Amazon SDE 1 Interview (questions, process, prep)

Amazon SDE 1 interviews are challenging. For this entry-level software development engineer position, you’ll go through multiple rounds of interviews, where you’ll be tested on the core capabilities of your software development engineer role.

If you’re trying to land an SDE 1 role at Amazon, this guide is for you. 

Before we jump into more detail, here’s one of the first things you should know: 

Candidates often under-prepare for questions relating to Amazon’s Leadership Principles. This is a huge mistake, as Amazon places much more emphasis on its behavioral questions than other tech companies do. 

Keep that in mind as you read the rest of this guide.

Here's an overview of everything we cover:

• Role and salary
• Interview process and timeline
• Example interview questions
  • Computer science fundamentals
  • Coding 
  • System design 
  • Behavioral
• Interviewing tips
• Preparation plan

Click here to practice 1-on-1 with ex-Amazon SDE interviewers.

1. Amazon SDE role and salary

Before we cover your Amazon SDE 1 interview questions, let’s take a look at the role first.

1.1 What does an Amazon SDE 1 do?

As an Amazon SDE 1, you’re expected to be well-versed in computer science, computer engineering, information technology, and analysis. 

This is an entry-level position, so you’ll be working under the guidance of senior engineers.

Here are the core competencies of the Amazon SDE 1 role:

Through this scope of work, you should be able to advance your foundational skills. 

According to Sundar (Amazon software engineer), SDE I engineers are also expected to own part of a module, for which you’ll propose data-driven recommendations and implement them under the guidance of senior engineers. 

1.2 Overview of Amazon software development engineer (SDE) levels 

Though this article focuses on the Amazon SDE 1 role, that’s only the first level in the hierarchy of software development engineers. 

Here’s an overview of each SDE level at Amazon:

Higher-level SDEs are expected to take on more advanced responsibilities, such as:

• High-level decision-making and complex problem-solving
• High-level design and implementation tasks
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Code quality control
• Project management
• Mentoring of junior SDEs

We have separate guides for the Amazon SDE 2 interview, Amazon SDM interview, Amazon machine learning engineer interview, and Amazon data engineer interview, so take a look at those articles if they’re more relevant to you.

1.3 How much does an Amazon SDE 1 make?

According to Levels.fyi, the median total compensation for Amazon SDEs across all levels in the United States is $273K, which is significantly higher than the $150-160K average total compensation for SDEs in the US in general.

For the SDE 1 role, the average yearly salary is around $179K.

Here’s the average yearly salary and compensation of each SDE level, as of early 2026:

Ultimately, how you do in your interviews will help determine what you’ll be offered. That’s why hiring one of our Amazon SDE interview coaches can provide such a significant return on investment.

And remember, compensation packages are always negotiable, even at Amazon. So, if you do get an offer, don’t be afraid to ask for more! 

If you need help negotiating, consider booking one of our salary negotiation coaches to get expert advice. You can also read our guide to Amazon salary negotiations.

2. Amazon SDE 1 interview process and timeline↑

The Amazon interview process for the software development engineer (SDE) takes about four to eight weeks on average. Below, we’ve outlined the steps you can expect and how Amazon evaluates interviews and decides on a hire.

Overall, expect the entire interview process to take 4-8 weeks from application to offer.

2.1 What steps to expect

First, it's important that you understand the different stages of your software engineer interview process with Amazon. Note that the process at AWS follows similar steps. 

Here’s what you can expect:

1. Resume screening
2. Online assessment (OA)
3. Recruiter screening
4. Interview loop (3-4 interviews)
5. Debrief
6. Offer and negotiation

2.1.1 Resume screening

First, recruiters will look at your resume and assess if your experience matches the open position. This is the most competitive step in the process—we’ve found that ~90% of candidates don’t make it past this stage.

So take extra care to tailor your resume to the specific position you're applying to (see our software engineer resume guide and Amazon resume guide for tips and examples).

If you’re looking for expert feedback, get input from our team of ex-FAANG recruiters, who will cover what achievements to focus on (or ignore), how to fine-tune your bullet points, and more.

2.1.2 Online assessment (OA), 60-90 minutes

After passing the resume screen, you’ll receive a link to the first formal test: a self-administered online assessment via email. 

