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Amazon
Amazon Software Engineer Interview Guide 2026
Complete Amazon Software Engineer interview guide. Learn about Leadership Principles, the interview loop, system design rounds, and preparation strategies for Amazon's SDE interview.
6 min read
Updated Feb 2026
295+ practice questions
295+
Practice Questions6
Rounds5
Categories6 min
ReadTL;DR
Amazon's 2026 Software Engineer interview revolves around two things: coding ability and Leadership Principles. Every single interview round evaluates you against Amazon's 16 LPs, and they're not just lip service. The typical process includes an online assessment, a phone screen, and a 4-5 round virtual onsite loop. Each onsite round pairs a technical question (coding or system design) with a behavioral question tied to a specific Leadership Principle. What makes Amazon distinctive is this dual-signal format. Even if your code is perfect, weak LP answers can sink your candidacy. Conversely, strong LP stories can't compensate for poor technical performance. You need both. Expect the full process to take 4 to 6 weeks.
4-6 weeks
295+ questions
Sample Questions
295+ in practice bank
Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly that can handle millions of URLs. Cover hashing strategies, storage, redirection, analytics, and expiration policies.
Design the backend for an e-commerce platform handling product catalog, search, cart, checkout, and order management at Amazon scale.
Design a Rate Limiter
Design a distributed rate limiter that can handle millions of requests per second. Discuss token bucket, sliding window, and distributed coordination.
Two Sum
Given an array of integers and a target, return the indices of two numbers that add up to the target.
LRU Cache
Design a data structure that follows the constraints of a Least Recently Used cache with O(1) get and put operations.
Merge Intervals
Given an array of intervals, merge all overlapping intervals and return the non-overlapping intervals.
Number of Islands
Given a 2D grid of '1's and '0's, count the number of islands using BFS or DFS traversal.
Word Break
Given a string and a dictionary of words, determine if the string can be segmented into a space-separated sequence of dictionary words.
Tell me about a time you took ownership of a failing project
Ownership LP. Describe a project that was going off track. What actions did you take to turn it around? Focus on accountability, initiative, and measurable results.
Tell me about a time you had to make a decision without complete data
Bias for Action LP. Walk through how you made a decision under uncertainty. What information did you have, what was missing, and what was the outcome?
About the Interview Process
Amazon's interview loop is distinctive because every round combines technical and behavioral evaluation. Each interviewer is assigned specific Leadership Principles to evaluate, and one interviewer is a 'Bar Raiser' with veto power who ensures hiring standards stay high.
Online Assessment
Two coding problems on Amazon's proprietary platform, plus a work simulation or LP assessment. The coding problems are typically medium difficulty. Finish both with working solutions to advance.
Phone Screen
One coding problem plus one or two behavioral questions. The interviewer will ask you to code on Amazon's platform. Expect a medium-difficulty problem with follow-ups.
Onsite: Coding Round 1
Algorithmic problem solving, typically medium to hard. After the coding question, the interviewer will ask one or two behavioral questions tied to specific Leadership Principles. Both parts matter equally.
Onsite: Coding Round 2
Another coding round covering a different topic area. Same format: code first, then LP behavioral questions. Expect data structures like trees, graphs, or dynamic programming.
Onsite: System Design
Design a scalable distributed system. Amazon favors practical, AWS-informed designs. Think about microservices, event-driven architectures, and database choices. LP questions follow the design discussion.
Onsite: Bar Raiser
The Bar Raiser is an experienced interviewer from a different team who has veto power. This round is often more behavioral-heavy but may include a technical component. The Bar Raiser ensures that the overall hiring bar is maintained.
Timeline
4 to 6 weeks from online assessment to offer. Amazon tends to move faster than Google or Meta once you're in the loop.
Tips
Prepare 2-3 stories for each of the most commonly tested Leadership Principles: Ownership, Bias for Action, Customer Obsession, Deliver Results, and Dive Deep.
Use the STAR method for behavioral answers, but add data points. Amazon loves specific numbers.
For system design, think in terms of AWS services. You don't have to name them explicitly, but showing familiarity with cloud-native patterns helps.
The Bar Raiser round can feel different from other rounds. Stay consistent. They're specifically calibrating whether you meet the bar.
Practice solving coding problems while talking through your thought process. Amazon interviewers want to hear your reasoning.
Leadership Principles are not optional
Every Amazon interviewer is assigned two to three Leadership Principles to evaluate. This isn't a formality. If you don't have strong stories that map to the core LPs, you will not pass the loop regardless of your technical performance.
The most commonly tested LPs for SDE roles are: Ownership, Customer Obsession, Bias for Action, Deliver Results, Dive Deep, Invent and Simplify, and Have Backbone (Disagree and Commit). Prepare specific stories for each with quantifiable outcomes.
