Rounds
Coding & DSA Round
60-minute algorithmic problem-solving assessment with 4-tier scorecard
Round Structure (60 min)
| Time | Phase | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 0-5 min | Warm-up | Introduce yourself, set expectations |
| 5-10 min | Problem Statement | Present problem, candidate asks clarifying questions |
| 10-40 min | Implementation | Candidate codes solution, discusses approach |
| 40-50 min | Testing & Optimization | Walk through test cases, discuss improvements |
| 50-60 min | Follow-ups | Extensions, edge cases, complexity analysis |
4-Tier Scorecard
| Dimension | 1 Strong No-Hire | 2 No-Hire | 3 Lean Hire | 4 Strong Hire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algorithmic Thinking | Cannot identify problem type | Identifies pattern but fails to implement | Correct approach with minor bugs | Optimal approach, clean implementation |
| Complexity Analysis | Cannot state Big-O | States Big-O but incorrect | Correct Big-O, cannot optimize | Analyzes multiple approaches, picks optimal |
| Edge Cases | Ignores edge cases entirely | Handles 1-2 when prompted | Identifies most independently | Exhaustive coverage; adversarial inputs |
| Code Quality | Unreadable; no structure | Functional but messy | Clean, modular; reasonable naming | Production-ready; self-documenting |
| Communication | Cannot explain thinking | Explains only when asked | Thinks aloud; structured | Drives discussion; explores alternatives |
| Testing | Cannot verify own code | Traces one example when prompted | Tests happy path + edge cases | Writes formal tests; discusses strategy |
Level Expectations
| Level | Expected Performance |
|---|---|
| SDE 1 | Solves Easy in <15min, Medium with hints |
| SDE 2 | Solves Medium cleanly in <25min |
| SDE 3 | Solves Medium in <20min, attempts Hard optimally |
| SDE 4 | Solves Hard, discusses multiple approaches and trade-offs |
Sample Problems by Category
Arrays & Hashing
- Two Sum O(n) hash map approach
- Merge Intervals sort + merge
- Product of Array Except Self prefix/suffix
Trees & Graphs
- Lowest Common Ancestor recursive DFS
- Course Schedule topological sort
- Serialize/Deserialize Binary Tree
Dynamic Programming
- Longest Increasing Subsequence O(n log n)
- Coin Change bottom-up tabulation
- Edit Distance 2D DP
Heaps & Stacks
- Merge K Sorted Lists min-heap
- LRU Cache DLL + HashMap
- Min Stack auxiliary stack
📖 Full question bank: See the DSA Problems page for 25 complete solutions with complexities and follow-ups.