CrackingWalnuts
Checked 3 August 2026. Microsoft 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 (Coding) | 45 to 60 min | Medium problem with clarifications. |
| Coding Round 1 | 60 min | Medium algorithm. |
| Coding Round 2 | 60 min | Different problem space. |
| System Design (Light) | 60 min | End-to-end design conversation. |
| Code Review / Refactor | 60 min | Review existing code and improve it. |
| AA / Hiring Manager | 60 min | Ownership, team fit. Invited if earlier rounds went well. |
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.
Microsoft SDE II (Software Engineer, Mid, L61-62) has one design round: System Design (Light) (60 min): End-to-end design conversation.. Bar is a clean end-to-end design at modest scale, with a sensible API and one trade-off discussion. 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.
Junior bar. You now have real production work. Stories should center on features you owned, bugs you debugged, and how you collaborated with senior engineers. Skip multi-team and multi-quarter scope; that comes at Senior. Microsoft probes Model-Coach-Care and Growth Mindset; frame stories accordingly.