Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links; I may receive compensation if you purchase products or services from the different links provided in this article.
Let me be honest with you: I bombed four FAANG interviews before I figured out what I was doing wrong.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t code; I had years of professional experience.
The problem was that I was preparing randomly. I’d grind LeetCode one day, watch system design videos the next, and panic-read about behavioral questions the night before interviews.
No structure. No strategy. Just chaos.
Everything changed when I stopped treating interview prep like a buffet and started following a systematic approach.
If you’re drowning in data structures, algorithms, system design, and all the other topics people say you “must know” for coding interviews, you’re in the right place.
This guide will give you a clear, step-by-step roadmap to cover all the bases without burning out.
And if you’re looking for a one-stop shop to prepare comprehensively, DesignGurus.io is where I’d start. They have Grokking courses covering OOP Design, System Design, Dynamic Programming, and more.
You can also access all their courses with a significant discount through their All Courses Bundle. Use code GURU for 30% off.
How to Prepare for Coding Interviews in 2026: Your Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s the systematic approach that took me from bombing interviews to landing offers. Follow this order — it matters.
1. Data Structures and Algorithms: Master the Foundation First
If you’re serious about coding interviews in 2026, DSA isn’t optional — it’s the foundation everything else rests on. Here’s how I’d approach it today if I were starting over:
Best Resources for DSA Preparation
1. AlgoMonster
This is where I’d start if I were doing it again. AlgoMonster is a streamlined, interactive platform designed by Google and Facebook engineers that teaches coding patterns fast — with visual explanations and zero fluff. Perfect for busy professionals who can’t afford to waste time.
Why it works: Pattern recognition is the key to DSA success. AlgoMonster teaches you to see the patterns, not just memorize solutions.
2. Educative’s 99 Coding Patterns
Available in both Python and Java, this course covers 26 essential patterns that appear repeatedly in interviews. The interactive, code-in-browser format makes it easy to practice and internalize concepts without context switching.
My experience: The two-pointer pattern alone helped me solve a dozen different interview problems I’d previously struggled with.
The classic, no-nonsense list of 75 must-solve problems. If you’re short on time, these are the problems you absolutely cannot skip. Widely recommended by engineers who’ve landed jobs at FAANG companies.
Created by a former Meta engineer, Grind 75 improves on Blind 75 with better structure. It provides a 4- to 8-week plan tailored to your daily time availability, making it easier to stay consistent.
Pro tip: Choose Grind 75 over Blind 75 if you want a more structured approach with time-boxed milestones.
5. Master Your Language’s Standard Library
Speed matters in interviews. Make sure you’re fluent with C++ STL, Java Collections, or Python’s built-in data structures. The right API knowledge can save precious minutes during your interview — and minutes matter.
Reality check: If you’re a beginner, DSA requires more than 3 months of active practice. If you’re rusty, start with top interview questions and coding patterns on sites like LeetCode and AlgoMonster.
Here’s a helpful coding interview patterns cheat sheet from Educative.io showing which coding problems can be solved with which patterns:
2. System Design: Think Like an Architect, Not Just a Coder
System design interviews separate senior candidates from everyone else. Passive learning won’t cut it here — you need to actively design systems and defend your choices.
Best Resources for System Design
1. System Design Interview books by Alex Xu (Volumes 1 & 2)
These are the gold standard for system design prep. The books break down real interview questions and walk you through design trade-offs and scaling strategies step by step.
Alternative: If you prefer online learning, the ByteByteGo course offers digital versions of both books plus complementary materials.
2. Best YouTube Channels for System Design
For visual learners, these channels cover key system design concepts with diagrams and real-world examples. Perfect for quick refreshers or deep dives into specific topics.
3. Active Practice: Design, Don’t Just Read
It’s tempting to read solutions and move on. Don’t. Sketch out designs on a whiteboard. Write down trade-offs. Think through failure points as if you’re in the interview room right now.
The mistake I made: I read dozens of system design solutions without ever designing anything myself. When I got to real interviews, I froze.