A good LP answer follows STAR format but goes deeper: explain why you made the decisions you did, what alternatives you considered, and what the measurable impact was. Vague answers like 'I worked with my team to solve it' won't score well.
The Bar Raiser role
Amazon's Bar Raiser is unlike anything at other companies. This is a specially trained interviewer from a completely different team who joins your loop. They have veto power, meaning they can reject a candidate even if every other interviewer says yes.
The Bar Raiser's job is to ensure that every new hire raises the average talent level of the company. They tend to probe deeper on LP stories and look for consistency across your answers. Don't try to figure out who the Bar Raiser is during the interview. Just treat every round with equal seriousness.
Leveling & Compensation
| Level | Title | YoE | Total Comp (USD/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
SDE I | Software Development Engineer I | 0-2 yrs | $140k - $230k |
SDE II | Software Development Engineer II | 2-5 yrs | $210k - $380k |
SDE III / Senior | Senior Software Development Engineer | 5-10 yrs | $310k - $560k |
Principal | Principal Software Development Engineer | 10+ yrs | $450k - $850k |
Software Development Engineer I
Strong coding fundamentals. Can deliver features within a well-defined scope. Shows customer obsession and ownership in behavioral examples.
Software Development Engineer II
Owns features end to end. Designs components with minimal guidance. Demonstrates leadership through technical influence and mentoring.
Senior Software Development Engineer
Tech lead for a team. Drives system-level design decisions. Influences roadmap and mentors junior engineers. Demonstrates broad LP coverage.
Principal Software Development Engineer
Sets technical direction for an organization. Solves the hardest, most ambiguous problems. Influences multiple teams and defines architectural standards.
How to Stand Out
Behavioral Focus Areas
Ownership: acting like an owner, never saying 'that's not my job'
Customer Obsession: starting with the customer and working backward
Bias for Action: making decisions quickly rather than waiting for perfect information
Deliver Results: focusing on key outcomes and delivering them on time despite setbacks
Dive Deep: getting into the details, knowing the metrics, understanding root causes
Have Backbone, Disagree and Commit: respectfully challenging decisions you disagree with, then committing fully
1.
Prepare 2-3 stories per major Leadership Principle. Amazon will test 6-8 LPs across your loop.
2.
For system design, Amazon loves event-driven architectures and microservices patterns. Think SQS, SNS, DynamoDB, and Lambda.
3.
Always include specific numbers in your LP stories. 'I reduced latency by 35%' is vastly better than 'I made the system faster.'
4.
The online assessment is a gate. Take it seriously and finish both problems with working solutions.
5.
Don't try to identify the Bar Raiser. Treat every interviewer as someone with veto power.
6.
Amazon moves faster than most big tech companies. Be prepared for a compressed timeline.
7.
For coding rounds, practice in Java or Python. These are the most common languages at Amazon.
Related Courses
Recommended Resources
Cracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell
System Design Interview by Alex Xu
Amazon Leadership Principles (Official)
FAQ
How important are Leadership Principles at Amazon?
Extremely important. Each interviewer evaluates 2-3 specific LPs, and weak LP performance can result in a no-hire even if your technical scores are strong. Prepare thorough STAR stories for at least the top 8 LPs. This isn't a box-checking exercise. Amazon genuinely hires and promotes based on LP alignment.
What is the Bar Raiser and how does it affect my interview?
The Bar Raiser is a trained interviewer from a different team who has veto power over the hiring decision. Their job is to make sure every new hire raises the talent bar. They tend to dig deeper on behavioral questions and probe for consistency. You won't know which interviewer is the Bar Raiser, so treat every round with full effort.
How does Amazon's SDE interview compare to Google's?
Amazon puts more emphasis on behavioral questions (Leadership Principles are tested in every round) and tends to favor practical system design using AWS-native patterns. Google puts more emphasis on algorithmic depth and uses a separate hiring committee. Amazon's process is also typically faster, taking 4-6 weeks vs. Google's 6-10 weeks.
What level should I target at Amazon?
Amazon typically maps candidates: 0-2 years to SDE I, 2-5 years to SDE II, and 5+ years to Senior SDE. However, leveling is influenced more by interview performance than years of experience. Your recruiter will recommend a level, but the loop can result in an uplevel or downlevel offer.
Should I study AWS services for the system design round?
You don't need to know AWS in depth, but familiarity with common patterns is helpful. Knowing what DynamoDB, SQS, SNS, S3, and Lambda do at a high level lets you reference concrete solutions. That said, the round tests general distributed systems knowledge, not AWS certification material.
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