Amazon Interview Process (2026): Questions, Scripts & Prep Guide
Master the Amazon interview process in 2026. Get a complete guide to Amazon interview questions, Leadership Principles, and copy-paste scripts for every level (SDE, PM, Senior).
Amazon Interview Process (2026): Questions, Scripts & Prep Guide
Applying for Amazon jobs is stressful for one reason: you don’t know what “good” looks like until you’re already in the loop. You might pass the resume screen, then get hit with an online assessment, then suddenly you’re in a multi-round loop where Amazon interview questions feel like behavioral, technical, and culture fit tests all at once.
If your answers aren’t structured, it’s easy to sound “fine” but not “hire.” This guide breaks down the Amazon interview process in plain English, then gives you copy-paste scripts by level so you can practice like it’s a repeatable system.
Quick Cheat Sheet: The "Must-Knows"
If you only have 5 minutes, memorize this table.
| Stage | Expected Duration | Key Focus | Don't Do This |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter Screen | 30 min | Role fit, timelines, "Why Amazon?" | Don't ramble about your life story. Keep it to 2 min. |
| Online Assessment | 60-90 min | Coding efficiency or work-style simulation | Don't rush. Read the edge cases carefully. |
| Phone Screen | 45-60 min | 1 Coding problem + 1 LP question | Don't jump into code without clarifying constraints. |
| Loop (Onsite) | 4-5 rounds | System Design + Deep LPs + Bar Raiser | Don't repeat the same story for different Leadership Principles. |
| Bar Raiser | Final Round | Culture add + "Better than 50% of current team" | Don't be defensive if they push back hard. It's a test. |
1. The "Why" (What Makes Amazon Interviews Different)
Amazon interviews tend to evaluate two things simultaneously:
- Role Ability: Coding, system design, product sense, data judgment.
- Behavioral Signals: Alignment with Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles (LPs).
Translation: It’s not enough to "solve the problem." You also need to show how you work: ownership, judgment, standards, speed vs. correctness trade-offs, and influence.
Pro Tip: If you prepare only technical questions, you’ll fail the behavioral bar. If you prepare only stories, you’ll fail the technical bar. You need a combined plan.
2. The Amazon Interview Process (Step-by-Step)
Exact steps vary by role (SDE vs. PM) and location, but a typical flow looks like this:
Step 1: Application & Resume Screen
- What happens: You submit your resume via the Amazon jobs site or a referral.
- Goal: Pass the keyword filter (ATS) and human review.
- Action: Optimize your resume for Amazon keywords (e.g., "Scaled," "Optimized," "Delivered").
- Tool: Use our AI Resume Builder to check your match score.
Step 2: Recruiter Screen
- What happens: A 30-minute call with a recruiter.
- Goal: Confirm basic fit (timeline, location, visa, level).
- Common Questions: "Why Amazon?", "Walk me through your background."
Step 3: Online Assessment (OA)
- What happens: A digital test sent via link.
- Content:
- SDE: 2 coding problems (LeetCode Medium/Hard) + Work Style Assessment.
- PM/Non-Tech: Situational judgment tests (e.g., "What would you prioritize?").
Step 4: Technical Phone Screen
- What happens: 1-hour video call (Chime/Amazon Meeting) with a peer.
- Content: Usually 1 technical problem (coding or case) + 15 mins of behavioral questions.
- Signal: "Is this candidate worth bringing onsite?"
Step 5: The Loop (Onsite)
- What happens: 4-5 back-to-back interviews (45-60 min each).
- Structure:
- 2-3 Role Specific: Coding, System Design, or Case Study.
- 1 Bar Raiser: A certified interviewer from outside the hiring team to ensure the hiring bar remains high.
- Every Round: Specific Leadership Principles assigned to each interviewer.
Step 6: Debrief & Offer
- What happens: The hiring committee meets to vote. "Inclined" (Hire) or "Not Inclined" (No Hire).
- Timeline: 2-5 business days after the loop.
3. Top Amazon Interview Questions (By Category)
Most Amazon interview questions fall into these high-frequency buckets.