4. Mock Interviews on Pramp, bugfree.ai and Exponent
Practice live with peers or coaches. You’ll get real-time feedback and experience thinking on your feet — critical for design interviews where there’s no single “right” answer.
5. Codemia.io System Design Practice in LeetCode Style
Passive learning won’t help. Codemia.io lets you practice system design problems like you’d practice coding questions. It’s one of the few platforms built specifically for this — and they have the biggest collection of system design problems available.
3. Low-Level Design (LLD): The Hidden Interview Round
LLD interviews often catch candidates off guard. If your object-oriented design skills are rusty, here’s how to sharpen them fast.
Best Resources for Low-Level Design
1. “Head First Design Patterns” (2nd edition)
Start here. This book explains core design patterns through simple, practical examples. It’s approachable even if you’re revisiting the material after years away.
2. Object-Oriented Design Interview: An Insider’s Guide
Co-authored by Desmond Zhou, Fawaz Bokhari, and Alex Xu (yes, the System Design Interview author), this is one of the most current books on OOD interviews.
What makes it exceptional:
- A no-nonsense 4-step framework for solving design problems
- 11 detailed examples with real interview scenarios
- 133 diagrams breaking down architectures and workflows
This book bridges the gap between theory and interview-ready skills better than anything else I’ve found.
3. OOP Concepts Must Be Crystal Clear
Brush up on fundamentals: virtual methods in C++, abstract classes vs interfaces, method overloading vs overriding, method hiding. These are building blocks interviewers expect you to know cold.
4. Practice Real Questions
Check out Awesome Low-Level Design by Ashish Pratap Singh. It’s a curated list of top-notch LLD problems that’ll push you to think critically. Subscribe to his AlgoMaster newsletter for ongoing tips.
5. Timebox Your Practice
When practicing, limit each design problem to 45 minutes. Simulating interview pressure helps you focus and sharpens your decision-making under constraints.
6. Study Detailed Solutions After Your Attempt
Explore this Low-Level Design playlist (credits to Soumyajit Bhattacharyay). Walk through solutions only after you’ve made your own attempt — don’t short-circuit the learning.
4. Computer Science Fundamentals: The Overlooked Foundation
Many candidates skip CS fundamentals in interview prep — big mistake. A lot of interview questions are rooted here, and these topics give you confidence when explaining concepts under pressure.
What to Cover
1. Core CS Concepts with GateSmashers
Start here. Their free YouTube playlists cover data structures, algorithms, operating systems, DBMS, computer networks, and OOP. The explanations are beginner-friendly but thorough enough to refresh what you learned in school.
2. Operating Systems
OS concepts frequently appear in interviews at top tech companies. Make sure you understand:
- Process management
- Memory allocation
- Deadlocks and threading
- File systems and scheduling
Resource: Check out these 6 best operating system courses for structured learning.
3. Additional Fundamentals
Don’t stop at OS. Cover:
- Computer networks (HTTP, TCP/IP, WebSockets)
- Database indexing and transactions
- Basic compiler concepts
These areas pop up in system design and low-level design discussions more often than you’d expect.
4. Study Effectively
Treat CS fundamentals like system design: don’t just read or watch. Take notes. Draw diagrams. Explain concepts out loud. Mock interviews often test how well you can articulate ideas, not just how well you understand them internally.
Here’s a computer science fundamentals cheat sheet from Educative.io for quick refreshers:
5. Behavioral Interviews: The Round That Eliminates Strong Coders
Many candidates underestimate behavioral rounds. The truth is brutal: no matter how strong your coding or system design skills are, you won’t clear the hiring bar without demonstrating strong communication, teamwork, and real-world problem-solving.
How to Prepare for Behavioral Interviews
1. Structure with the STAR Method
STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) isn’t optional. It helps you present experiences clearly and logically. Interviewers don’t want rambling stories — they want to see how you handled challenges, made decisions, and measured success.
