Sony coding interview
questions, leaked.
4 problems reported across recent Sony interviews. Top patterns: array, dynamic programming, math. The list below is what most reported candidates actually saw, plus the honest play if you can't grind all of it.
Sony's interview problems are sparse but brutal. Four total problems reported, split evenly between medium and hard. You're looking at array and dynamic programming as the core patterns, appearing in 3 out of 4 top problems. Math and game theory show up enough to matter. The difficulty skew is real: two hard problems sit at the top of the list. If you get one of those in your assessment, StealthCoder running invisibly during screen share is your safety net for the parts that don't come naturally.
Top problems at Sony
| # | Problem | Diff | Frequency | Pass % | Patterns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Subtree Removal Game with Fibonacci Tree | HARD | 100.0 | 57% | Math · Dynamic Programming · Tree |
| 02 | Reducing Dishes | HARD | 74.9 | 76% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Greedy |
| 03 | Random Pick with Weight | MEDIUM | 66.5 | 48% | Array · Math · Binary Search |
| 04 | Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock | EASY | 66.5 | 55% | Array · Dynamic Programming |
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 Sony 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- array3 · 75%
- dynamic programming3 · 75%
- math2 · 50%
- binary search1 · 25%
- prefix sum1 · 25%
- randomized1 · 25%
- greedy1 · 25%
- sorting1 · 25%
- tree1 · 25%
- binary tree1 · 25%
Array and dynamic programming dominate Sony's interview. Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock is the warm-up, but Reducing Dishes and the Subtree Removal Game are where candidates stall. The game-theory angle on tree manipulation is uncommon, which means fewer people have internalized it. Math problems like Random Pick with Weight pull in prefix sums and binary search, making the problem set deceptively layered. You can't just memorize solutions here. You need to recognize that greedy, sorting, and tree traversal are all secondary tools backing the DP core. Start with Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock to build confidence, then move to Reducing Dishes to practice the sorting and greedy angle. The Subtree Removal Game is the outlier; if you hit a wall on game-theory DP during your assessment, StealthCoder surfaces a working approach in seconds while the proctor sees nothing.
Companies with similar patterns
If you prepped for Sony, these companies recycle ~60% of the same topics.
You've seen the list.
Now make sure you pass Sony.
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.
Sony interview FAQ
Should I prioritize dynamic programming or array problems for Sony?+
Both equally. Array and DP are tied at 3 appearances each across the four problems. You can't skip either. Start with Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock (easy, array/DP combo), then Reducing Dishes (hard, array/DP/sorting/greedy). This builds pattern recognition fast.
What's the deal with game theory in Sony interviews?+
It appears once, in the Subtree Removal Game problem. It's a hard problem mixing game theory with trees and DP. Most candidates haven't drilled this pattern. If you see it live and freeze, that's where a real-time safety net matters most.
Is math important for Sony's coding interviews?+
Yes, but targeted. Math appears in 2 of 4 problems, often paired with other topics like binary search and prefix sums (Random Pick with Weight). Don't ignore it, but treat it as a secondary skill backing your primary DP and array work.
How many problems should I solve before a Sony assessment?+
With only four problems reported, drilling all of them thoroughly is table stakes. Then drill variants: at least three more DP problems similar to Reducing Dishes, and two more tree DP problems beyond Subtree Removal. That's your floor.
Is one medium problem enough to prepare for Sony's difficulty?+
No. Two of Sony's four problems are hard. You'll face hard problems in your assessment. Solving only easy and medium before you interview isn't preparation, it's a false sense of safety. Spend 60 percent of prep time on hard problems.