Amazon Software Engineer interview questions

I applied online and heard back from a recruiter after about a week. First, I had to complete an online assessment with coding problems and a work style questionnaire. After passing that, I had a technical phone interview where I solved 1-2 algorithm questions in a shared editor.

The Amazon SDE 2 interview process rigorously assesses both technical expertise and alignment with Amazon's Leadership Principles (LPs). Throughout the 4–5 round interview loop, each interviewer is assigned 1–2 LPs to evaluate alongside technical questions, meaning LP assessment is woven into every round rather than isolated. One dedicated behavioral round—often led by a hiring manager or Bar Raiser—focuses deeply on LPs like Ownership, Dive Deep, Bias for Action, and Deliver Results. Interviewers ask experience-based questions (e.g., “Tell me about a time you failed”) and expect structured responses using the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result), with emphasis on the candidate's individual role, decision-making, and reflection. For SDE 2 roles, Amazon expects responses to demonstrate initiative, ownership beyond assigned tasks, cross-functional thinking, and an ability to drive long-term outcomes with limited guidance. Follow-up probing is common to test depth, authenticity, and learning mindset. Strong LP performance is as critical as technical correctness—failing to meet the bar on either can result in rejection, regardless of coding skill.