Apple Interview Experience| SDE| ( On Campus) 2024

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025

I noticed there were very few articles detailing the Apple interview experience, so I decided to share mine in hopes that it might help others. Here's a breakdown of my journey.

Job Description:

Apple was looking for individuals with strong communication and interpersonal skills who could collaborate effectively across diverse business and technical teams. They sought proactive candidates with a positive attitude toward problem-solving.

Overview of Interview Rounds:

Resume Shortlisting
Online Test
Interview Round 1 - Technical (Eliminatory)
Interview Round 2 - Techno-Managerial

Round 1: Resume Shortlisting

In this round, Apple shortlisted candidates based on their resumes. Only those without backlogs were selected to move forward.

Round 2: Online Test

The online test consisted of a coding question and MCQs.

Coding Question:
(This was a LeetCode problem.)
Imagine you're playing a game where you need to cross a sequence of stones to reach the final stone. Each stone has a number indicating the maximum steps you can jump forward. Starting from the first stone, determine whether you can reach the last stone. Return true if it's possible, otherwise false.
- Input: [2, 3, 1, 1, 4]
- Output:true
- Explanation: Jump 1 step from the first stone to the second, and then take 3 steps to jump directly to the last stone.
MCQs:
There were a total of 10 questions focused on core computer science topics such as:
- DBMS
- OS
- OOPs
- DSA
Tip:
Read and practice a lot of MCQs related to these core subjects online. Coding practice on LeetCode is essential.

Around 50 candidates were shortlisted for the next round.

Round 3: Technical Interview (Eliminatory)

Platform: Webex & CoderPad (for pair coding)

This round was conducted online, and the company asked for our preferred time slots. I was interviewed by a Senior Software Engineer, who was very polite and approachable. Here’s what was asked:

Coding Questions:
- Merge Sort: I was asked to implement Merge Sort, analyze its time complexity, and discuss any edge cases.
- Time Complexity Analysis: I was given several code snippets and asked to analyze their time complexity.
- SQL Query: A tricky SQL query was presented, and I was asked to provide its output.
Project-Related Questions:
- A detailed overview of all the projects listed on my resume.
- A few management-related questions, such as how I handled conflicts during my projects and my learning methodology.

The interviewer concluded by asking if I had any questions, to which I responded with some template questions.

Tip:
Be very thorough about the projects on your resume. Understand them completely, including any technical details.

Around 35-40 candidates were shortlisted for the next round.

Round 4: Techno-Managerial Interview

Platform: Webex & CoderPad (for pair coding)

This round was also conducted online, and I had prepared for a range of managerial questions. However, the interview turned out to be quite different from what I had expected. I was interviewed by a Senior Software Manager who asked me to jump straight into pair coding.

Coding Question (Pair Coding):
- N-Queens Problem:
  The manager described the problem vaguely but didn't directly mention the problem name. I recognized it as the N-Queens problem and was able to write a working solution in 25 minutes.
  - N-Queens Problem
Managerial Questions:
- How do you manage conflict with your teammates?
- What are the challenges you faced in your projects?
- How impactful do you think your project is?
Random Questions (Twists!):
- When was your college built?
- Why do you like your college?