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Last-Minute Coding Interview Preparation Guide

So, the day of your interview is closer than ever now. You must be having thousands of thoughts and doubts inside your head. Waking up all night and studying for the test is not a solution for your anxiety or stress for the upcoming test. But do you know that this is the worst approach to last-minute preparations for an interview?

You are not alone in this, due to the anxiety and stress, many candidates are not able to sleep properly. However, you have to put your mind at ease to crack the coding interview with flying colors.

One of the common mistakes done by candidates at this stage is going through vivid interview questions.

In case you come across difficult Amazon coding interview questions or questions out of your knowledge scope, your confidence will be shattered. There are various dos and don’ts when it comes to cracking coding interviews. But, under the scope of this article, we will cover the tips and a list of important core concepts you can revise if you are short on time.

Let’s start with listing the tips that you need to keep in mind during the last-minute preparations for your coding interview.

Tips for Last-minute coding interview preparation

Let’s put your mind at ease with a few tips that you need to keep in mind while preparing at the 11th hour for your coding interview. These are:

Repeat and rewind the problem-solving process you learned

While preparing for cracking the coding interview, one of the most important concepts on which candidates focus is problem-solving. If you have less time left in your coding interview, you can consider your problem-solving process again by writing it on a blank sheet or simply by visualizing it. This will help you to create a walk-through for solving any problem statement you may face in your interview.

Also, problem-solving skills are the most significant aspect of an interview and they are accessed by the interviewer most crucially.

Revise the topics you excel at

There is no point in learning new concepts if your interview is scheduled shortly. However, revising and practicing the ones you are best at, will improve your chances of getting the job. Practice will help you get a stronger grasp on the subjects in which you excel. So, there is no harm in developing some codes or brainstorming a few algorithms to sharpen your brain. Also, if you practice such subjects during your last-minute preparations, your confidence will boost. With this boosted confidence, you will be able to analyze the problems with a calm mind and put a rest on your anxiety as well.

Research about the company’s background

Apart from technical skills, most companies ask for your knowledge about the company and its background. This is one of the significant sections candidates often forget. You can visit the website of the company to gain knowledge about the company. Also, you can check the LinkedIn profiles of the main officials of the company. Make sure you pay attention to key points about the company such as its establishment, ideology, vision, mission, and other general aspects. This will help you in cracking a coding interview and impress the board.

Take proper rest

It is important to look and feel fresh during an interview. After all, every interviewer wants energy and enthusiasm in the candidates whenever they sit for an interview. Do not spend your night studying or going through different interview questions. This will not only confuse you but also increase your stress level. Make sure you sleep on time and with positive thoughts in your mind and nothing else.

Review your CV and application

Before stepping in for the interview, make sure you closely monitor the details you mentioned in your application. There are various questions asked during the interview based on your CV and the details that you’ve mentioned in it.

Make sure you review all the documents including your cover letter, certifications, CV, and others properly. It is significant to ensure that you are ready for all the questions asked by the interviewer regarding them.

Go through frequently asked questions

Although, solving new problem statements or questions can be difficult during your last-minute preparations. However, it is important to observe how the questions are framed. You can consider various websites to go through Amazon coding interview questions or interview questions in general to get an idea. Also, you will find attractive and efficient ways in which you can answer these questions to impress the interviewer. Make sure you stick to the technical questions based on IT, coding, programming languages, and others to increase your chances of cracking a coding interview.

The guidelines are not over yet. With the tips listed above, it is equally important for a candidate to fixate on some important concepts of coding and technology. Wondering how you will select the most significant topics from hundreds of specifications and topics of computer science? No need to go anywhere else. We will provide you with a list of significant core topics that you can revise before stepping into the coding interview in the upcoming segment.

Important topics for last-minute coding interview preparation

Although, there are many concepts and subjects in computer science that you need to prepare for a coding interview. But covering such a vast field will not be feasible for any candidate. To help you through it, we have curated a list of top core concepts that you must revise before appearing for a coding interview. However, these concepts might vary based on the company or post you have applied for.

  • Arrays
  • Binary search
  • BIT manipulation
  • Strings
  • Linked list, stacks, and Queues
  • Hashing
  • Backtracking
  • Binary tree and its tiers
  • Graphs

And some other similar concepts that you would have studied during your course.

Winding up

Going through Amazon coding interview questions is not enough to get a job at Amazon. And this applies to every MNC out there. However, with accurate guidelines and correct assistance you can accomplish your dream of cracking a coding interview at the huge tech giants.