Disclaimer: This article was written few years ago and may no longer be relevant as software engineering has changed a lot in the last few years. This is what may be more relevant now: Future of Software Engineering - Gaurav ChandakMachine Coding Round Complete Guide
Introduction
Until recently, the general interview process for software engineers consisted of 2–3 rounds focused on problem-solving, data structures and algorithms, coupled with 1–2 rounds focused on checking the culture fit of the candidate. In the past few years, there has been a shift in approach with more and more companies adopting the machine coding round.
Flipkart, Uber, Swiggy, Ola, Cred, etc. are some of the top tech companies where the first onsite round is the machine coding round.
Format
Machine coding round involves solving a design problem in a matter of a couple of hours. It requires designing and coding a clean, modular and extensible solution based on a specific set of requirements. An example of a machine coding problem could be to design a snake and ladder game with certain requirements and constraints. This is generally followed by a code review process where an interviewer goes through the code and tries to understand the design decisions.
Expectations
Almost all the companies have similar judging criteria in the machine coding round. The expectations may vary based on seniority and also from company to company. These are the general expectations of a good solution:
- Code should be working and demonstrable.
- Code should be functionally correct.
- Code should be modular and readable.
- Separation of concerns should be addressed.
- Code should easily accommodate new requirements with minimal changes.
- There should be a main method from where the code could be easily testable.
- A UI is generally not required.
Learn how to match all the expectations in the machine coding round.
It is a pretty crucial round since most of the people get eliminated in this round. It is completely different from what everyone generally prepares for.
Please go through ‘How to prepare for machine coding round?' to learn more on how to crack the machine coding round.
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