Amazon Coding Interview: Complete 2026 Guide (Process, Questions, Tips)

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

Timeline: 4-6 weeks from application to offer

What Makes Amazon Different

Leadership Principles (LPs)

Amazon evaluates every candidate against their 16 Leadership Principles:

1. Customer Obsession
2. Ownership
3. Invent and Simplify
4. Are Right, A Lot
5. Learn and Be Curious
6. Hire and Develop the Best
7. Insist on the Highest Standards
8. Think Big
9. Bias for Action
10. Frugality
11. Earn Trust
12. Dive Deep
13. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
14. Deliver Results
15. Strive to be Earth's Best Employer
16. 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:

*System Design for SDE II+ (senior roles)

What Questions to Expect

Coding Questions

Amazon coding questions are similar to LeetCode mediums. Common topics:

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:

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)

Resources:

• LeetCode Amazon tag — Practice actual Amazon questions
• NeetCode 150 — Core patterns
• LeetCopilot — Hints when stuck

Behavioral Preparation (Critical!)

1. Study all 16 Leadership Principles
2. Prepare 12-15 STAR stories covering different LPs
3. Practice telling stories in 2-3 minutes
4. Have follow-up details ready (they will probe)

Story mapping:

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:

1. Clarify requirements
2. Walk through examples
3. Explain approach before coding
4. Write clean, readable code
5. Test with edge cases
6. Discuss time/space complexity

For Behavioral Rounds:

1. Listen to the full question
2. Ask clarifying questions if needed
3. Use STAR format
4. Focus on your actions (not team)
5. Include quantifiable results
6. 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

Amazon Interview Levels

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:

1. Coding: Master medium LeetCode problems
2. LPs: Prepare 12-15 STAR stories
3. Practice: Mock interviews with LP focus
4. 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!