Tencent coding interview
questions, leaked.
15 problems reported across recent Tencent interviews. Top patterns: array, string, stack. The list below is what most reported candidates actually saw, plus the honest play if you can't grind all of it.
Tencent's coding interview focuses on medium-difficulty problems with a heavy skew toward arrays and strings. Out of 15 reported problems, 10 are medium, and arrays appear in 5 separate assessments. You'll see stack-based problems, string manipulation, and some math/greedy patterns. Most candidates prepare by drilling LeetCode, but if you hit a wall mid-assessment on something like Decode String or Remove Boxes, StealthCoder runs invisibly and surfaces a working solution in seconds. It's the safety net for whatever pattern didn't stick.
Top problems at Tencent
| # | Problem | Diff | Frequency | Pass % | Patterns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Decode String | MEDIUM | 100.0 | 61% | String · Stack · Recursion |
| 02 | Minimum Factorization | MEDIUM | 97.9 | 34% | Math · Greedy |
| 03 | Remove Boxes | HARD | 97.9 | 48% | Array · Dynamic Programming · Memoization |
| 04 | Candy | HARD | 62.4 | 47% | Array · Greedy |
| 05 | Implement Rand10() Using Rand7() | MEDIUM | 62.4 | 46% | Math · Rejection Sampling · Randomized |
| 06 | Immediate Food Delivery II | MEDIUM | 62.4 | 54% | Database |
| 07 | Alien Dictionary | HARD | 62.4 | 37% | Array · String · Depth-First Search |
| 08 | Remove Duplicates from Sorted List II | MEDIUM | 62.4 | 50% | Linked List · Two Pointers |
| 09 | LRU Cache | MEDIUM | 62.4 | 45% | Hash Table · Linked List · Design |
| 10 | Valid Parentheses | EASY | 62.4 | 42% | String · Stack |
| 11 | Minimum Remove to Make Valid Parentheses | MEDIUM | 62.4 | 71% | String · Stack |
| 12 | Department Highest Salary | MEDIUM | 62.4 | 55% | Database |
| 13 | Next Greater Element I | EASY | 62.4 | 75% | Array · Hash Table · Stack |
| 14 | Debounce | MEDIUM | 62.4 | 92% | |
| 15 | Merge Intervals | MEDIUM | 62.4 | 49% | Array · Sorting |
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 Tencent OA. The proctor cannot see it. Screen share cannot detect it. Built by an engineer at a top-10 tech company who can solve these problems cold but didn't want to trust himself in a 90-minute screen share.
Get StealthCoder- array5 · 33%
- string4 · 27%
- stack4 · 27%
- math2 · 13%
- greedy2 · 13%
- database2 · 13%
- linked list2 · 13%
- hash table2 · 13%
- recursion1 · 7%
- dynamic programming1 · 7%
Arrays dominate the question pool, followed by strings and stacks, which together make up more than half the reported problems. The difficulty jump is real: only 2 easy problems, so expect the assessment to penalize slow thinking. Hard problems like Remove Boxes and Alien Dictionary test dynamic programming and graph traversal, areas many candidates gloss over. Stack-based string problems (Decode String, Valid Parentheses, Minimum Remove) appear repeatedly, so those are your day-one drills. If you're weak on greedy or rejection sampling, you're fine with surface-level knowledge. Where StealthCoder earns its place: when you blank on a tricky array optimization or can't recall the Rand7-to-Rand10 algorithm during screen share, it solves it live.
Companies with similar patterns
If you prepped for Tencent, these companies recycle ~60% of the same topics.
You've seen the list.
Now make sure you pass Tencent.
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 engineer at a top-10 tech company who can solve these problems cold but didn't want to trust himself in a 90-minute screen share. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Tencent interview FAQ
How many array problems should I solve before Tencent?+
Arrays appear in 5 of 15 reported problems, making them your priority. Drill at least 10 to 15 array problems, focusing on two-pointer, sliding window, and interval merging patterns. Merge Intervals and Next Greater Element are your references.
Are stacks worth studying for this company?+
Yes. Stack problems appear in 4 of 15 assessments, often paired with strings. Valid Parentheses, Minimum Remove to Make Valid Parentheses, and Decode String are all here. You can't skip stack patterns.
What's the minimum prep time for Tencent if I have one week?+
Focus on arrays and strings first, about 3 to 4 days. Then spend 2 days on stack problems and design patterns like LRU Cache. That covers roughly 70 percent of the reported pool. Don't grind hard problems if you're weak on medium fundamentals.
Should I study dynamic programming for this interview?+
It appears in only 1 of 15 problems, so it's not a primary focus. However, Remove Boxes is a reported hard problem that uses DP and memoization. If you have time after medium drills, touch it. Otherwise, it's a bonus.
Which math topics will I actually see?+
Math appears in 2 problems, including Implement Rand10() Using Rand7(), which requires rejection sampling. Minimum Factorization is the other. These are niche. Master them only if you're strong on core patterns already.