Amazon SDE Online Assessment - Work Simulation, Work Styles, and Coding Assessment Questions

The Amazon SDE Online Assessment is an initial screening step that any Amazon candidate applying to Intern, New Grad, SDE I, SDE II, and SDET positions must pass. It includes a coding assessment, a Work Simulation, and a Work Style Assessment: 

Interns and New Grads

Part 1 - OA1: Two coding questions

Part 2 - OA2: Work Simulation and Work Style Assessment

SDE 1, SDE 2, and SDET

Part 1 - Coding Challenge with two questions

Part 2 - Work Simulation

Part 3 - SDE Work Style Survey

Part 4 - Amazon Work Style Survey

Below we go over each of the assessment’s sections in detail:

The Amazon SDE Coding assessment is a timed online programming test with two coding problems limited to 90 minutes. These involve mainly basic data structures and algorithm problems, easy-medium level. 

• Search/ Sort Algorithms
• Trees (especially binary trees)
• Graph Traversal
• Heaps & Stacks
• Linked lists
• Arrays/ Strings
• Hash tables
• Recursion.

Amazon is interested to evaluate your ability to solve problems, write correct code, and apply DS patterns and algorithms. In doing so, you will be expected to demonstrate the following: 

• Problem Statement Retention: can you read a coding problem and understand what it’s asking?
• Coding Ability: can you understand the problem, figure out an efficient solution, and then translate the solution into an accurate code?
• Data Structure Application: can you take a problem and apply an appropriate data structure to solve the problem in the simplest way? Do you know when to use a list/map/set/etc.?
• Runtime Complexity: can you go over your own code and assess what runtime complexity and major issues it might have?
• Simplification: can you create a simple solution to a complicated problem, in a way that most people would understand?
• Optimization: can you recognize and reach optimal solution? 

• Deep Knowledge of a Specific Language: you can code in any language that you feel comfortable with and Amazon won’t be testing your expertise in specific languages.
• Purposefully Confusing or Tricky Questions: the coding problems are straightforward and are not intended to trick you in any way.

*Note: As of 2022, Amazon removed the coding approach questionnaire and debugging questions parts.

1. Determine if Two Trees are Identical (Easy)

Given two binary trees, the task is to find if both of them are identical or not.

2. Square root of a number (Medium)

Given an integer x, find the square root of x. If x is not a perfect square, then return floor(√x).

3. Kadane's Algorithm (Medium)

Given an array Arr[] of N integers. Find the contiguous sub-array(containing at least one number) which has the maximum sum and return its sum.

The full Amazon OA preparation simulates solving these coding questions online:

• Refresh fundamental knowledge: Go back and re-educate yourself on all data structures and data structure algorithms. 
• Pay attention to your code's efficiency: make sure to understand your code’s time and space complexity and its benefits and drawbacks. This will also be highly important for interviewers later on.  
• Make sure you also get into more complex data structures: like hashmaps, b trees (and variants), and caches (and associated algorithms). 
• Learn high-scale architecture: Go look at how big sites are structured to better understand how to define effective architecture. 

You can use any of these multiple languages: Java, C, C++, C#, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, Swift, Clojure, Erlang, Go, Julia, Kotlin, Lua, Objective-C, Perl, PHP, R, Ruby, Scala.

The Amazon online assessment is taken through HackerRank, which is a proctored platform. The coding assessment records everything you do on your browsers once you begin. If you copy and paste code from outside the platform (such as from Google) it will be recorded and dishonest behavior will be caught.

Watch this 2-minute video to understand how to use HackerRank’s platform properly:

In the SDE Work Simulation section (previously named 'technical problem solving'), Amazon wants to see your system design and problem-solving skills applied to various work-related scenarios with simulated peers, managers, and stakeholders.

When responding to these scenarios, put your system design hat on, and employ system design concepts like designing for maintainability, determining tradeoffs, and dealing with ambiguity.

The test includes 3 different modules – all of which are examples of real-life work of Amazon software development engineers. They are comprised of different backgrounds, data, and tasks that are all relevant to the questions.

You are required to rate each response according to the options given. The assessment should take 15-20 minutes to complete.

Here's an example of a scenario that resembles a work simulation question from the real test:

Your team has been assigned a new task creating a real-time voting system for a new Amazon Prime show, scheduled to occur in four weeks. After the show concludes, a 4-minute voting window will be initiated for tabulating votes. Please evaluate the effectiveness of each action listed below as if it were your next step.

1. Not at all Effective
2. Slightly Effective
3. Moderately Effective
4. Very Effective
5. Extremely Effective

A. Establish a proof of concept to assess the system's functionality.
B. Consult stakeholders regarding their specific requirements and seek clarification.
C. Approach the issue by utilizing fundamental library code.
D. Formulate a Database schema.
E. Arrange a meeting to involve the design team in the process.

The SDE Work Style Assessment is an untimed personality test, which focuses on the work environment, decision-making, and preferences - in light of Amazon’s culture and Leadership Principles.

Amazon seeks to understand your work style as expressed through your work personality. Each of the personality questions represents a different dilemma, task, or preference that an Amazon SDE employee may encounter.

You will be asked to choose the answer which is most suitable to your understanding, taking Amazon’s Leadership Principles into deep consideration.

The Amazon Workstyle Assessment for SDEs is divided into two surveys:

Evaluates how you approach software development engineer work.

Here’s an example from the practice pack:

When you're brought into a project midway through, which of the following methods are you most inclined to take?

1. Create my own project plan so that I’m able to comprehend the next steps.
2. Consult with end-users on a regular basis to ensure that product requirements are fully understood.
3. To catch up, complete as much work as you can on your own.
4. Look for areas where my personal abilities may contribute value to the process 

Evaluates how you approach work in general.

See the following example from the prep package:

Interviewing for an Amazon Software Development Engineer role usually takes four to five weeks overall. Here’s a breakdown of the recruitment process:

• Submit a job application
• Complete the Amazon SDE online assessment (you’re here now)
• Submit questionnaire to match team and locations - the questionnaire is designed to collect your preferences for job location, item or product domain, tech stack, work environment and career goals.
• Talk with a recruiter - to learn about the rest of the interview process.
• Attend the interviews.
• Interview outcome
• Discuss matched teams - based on your preferences in step #3
• Speak with leaders from matched teams
• Choose your new team

We’ve teamed up with a leading interview prep platform that offers the following services for Amazon SDE candidates:

• Technical interview prep
• Behavioral interview prep
• System design practice
• Mock interviews
• Offer negotiation

The coaching and prep services are given by former Amazon hiring managers who know Amazon’s unique culture inside out.

Learn More About the Amazon Interview Prep>>

Make sure you visit your thorough prep guides for these tech giants: Google Software Engineer Interview and Microsoft Codility Test.

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