Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerL3Medium

The Software Engineer (L3) interview at Quora is designed to assess a candidate's foundational knowledge in computer science, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves a mix of technical and behavioral assessments to ensure the candidate can contribute effectively to Quora's engineering teams.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~7d

Experience·1 - 3 yrs

Comp band·US$110000 - US$140000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Data structures and algorithms knowledge
  • Coding proficiency and best practices
  • System design thinking
  • Communication skills
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Adaptability and learning agility
  • Cultural alignment with Quora's values

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) 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. Understand core computer science concepts such as time and space complexity (Big O notation).
  4. Study basic system design principles, including scalability, availability, and reliability.
  5. Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  6. Research Quora's mission, values, and recent product developments.
  7. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 05 phases

01 / 05
01

Phase 01 of 05

Data Structures & Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice implementations and complexity analysis.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary trees, BSTs, heaps), hash tables, and graphs. Practice implementing these and solving problems related to them. Understand time and space complexity for each.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
  • Design a system to handle real-time notifications for a social media platform.
  • Tell me about a time you received constructive criticism and how you responded.
  • What are your favorite data structures and why?
  • How would you optimize a slow-loading web page?
  • Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult colleague.
  • Explain the concept of recursion with an example.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Mountain View, CA

Interview focus

Emphasis on core data structures and algorithms.Understanding of web fundamentals and basic system design.Behavioral questions focusing on collaboration and learning.

Common questions

  • How would you design a URL shortener?
  • Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
  • Describe a challenging technical problem you solved.
  • How do you handle disagreements within a team?

Tips

  • Be prepared to whiteboard solutions for common coding problems.
  • Familiarize yourself with Quora's product and engineering blog.
  • Practice explaining your thought process clearly.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

Med

Data Structures And Algorithms Interview · 45 min · Software Engineer

This round focuses on your core programming skills. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to understand the problem, devise a solution, write efficient and correct code, and explain your thought process.

What they look for

A structured approach to problem-solving.Ability to translate a problem into code.Understanding of Big O notation.Clean and readable code.

Evaluation

  • Problem-solving approach
  • Correctness of code
  • Efficiency of solution (time and space complexity)
  • Coding style and clarity

Sample questions

  • Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.

    Data StructuresTreesRecursion

  • Find the kth smallest element in an unsorted array.

    AlgorithmsSortingQuickselect

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems on a whiteboard or a shared editor.
  2. 02Think out loud and explain your approach before coding.
  3. 03Consider edge cases and test your code mentally.
  4. 04Be prepared to discuss time and space complexity.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to articulate thought process.
  • ×Poor understanding of fundamental data structures.
  • ×Difficulty in writing clean, working code.
  • ×Lack of problem-solving approach.

DSA

Coding questions at Quora.

Frequently reported on Quora loops

View all at Quora

Other guides

More at Quora.