Recently, the Palantir Summer 2026 Internship has passed the peak period of the first wave of concentrated interviews and offers, and has now entered a parallel stage of supplementary recruitment + continuous interviews.
Taking advantage of this time, I would like to share a student’s complete interview experience of Palantir FDSE (Forward Deployed Software Engineer), hoping to give some more realistic and demystified references to students who are still advancing the process.
Palantir has always given people a feeling of being "mysterious and hard to figure out the routines". This article is just a one-time review. Demystify. If you have any questions, you are welcome to send a private message, and we are willing to help those who are destined.
Process timeline (my actual experience, for reference only)
- Delivery at the end of September to early October (submitted to both tracks)
- Government track HR takes the initiative to pick it up the next day after delivery → 30min Recruiter call
- It took 8 days after the recruiter call (I set the time for the first appointment myself, but HR was very nice and asked for another one)
- Coding screen (LeetCode style OOD) → About VO1 in 2 days
- VO1 (Decomp) → About VO2 every 3 days
- VO2 (Learning) → One day later, HR took the initiative to call and said team feedback was very good, and made an appointment with HM
- HM round → verbal offer after 5 days, formal letter after 10 days
Recruiter Call (30 minutes)
Although it is a recruiter call in name, the actual conversation is not the routine of going through the process and confirming the resume. The basic Why Palantir and Why FDSE will definitely be asked, but it is obvious that the focus is not on these standard answers. HR spent a lot of time on some "un-HR-like" motivational questions, such as what are your real expectations for this type of job, under what circumstances would you turn down an opportunity that seems to have good conditions, and how do you weigh the trade-off between government impact and personal preference.
The overall feeling I have is that this round is not about screening technology at all, but about judging whether you are suitable for Palantir, especially the Government line. What's more interesting is that I didn't really want to continue the process at the time. However, a week later, HR followed up patiently, reconfirmed my intention, and the tone was very sincere, and finally made an appointment for the next round.
Coding Screen (30 minutes｜OOD)
Next is a 30-minute coding screen in the form of OOD. The question is a variation of the original question that appeared on 1m3fd. It is not difficult in itself, but the time is extremely stuck.
There was a very real episode: the interviewer was chatting happily at first, and we probably chatted for nearly 10 minutes before we officially started writing code. However, we were obviously in a hurry in the second half and almost timed out. My biggest feeling from this round is that the interviewers at Palantir are generally talkative and friendly, but the time limit for the coding round is real, and they will not leave you a few extra minutes just because you are having fun chatting.
The HR notification was approved two days later, and identity-related issues were also confirmed at this stage, and the process was directly advanced to VO.
VO Round 1 – Decomp
The first round of VO is a very representative Decomposition side of Palantir. The first 15 minutes is BQ and the next 45 minutes is the technical part.
The technical aspect is not system design in the traditional sense. The interviewer will give you a set of related data, charts and background information. You need to first clarify the problem yourself, then dismantle the system step by step, and finally design a reasonable solution. The whole process is more like "thinking things through" with the other party, rather than being asked to directly throw out a complete structure.
This round obviously does not pursue complex technical details, but attaches great importance to whether your logic is clear, whether you are organized when talking about things, and whether you can explain a complex problem in a way that people can understand. You can write pseudocode, you can also draw diagrams, and you can even change your ideas while drawing. The vibe of this round is quite FDSE and very Palantir.
VO Round 2 – Learning
The second round of VO is called Learning, and the name itself is quite Palantir-like. The structure is still 15 minutes of BQ plus 45 minutes of technique.
The technical part will give you a database structure and a code document, allowing you to write functions on the spot based on this existing information. During the interview, I actually got stuck in a few places, but the interviewer was very patient and would constantly confirm where you understood it now and give you some directional guidance instead of just waiting for you to hit a wall.
The overall difficulty is not tricky, but closer to standard Python + OOD, plus a little reading comprehension. The core inspection point is quite clear: can you quickly establish understanding in a completely unfamiliar system, and whether you can still move things forward with incomplete information.
HR Follow-up (very critical)
After VO2 ended, there was a point that I thought was very important: HR made a special appointment for a call. The content of this call is actually very straightforward. The main idea is that the team has given me very good feedback and hopes that I will prepare carefully for subsequent interviews, especially Why Palantir, Why FDSE, and Why Government.
This signal is quite clear - the technical aspect is basically no longer the main risk point. What really determines the outcome is values, motivations and your true understanding of the role and direction.
Final – HM Round (Hiring Manager)
The last round is the HM session, and the overall structure is 30 minutes of BQ plus 30 minutes of technical discussion.
This round was almost entirely about digging into past experiences, especially summer internships. Ask very detailed questions, such as what is your favorite part of the internship, what is your least favorite part, and why you feel this way. It will also reaffirm your understanding of the role of FDSE, how you view Government impact, and whether you understand the challenges this position will face in reality.
This round no longer feels like an "exam" to me, but more like confirming one thing: if you really join this team, are you someone they are willing to work with for a long time?
The supplementary enrollment for 2026 Spring Recruitment is already on the way, are you still blindly answering questions?
Are you still worried about top quantitative/technology offers such as Palantir FDSE, Jane Street, Citadel, Two Sigma, and HRT? I strongly recommend a super reliable team:ProgramHelp
Features summarized in one sentence:
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· 1v1 in-depth mock + targeted dismantling (not just to answer questions, but to really help you improve the system, expression, and story)
· Government/Commercial/Clear authority/Sensitive positions are all covered by someone who can lead them, and the coverage is quite wide
· The price is relatively reasonable compared to the same level of mentors in the market (many are done by "experienced people" who have just received an offer/became a regular employee)
One sentence of real feedback: "ProgramHelp's mentors really understand what Palantir FDSE wants to test, and they really know where the pitfalls of the Government track are. They are more reliable than 99% of institutions/intermediaries/self-media on the market."
Nowadays, many people are preparing for the 25/26 Summer & New Grad, especially students from Palantir Government, Jane Street, and Citadel who are still in the process of re-enrollment/continuous interviews. It is recommended to take advantage of the window period to quickly find a reliable mentor to clear the last mile.
