Amazon Coding Interview Questions (2026 Guide)
Not all LeetCode practice is equal. Amazon has a clear pattern DNA — and if you're not targeting it, you're leaving interview passes on the table.
This guide breaks down 500 real Amazon interview questions: what patterns dominate, the exact difficulty mix, the top 20 problems to solve right now, and a 30-day plan to get you ready.
This guide breaks down 500 real Amazon interview questions: what patterns dominate, the exact difficulty mix, the top 20 problems to solve right now, and a 30-day plan to get you ready.
📋 Table of Contents
Overview: What Amazon Actually Asks
Based on 500 real interview questions from Amazon, here's what you need to know:
Difficulty Breakdown:
Easy: 21% (104 questions)
Medium: 62% (310 questions)
Hard: 17% (86 questions)💡 Key Insight
Amazon focuses on fundamentals with some advanced problems. Medium is the battleground — 62% of questions live here. Nail mediums and you're most of the way there.Top 10 Patterns Asked at Amazon
| Rank | Pattern | Frequency | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Array | 50.8% | 254 |
| 2 | String | 27.4% | 137 |
| 3 | Dynamic Programming | 18.8% | 94 |
| 4 | Hash Table | 18.4% | 92 |
| 5 | Math | 16.4% | 82 |
| 6 | Two Pointers | 15.6% | 78 |
| 7 | Backtracking | 11.4% | 57 |
| 8 | Sorting | 10.0% | 50 |
| 9 | Linked List | 9.4% | 47 |
| 10 | Matrix | 9.4% | 47 |
Pattern Strategy
- Master patterns 1–3 first — covers ~40–50% of Amazon questions
- Patterns 4–7 are your "insurance" — covers another 20–30%
- Patterns 8–10 are bonus for senior roles or hard rounds
Top 20 Amazon Interview Questions
The most frequently asked and recent problems from Amazon, grouped by difficulty:
🟢 Easy
| # | Problem | Patterns | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two Sum | Array, Hash Table | LeetCode → |
| 2 | Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock | Array, Dynamic Programming | LeetCode → |
🟡 Medium
| # | Problem | Patterns | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LRU Cache | Hash Table, Linked List, Design | LeetCode → |
| 2 | Number of Islands | Array, DFS, BFS | LeetCode → |
| 3 | Reorganize String | Hash Table, String, Greedy | LeetCode → |
| 4 | Longest Palindromic Substring | Two Pointers, String, DP | LeetCode → |
| 5 | Add Two Numbers | Linked List, Math, Recursion | LeetCode → |
| 6 | Koko Eating Bananas | Array, Binary Search | LeetCode → |
| 7 | Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters | Hash Table, String, Sliding Window | LeetCode → |
| 8 | Find First and Last Position of Element in Sorted Array | Array, Binary Search | LeetCode → |
| 9 | Top K Frequent Elements | Array, Hash Table, Divide and Conquer | LeetCode → |
| 10 | Maximum Frequency After Subarray Operation | Array, Sliding Window | LeetCode → |
🔴 Hard
| # | Problem | Patterns | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trapping Rain Water | Array, Two Pointers, DP | LeetCode → |
| 2 | Merge k Sorted Lists | Linked List, Divide and Conquer, Heap | LeetCode → |
| 3 | Candy | Array, Greedy | LeetCode → |
30-Day Amazon Prep Plan
Week 1–2 Core Patterns (Focus on Top 3)
- Daily Goal: 2–3 problems from #Array, #String, #Dynamic Programming
- Day 1–7: Solve 15–20 easy/medium problems
- Day 8–14: Re-solve Day 1–7 problems from memory (spaced repetition)
- Track: Tag all problems with "Amazon" in DSAPrep.dev
Week 3 Mixed Difficulty Practice
- Daily Goal: 1 easy (warm-up) + 1–2 medium (challenge)
- Morning: Review problems from Week 1–2 (DSAPrep "Due Today" queue)
- Afternoon: Solve 2 new Amazon-tagged problems
- Evening: Watch one mock interview video (YouTube: "Amazon interview")
Week 4 Mock Interviews & Hard Problems
- Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Full mock (2 problems, 90 mins total)
- Tuesday/Thursday: Solve 1 hard problem + review weak patterns
- Saturday: Review ALL problems from this month
- Sunday: Rest or light review
Self-Assessment — by end of Week 4 you should:
- ✅ Solve 70%+ Amazon easy problems in <10 mins
- ✅ Solve 50%+ Amazon medium problems in <25 mins
- ✅ Recognize top 5 patterns within 2 mins of reading a problem
- ✅ Explain time/space complexity without hesitation
What Makes Amazon Interviews Unique
🏆 Leadership Principles Matter
Even in coding rounds, interviewers assess LP fit. Mention "Bias for Action" or "Customer Obsession" naturally when relevant. It signals culture awareness — something Amazon weights heavily.🔧 Practical Over Theoretical
Amazon prefers real-world scenarios (LRU cache, rate limiter, design parking lot). Less focus on pure math or competitive programming tricks than Google or Citadel.🔁 Expect Follow-Ups at Every Step
"What if we add caching?" "How would this scale to millions of users?" Be ready to discuss system implications after every solution — not just the code.⚖️ Bar Raiser Rounds
One interviewer is specifically there to raise the bar. Expect harder questions or deeper probing. This is normal — not a sign you're doing poorly.How to Track Your Amazon Prep with DSAPrep.dev
Step 1: Filter by Company
- Open DSAPrep.dev → Filter by "Amazon"
- See all Amazon-tagged problems in one focused view
Step 2: Track Pattern Coverage
- Dashboard shows: "Amazon Array Problems: 12/50 done (24%)"
- Prioritize patterns with low coverage % first
Step 3: Schedule Reviews
- Every Amazon problem auto-scheduled for spaced repetition review
- "Due Today" queue keeps you on track daily
- After 3–5 reviews, patterns become automatic muscle memory
Step 4: Mock Interview Mode
- Pick 2 random Amazon mediums
- Set timer for 45 mins each
- Record yourself explaining solutions — it exposes gaps fast
Common Mistakes in Amazon Prep
⚠️ Mistake 1: Only Solving Amazon-Tagged Problems
Why it fails: LeetCode company tags are often incomplete or outdated.
Better: Learn the patterns Amazon favors, then solve ANY problem in those patterns. Pattern fluency > memorizing specific questions.⚠️ Mistake 2: Ignoring Behavioral Prep
Why it fails: Amazon rejects candidates with perfect coding but poor culture fit. LP alignment is evaluated in every round.
Better: Prepare 5–7 STAR stories covering teamwork, conflict, leadership, and failure. Practice with friends or use Pramp.⚠️ Mistake 3: No Spaced Repetition
Why it fails: You solve 50 problems but forget 40 by interview day.
Better: Review problems 3–5 times over 2–4 weeks. DSAPrep.dev automates this scheduling for you.Conclusion: Your Amazon Interview Roadmap
Today
- Add the top 5 Amazon problems above to DSAPrep.dev
- Identify your weakest pattern from the top 10 list
This Week
- Solve 10–15 problems in your weakest pattern
- Review all problems from Week 1 (if already started)
This Month
- Complete 60–80 Amazon-tagged problems
- Run 3–4 timed mock interviews
- Review every problem at least twice using spaced repetition
🚀 Start Today
You'll recognize patterns in seconds. You'll solve problems you've "never seen before." You'll pass because you prepared strategically — not randomly.→ Start Tracking Amazon Prep on DSAPrep.dev (Free)