. Online Assessment (OA)
If you're applying off-campus or via a referral, you'll typically start with an online test.
Format:
Platform: HackerRank / Codility / CodeSignal
Duration: 60–90 minutes
Content:
2–3 DSA problems (easy to medium-hard)
One logical or pattern-matching question
Sometimes a coding optimization or debugging task
📝 Focus areas: Arrays, Strings, Hashing, Trees, Graphs, Recursion, Dynamic Programming, Sliding Window, Two Pointers.
I applied online. I interviewed at Microsoft (Melbourne)
Interview
After submitting an online application, I received a HackerRank assessment after passing the resume screening stage, then I was rejected after completing the assessment and did not proceed to further interview rounds.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The assessment consisted of two LeetCode-medium-level coding questions to be completed within 75 minutes.
45 mins technical interview with a member of their San fran team. Very relaxed and informal but questions were focused and lots of follow ups. Easy to schedule as was over video conferencing platform
Straightforward technical loop overall, with strong interviewers at every stage. I genuinely enjoyed the in-depth conversations around technical challenges and algorithmic problem-solving — the entire process felt well-structured and genuinely engaging.