Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerSE 2Medium

This interview process is for a Software Engineer (SE 2) role at Electronic Arts. It is designed to assess a candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. The process typically involves multiple rounds, including HR screening, technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and system design, and a final managerial interview to evaluate leadership potential and team collaboration.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$100000 - US$130000

Interview time·195 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Coding proficiency
  • System design capabilities
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Adaptability and learning agility
  • Passion for gaming

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
  3. Study system design principles, including scalability, reliability, and trade-offs.
  4. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, highlighting your contributions and the challenges you faced.
  5. Research Electronic Arts, its games, and its company culture.
  6. Prepare behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  7. Brush up on your knowledge of C++ and object-oriented programming principles.
  8. If applying for a role with a specific focus (e.g., graphics, AI, backend), tailor your preparation accordingly.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice coding.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures and algorithms. Practice implementing and analyzing the time/space complexity of common algorithms. Cover topics like arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary, BST, AVL), heaps, hash tables, sorting algorithms (quicksort, mergesort), searching algorithms (binary search), and graph algorithms (BFS, DFS, Dijkstra).

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
  • Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
  • Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult teammate.
  • How would you implement a cache with a time-based expiration?
  • What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?
  • Write a function to reverse a linked list.
  • Tell me about a project you are most proud of.
  • How do you stay updated with new technologies?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Redwood City, CA

Interview focus

Understanding of game development pipelinesExperience with performance optimization in real-time systemsFamiliarity with C++ and its application in game enginesProblem-solving skills related to game-specific challenges

Common questions

  • How would you optimize a game's loading times?
  • Describe a challenging bug you encountered in a game and how you resolved it.
  • What are your thoughts on using C++ for game development?
  • How do you approach performance profiling in a game engine?

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with common game development tools and technologies (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with performance optimization and debugging in a game context.
  • Showcase your passion for gaming and how it influences your engineering approach.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.

DSA

Coding questions at Electronic Arts.

Frequently reported on Electronic Arts loops

View all at Electronic Arts

Other guides

More at Electronic Arts.