Zalando coding interview
questions, leaked.
6 problems reported across recent Zalando interviews. Top patterns: greedy, array, string. The list below is what most reported candidates actually saw, plus the honest play if you can't grind all of it.
Zalando's interview is greedy-heavy. Four of their six reported problems focus on greedy algorithms, and the rest layer in arrays, strings, and sorting. You're looking at medium difficulty across the board, one easy outlier. The patterns are tight: if you can spot when to pick the locally optimal choice, you'll recognize most of these. If you blank mid-assessment, StealthCoder runs invisibly and surfaces a working solution in seconds, turning a panic moment into a solved problem.
Top problems at Zalando
| # | Problem | Diff | Frequency | Pass % | Patterns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | String Without AAA or BBB | MEDIUM | 100.0 | 45% | String · Greedy |
| 02 | Lemonade Change | EASY | 70.3 | 58% | Array · Greedy |
| 03 | LRU Cache | MEDIUM | 70.3 | 45% | Hash Table · Linked List · Design |
| 04 | Construct the Longest New String | MEDIUM | 62.2 | 54% | Math · Dynamic Programming · Greedy |
| 05 | Merge Intervals | MEDIUM | 62.2 | 49% | Array · Sorting |
| 06 | Largest Number | MEDIUM | 62.2 | 41% | Array · 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 Zalando 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- greedy4 · 67%
- array3 · 50%
- string2 · 33%
- sorting2 · 33%
- math1 · 17%
- dynamic programming1 · 17%
- brainteaser1 · 17%
- hash table1 · 17%
- linked list1 · 17%
- design1 · 17%
Greedy dominates here, so that's where your first 80 percent of prep goes. Lemonade Change is the entry point. From there, String Without AAA or BBB and Largest Number show how greedy applies to strings and sorting. Merge Intervals and LRU Cache are the outliers that test whether you can switch gears to interval logic and design patterns. The math and dynamic-programming problem, Construct the Longest New String, is rare in their set but worth a dry run so you're not caught off guard. Most candidates drill greedy poorly because it feels obvious in hindsight, which is exactly why it trips you live. StealthCoder is your hedge if the greedy framing doesn't click in real time.
Companies with similar patterns
If you prepped for Zalando, these companies recycle ~60% of the same topics.
You've seen the list.
Now make sure you pass Zalando.
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.
Zalando interview FAQ
How many greedy problems should I drill before a Zalando OA?+
All of them. Four out of six reported problems here are greedy. Spend time on Lemonade Change, String Without AAA or BBB, Largest Number, and Construct the Longest New String. Once you can spot the pattern and explain your choice at each step, you'll handle most of their set.
Is LRU Cache likely to show up in a Zalando interview?+
It's in the top problems, so yes. It's medium difficulty and tests design thinking, not just greedy or sorting. Build it once from scratch so you understand the doubly-linked-list mechanics and hash-table pairing. Practice the implementation, not just the concept.
Should I study dynamic programming for Zalando?+
Construct the Longest New String combines math, DP, and greedy, so it's worth knowing. It's a lower-frequency pattern in their set compared to greedy, but drilling it gives you depth if you hit that curveball. Don't let it crowd out greedy prep time.
What's the easiest problem Zalando asks?+
Lemonade Change is rated easy and focuses on greedy plus arrays. It's your warm-up and confidence builder. Master it first so you prove to yourself the greedy pattern is intuitive, then move to the medium problems where the strategy gets less obvious.
Do I need to know Merge Intervals for Zalando?+
Yes. It's in their top six and tests interval merging with sorting, a distinct skill from pure greedy. It's medium difficulty. Spend an hour on the sorting and merge logic. It's common in tech interviews beyond Zalando too, so time here pays dividends.