Originally published on LeetCopilot Blog
Amazon's interview is unique with its Leadership Principles focus. Here's exactly what to expect, the question types, and how to prepare for each round.
Amazon's interview process is unlike any other FAANG company. While coding is important, Amazon places equal weight on behavioral questions tied to their 16 Leadership Principles.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Amazon's 2026 interview process.
TL;DR: Amazon Interview Overview
| Stage | Duration | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Online Assessment (OA) | 90-120 min | 2 coding + work simulation |
| Phone Screen | 45-60 min | Coding + behavioral |
| Onsite (Virtual) | 4-5 rounds | Coding + LP behavioral |
| Bar Raiser | 1 round | Deep LP assessment |
Timeline: 4-6 weeks from application to offer
What Makes Amazon Different
Leadership Principles (LPs)
Amazon evaluates every candidate against their 16 Leadership Principles:
- Customer Obsession
- Ownership
- Invent and Simplify
- Are Right, A Lot
- Learn and Be Curious
- Hire and Develop the Best
- Insist on the Highest Standards
- Think Big
- Bias for Action
- Frugality
- Earn Trust
- Dive Deep
- Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
- Deliver Results
- Strive to be Earth's Best Employer
- Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
Critical: You MUST prepare LP stories. Every round includes behavioral questions.
The Interview Process
Stage 1: Online Assessment (90-120 min)
Two parts:
Part 1: Coding (70 min)
- 2 algorithm problems
- Medium to hard difficulty
- Focus on optimal solutions + clean code
Part 2: Work Simulation / Workstyle Assessment (20-30 min)
- Situational judgment questions
- No right/wrong—measures LP alignment
- Answer honestly, but be aware of LP themes
Stage 2: Phone Screen (45-60 min)
Structure:
- 5-10 min: Introduction, background
- 30-35 min: Coding problem (1-2 questions)
- 10-15 min: Behavioral questions (LPs)
Coding environment:
- Amazon Chime or similar
- Shared editor (no IDE)
- Medium difficulty problems
Stage 3: Onsite / Virtual Loop (4-5 rounds)
Typical structure:
| Round | Duration | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Coding 1 | 55 min | DSA + 1 behavioral |
| Coding 2 | 55 min | DSA + 1 behavioral |
| System Design* | 55 min | Architecture + behavioral |
| Behavioral (LP Deep-Dive) | 55 min | 3-4 LP questions |
| Bar Raiser | 55 min | Cross-team LP assessment |
*System Design for SDE II+ (senior roles)
What Questions to Expect
Coding Questions
Amazon coding questions are similar to LeetCode mediums. Common topics:
| Topic | Examples |
|---|---|
| Arrays/Strings | Two Sum, Merge Intervals |
| Trees | LCA, Serialize/Deserialize |
| Graphs | Number of Islands, BFS/DFS |
| Dynamic Programming | Longest Substring, Coin Change |
| Design | LRU Cache, Min Stack |
Amazon favorites:
- Merge K Sorted Lists
- Word Search
- Number of Islands
- Rotting Oranges
- Min Cost to Connect Sticks
Behavioral Questions (Leadership Principles)
Every round has 1-2 LP questions. Prepare 10-12 stories covering:
| LP | Sample Question |
|---|---|
| Customer Obsession | Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a customer |
| Ownership | Describe a project you owned end-to-end |
| Bias for Action | Tell me about a time you made a decision without all the information |
| Deliver Results | Describe your most impactful project |
| Dive Deep | Tell me about a time you had to get into the details |
| Earn Trust | Tell me about a time you had to rebuild trust |
Use STAR format:
- Situation — Set the context
- Task — Your responsibility
- Action — What YOU did (not the team)
- Result — Quantifiable outcome + learnings
System Design Questions (SDE II+)
For senior roles:
- Design a URL shortener
- Design Amazon's product catalog
- Design a rate limiter
- Design a notification system
What they evaluate:
- Scalability and performance
- Trade-offs and decision-making
- AWS familiarity (bonus, not required)
The Bar Raiser Round
Amazon's unique "Bar Raiser" is an engineer from outside your potential team.
Purpose:
- Unbiased assessment
- Ensure every hire raises the bar
- Has veto power over hiring decision
What to expect:
- Deep LP questions
- May include coding or design
- Tests how you handle pressure
Tip: Treat this like any other round. Be authentic.
How to Prepare
Coding Preparation (4-6 weeks)
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Arrays, Strings, Hash Maps |
| 3-4 | Trees, Graphs, BFS/DFS |
| 5-6 | DP, Design patterns |
Resources:
- LeetCode Amazon tag — Practice actual Amazon questions
- NeetCode 150 — Core patterns
- LeetCopilot — Hints when stuck
Behavioral Preparation (Critical!)
- Study all 16 Leadership Principles
- Prepare 12-15 STAR stories covering different LPs
- Practice telling stories in 2-3 minutes
- Have follow-up details ready (they will probe)
Story mapping:
| Story | LPs Covered |
|---|---|
| Led struggling project to success | Ownership, Deliver Results |
| Disagreed with manager, found compromise | Earn Trust, Have Backbone |
| Fixed critical bug under pressure | Bias for Action, Dive Deep |
| Improved customer experience | Customer Obsession |
System Design Preparation (SDE II+)
- "System Design Interview" by Alex Xu — Essential book
- ByteByteGo — Visual explanations
- Educative's Grokking System Design — Comprehensive course
Interview Day Tips
For Coding Rounds:
- Clarify requirements
- Walk through examples
- Explain approach before coding
- Write clean, readable code
- Test with edge cases
- Discuss time/space complexity
For Behavioral Rounds:
- Listen to the full question
- Ask clarifying questions if needed
- Use STAR format
- Focus on your actions (not team)
- Include quantifiable results
- Keep stories to 2-3 minutes
General Tips:
- Have water ready
- Use a quiet, well-lit space
- Maintain eye contact with camera
- Be enthusiastic—Amazon values passion
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Ignoring LPs | Prep 12+ LP stories |
| Using "we" instead of "I" | Focus on YOUR contributions |
| Vague results | Quantify impact (%, $, time) |
| Not practicing out loud | Talk through problems |
| Memorizing LP definitions | Understand with examples |
Amazon Interview Levels
| Level | Title | Experience | System Design? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDE I | SDE | 0-2 years | No |
| SDE II | SDE | 2-5 years | Yes |
| Senior SDE | SDE | 5-8 years | Yes (deep) |
| Principal+ | Principal | 10+ years | Yes (complex) |
FAQ
How important are Leadership Principles?
Extremely. LPs account for ~50% of the evaluation. You can fail with good coding if LP answers are weak.
How many LP stories do I need?
12-15 diverse stories that map to different LPs.
What's the Bar Raiser round?
An outside evaluator ensuring every hire "raises the bar." Treat it like any other round.
Does Amazon prefer AWS experience?
Helpful but not required for SDE roles.
What's the interview pass rate?
Roughly 20-25% of those who reach onsite receive offers.
Conclusion
Amazon's interview is unique with its dual focus on coding AND Leadership Principles.
Success formula:
- Coding: Master medium LeetCode problems
- LPs: Prepare 12-15 STAR stories
- Practice: Mock interviews with LP focus
- System Design: For SDE II+ roles
Use LeetCode + LeetCopilot for coding, and spend equal time on LP preparation.
Good luck—now go raise that bar!
If you're looking for an AI assistant to help you master LeetCode patterns and prepare for coding interviews, check out LeetCopilot.
Top comments (0)