DE Shaw coding interview
questions, leaked.
104 problems reported across recent DE Shaw interviews. Top patterns: array, dynamic programming, sorting. The list below is what most candidates actually saw, plus the honest play if you can't grind all of it.
DE Shaw's assessment leans hard on arrays and dynamic programming. Out of 104 problems, 76 are array-based and 36 require DP. You're looking at 62 medium-difficulty problems and 32 hard ones, which means the difficulty curve is steep. Most candidates freeze on the hard DP problems mid-assessment. That's where StealthCoder acts as your invisible safety net: if you hit a wall on a tree DP or greedy optimization problem during the live screen share, it surfaces a working solution in seconds without the proctor seeing a thing.
Top problems at DE Shaw
| # | Problem | Diff | Frequency | Pass % | Patterns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Design A Leaderboard | MEDIUM | 0.0 | 68% | Hash Table · Design · Sorting |
| 02 | Binary Tree Cameras | HARD | 100.0 | 47% | Dynamic Programming · Tree · Depth-First Search |
| 03 | Minimum Size Subarray in Infinite Array | MEDIUM | 87.0 | 31% | Array · Hash Table · Sliding Window |
| 04 | Removing Minimum Number of Magic Beans | MEDIUM | 81.7 | 44% | Array · Greedy · Sorting |
| 05 | Maximum Subsequence Score | MEDIUM | 81.7 | 54% | Array · Greedy · Sorting |
| 06 | Letter Combinations of a Phone Number | MEDIUM | 79.6 | 64% | Hash Table · String · Backtracking |
| 07 | Maximum Points Tourist Can Earn | MEDIUM | 79.6 | 46% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Matrix |
| 08 | Sum Game | MEDIUM | 79.6 | 48% | Math · String · Greedy |
| 09 | Max Number of K-Sum Pairs | MEDIUM | 79.6 | 56% | Array · Hash Table · Two Pointers |
| 10 | Minimum Cost Walk in Weighted Graph | HARD | 79.6 | 69% | Array · Bit Manipulation · Union Find |
| 11 | Relative Sort Array | EASY | 79.6 | 75% | Array · Hash Table · Sorting |
| 12 | Maximum Points After Collecting Coins From All Nodes | HARD | 79.6 | 36% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Bit Manipulation |
| 13 | Minimum Runes to Add to Cast Spell | HARD | 77.4 | 43% | Array · Depth-First Search · Breadth-First Search |
| 14 | Minimize Connected Groups by Inserting Interval | MEDIUM | 77.4 | 50% | Array · Binary Search · Sliding Window |
| 15 | Find Peak Calling Hours for Each City | MEDIUM | 77.4 | 62% | Database |
| 16 | Query Kth Smallest Trimmed Number | MEDIUM | 77.4 | 46% | Array · String · Divide and Conquer |
| 17 | Maximum Strength of K Disjoint Subarrays | HARD | 77.4 | 27% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Prefix Sum |
| 18 | Equal Row and Column Pairs | MEDIUM | 77.4 | 71% | Array · Hash Table · Matrix |
| 19 | Median of a Row Wise Sorted Matrix | MEDIUM | 77.4 | 70% | Array · Binary Search · Matrix |
| 20 | Greatest Sum Divisible by Three | MEDIUM | 77.4 | 51% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Greedy |
| 21 | Maximum Deletions on a String | HARD | 77.4 | 35% | String · Dynamic Programming · Rolling Hash |
| 22 | Determine the Winner of a Bowling Game | EASY | 77.4 | 36% | Array · Simulation |
| 23 | Shortest String That Contains Three Strings | MEDIUM | 77.4 | 31% | String · Greedy · Enumeration |
| 24 | Number of Substrings Containing All Three Characters | MEDIUM | 77.4 | 73% | Hash Table · String · Sliding Window |
| 25 | Minimum Deletions to Make String K-Special | MEDIUM | 77.4 | 45% | Hash Table · String · Greedy |
| 26 | Find the Sum of the Power of All Subsequences | HARD | 77.4 | 37% | Array · Dynamic Programming |
| 27 | Number of Subarrays With AND Value of K | HARD | 77.4 | 34% | Array · Binary Search · Bit Manipulation |
| 28 | Find the Maximum Divisibility Score | EASY | 77.4 | 50% | Array |
| 29 | Take Gifts From the Richest Pile | EASY | 77.4 | 76% | Array · Heap (Priority Queue) · Simulation |
| 30 | Count the Number of Incremovable Subarrays II | HARD | 72.1 | 39% | Array · Two Pointers · Binary Search |
| 31 | K-th Smallest in Lexicographical Order | HARD | 68.9 | 46% | Trie |
| 32 | Minimum Number of Taps to Open to Water a Garden | HARD | 65.3 | 51% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Greedy |
| 33 | Majority Element | EASY | 65.3 | 66% | Array · Hash Table · Divide and Conquer |
| 34 | Minimum Number of Refueling Stops | HARD | 65.3 | 41% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Greedy |
| 35 | Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock | EASY | 65.3 | 55% | Array · Dynamic Programming |
| 36 | Painting the Walls | HARD | 65.3 | 49% | Array · Dynamic Programming |
| 37 | Maximum Product Subarray | MEDIUM | 61.0 | 35% | Array · Dynamic Programming |
| 38 | Put Marbles in Bags | HARD | 61.0 | 72% | Array · Greedy · Sorting |
