Problem Solving & Data Structures Round

PS/DS (Problem Solving/Data Structures) round, also known as the coding round, is the most popular interview round for software engineering jobs.

The primary aim of this round is to check the coding and problem-solving abilities of the candidate through data structure and algorithm problems.

It involves solving 1-3 problems related to problem-solving, data structures and algorithms.

In case of remote, the round is usually done over a video conferencing tool (Hangouts / Skype / Zoom) and the coding is done over a shared code editor (Collabedit / HackerRank / Google Docs).

In case of onsite, you’re expected to code on a whiteboard or paper. It is generally ok to let the interviewer know if you prefer one over the other. In a few companies (including Google), you are supposed to code on a laptop.

More details at: What is a Problem Solving & Data Structures round?

Preparation

• Get really comfortable with coding: You should aim to get so comfortable in coding that if you’re told the high-level solution, you should be able to code it without much thinking.
• Learn data structures and algorithms: Try to understand the basic concepts related to different data structures and algorithms instead of just looking at past problems. You should be able to solve most of the questions that you will likely encounter during the interview if you work on the basic concepts.
• Practice: You should spend most of the time coding while preparing for the PS/DS interview. While learning a particular DS/Algo, try to implement them with related functionalities followed by problems where you’re supposed to use that particular DS/Algo.

Learn more on how to prepare for problem solving and data structures round at: How to prepare for problem solving and data structures round?

Tips (DOs and DONTs) for the interview

• For remote interviews, avoid noisy places and make sure you have a good working internet connection and keep a pen and notebook with you. Use earphones/headphones.
• Make the interview interactive through discussion so that the interviewer can understand your solution approach better.
• Try to use meaningful variable and method names while coding to make the code more readable and understandable.

Learn more on how to ace the problem solving and data structures round during the interview at: How to ace the problem solving and data structures round?

Other articles you might be interested in:

• How to prepare for technical interviews at companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Google, Microsoft, Swiggy, Uber, etc?
• Machine Coding Round

I actively write about interview preparation on LinkedIn as gcnit