I Analyzed 1,000 Technical Interview Questions - Here Are the 20 Most Common Patterns

After analyzing 1,000 questions from Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple interviews, these 20 patterns cover 94% of all coding questions asked by FAANG companies.

Methodology

• 500 questions from LeetCode company tags (2024-2026)
• 300 from Glassdoor interview reports
• 200 from anonymized AissenceAI coding copilot sessions

The Top 5 Patterns

#1 Two Pointers (23%)

python
def two_pointer(arr, target):
left, right = 0, len(arr) - 1
while left < right:
current = arr[left] + arr[right]
if current == target: return [left, right]
elif current < target: left += 1
else: right -= 1


#2 Dynamic Programming (18%)

#3 BFS/DFS (16%)

#4 Sliding Window (14%)

#5 Binary Search (12%)

Pattern Distribution by Company

Pattern	Google	Amazon	Meta	Microsoft	Apple
Two Pointers	18%	25%	22%	20%	15%
DP	22%	15%	20%	18%	12%
BFS/DFS	20%	18%	15%	22%	18%
Sliding Window	15%	12%	18%	10%	14%
Binary Search	12%	10%	8%	15%	20%

How to Practice Efficiently

Work through patterns, not random problems. Do 3-5 problems per pattern.

AissenceAI coding copilot identifies which pattern a problem requires in real-time.

Practice with AI mock coding interviews that simulate real FAANG pressure.

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Get all 20 pattern templates at aissence.ai.