This test focuses mainly on coding and behavioral assessments. It normally takes candidates around 70-90 minutes to complete. The test expires after 5 days.

Based on SDE 1 candidate reports online, the OA typically comes in three parts.

Your recruiter will brief you on the rest of your interviews and give you a list of software development topics to prepare for.

Finally, we recommend watching Amazon’s video on how to navigate its coding assessment platform.

2.1.3 Recruiter screening

After passing your online assessment, some candidates report moving straight into the interview loops. However, some candidates still do receive a recruiter call in between.

During this call, the recruiter may discuss: 

• Your availability for interviews
• Your interests (to determine which team you may be the best fit for, and to confirm you've got a real chance of landing the job at all)

During this interview, be prepared to explain your background and why you’re a good fit for Amazon.

2.1.4 Interview loop (3-4 interviews)

The next step is the most challenging part of the SDE 1 process: the interview loop. 

For this round, you'll have a day packed with 3-4 interviews, which may be done virtually or in-person at an Amazon office.

Each interview will last about an hour, either with a senior engineer or a mix of people from the team you’re applying to join, including peers, the hiring manager, and a senior executive. 

Based on candidate reports, here’s the general structure you might get with your interview loops:

All candidates are expected to do extremely well in both technical and behavioral questions. 

Though most interview rounds will focus on technical topics, you can expect your interviewers to throw in behavioral questions in all your interviews. Each interviewer is usually assigned two to three of Amazon’s Leadership Principles to focus on during the interview. 

Like we’ve mentioned, behavioral questions are more important at Amazon than they are at other big tech companies like Google or Meta.

Finally, keep in mind that at least one of your interviews will be considered a “Bar Raiser” interview. Bar Raisers get special training to make sure Amazon’s hiring standards stay high and don’t degrade over time, so they are a big barrier between you and the job offer.

You will NOT be informed which interviewer occupies this role, but they will typically not be associated with the team you’re applying for, and focus more on overall candidate quality than specific team needs.

You can learn more about Amazon Bar Raiser interviews here.

2.1.5 Debrief

Once you've completed all of your interviews, a hiring committee will hold a "debrief" to discuss your application.

A "debrief" is a meeting where your recruiter and all of your onsite interviewers come together to decide if you'll be given an offer. More specifically, this meeting includes all of the people you met during interviews, in addition to your recruiter.

During the meeting, all of these people work together to make the decision collectively. By the end of the meeting, they will come to a "hire" or "no hire" decision. Sometimes, the candidate's level is also decided during their discussion.

2.1.6 Offer and negotiation

Finally, once you’ve passed each of the six steps above, you’ll receive your offer package from Amazon.

At this point, all that is left for you to do is negotiate your offer. Your recruiter will get in touch with you about the details, likely scheduling one final call to clarify and discuss the terms. If they have not scheduled a call, you can ask for one.

Of course, salary discussions can be difficult and a bit uncomfortable, especially if you’re not used to them. Check out our guide to Amazon job offer negotiations for tips. 

You can also book a salary negotiation coaching session with Amazon experts to help you maximize your compensation.

2.2 What is the Amazon interview evaluation form?

The Amazon interview evaluation form is used by every Amazon interviewer.

At the end of each of your SDE 1 interviews, your interviewer will grade your performance using a standardized feedback form that summarizes the attributes Amazon looks for in a candidate. 

The form is constantly evolving, but we have listed some of its main components below.

A) Notes

The interviewer will file the notes they took during the interview. This usually includes the questions they asked, a summary of your answers, and any additional impressions they had (e.g., communicated ABC well, weak knowledge of XYZ, etc.).

B) Technical competencies

Your interviewer will then grade you on your technical competencies. They will determine whether you are "raising the bar" or not for each competency they have tested.

In other words, you'll need to convince them that you are at least as good as or better than the average current Amazon SDE level you're applying for.

According to Amazon’s official SDE interview prep course, you’ll be evaluated on the following technical competencies.

C) Leadership principles

Your interviewer will also grade you on Amazon's Leadership Principles and assess whether you're "raising the bar" for those, too. As mentioned above, each interviewer is given two or three Leadership Principles to grill you on. We cover these in detail in section 3.