2. Keep Responses Tight
Each example should fit into 4-5 sentences per STAR section. The goal is to respect the interviewer’s time and stay focused. Brevity shows clarity of thought.
3. Prepare Both Long and Short Versions
Sometimes interviewers want a quick overview. Other times, they’ll probe deep. Have both versions ready so you can adapt on the fly. This makes you sound polished and confident.
4. Don’t Neglect Preparation
Behavioral rounds are deceptively tricky. You’ll face questions about failure, conflict, leadership, ambiguity, and ethics.
Resource: The Grokking the Behavioral Interview course on Educative is a solid starting point. It provides frameworks, examples, and sample answers to help you build and polish your own stories.
5. Practice Out Loud
Writing down answers is good. Saying them out loud is essential. Record yourself, review how you sound, and refine. You’ll be surprised how much smoother your answers become with just a few rounds of self-review.
6. Company-Specific Preparation: The Final Edge
Generic prep will only take you so far. Once you’ve covered the fundamentals, it’s time to focus on company-specific patterns. Each company has quirks, preferred question types, and favored topics.
How to Prepare for Specific Companies
1. Use LeetCode Premium, AlgoMonster, or Codemia.io
AlgoMonster, Codemia.io, and LeetCode Premium’s biggest advantage is their massive bank of company-tagged problems. Filter questions asked by Google, Amazon, Microsoft, or specific startups.
Focus on recent problems: Prioritize questions asked in the past 6-12 months — they reflect current hiring trends.
2. Dive into the LeetCode Explore Tab
The Explore tab offers guided learning paths covering everything from data structures to dynamic programming. These paths are structured to build skills progressively — use them when you want curriculum-style learning instead of random problem grinding.
3. Simulate Real Interviews with the LeetCode Interview Tab
Head to LeetCode’s Interview tab. Select a company, choose the interview round (phone, onsite, etc.), and attempt a timed assessment that mirrors the actual interview experience.
Why this matters: This is the best way to experience solving problems under time pressure before the real thing.
4. Don’t Stop at LeetCode
Explore company-specific forums on Glassdoor, Blind, or TeamBlind to read recent interview experiences. Many candidates share exact question patterns and system design prompts. You’ll spot trends that give you an edge.
5. Mimic the Real Setting
When practicing, use a whiteboard or plain text editor — no autocomplete, no IDE. Set a timer and solve problems as if you’re in an interview. The more realistic your practice, the calmer you’ll be when it counts.
Book recommendation: For coding interview patterns, check out Coding Interview Patterns: Nail Your Next Coding Interview, particularly if you prefer reading books like I do.
The Complete Preparation Timeline
Here’s a realistic timeline for comprehensive interview prep:
| Phase | Focus | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | DSA + Language Mastery | 6-8 weeks |
| System Design | High-Level Architecture | 3-4 weeks |
| Low-Level Design | OOP + Design Patterns | 2-3 weeks |
| CS Fundamentals | OS, Networks, DBMS | 2-3 weeks |
| Behavioral | STAR Stories + Practice | 1-2 weeks |
| Company-Specific | Tagged Problems + Mocks | 2-3 weeks |
Total time: 16-24 weeks of consistent preparation
Conclusion
That’s all about how to prepare for coding interviews in 2026. I know it’s not easy to crack coding interviews in this competitive market, but following this systematic guide and preparing for all the important topics can significantly improve your chances.
My recommended path:
- Start with either ByteByteGo (50% Off now) or DesignGurus.io All Courses Bundle for comprehensive coverage (use code GURU for 30% off)
- Follow with AlgoMonster or Educative-99 for structured practice on 99 carefully selected problems
- Supplement with company-specific prep on LeetCode or AlgoMonster
Additional Resources:
- Best Data Structure Interview Books
- Software Engineering Books
- Best System Design Books
- System Design Courses
I hope these tips help you in your preparation. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need guidance.
Good luck on your interview journey!
P.S. — The difference between candidates who land offers and those who don’t isn’t talent. Its structure. Follow this guide, stay consistent, and trust the process. You’ve got this.