Expect a discussion that checks how you frame a problem, make technical choices, and communicate with a collaborator. Use the guide’s focus areas to choose your practice topics.
COMPANY GUIDE
Prepare for the Microsoft loop with clarity.
What Microsoft tests, in what order, and how each round is scored. Focus areas: Problem solving, design, collaboration. Build the habits each stage rewards before you are in the room.
5 interview stagesRole-specific practiceStructured feedback
COMPANY-SPECIFIC PREP
Understand the full loop
ROUND 01
Preparation
OUTCOME
Better signals
Rounds
5
Focus areas
4
Practice mode
AI-led
A clear preparation planKnow what each stage is looking for.
Questions in contextPractise the topics this guide highlights.
Actionable feedbackTurn every mock into your next step.
INTERVIEW PROCESS
The Microsoft loop, round by round
Move through the loop with one clear goal at a time — not a generic checklist.
- 01Focus
Online Assessment (OA)
A coding-focused online test with two coding problems and no aptitude filler, used to shortlist candidates for the interview loop.
Accuracy & pace
- 02Focus
Technical Phone Screen
A live coding round over video call covering data structures and algorithms, alongside early growth-mindset behavioral questions about learning from failure and handling ambiguity.
Problem framing
- 03Focus
Onsite Technical Round 1
A data structures and algorithms round prioritizing common patterns like trees, graphs, linked lists, and dynamic programming, with interviewers often providing hints and evaluating how you respond to them.
Technical depth
- 04Focus
Onsite Technical Round 2
A round combining coding with basic system design (such as designing a URL shortener) and behavioral questions assessing collaboration and growth mindset.
Trade-offs
- 05Focus
As Appropriate (AA) Round
A senior interviewer, often director-level, evaluates overall fit, culture add, and technical judgment holistically. This round carries significant weight in the final hiring decision, alongside a mutual assessment of team fit from the candidate's side.
Collaboration
PREPARE WITH INTENTION
Questions candidates should be ready to answer
Use these frameworks to turn broad company research into clear, defensible interview answers.
Browse interview questions More practice questions inside the Career OS.
ROLE LENS
Choose a loop for your role
The fundamentals stay shared. The examples and follow-ups should not.
AI MOCK INTERVIEW
Run a realistic Microsoft interview loop.
Practise the sequence, pressure, and follow-ups for your target company — then leave with structured AI feedback and a clear next step.
- Realistic interview flow
- Performance insights
- Adaptive AI feedback
EXAMPLE DASHBOARD
Company interview readiness
Technical88
Problem solving83
Behavioral84
Example only — your score is built from your practice.
KEEP EXPLORING
