Amazon Interview Experience For SDET

Greetings, everyone! In this article, I’m thrilled to share a detailed account of the interview process for the role of Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) at Amazon, a leading name in the e-commerce industry.

Understanding the SDET Role: Before diving into the experience, let’s clarify what an SDET does. An SDET is a vital cog in the software engineering machine, blending development with testing to assure product excellence. Their duties span from automating tests to crafting and refining testing frameworks.

Journey Through the Interview Stages

  • Application and Shortlisting: My application journey began on the Amazon jobs portal, leading to a recruiter shortlisting my profile and initiating contact. The recruiter’s guidance was invaluable throughout the process.
  • Round 1 (Hackerrank Test): The first hurdle was a Hackerrank test comprising two coding challenges, followed by a behavioural assessment gauging productivity, feedback reception, workload management, and peer support.
  • Round 2 (Coding Interview with SDET-2): Post-Hackerrank success, I encountered the first interview round led by an SDET-2 at Amazon, which involved two dynamic programming coding questions. I managed to solve both and articulate their time complexities.
  • Round 3 (Hiring Manager Round): The hiring manager’s round zoomed in on my current role, project experiences, and technical stack. It also included behavioural questions aligned with Amazon’s leadership principles, such as handling work challenges, problem-solving, initiative-taking, and feedback processing.
  • Round 4 (Senior QA Engineer Round): The final round was QA-centric, with the interviewer probing into testing principles, the software testing lifecycle, test case creation, and various testing types. A practical scenario involving a vending machine and ATM withdrawals tested my ability to draft comprehensive test cases.

Successful Outcome

Selection: I’m elated to report that I was chosen for the SDET role at Amazon.

Preparation Tips:

  1. Resume Refinement: Ensure your resume is meticulously prepared.
  2. DSA Proficiency: Tackle medium to hard-level DSA problems, preferably from Leetcode.
  3. Leadership Principles: Familiarize yourself with Amazon’s leadership principles.
  4. Testing Knowledge: Brush up on testing methodologies and automation practices.
  5. Verbalize Thoughts: Articulate your thought process during interviews; it aids understanding and might prompt helpful hints from the interviewer.