Amazon 6M SDE INTERN | 2026 | Selected
Summary
I successfully secured a 6-month SDE Internship offer from Amazon after a challenging journey of consistent DSA practice and preparation. The interview focused exclusively on two LeetCode medium problems: Asteroid Collision and Minimize the Maximum Difference of Pairs, with no behavioral or project-related questions.
Full Experience
My journey to an Amazon SDE Internship was quite challenging. After struggling with shortlisting for many companies in my third year, I persevered with consistent DSA practice and project work. The opportunity arose through Amazon HackOn Season 5, which eventually led to an invitation for SDE Internship hiring interest. I completed the Online Assessment, which included two HackerRank DSA questions (solving one completely and about 80% of the second) and a WorkStyle Assessment. I was the only one from my team to receive an interview call, which was a moment of immense joy and nervousness.
The D-Day arrived on August 11th, and my interview was scheduled for 12 PM. The interviewer joined on time, and after brief introductions, he immediately shared a live coding link. He presented two LeetCode medium problems: 'Asteroid Collision' and 'Minimize the Maximum Difference of Pairs.' For each question, I first explained the brute force approach, then coded it, and explicitly stated the time and space complexities. Following this, I was asked to optimize the solution. I discussed my optimized approach, dry-ran it with a test case, addressed his counter-questions, and then coded the optimized version, again noting its complexities and dry-running a test case. I focused on writing clean, modular, and readable code, using helper functions which I found beneficial during dry runs.
Surprisingly, there was no technical discussion beyond DSA; no questions about my resume, projects, internships, or Amazon's Leadership Principles. At the end, I asked him two questions, and the interview concluded in 55 minutes. Although I felt quite confident, the lack of non-DSA questions left me with some lingering doubts. After a period of anxious waiting and constant email refreshing, my dream came true on August 25th when I finally received the offer for a 6-month SDE Internship at Amazon. It was an incredibly joyful and shocking moment, as I never imagined making it to such a prominent company.
Interview Questions (2)
Asteroid Collision
The interviewer directly shared a live coding link and asked me to solve this problem. I was expected to explain the brute force, code it, provide time and space complexities, then optimize the solution, dry-run it with a test case, handle counter-questions, and finally code the optimized version, along with its complexity analysis and dry run.
Minimize the Maximum Difference of Pairs
This was the second problem asked during the live coding session. Similar to the first, I had to present a brute force solution, code it, analyze its complexity, then optimize it, dry-run the optimized approach, address follow-up questions, and finally code the optimized solution with its complexities and dry-run.
Preparation Tips
My preparation involved starting proper DSA practice in my 4th semester, driven by initial setbacks in securing interview shortlists. I focused on consistent daily practice, regularly participated in coding contests, and dedicated myself to self-improvement. Leading up to the Amazon interview, I specifically revised standard DSA problems, utilized LeetCode Premium to practice recent Amazon interview questions, and brushed up on Amazon's Leadership Principles. My approach for the coding rounds involved thoroughly explaining brute force solutions, coding them, and then optimizing, dry-running, and coding the optimized versions while meticulously noting time and space complexities. I also prioritized writing clean, modular, and readable code, which proved helpful during dry runs and left a good impression.