D) Overall recommendation

Finally, each interviewer will file an overall recommendation into the system. The different options are along the lines of: "Strong hire", "Hire", "No hire", and "Strong no hire.”

2.3 What happens behind the scenes

Your recruiter is leading the process and taking you from one stage to the next. Here's what happens at each of the stages described above:

• After the online assessments, your recruiter decides whether to move you to the interview loop or not, depending on how well you've done 
• After the interview loop, each interviewer files their notes into the internal system, grades you, and makes a hiring recommendation (i.e., "Strong hire", "Hire", "No hire", "Strong no hire")
• The "Debrief" brings all your interviewers together and is led by the Bar Raiser, who is usually the most experienced interviewer and is also not part of the hiring team. The Bar Raiser will try to guide the group toward a hiring decision. It's rare, but they can also veto hiring even if all other interviewers want to hire you.
• You get an offer. If everything goes well, your recruiter will reach out with the interview outcome after 5 business days, but it can sometimes take longer.

It's also important to note that recruiters and people who refer you have little influence on the overall process. They can help you get an interview at the beginning, but that's about it.

3. Amazon SDE 1 example interview questions↑

Here at IGotAnOffer, we believe in data-driven interview preparation and have used Glassdoor data to identify the types of questions that are most frequently asked at Amazon. Here are the three types of interview questions you’ll need to be prepared for as an Amazon SDE:

1. Computer science fundamentals 
2. Coding (DSA)
3. System design 
4. Behavioral 

3.1 Computer science fundamentals questions

Since you’re an entry-level applicant, you may get questions on computer science fundamentals.

For these questions, it would be helpful to brush up on topics such as: 

• Object-oriented programming
• Operating systems
• Concurrency
• Database fundamentals

Here are some example questions on CS fundamentals you may encounter, according to this candidate report.

3.2 Coding questions (DSA)

Amazon software development engineers solve some of the most difficult problems the company faces with code. It's therefore essential that they have strong problem-solving skills.

In coding interviews, you’ll want to show that you can think in a structured way and can quickly write code that's accurate and bug-free. 

We've broken down the questions you'll be asked into the following subcategories, so that you can prioritize the most common questions in your preparation. These include the DSA questions that are typically asked during the interview loops.

1. Graphs / trees
2. Arrays / strings 
3. Linked lists 
4. Search / sort 
5. Stacks / queues 
6. Hash tables

Take note that for some questions, we’ve modified the phrasing to match the closest LeetCode problem and linked to a free solution.

We recommend reading our coding interview prep guide to learn a step-by-step approach you can use to solve these questions. 

For more sample questions, consult our list of 49 recent Amazon coding interview questions and LeetCode’s comprehensive list of Amazon final interview questions.

For DSA-specific guidance, check out our ultimate list of data structure interview questions for more practice.

3.3 System design questions

Amazon products are used by millions of users daily. Therefore, Amazon SDEs need to be able to design highly scalable systems.

While the coding questions we covered above usually have a single optimal solution, system design questions are more open-ended. During this interview, you’ll want to show that you can be both creative and structured. 

Amazon recommends brushing up on your knowledge of:

• Distributed systems
• SOA
• n-tiered software architecture

In most cases, your interviewer will adapt the question to your background. For instance, if you've worked on an API product, they'll ask you to design an API. But that won't always be the case, so you should be ready to design any type of product or system at a high level.

As mentioned previously, if you're a junior developer, the expectations will be lower for you than if you're mid-level or senior. In addition, for certain roles (e.g., infrastructure, security, etc.), you will likely have several system design interviews instead of just one.

Make sure to practice drawing by hand and be prepared for a whiteboard-style presentation.

Below are the most common system design questions, according to Glassdoor reports from 2025-2026 and other candidate reports online.

Though not all of these may be specific to the SDE 1 level, they’re good examples of what’s typically asked in a system design interview.

Learn how to structure your answers to system questions using this Amazon video guide. 

You can also refer to our system design interview prep guide and Amazon-specific system design questions.

3.3 Behavioral questions

Amazon looks for candidates who embody the company’s 16 Leadership Principles. They test this through behavioral questions, which you'll be asked in every interview.

