FAANG interviews compared
Numbers come from 418 real interview experiences at these six companies in our interview experiences library (software engineer roles where we have enough data).
| Company | Difficulty | Timeline | Offer rate | What to focus on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3/5 | 6–8 weeks from recruiter call to offer, longer if team matching is slow | 32% | Google is the most algorithm-heavy of the FAANG loops. | |
| Amazon | 3.1/5 | 2–4 weeks for most loops | 53% | Prepare 8–10 detailed stories that each cover two or three Leadership Principles, with metrics. |
| Meta | 3.2/5 | 4–8 weeks including team matching | 57% | Practise solving two medium problems back to back in 40 minutes without hints, since Meta questions are well known and the bar is execution. |
| Microsoft | 3.0/5 | 3–6 weeks for most candidates | 55% | Research the team before you interview and prepare to discuss its product and scale. |
| Apple | 3.2/5 | 4–8 weeks typically | 20% | Ask your recruiter for the exact round list and language. |
| Netflix | 3.2/5 | 3–6 weeks | 71% | Read the culture memo closely and prepare stories that show candour, judgement and impact. |
What every FAANG interview tests
- Data structures and algorithms: 1–3 coding rounds on arrays, strings, trees, graphs, heaps and dynamic programming, solved out loud in 35–45 minutes.
- System design: from mid-level up, an open-ended round on designing a scalable service such as a feed, chat app, URL shortener or rate limiter.
- Low-level / object-oriented design: classes, interfaces and design patterns, especially at Amazon and for SDE 1–2 roles.
- Behavioral: STAR stories on ownership, conflict, failure and impact. Amazon's Leadership Principles and Google's Googleyness round are the best-known versions.
- AI-assisted coding (new): Meta, Google and some Apple teams now run rounds where you use an AI assistant and are judged on how you guide and verify it.
Company-by-company guides
- How to crack the Google interview — Google interviews reward how you reason through a problem you haven't seen before, not how fast you can recall a memorised solution.
- How to crack the Amazon interview — Amazon's SDE loop tests two things equally: whether you can code and design at your level, and whether your past behaviour matches Amazon's Leadership Principles.
- How to crack the Meta interview — Meta runs one standard loop for every software engineer and matches you to a team afterwards.
- How to crack the Microsoft interview — Microsoft hires for specific teams, so your interviews lean on the product and technology that team works on.
- How to crack the Apple interview — Apple has no single interview loop.
- How to crack the Netflix interview — Netflix hires mostly experienced engineers, and each team runs its own loop.
How to crack FAANG interviews: a 16-week plan
Preparing for one FAANG company prepares you for most of them. Follow this order and add company-specific practice in the last month.
Arrays, strings, hashing, two pointers, sliding window, stacks, linked lists, binary search, recursion.
Trees, graphs (BFS, DFS, topological sort, shortest paths), heaps, intervals, dynamic programming, tries.
Scalability basics, caching, databases, queues, rate limiters, feeds, chat and storage designs, plus low-level / OOP design.
Timed mock interviews, behavioral stories in STAR format, resume polish and company-specific practice.
The Top Tech Transition 16-week program follows exactly this plan, live, with mentors from top tech companies and 1-on-1 mock interviews. It's built for working engineers in India targeting FAANG and other top product companies.
FAANG interview FAQs
What does FAANG stand for?
Facebook (now Meta), Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google. MAANG is the newer name after Facebook became Meta, and Microsoft is usually counted alongside them as a Big Tech employer.
How long does it take to prepare for FAANG interviews?
For a working engineer, about 3–4 months of consistent preparation (8–10 hours a week) is typical: DSA foundations, advanced DSA, system design, then mock interviews.
Can I crack FAANG without an IIT or top-college degree?
Yes. FAANG companies hire on interview performance. Strong problem solving, system design and clear communication matter far more than your college.
Which FAANG interview is the hardest?
It depends on your strengths. Google is the most algorithm-heavy, Meta demands speed on two problems per round, Amazon weighs Leadership Principles heavily, and Netflix expects senior-level judgement.
How many LeetCode problems do I need for FAANG?
Quality beats quantity. Around 150–250 problems chosen to cover every core pattern, solved and reviewed properly, prepares most candidates better than 500 random ones.
Is system design asked for every FAANG interview?
Usually from mid-level (Google L4/L5, Amazon SDE 2, Meta E4/E5) upwards. Entry-level loops focus more on coding, and Amazon often adds object-oriented design.