Coding Speed Requirement Google Interview L4

Disney
vxmm32

Go to company page Disney

vxmm32
Feb 20 21 Comments

I took a practice interview through interviewing.io. My interviewer gave me a medium LC -type problem which I solved in about 28 minutes total. However, I got a rating of "border line no-hire. Due to coding speed mainly".

All of the feedback was positive, with that one exception of "coding speed". I have read a lot, anecdotally, about how Facebook/Meta expects two solutions in 50 minutes or so, but I can't find any reference to "coding speed" in any of the canonical Google prep docs as a criterion that is used to judge candidates. Obviously, if a candidate is taking 45 mins to solve a Leetcode Medium, that is probably enough signal to say "not this time", but I am just a bit thrown that 28 minutes would result in a no-hire decision. I would love to learn the community's thoughts on or experiences with coding speed in interviewing at Google in particular.

Finally, I get that one should target about 20 minutes for mediums and 40 for hards, but if it takes you a little bit longer to solve, say, a medium LC question, does that mean you are out of luck in an interview?

Some facts:
Level of SWE I am trying for: L4
Current TC: 300K
YOE: 8
Leetcode Solved So Far: 75 easy, 150 medium, 50 hard

comments

Want to comment? LOG IN or SIGN UP
TOP 21 Comments
  • Google
    100zeros

    Go to company page Google

    100zeros
    28 mins isn't bad in an interview setting. Maybe you just had a strict interviewer
    Feb 20 3
    • Amazon
      fxGx81

      Go to company page Amazon

      fxGx81
      @google do the interviewers actually time this? With the kind of questions Google asks, I'd assume the candidate could take up a few mins just to figure out how to approach the problem and discuss this with the interviewer. I guess it depends on the problem, right? If the problem is hard, the candidate may not even finish coding, will this be a strong no hire instantly?
      Feb 20
    • Google
      100zeros

      Go to company page Google

      100zeros
      Not really, just in terms of trying to fit everything into 45 mins. If you solve the problem in 28, that gives you 15 or so mins for the follow up which should be a good amount of time to sketch out some pseudocode. And if you don't finish the problem but show good problem solving skills throughout it could range anywhere from leaning no hire to leaning hire for me personally. I don't think anyone would give you a strong no hire for an honest attempt
      Feb 20
  • Airbnb / Eng
    waterbnb

    Go to company page Airbnb Eng

    waterbnb
    Honestly that is not very helpful feedback. Is it that you knew the approach and had a solid and clear solution and then took 28 minutes to literally code it out and you struggled with just the coding part? Or is it that throughout those 28 minutes you were also actively solving the problem in your head/outloud while simultaneously coding...
    Feb 20 5
  • Google
    oydear

    Go to company page Google

    oydear
    chill…. Google bar has been dropped a lot and you are fine…

    We are hiring people who have decent communication skills and problem solving ability/mindset, and willing to learn. Not an ACM medalist solving convoluted problems in a blink of eye.
    Feb 20 1
    • Disney
      vxmm32

      Go to company page Disney

      vxmm32
      OP
      Lol. Thanks, your words are definitely reassuring. I can always be improving, for sure, although it's nice to know that maybe this interview was, perhaps, an outlier.
      Feb 20
  • Sony
    vermin101

    Go to company page Sony

    vermin101
    Surprise Disney is paying that for swe 1 , is it Disney streaming? And location?
    Feb 20 2
  • What’s your YOE ? Have seen L4 pay around your existing TC already
    Feb 20 2