Amazon SDE hiring runs on an interview process, not a single written exam — an online assessment, sometimes a phone screen, then a loop of onsite (or virtual onsite) rounds mixing coding, design, and behavioral interviews. The exact rounds vary by role level (SDE-1 vs SDE-2/3), whether you're applying on-campus or off-campus, and sometimes by team and location — the outline below is the pattern that shows up most consistently across recent (2025–2026) candidate reports.
Typical Amazon SDE interview process
| Stage | What it tests | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Online Assessment | 2 coding questions (LeetCode-medium range) + a Work Style Assessment (behavioral questionnaire) | 90–120 min |
| Recruiter / Phone Screen | Background, motivation, sometimes 1 DSA question | 20–45 min |
| Loop rounds (3–5) | DSA, and — from SDE-2 upward — LLD and/or HLD, each paired with Leadership Principles questions | 45–60 min each |
| Bar Raiser | An independent, specially trained interviewer focused on Leadership Principles and long-term hiring-bar quality — can also include a DSA question depending on the loop | 45–60 min |
Every single round can include Leadership Principles questions, not just the Bar Raiser — candidates consistently report LP questions woven into technical rounds too. See the Leadership Principles Interview Questions section to prepare for these directly.
Process varies by team, level and geography. SDE-1 (fresher) loops lean more heavily on DSA; SDE-2 and above loops regularly include a dedicated LLD and/or HLD round. Off-campus loops sometimes fold the phone screen into the first loop round. Treat this table as the common pattern, not a guarantee of your exact loop.
Prepare each track on its own terms: DSA, LLD, System Design (HLD), and Leadership Principles.