| 39 | House Robber | MEDIUM | 61.0 | 52% | Array · Dynamic Programming |
| 40 | Sliding Window Maximum | HARD | 61.0 | 48% | Array · Queue · Sliding Window |
| 41 | Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock II | MEDIUM | 61.0 | 70% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Greedy |
| 42 | Remove K Digits | MEDIUM | 55.7 | 35% | String · Stack · Greedy |
| 43 | Insert Delete GetRandom O(1) | MEDIUM | 55.7 | 55% | Array · Hash Table · Math |
| 44 | Longest Consecutive Sequence | MEDIUM | 55.7 | 47% | Array · Hash Table · Union Find |
| 45 | Maximum Subarray | MEDIUM | 55.7 | 52% | Array · Divide and Conquer · Dynamic Programming |
| 46 | Maximal Square | MEDIUM | 55.7 | 49% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Matrix |
| 47 | Find the Smallest Divisor Given a Threshold | MEDIUM | 49.0 | 64% | Array · Binary Search |
| 48 | Maximum Performance of a Team | HARD | 49.0 | 48% | Array · Greedy · Sorting |
| 49 | Basic Calculator II | MEDIUM | 49.0 | 46% | Math · String · Stack |
| 50 | Minimum Number of Pushes to Type Word II | MEDIUM | 49.0 | 80% | Hash Table · String · Greedy |
Frequencies derived from public community-tagged interview reports. Click a row to view on LeetCode.
You have a week, maybe less. You can't out-grind the list above. StealthCoder runs invisibly during the actual DE Shaw OA. The proctor cannot see it. Screen share cannot detect it. Built by an Amazon engineer who used it to pass JPMorgan's OA and system design loop.
Get StealthCoder- array76 · 73%
- dynamic programming36 · 35%
- sorting20 · 19%
- greedy19 · 18%
- string19 · 18%
- hash table18 · 17%
- binary search17 · 16%
- matrix13 · 13%
- heap priority queue12 · 12%
- stack11 · 11%
Arrays dominate this interview. Every other problem involves array manipulation, often combined with sorting, greedy logic, or prefix sums. Dynamic programming is the second pillar, appearing in roughly a third of all problems. The remaining topics (hash tables, binary search, strings, heaps) show up consistently but in supporting roles. Study array-first, then master DP on 2D matrices and trees. Greedy and sorting appear together frequently, so practice problems like Removing Minimum Number of Magic Beans and Maximum Subsequence Score back-to-back. Hash tables are the utility weapon for reducing time complexity. When you sit down for the real assessment, you'll see array problems first, they'll get progressively harder, and by the time DP trees appear, your mental stamina matters as much as your algorithm knowledge. StealthCoder is the hedge for that fatigue moment.
Companies with similar patterns
If you prepped for DE Shaw, these companies recycle ~60% of the same topics.
You've seen the list.
Now make sure you pass DE Shaw.
Memorizing every problem above in a week is a fantasy. StealthCoder is the hedge: an AI overlay that's invisible during screen share. It reads the problem on screen and surfaces a working solution in under 2 seconds. Built by an Amazon engineer who used it to pass JPMorgan's OA and system design loop. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
DE Shaw interview FAQ
How many array problems should I solve before the assessment?+
At least 20 to 25. Arrays appear in 73 percent of DE Shaw's problem set, often layered with sorting or prefix sums. Focus on sliding window, two pointers, and prefix-sum variants. Start with easy ones like Relative Sort Array, then move to medium problems involving subarray logic.
Is dynamic programming or arrays more important for this interview?+
Arrays come first. They appear in 76 problems; DP in 36. But DP problems are weighted toward hard difficulty. Spend 60 percent of prep time on arrays and sorting, 30 percent on DP (especially matrix and tree DP), and 10 percent on supporting topics like hash tables and binary search.
Should I study greedy algorithms before this assessment?+
Yes, but second priority. Greedy appears in 19 problems and almost always pairs with sorting or arrays. Problems like Removing Minimum Number of Magic Beans and Maximum Subsequence Score require both greedy intuition and heap or sort skills. Study it after arrays.
What's the hardest topic I'll see in DE Shaw's assessment?+
Hard-difficulty DP on trees and graphs. Problems like Binary Tree Cameras and Maximum Points After Collecting Coins involve memoization, DFS, and state tracking. Expect 32 hard problems overall. These are where most candidates lose time and confidence.
How much time should I spend on hash tables for this interview?+
Hash tables appear in 18 problems, often mixed with arrays or design challenges. They're used to optimize sorting and lookup, not as the main pattern. Spend 5 to 10 percent of prep time here, focused on speed-ups for existing array or string problems you've already solved.