How to Prepare for a Coding Interview in 2 Weeks (Realistic Plan)

You just got the email: your coding interview is in 2 weeks. Panic sets in.

Don't worry. Two weeks isn't ideal, but it's enough to prepare effectively if you're strategic. This guide gives you a day-by-day plan to maximize your chances.

TL;DR: 2-Week Interview Prep Plan

• Week 1: Master core patterns (arrays, trees, graphs, DP)
• Week 2: Practice under interview conditions + review
• Daily: 2-3 hours focused practice
• Focus: Medium problems, not hards

Before You Start: Mindset

What's Realistic in 2 Weeks:

• ✅ Cover core DSA patterns
• ✅ Solve 40-60 quality problems
• ✅ Build interview pacing
• ✅ Practice communication skills

What's NOT Realistic:

• ❌ Mastering every topic
• ❌ Solving 500+ problems
• ❌ Becoming a DP expert from scratch

Accept this: You're preparing to perform well on the most common patterns, not to know everything.

The 2-Week Plan

Day 1-2: Foundation (Arrays, Strings, Hash Maps)

Topics:

• Two Pointers
• Sliding Window
• Hash Map patterns

Problems (8-10):

• Two Sum
• Best Time to Buy/Sell Stock
• Valid Anagram
• Contains Duplicate
• Longest Substring Without Repeating
• Maximum Subarray
• Product of Array Except Self
• Group Anagrams

Time: 2-3 hours/day

Day 3-4: Binary Search + Linked Lists

Topics:

• Binary Search on arrays
• Binary Search on answer
• Linked List manipulation

Problems (8-10):

• Binary Search
• Search Insert Position
• Find Minimum in Rotated Sorted Array
• Search in Rotated Sorted Array
• Reverse Linked List
• Merge Two Sorted Lists
• Linked List Cycle
• Remove Nth Node From End

Time: 2-3 hours/day

Day 5-6: Trees (Critical!)

Topics:

• BFS / DFS traversal
• Binary Search Trees
• Tree construction

Problems (8-10):

• Maximum Depth of Binary Tree
• Invert Binary Tree
• Same Tree
• Symmetric Tree
• Validate Binary Search Tree
• Lowest Common Ancestor
• Binary Tree Level Order Traversal
• Construct Binary Tree from Preorder/Inorder

Time: 2-3 hours/day

Day 7: Rest + Light Review

Yes, take a break. Your brain needs time to consolidate.

• Light review of week 1 problems
• Re-solve 2-3 problems you struggled with
• No new topics

Day 8-9: Graphs

Topics:

• BFS / DFS on graphs
• Connected components
• Topological sort

Problems (8-10):

• Number of Islands
• Clone Graph
• Pacific Atlantic Water Flow
• Course Schedule
• Course Schedule II
• Graph Valid Tree
• Number of Connected Components
• Word Ladder (if time)

Time: 2-3 hours/day

Day 10-11: Dynamic Programming (Focus on Common Patterns)

Topics:

• 1D DP (Fibonacci style)
• 2D DP (Grid paths)
• String DP (Subsequences)

Problems (8-10):

• Climbing Stairs
• House Robber
• House Robber II
• Coin Change
• Longest Increasing Subsequence
• Unique Paths
• Longest Common Subsequence
• Word Break

Time: 2-3 hours/day

Note: DP is hard. Focus on understanding the pattern, not memorizing.

Day 12-13: Mock Interviews + Mixed Practice

Day 12:

• 1 mock interview on Pramp (free) or with a friend
• 2-3 random medium problems from NeetCode 150

Day 13:

• Another mock interview
• Review problems you got wrong
• Practice explaining your thought process out loud

Day 14: Final Review + Rest

Morning:

• Light review of patterns (no new problems)
• Re-solve 3-4 problems you previously struggled with
• Review your problem journal/notes

Afternoon:

• Prepare behavioral answers (Tell me about yourself, Why this company?)
• Rest, eat well, sleep early

Daily Schedule Template

Resources to Use

For Learning Patterns:

• NeetCode YouTube — Watch 1 video per pattern
• NeetCode 150 — Curated problem list

For Practice:

• LeetCode — Solve problems here
• LeetCopilot — Get hints when stuck (don't cheat yourself)

For Mock Interviews:

• Pramp — Free peer practice (highly recommended)

What to Skip (For Now)

With only 2 weeks, skip these:

• ❌ Advanced DP (state machine DP, bitmask DP)
• ❌ Advanced Graphs (Dijkstra, Union Find)
• ❌ Segment Trees, Fenwick Trees
• ❌ Hard problems (unless you've crushed mediums)
• ❌ System Design (unless explicitly required)

Focus on: High-frequency patterns that appear in most interviews.

Problem Count Summary

Total: ~50-60 problems

Tips for Success

1. Quality Over Quantity

Deeply understanding 50 problems beats skimming 200.

2. Time-Box Problems

• Easy: 15 min
• Medium: 25-30 min
• If stuck, look at hints, then try again

3. Practice Out Loud

Talk through your solution as you code. This is critical for interviews.

4. Sleep and Exercise

Your brain consolidates learning during sleep. Don't sacrifice rest.

5. Use Hints Wisely

When stuck, use LeetCopilot for contextual hints—not full solutions. The goal is learning, not just passing.

FAQ

What if I've never done LeetCode before?
Be honest with expectations. Focus on easy + some mediums. Learn patterns, not solutions.

Is 2 weeks enough for FAANG?
It's challenging but possible if you already have CS fundamentals. Focus on core patterns.

Should I learn a new language?
No! Use whatever you're most comfortable with.

What if I can't finish all topics?
Prioritize: Arrays → Trees → Graphs → DP. These cover most interviews.

Conclusion

Two weeks is short but manageable with the right strategy:

1. Week 1: Master core patterns (Arrays, Trees, Graphs, DP)
2. Week 2: Mock interviews + review
3. Daily: 2-3 hours focused practice
4. Mindset: Quality over quantity

Use NeetCode for videos, LeetCode for practice, LeetCopilot for hints, and Pramp for mocks.

You've got this. Good luck!