A) Leadership Principles (Behavioral)
You will be asked these. Prepare 2 stories for each.
| Principle | Common Question Prompt |
|---|---|
| Customer Obsession | "Tell me about a time you utilized customer feedback to drive improvement." |
| Ownership | "Tell me about a time you took on a task that was outside your job description." |
| Bias for Action | "Describe a time you had to make a decision with incomplete information." |
| Dive Deep | "Tell me about a complex problem you solved. How did you identify the root cause?" |
| Disagree and Commit | "Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager. What happened?" |
B) Technical Questions (Role-Dependent)
- SDE: Arrays/Strings, Trees/Graphs, System Design (Scalability, Load Balancing).
- Data Scientist: SQL queries, A/B testing design, Bias/Variance trade-offs.
- PM/TPM: Product strategy, Prioritization frameworks (RICE), Stakeholder management.
C) The "Bar Raiser" Pushback
Interviewers often push with follow-ups to test your conviction:
- "Why did you choose that approach?"
- "What were the trade-offs?"
- "What would you do differently if you had more time?"
4. Scripts by Level (Copy-Paste)
Use these scripts as a baseline to structure your answers.
Junior / New Grad / Internship
Recruiter Screen Opener:
"I’m a [Computer Science] graduate targeting [SDE I] roles. My strongest fit is in [Backend API development]. Recently, I worked on a project where I [built a microservice] that handled [1,000 requests/day]. I’m excited about Amazon because [I admire the scale of AWS services]."
STAR Method (Behavioral) - 75 Seconds:
" Situation: In my internship, our API latency spiked by 200ms during peak loads. Task: My goal was to identify the bottleneck and reduce latency below 100ms. Action: I used logging to trace the requests and found an inefficient database query inside a loop. I refactored it to a batch query and added a Redis cache layer. Result: Latency dropped to 50ms, improving user retention by 5%. I learned the importance of N+1 query optimization."
Senior IC (SDE II / Senior DS / Staff)
Technical Plan (Sound Decisive):
"I’ll start by clarifying the functional and non-functional requirements. Given the constraint of [low latency], I propose using [Structure X] because it optimizes for read speed. To handle the scale of [1M users], I’ll introduce [Sharding Strategy]. I see a risk in [Data Consistency], so I’ll mitigate that by [using an Eventual Consistency model]."
Handling Trade-offs:
"The key trade-off here was speed vs. cost. I chose [Solution A] because [speed was critical for the launch], accepting that it would cost [15% more]. To control the downside, I implemented [strict monitoring alerts]."
Manager / Lead (SDM / PMT)
Disagree and Commit:
"I disagreed with the roadmap because the data showed our customers wanted feature A, not B. I wrote a [6-page doc] outlining the risks and presented it to leadership. They decided to proceed with B anyway. Once the decision was made, I fully committed—I rallied my team to deliver B with high quality. The result was a successful launch, though we later pivoted back to A based on post-launch metrics."
5. A 2-Week Amazon Prep Plan
Week 1: Build the Foundation
- Day 1: Define your "Stories". Create a bank of 8 STAR stories mapping to top LPs (Ownership, Bias for Action, Dive Deep).
- Day 2-3: Technical drills. LeetCode Mediums or System Design basics (Load Balancers, Caching).
- Day 4-5: Practice speaking. Record yourself. Are you rambling? Keep it under 2 minutes.
Week 2: Mock & Refine
- Day 6-8: Use our AI Mock Interview Tool. Pick the "Amazon SDE" or "Amazon PM" mode. It will interrupt you like a real interviewer.
- Day 9-10: System Design focus. Draw diagrams. Explain your trade-offs out loud.
- Day 11-12: "Behavioral Marathon". Answer 5 random LP questions in a row without repeating a story.
FAQ: Common Questions
1. How long is the Amazon interview process?
It typically takes 2 to 6 weeks from application to offer. The onsite loop decision is usually fast (within 5 business days).
2. Can I use the same story for different principles?
Try not to. Interviewers share notes. If you use the "Database Migration" story for Ownership, Dive Deep, and Deliver Results, it looks like you lack experience. Aim for 5-8 unique stories.
3. What if I don't know the answer to a coding question?
Don't panic. Clarify the question. State your assumptions. "I’m not sure about the exact syntax, but logically I would use a Hash Map here to achieve O(1) lookups." Communication matters more than syntax perfection.
Ready to Practice?
Reading about the process is step one. practicing it is step two.
- Validate your stories: Use ManyOffer Interview Practice to get instant feedback on your STAR structure.
- Fix your resume: Ensure your resume screams "Amazon". Use our Resume Optimizer to target specific keywords.
Good luck! You've got this.