According to Amazon ex-interviewers on our coaching team, SDE interviews tend to focus on the first four principles on the list below. The other twelve topics still come up, though frequency varies. It’s best to prepare for all, just in case.

Based on these principles, Lakshmi (an ex-Amazon software development manager) describes Amazon SDEs as people who demonstrate:

• Customer Obsession by deeply understanding requirements
• Deliver Results by owning features end-to-end
• Learn and Be Curious by quickly ramping up on new technologies
• Ownership in improving systems while upholding Amazon’s high bar for technical and operational excellence

Keep these descriptions in mind when preparing your answers for behavioral questions. 

Amazon also recommends using the STAR method to lay out your response. Many SDE candidates on Glassdoor also report being asked to use this framework.

Below, we break down each leadership principle and list sample questions you may encounter. All definitions are from Amazon’s official Leadership Principles.

3.3.1 Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles: Customer obsession

Customer obsession is about empathy. Interviewers want to see that you understand the consequences that every decision has on customer experience. You need to know who the customer is and their underlying needs, not just the tasks they want done.

This is by far the most important leadership principle at Amazon. Therefore, it is the most critical one to prepare for.

According to Bilwasiva, an Amazon interview coach, here are the best ways to answer ‘customer obsession’ questions: 

• Provide examples of how you've prioritized customer needs in your previous roles, showcasing your commitment to understanding and addressing customer pain points.
• Discuss specific initiatives or projects where you've gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer experiences, highlighting the outcomes and impact.

3.3.2 Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles: Ownership

Interviewers at Amazon want to avoid hiring people who think, “That’s not my job.” When answering ownership questions, you’ll want to prove that you take initiative, are able to make tough decisions, and take responsibility for your mistakes.

Dessy, an ex-Amazon interviewer, advises presenting an answer that shows how you’ve taken ownership of a project, even if you worked cross-functionally, and how you’ve gone above and beyond to follow through and deliver.

Sundar says that in interviews, SDE 1 engineers are evaluated on “ownership” based on “your receptivity to feedback and your responsiveness to suggestions for optimizing solutions.” So, keep that in mind when answering behavioral questions.

When it comes to coding questions, you can also demonstrate responsiveness by paying attention to any hints your interviewers may be giving you. Often, your interviewers have good intentions and are trying to steer you towards the right direction. Take their hints into consideration and apply as needed.

For more sample questions on the remaining Leadership Principles, read our in-depth guide to Amazon’s behavioral interview questions.

Download Amazon's Leadership Principles PDF worksheet.

4. Amazon SDE interviewing tips↑

You might be a fantastic software engineer, but unfortunately, that won’t be enough to ace your interviews at Amazon. Interviewing is a skill in itself that you need to learn.

Let’s look at some key tips to make sure you approach your interviews in the right way.  

4.1 Ask clarifying questions

Often, the questions you’ll be asked will be quite ambiguous, so make sure you ask questions that can help you clarify and understand the problem.

4.2 State and check assumptions

In your system design interview, you need to explicitly state assumptions and check with your interviewer to see if those assumptions are reasonable. 

4.3 Think out loud

You need to walk your interviewer through your thought process before you actually start coding or designing a system. 

Amazon also recommends that you talk even while coding, as they want to know how you think. Your interviewer may also give you hints about whether you’re on the right track or not. 

4.4 Present multiple possible solutions

When you code, present multiple possible solutions if you can. Amazon wants to know your reasoning for choosing a certain solution. 

4.5 Keep your code organized and production-ready 

Keep your code organized so your interviewer won’t have a hard time understanding what you’ve written. Amazon wants to see that your code has captured the right logical structure.

While your code won’t be tested, you’ll be more impressive if you write testable code. Prepare to explain the Time/Space Complexity of your solutions, and how to better optimize for  Time/Space Complexity.

Lastly, write descriptive, meaningful function names instead of random or variable names.

4.6 Get comfortable with coding on various mediums

Amazon advises SDE candidates to be ready to write code in real-time on an online editor. If the interview is in person, you might be asked to code on paper or a whiteboard. 

If you’re not sure which medium to use, you can check with your recruiter.

