Google Interviews have always been recognized as the most difficult level in the technology industry, and the acceptance rate is only 10%-30%, even lower than Harvard University. I completed 1 round of OA + 1 round of initial phone interview + 4 rounds of VO. The whole process was stressful but full of rewards. Today, I will share all the real Google Software Engineer interview questions, detailed problem-solving ideas, and interviewer questions, hoping to help students who are preparing for Google.
Google Software Engineer Overall interview process (2026 latest)
- Online Assessment (OA)
- Initial Phone Screening
- Video On-Aisle Interviews (VO)
There are a total of 6 rounds. I entered through internal recommendation, but the technical assessment standards were entirely consistent.
OA」
The format is rather particular:
- Computer Fundamentals Multiple Choice Questions
- Brief Multiple Choice Questions (Emphasizing Logical Explanation)
Screening
Two classic problems:
- Convert an Array to a Balanced Binary Search Tree (BST) (LeetCode 108)
- Binary Search to Find Missing Element (Variant)
VO Question of the Week Detailed Solutions
First Round: Frog Jump (LeetCode 403)
Classic DP Hard Problem. Given a list of stone positions (strictly increasing), determine if a frog can jump to the last stone. The first jump must be 1 unit, and subsequent jumps have step lengths of either k-1, k, or k+1 from the previous jump.
Core ideaNone provided
- Record the set of jump lengths that can be achieved from each position using a HashMap.
- State Transition: When moving to the next position by taking a step, update the possible steps for the new position (step-1, step, step+1).
- Optimization tip: Use a set to remove duplicates for stride calculations and immediately return false if the distance between two stones is too large.
Follow-upNone provided
- How can we optimize if the number of stones reaches the million-level?
- What if the position of the stones is not ordered?
Second Round: Verbal Arithmetic Puzzle (LeetCode 1307: Word Arithmetic)
Given a set of words and a result string, map each letter to a unique digit (no leading zeros) such that the equation holds.
Core ideaNone provided
- Process addition from right to left by columns
- Maintenance: Used digital set, alphanumeric to numeric mapping, carry mechanism
- Recursive attempt assignment + Multiple Pruning (Leading Zero Check, Early Termination for Current Column and Mismatches)
Follow-upNone provided
- How do you return all possible mappings?
- How can we further optimize search efficiency?
Third Round: Array Permutations Lexicographic Sorting (In-Place)
Given an array, arrange its permutations in dictionary order while ensuring they are in increasing order. In place Modify array.
Follow-upNone provided
How do you remove duplicates when outputting an array?
Fourth round: The last N elements / The first N elements
Given an array and an integer N, return the first N elements or the last N elements of the array.
Follow-upNone provided
How can we efficiently and in real-time obtain the previous N or next N elements from a data stream? What kind of data structure optimizations are required?
Google Software Engineer Exam Tips and Recommendations
The process was tense, but interviewers were generally professional and friendly. As long as you demonstrate a clear thinking process and good teamwork skills, you have already succeeded halfway.
Fellow students preparing for big companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon, feel free to reach out!
If you need:
- 2026 Latest Comprehensive Collection of Google高频 Interview Questions (Including Code)
- VO Interview Simulation Guidance
- BQ Story Refinement
- Unobtrusive Interview Assistance
- The End-to-End Preparation Plan from OA to Offer
You can DM me, and I will provide tailored advice based on your situation. Best wishes for you all to receive a Google offer soon!
