Prepare Amazon OA is really not just about answering a few questions. This Online Assessment will not only test your algorithms and data structures, but also use Work Style and Work Simulation to see how you usually make decisions and whether it fits with Amazon's culture. I saw many students trying to use LeetCode before, but OA suddenly got stuck. This article compiles the latest Amazon OA interview experience based on the experience of past coaching students, combined with the experience of real candidates, from programming questions to work style questionnaires, to scenario simulations, to help you clearly understand what the OA test will be, what are the difficulties, and how to prepare, so that you can successfully go to the phone interview and Onsite.
Amazon Interview Process Timeline Reference (SDE/New Grad)
| Stage | Typical time | Illustrate |
|---|---|---|
| Resume submission / Recruiter invitation | 0 days | Receive an Amazon Recruiter invitation after applying through campus recruitment, internal referrals, or recruitment websites |
| OA Online Assessment | Completed in 1–3 days | Approximately 2 hours to complete: Coding + Work Styles + Work Simulation; some candidates need to submit within 48 hours |
| OA result feedback | 3–7 days | Recruiter notifies OA whether it is passed or not and proceeds to the next round of phone interviews or direct onsite (depending on the position and team) |
| Technical Phone / VO Interview | 1–2 weeks after OA | 1–2 rounds, typically 45–60 minutes, Coding or System Design + Behavioral questions |
| Onsite Loop Interview | Phone 1–3 weeks after interview | 4–6 rounds of onsite (remote loop is now possible), each round is 45–60 minutes, covering algorithms, system design, and behavioral interviews |
| Hiring Committee + Offer | 1–2 weeks after Onsite | The Hiring Committee reviews the interview results and decides whether to issue an offer; upon success, the Recruiter sends a formal offer letter. |
Work Simulation (principles are in order)
SDE Work Simulation is an interactive window, much like the daily work of SDE. For example, if you receive a system bug, you will be given a log and asked where you can start debugging. At this time, another email may pop up in the window. Your colleague said that a program was launched last week that may be related to this bug. In this entire interactive scenario, you need to choose the answer you think is correct.WorkstylesAssessments It’s just a few multiple-choice questions around Leadership Principles, just choose the way you think is professional, and it only takes about 10-20 minutes.
- Requirement is ranked first and Deadline is second.
- If Manager appears as an option, it’s a no-brainer to choose Manager. Manager is the “local snake” of the team.
- Think long-term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term deadlines.
- The highest standard corresponds to the "long term".
- If you can ask the Manager for instructions, ask for instructions. It is generally not wrong.
- Speed is important, don't overthink it, but take risks thoughtfully.
- Dare to take responsibility and work hard without complaining.
- Get to the bottom of the problem and explore the details.
- Submit to the overall situation, the team is more important than the individual.
Amazon OA scenario questions
Scenario 1
Writing a book recommendation system for libraries, about Book API. The two express different opinions and choose "tell me more" to get more information.
Scenario 2
Discuss whether the library server should open the physical book API: if you do it yourself, you will have a wide coverage but cannot catch up with the deadline, but if others do it, you can catch up; give priority to Requirement and select "tell me more".
Scenario 3
The manager reported that the server was always down: Check the Internal bug records to determine and confirm the source of the problem; increase test coverage (Manual test, Unit test) and prioritize improving quality.
Scenario 4
Amazon recommendation system problem: The first issue reports an error because the username is too long, and the second issue reports an error in the language due to the proxy name.
Scenario 5
German Amazon recommended advertising problem: push German ads to British people, analyze the error location through logs.
Scenario 6
Media Network Server Complaint: The cause of the error is the same as the username length and language settings.
Scenario 7
Project deadline is two weeks: plan one is extended for four weeks to complete, plan two is a demo first and then perfected; demo is given priority.
Scenario 8
Estimated project development time: Manager’s evaluation is the highest, followed by asking experienced colleagues, and then evaluating after checking information online or trying it out.
Scenario 9
Project timeline design: Arrange resources based on the language your team is most proficient in (e.g. Java).
Scenario 10
Arrange meetings: video conference first, then leader meeting, and finally postpone or email meeting.
Scenario 11
Database development: Cooperation with big bosses requires waiting, management reports are given priority, followed by cooperation, and working alone has the lowest priority.
Scenario 12
System upgrade: do high-value features first, then upgrade, then low-value features; firmly choose one side.
Scenario 13
New Product Design: Maximize benefits in 8 weeks, select Features by deadline and value.
Scenario 14
Code analysis.
Amazon OA FAQ
- How long does OA take to complete?
- Generally required to be completed within 48 hours, some teams may be tighter.
- Including Coding, Work Styles and Work Simulation, the total time is about 2 hours.
- How difficult is OA Coding?
- The level of difficulty is moderate to high, and it mainly examines the basics of algorithms and data structures.
- Common question types include arrays, sliding windows, trees, DFS/BFS, hash tables, and string operations.
- Hard questions have a low probability of appearing. Even if some test cases fail, there is still a chance of entering the phone interview.
- How to answer Work Style Assessment?
- The purpose is to assess a candidate's fit with the Amazon 16 Leadership Principles.
- It is recommended that answers reflect core principles such as Ownership, Bias for Action, and Customer Obsession.
- Pay attention to consistency and avoid choosing conflicting options.
- What is Work Simulation?
- Work scenario simulation, testing the candidate's priority judgment ability through multiple tasks, bugs or decision-making scenarios.
- The emphasis is on trade-offs between speed and quality, risk management, and teamwork.
- It is recommended to embody leadership principles when making decisions and choose strategies that are feasible in actual work.
- Will the failure of OA affect subsequent opportunities?
- Usually the OA results determine whether to proceed to a phone interview or onsite. Some candidates may still receive follow-up interview invitations even if they do not fully pass OA on some questions, but they may have to wait for the next round of recruitment opportunities if they fail OA.
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