CrackingWalnuts
Checked 3 August 2026. Apple does not publish its interview structure. Everything on this page is commonly reported by candidates, so treat it as a guide rather than a specification.
| Round | Duration | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Screen | 60 min | Coding plus strategy conversation. |
| Coding Round | 60 min | Medium to hard. Approach matters. |
| System Design Deep | 90 min | Open-ended design with strategy implications. |
| Domain Strategy | 60 min | Multi-year technical direction in the domain. |
| Architecture Review | 60 min | Critique an existing architecture. |
| Cross-Team Leadership | 60 min | How you lead across teams. |
| Behavioral | 60 min | Mentorship, hiring, conflict at staff scale. |
| Director Round | 45 min | Vision and fit. |
ICT5 is the staff level. The bar is "owns multiple systems, drives technical direction across a team area, mentors ICT4s and below".
A few things are specific to Apple at this level:
Targeted guidance per round in this loop. Each section links to the matching track on the site. There is no shortcut list, the bar moves loop to loop, so build the pattern recognition and the stories from real practice.
Work the pattern templates until the recognition is instant. Trace one mock problem per pattern. Practice stating time and space complexity out loud before you write code.
Apple ICT5 (Staff Engineer) has 2 design rounds: System Design Deep (90 min): Open-ended design with strategy implications.; Architecture Review (60 min): Critique an existing architecture.. Bar is owning architectural direction across teams. Trade-offs need numbers, alternatives need names, and the deep dive should be in your strongest area. Pick problems from the track at the scale this loop tests and rehearse the structure: requirements, numbers, high-level design, data model, API, deep dive on one part, trade-offs.
Staff bar. The work shifts to cross-team initiative, strategic judgment, influence without authority, and growing other engineers. Behavioral weight is roughly equal to system design at this level. Apple looks for craft, ownership, and quiet excellence in stories.