Practise for Microsoft the way the loop runs: coding in every round, design for experienced roles, and behavioural questions throughout.
Microsoft software engineering interviews mix coding, design and behavioural questions across a loop of several interviews. Most rounds include a coding problem, and interviewers pay attention to how you clarify requirements, test your code and talk through edge cases, not only to the final answer.
For experienced roles, expect system design or a low level design question. Behavioural questions appear across the loop, often tied to collaboration and a growth mindset - learning from mistakes and feedback.
Many loops end with a conversation with a senior engineer or hiring manager, sometimes called the "as appropriate" interview. Microsoft hires by team, so the structure differs more between teams than at some other large companies. Treat the steps below as the typical shape.
The typical shape for SDE roles. Campus hiring often starts with an online coding test.
60-90 min
Common for campus and early-career hiring: a few coding problems on an online platform.
30-60 min
Background plus, for many roles, a coding problem in a shared editor.
3-5 rounds of ~1 hour
Coding in most rounds, design for experienced roles, and behavioural questions throughout.
45-60 min
Often a final conversation with a senior engineer or manager about fit, scope and motivation.
| Level | Typical experience | What the loop emphasises |
|---|---|---|
| SDE (59-60) | 0-2 years | Coding fundamentals and problem solving. |
| SDE II (61-62) | 2-5 years | Coding plus design, and ownership of features. |
| Senior SDE (63-64) | 5+ years | System design depth and technical leadership. |
| Principal (65+) | 10+ years | Architecture and influence across teams. |
Experience ranges are typical, not requirements.
Signals that recur across coding, design and behavioural questions.
Ask about inputs, constraints and edge cases before coding - interviewers watch for it.
Walk through test cases, including empty and boundary inputs, and fix what you find.
Explain components, data flow and trade-offs, or model classes cleanly in an LLD question.
Stories about learning from a mistake or feedback carry real weight in behavioural questions.
Show how you work across teams and handle disagreement constructively.
Connect technical decisions to the people who use the product.
Every round below can be practised free on InstaMock with scored feedback.
Practise arrays, strings, linked lists, trees and graphs under a clock. Narrate test cases at the end of every problem, as you would in the real round.
Practise collaborative and storage-heavy systems. State requirements first, then estimates, then the design those numbers justify.
Some teams ask an object-oriented design question. Model the classes, then extend them when the interviewer adds a requirement.
Prepare stories on learning from failure, collaboration and a time you changed your mind after feedback.
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DSA, LLD, system design and behavioural rounds with an AI interviewer and a scored feedback report after every one. Take as many as you need.
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A working engineer runs a live round in the Microsoft format, asks the follow-ups, and sends written feedback. Pick a time in the next 7 days, on Google Meet.
Book a sessionUsually an online assessment or phone screen, then a loop of three to five interviews of about an hour each. Because Microsoft hires by team, the structure varies more between teams than at some other companies.
A name commonly used for a final conversation with a senior engineer or hiring manager in some loops. It usually covers fit, scope and motivation, and may include technical discussion.
For SDE II and above, usually yes - system design or a low level design question. Entry-level loops focus more on coding fundamentals.
Levels are numbered: roughly 59-60 for SDE, 61-62 for SDE II, 63-64 for Senior SDE and 65 and above for Principal. The mapping can differ slightly by organisation.
Arrays, strings, linked lists, trees and graphs come up often. Interviewers also value clarifying questions and testing your code out loud.
Evidence that you learn from mistakes and feedback. Have specific stories ready about a failure, what you changed and the result.
Yes. Coding, design and behavioural rounds are free to practise with an AI interviewer and scored feedback. A live 1:1 round with an engineer costs ₹499, or ₹899 for two.