LeetCode Interview Prep: A 14-Day Plan (Patterns, Questions + Scripts)
LeetCode interview prep made simple. Use this 14-day plan, a pattern-first workflow, and interview scripts to pass coding interviews with confidence.
LeetCode Interview Prep: A 14-Day Plan (Scripts by Level)
Why LeetCode Interviews Are Hard (And Why Grinding Fails)
LeetCode interviews often break candidates mentally. You can solve problems at home, but in interviews you freeze, miss patterns, or run out of time. Grinding random problems lowers confidence without improving performance.
The issue isn’t problem count.
It’s the lack of a repeatable system: recognizing patterns, structuring solutions, and explaining your thinking clearly under pressure.
This guide is a complete LeetCode interview prep playbook — with a 14-day plan, pattern-based workflow, and scripts you can reuse in real interviews.
What Interviewers Evaluate in LeetCode Interviews
LeetCode-style coding interviews consistently score these signals:
- Problem understanding: clarifying inputs, constraints, and edge cases
- Pattern recognition: identifying the right technique quickly
- Correctness & trade-offs: time/space complexity and design choices
- Execution: clean, bug-resistant code
- Communication: explaining your plan and adapting when stuck
Passing a LeetCode interview is not about memorizing answers — it’s about reliably applying a small set of patterns.
How to Prepare for a LeetCode Interview (14-Day Plan)
Days 1–2: Baseline and Scope
- Pick one language and stick to it
- Choose target level (intern / new grad / senior)
- Select 8–10 core LeetCode patterns:
- Arrays & HashMap
- Two pointers
- Sliding window
- Stack / monotonic stack
- Binary search
- BFS / DFS
- Backtracking
- Heap / priority queue
- Intervals
- DP (basics)
Run one diagnostic (1 easy + 1 medium, timed).
Days 3–6: Pattern-Based Practice (Templates)
Each day: 2 problems from one pattern.
Workflow:
- Understand (5 min): restate + edge cases
- Plan (5 min): pattern + steps
- Code (20–25 min)
- Review (10 min): extract a reusable template
Rule: you’re not done until you can explain the pattern in 30 seconds.
Days 7–9: Mixed LeetCode Interview Questions
Practice unpredictability:
- 1 medium + 1 medium (different patterns)
- Talk while solving
- Verbalize invariants and decisions
Days 10–11: Company-Style Coding Interviews
- Focus on themes, not memorization
- Choose 8–12 problems aligned with company style
- Reinforce pattern triggers
Days 12–13: Full Mock Interviews
Simulate real interviews:
- Clarify (3 min)
- Solve (30–35 min)
- Test (5 min)
- Explain complexity & trade-offs (5 min)
👉 You can simulate this with:
https://manyoffer.com/mock-interview/software-engineer
Day 14: Final Polish
Create a one-page sheet:
- pattern triggers
- code skeletons
- edge-case checklist
- personal bug patterns
Common LeetCode Interview Questions (What Candidates Ask)
How many LeetCode problems are enough?
Many candidates succeed with 80–150 focused problems if they master patterns deeply instead of grinding randomly.
What are the most important LeetCode patterns?
Two pointers, sliding window, BFS/DFS, binary search, and DP basics appear most often.
How should I talk during a LeetCode interview?
Always restate the problem, explain your approach before coding, narrate invariants, and summarize complexity at the end.
LeetCode Interview Scripts (What to Say)
Junior / New Grad
“Let me restate the problem to confirm my understanding. Given {inputs}, we need {output}. Are there constraints or edge cases like empty input?”
“This looks like a {pattern} problem because {trigger}. I’ll outline the steps before coding.”
Senior Engineer
“I’ll start with the simplest correct approach and optimize if needed. Given constraints {X}, this pattern gives O(n). The main risk is {edge case}, which I’ll handle explicitly.”
Manager / Lead
“I’ll focus on correctness and clarity first, then discuss trade-offs and how I’d productionize this solution.”
Turn LeetCode Practice into Interview Performance
Reading solutions isn’t enough. To convert practice into offers:
- Speak while solving
- Build templates, not memories
- Timebox decisions
- Practice debugging out loud
- Always close with complexity and alternatives
Next Steps for Serious Interview Prep
Strong candidates don’t just solve problems — they explain decisions clearly. That’s what interviews reward.
