IMC coding interview
questions, leaked.
8 problems reported across recent IMC interviews. Top patterns: array, breadth first search, matrix. The list below is what most reported candidates actually saw, plus the honest play if you can't grind all of it.
IMC's assessment is array-heavy with a twist: they pair basic array work with BFS, matrix problems, and stack design. All 8 reported problems are medium or hard. You're not grinding a hundred variants; you're drilling depth on a narrow set of patterns. Arrays appear in 6 of 8 problems. BFS, matrix traversal, and stack manipulation show up repeatedly. This isn't a breadth test. It's a signal that IMC wants to see if you can handle spatial reasoning, graph traversal, and state management under pressure. If you hit a wall on BFS or matrix problems during the live assessment, StealthCoder surfaces a working solution in seconds, invisible to the proctor.
Top problems at IMC
| # | Problem | Diff | Frequency | Pass % | Patterns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Find the Safest Path in a Grid | MEDIUM | 100.0 | 48% | Array · Binary Search · Breadth-First Search |
| 02 | Time Taken to Cross the Door | HARD | 88.4 | 49% | Array · Queue · Simulation |
| 03 | Asteroid Collision | MEDIUM | 75.2 | 46% | Array · Stack · Simulation |
| 04 | Maximum Side Length of a Square with Sum Less than or Equal to Threshold | MEDIUM | 67.5 | 54% | Array · Binary Search · Matrix |
| 05 | Design a Stack With Increment Operation | MEDIUM | 67.5 | 80% | Array · Stack · Design |
| 06 | Minimum Knight Moves | MEDIUM | 54.3 | 41% | Breadth-First Search |
| 07 | Shortest Path in a Grid with Obstacles Elimination | HARD | 54.3 | 46% | Array · Breadth-First Search · Matrix |
| 08 | Min Stack | MEDIUM | 54.3 | 56% | Stack · Design |
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 IMC 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- array6 · 75%
- breadth first search3 · 38%
- matrix3 · 38%
- stack3 · 38%
- binary search2 · 25%
- simulation2 · 25%
- design2 · 25%
- union find1 · 13%
- heap priority queue1 · 13%
- queue1 · 13%
The difficulty split is punishing: zero easy problems, six medium, two hard. Stack and design problems cluster together, suggesting IMC cares about your ability to build constrained data structures. Binary search appears twice but in hybrid problems (not pure binary search). Prefix sum is a single appearance but likely bundled into a two-dimensional problem. The real story is BFS dominance in spatial problems: three matrix or grid-based BFS questions means you need to be confident with directional traversal, visited tracking, and multi-source or constrained-path variants. Simulation appears twice, both paired with arrays or stacks, so you're not writing discrete-event simulators. Array fundamentals are non-negotiable. If you're weak on stack-based design or haven't practiced BFS on grids with obstacles, that's where StealthCoder becomes your hedge during the live OA.
Companies with similar patterns
If you prepped for IMC, these companies recycle ~60% of the same topics.
You've seen the list.
Now make sure you pass IMC.
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.
IMC interview FAQ
What topic should I drill first for IMC?+
Arrays and BFS on grids. Arrays appear in 6 of 8 problems, and 3 of those are also BFS questions. Stack design is second priority. You don't have time to weak-study every topic; nail these two and you've covered the core.
Are there any easy problems in IMC's assessment?+
No. All 8 reported problems are medium or hard difficulty. Expect to spend time on each one. There's no warm-up round. Go in confident on fundamentals because there's no room for stumbling on basics.
How much time should I spend on binary search for IMC?+
Binary search appears in only 2 of 8 problems, and both are hybrid (array-matrix-binary-search or similar). Don't neglect it, but don't spend a week on it. A few problems combining binary search with 2D prefix sum or grid traversal should suffice.
Do I need to know union-find and heap for this assessment?+
Union-find and heap each appear in only one problem, and both are bundled into a single 'Find the Safest Path' question. They're not core to IMC's filter. Master arrays, BFS, and stacks first. These two are nice-to-have.
What's the hardest topic IMC tests?+
BFS on constrained grids. Two problems are hard difficulty and both involve matrix navigation with obstacles or complex traversal logic. Simulation with arrays and stacks is also punchy. Practice BFS with visited sets and multi-layered state (obstacles, eliminated walls, etc.) before the assessment.