4.7 Be concise but detailed

When answering behavioral questions, start with a short description of a situation you want to cite and be prepared to go into further detail once asked. 

Always use specific information and never generalize. The best way to do this is to prepare a single specific example of a past experience to illustrate your answer to a question.

When talking about your past accomplishments, Bilwasiva advises quantifying your achievements wherever possible: “Use metrics and data to demonstrate the impact of your contributions.”

4.8 Strike a balance between your ambitious and collaborative nature

The ideal Amazon candidate is ambitious and driven, but your interviewer will also want to see evidence of how well you collaborate with others. 

So in your behavioral answers, be sure to get the right balance between ‘we’ and ‘I’. Acknowledge team effort by talking about what 'we' did as a team, and use 'I' to clearly demonstrate your own actions and elaborate on the impact you had.

4.9 Center on Amazon’s Leadership Principles

Go deep on Amazon’s Leadership Principles. We can’t stress enough how heavily Amazon emphasizes culture alignment, so be sure to prepare for this as much as you prepare for your technical interviews.

Check out our guide to the Amazon Leadership Principles interview to get started on your study. This article featuring Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is also another helpful resource on the nuances of the LPs.

The best way to prepare is to have at least one story for each principle. 

To be more efficient, you can adapt your stories to correspond with several leadership principles.

4.10 Prepare for your Bar Raiser interview

As we mentioned, you won’t know which one of your interviewers will be the Bar Raiser, but you’ll want to be prepared for them either way. 

The Bar Raiser is considered the steward of Amazon’s Leadership Principles. Their job is to calibrate and push for alignment, especially when the panel is split on a decision.

In general, here are some traits that Bar Raisers look out for in candidates:

With these in mind, take some time to study the job description for the SDE 1 role you’re applying for. Go over the qualifications for the role, as well as its key objectives. 

Put yourself in the shoes of an SDE 1 who is already working in this position. How will you handle the challenges that are likely to arise in this job? What skills will you need to demonstrate to an interviewer to prove that you are raising the bar for this kind of role?

Consider examples from your past that highlight your competency in those areas. You’ll be able to use them as answers in your interview and align them with Amazon’s Leadership Principles.

5. Preparation plan↑

Now that you know what questions to expect, let's focus on how to prepare. Here are the four preparation steps we recommend to help you land your Amazon SDE role.

5.1 Learn about Amazon's culture

Most candidates fail to do this. But before investing tons of time preparing for an interview at Amazon, you should make sure it's actually the right company for you.

Amazon is prestigious, and it's tempting to assume that you should apply without considering things more carefully. But it's important to remember that the prestige of a job (by itself) won't make you happy in your day-to-day work. It's the type of work and the people you work with that will.

If you know engineers who work at Amazon or used to work there, talk to them to understand what the culture is like. The Leadership Principles we discussed above can give you a sense of what to expect, but there's no replacement for a conversation with an insider.

We would also recommend checking out the following resources:

• SDE Interview Prep (by Amazon)
• Amazon's technology culture video mix (by Amazon)
• Amazon vision and mission analysis (by Panmore Institute)
• Amazon strategy teardown (by CB Insights)
• Amazon Software Development Topics (by Amazon)
• The Leadership Principles Explained by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy 
• An Amazon interviewer dives deep into how she uses the Leadership Principles (by Amazon)

5.2 Practice by yourself

As mentioned above, you'll have to answer three types of questions at Amazon: computer science fundamentals, coding (DSA), system design, and behavioral. The first step of your preparation should be to brush up on these different types of questions and practice answering them by yourself.

Here are some recommended ways to approach each interview:

5.2.1 CS fundamentals interview preparation

For computer science fundamentals, you’ll want to brush up on the following topics, according to Amazon’s official SDE interview topics guide:

• Data structures and algorithms
• Object-oriented design
• Internet topics
• Distributed computing
• Operating systems
• Databases

Amazon suggests that, when studying these topics, always keep the customer in mind. As an SDE, technology is your most fundamental tool in creating and evolving the experiences Amazon provides its customers. 

5.2.2 Coding interview preparation

For coding interviews, we recommend trying this step-by-step approach as demonstrated in Amazon’s coding sample video.