested: Machine learning, collaborative filtering, big data
-
Why it matters: Senior roles must understand data-driven system design
-
Difficulty: ★★★★★
Behavioral Bonus: STAR-Based Questions Across All Levels
-
Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn?
-
Describe a conflict with a coworker and how you resolved it.
-
Have you ever disagreed with your manager’s decision? What did you do?
Pro Tip: Use the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result). FAANG companies value clarity in communication as much as technical skill.
Final Thoughts
Interviewing at FAANG is less about memorizing answers and more about demonstrating structured thinking, system design fluency, and problem-solving under constraints.
Here’s how to prepare effectively:
-
Master patterns, not just questions.
-
Time yourself. Most rounds are 45–60 minutes with follow-ups.
-
Practice mock interviews and verbal explanations out loud.
No comments:
Post a Comment