Online Assessment Prep: Software Development Engineer II
Come build the future with us
Thank you for your interest in an SDE role at Amazon. This prep page will help you understand what the SDE II Online Assessment process is like, what we’re looking for, and how you can prepare.
We want SDE II candidates with strong technical expertise and problem-solving abilities. We look for developers who can drive innovation and deliver results that impact customers on a global scale. With these skills, you’ll be able to thrive in our fast-paced environment, foster a culture of ownership, and stay customer-focused as you build and scale groundbreaking solutions.
Why do we start with an online assessment?
At Amazon, we believe online assessments (OAs) are mutually beneficial. For us, they’re an opportunity to see you as a holistic engineer—to witness your coding skills in action and learn about your systems thinking, leadership styles, and preferred ways of working. Your input also helps with matchmaking, and our ability to match you with the perfect role at Amazon.
In turn, we hope taking our OA will help make you a stronger engineer, encouraging you to brush up on the fundamentals and challenge your process, whether for a role at Amazon or elsewhere.
Do I have to take the OA?
Yes, everyone who wants to work as an SDE II at Amazon must complete an OA. You’ll receive your unique link to the OA after submitting your resume to an open SDE II position, or you’ll receive the link from your recruiter.
You’ll have seven days to complete the assessment from the date it was sent. Upon completion, you’ll be notified within two days whether or not we’ll be moving forward with your application. If yes, you’ll move into the interview process, and if no, you’ll be encouraged to practice and re-apply in six months.
OA at a glance
SDE II OA content is split into three sections: Coding, System Design, and Work Styles, with an optional survey at the end. To successfully submit your assessment, you must complete all sections. While the 90-minute Coding Challenge is the only timed section, we recommend you reserve two hours to complete the OA.
Coding challenge
90 minutes for 2 questions
System design
Approximately 15 minutes
Your work style
Approximately 10 minutes
Optional feedback survey
Approximately 1 minute
Diving deeper into the OA
Coding
Expect to be asked to write syntactically correct code—no pseudo code. In order write scalable and robust code, you first need to breakdown the coding problem. If you feel a bit rusty coding without an IDE or coding in a specific language, it’s a good idea to dust off the cobwebs and get comfortable coding within HackerRank.
Coding topics
Our Coding Challenge is meant to test your skills and depth in technical topics, but it’s NOT meant to be a mystery! We want you to know exactly what you’ll be tested on, so you can show up confident and prepared to do your best.
You may see online discussions on which topics will be covered in the OA. We’re here to be your source of truth, so you’re not left guessing. Below you’ll find the list of potential topics you may be asked to explore. The actual questions will be a deep dive into a couple of these areas.
OA frequently asked questions
Check out our curated list of commonly asked questions about the SDE II Online Assessment (OA).
Amazon culture
We’re a company that brings a wide range of perspectives to inventing on behalf of our customers. These include race, ethnicity, gender, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, culture, language, and education, as well as professional and life experience. We’re committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.