Microsoft LeetCode questions& coding interview guide
Microsoft's coding interviews lean practical: interviewers care about correct, readable code and how you handle real-world edge cases, not just clever one-liners. Rounds are conversational, and you're expected to test your own code as you go. This guide covers the topics Microsoft favors and how to prepare.
The Microsoft interview format
A recruiter screen and often an online assessment, then a loop of four to five rounds. Most are coding rounds; there's usually a design element for mid-to-senior roles, plus an 'As Appropriate' (AA) round with a senior leader that mixes technical depth and behavioral fit.
Difficulty: LeetCode Easy-to-Medium is common, with Medium dominating the loop. Microsoft weights code quality, edge-case handling, and clear communication heavily.
Topics Microsoft emphasizes
These are the data-structure and algorithm areas worth prioritizing before a Microsoft coding interview.
- Arrays, strings, and hash maps
- Linked lists and pointers
- Trees and binary search trees
- Recursion and backtracking
- Graphs (BFS/DFS)
- Dynamic programming (intro to intermediate)
- Sorting and searching
- Bit manipulation (occasionally)
Question patterns to drill
We don't republish Microsoft's actual questions — that's not how you get good. Instead, drill these recurring patterns until you can recognize and solve them on your own.
- Linked-list manipulation (reverse, detect cycle, merge) — a Microsoft favorite
- String parsing and validation with careful edge cases
- Tree and BST problems (insert, validate, traverse)
- Backtracking problems (combinations, permutations, board-style)
- Practical design-lite problems asking for a small, well-structured class
How to prepare for Microsoft specifically
- Test your code out loud with example inputs — Microsoft interviewers value candidates who verify their own work.
- Prioritize readable, well-named code; clarity is part of the score.
- Brush up on linked lists specifically — they appear more often here than at some peers.
- Prepare for a conversational style; treat the interviewer as a collaborator.
A Microsoft prep plan
- 1Weeks 1–2: Arrays, strings, hash maps, and linked lists until manipulation is second nature.
- 2Weeks 3–4: Trees, recursion, and backtracking with a focus on edge cases.
- 3Weeks 5–6: Graphs and intro DP, plus mock rounds where you narrate and test your code.
- 4Final week: Full mock loops including a behavioral-heavy AA-style conversation.
Prefer to learn by doing? Practice with an AI LeetCode tutor →
Microsoft coding interview FAQs
Mostly LeetCode Easy-to-Medium, with Medium dominating the on-site loop. Microsoft weights correctness, readability, and edge-case handling heavily, so clean verified code matters more than solving the hardest problem.
The AA round is led by a senior leader and blends deeper technical questions with behavioral and culture-fit assessment. It's often the deciding round, so prepare both strong stories and solid fundamentals.
Arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, recursion/backtracking, and graphs are core. Linked-list manipulation shows up notably often, so make sure it's a strength.
Other company guides
Practice Microsoft-style problems with an AI tutor
Solve real problems in 8 languages against a live judge, then run AI mock interviews that coach you through the patterns Microsoft tests — so you pass on your own.
Start practicing free