Faire coding interview
questions, leaked.
3 problems reported across recent Faire interviews. Top patterns: array, string, backtracking. The list below is what most reported candidates actually saw, plus the honest play if you can't grind all of it.
Faire's interview focuses on medium-difficulty array and string problems. You'll see three canonical patterns: grid search with backtracking, array traversal with pointers, and grouping via hash tables. All three are medium, so no gimmes, no hard curveballs. The problems are clean algorithmic work, not trick questions. Word Search and Group Anagrams dominate the report. If you blank on a backtracking approach mid-assessment, StealthCoder surfaces a working solution in seconds, invisible to the proctor, so you stay on pace.
Top problems at Faire
| # | Problem | Diff | Frequency | Pass % | Patterns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Word Search | MEDIUM | 100.0 | 45% | Array · String · Backtracking |
| 02 | Longest Mountain in Array | MEDIUM | 93.4 | 41% | Array · Two Pointers · Dynamic Programming |
| 03 | Group Anagrams | MEDIUM | 84.1 | 71% | Array · Hash Table · String |
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 Faire OA. The proctor cannot see it. Screen share cannot detect it. Built by a senior engineer who knows the OA is theater. This is the script.
Get StealthCoder- array3 · 100%
- string2 · 67%
- backtracking1 · 33%
- depth first search1 · 33%
- matrix1 · 33%
- hash table1 · 33%
- sorting1 · 33%
- two pointers1 · 33%
- dynamic programming1 · 33%
- enumeration1 · 33%
Array problems show up in every slot, which means you need speed on index manipulation, boundary conditions, and traversal patterns. String work appears in two of three top problems, mostly in tandem with arrays. Backtracking and depth-first search are present but not overwhelming; they're the pattern underneath Word Search. Hash tables and sorting are the non-obvious components that trip people up in Group Anagrams. The sweet spot for prep is drilling array iteration first, then string-array hybrids, then the backtracking frame. Dynamic programming and two-pointers appear once each, so they're not the focus, but they're the hedge StealthCoder covers if you hit an unexpected enumeration problem on the live assessment.
Companies with similar patterns
If you prepped for Faire, these companies recycle ~60% of the same topics.
You've seen the list.
Now make sure you pass Faire.
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 a senior engineer who knows the OA is theater. This is the script. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Faire interview FAQ
What should I drill first for Faire?+
Array fundamentals. Three of three top problems are array-heavy. Master two-pointer traversal and index math cold. Then pair that with string manipulation. Word Search adds backtracking, so after arrays and strings, work through DFS on grids until the pattern feels automatic.
Is backtracking a must-know for Faire?+
Not a must-know across the board, but it's the crux of Word Search, a top problem. If you haven't done grid-based backtracking before, spend time on it. It's a pattern that shows up and can stall candidates who've only drilled linear array work.
How much should I focus on hash tables?+
Hash tables appear in Group Anagrams, one of the three top problems. You don't need to grind hash-table theory, but you need to know how to use a hash map or sorted tuple to bucket strings by anagram. One solid solution pass is enough.
Are there any easy problems in Faire's interview?+
No. All three top problems are medium. You won't get a warmup. Plan to spend five to ten minutes understanding the problem before coding. Rushing into a medium-difficulty grid or grouping problem without a plan is a quick way to time out.
Should I study dynamic programming for Faire?+
DP appears once in the data, inside Longest Mountain in Array. It's not the primary approach, but if you hit that problem, the DP framing helps. It's not a core focus, so don't let DP prep crowd out array and string drills.