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192+ Microsoft questions

Microsoft interview questions and how to prepare

Growth-mindset framing: how you learn, collaborate, and handle setbacks. Below: the questions candidates report from Microsoft interviews, sorted by how often they come up, plus original practice in Microsoft's style.

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ZorixOS tracks 192 community-reported Microsoft interview questions, drawn from an open-source dataset of real interview reports and sorted by how frequently each one comes up. Every question links to its source. Alongside them are 78 original ZorixOS practice questions written in Microsoft's known interview style (not claimed as asked at Microsoft), so you can rehearse the real format. Practice any of them out loud in a free AI mock interview tuned to Microsoft.

Updated July 2026

How Microsoft interviews run

What candidates consistently report about the loop, so nothing surprises you on the day.

  • Growth-mindset framing: how you learn, collaborate, and handle setbacks.
  • Customer focus and clarity matter as much as raw technical signal.

Microsoft interview questions candidates report

Community-reported from real Microsoft interviews (open-source dataset), most-asked first. Showing 60 of 192. Each links to its source.

  1. Two Sum
    ArrayHash Table
    Easy100% asked
  2. Merge Sorted Array
    ArrayTwo PointersSorting
    Easy84% asked
  3. Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters
    Hash TableStringSliding Window
    Medium81% asked
  4. Add Two Numbers
    Linked ListMathRecursion
    Medium78% asked
  5. Trapping Rain Water
    ArrayTwo PointersDynamic ProgrammingStack
    Hard78% asked
  6. Longest Palindromic Substring
    Two PointersStringDynamic Programming
    Medium76% asked
  7. Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock
    ArrayDynamic Programming
    Easy76% asked
  8. Merge Intervals
    ArraySorting
    Medium74% asked
  9. Single Element in a Sorted Array
    ArrayBinary Search
    Medium74% asked
  10. Valid Parentheses
    StringStack
    Easy73% asked
  11. 3Sum
    ArrayTwo PointersSorting
    Medium73% asked
  12. Maximum Subarray
    ArrayDivide and ConquerDynamic Programming
    Medium73% asked
  13. Median of Two Sorted Arrays
    ArrayBinary SearchDivide and Conquer
    Hard73% asked
  14. Group Anagrams
    ArrayHash TableStringSorting
    Medium70% asked
  15. LRU Cache
    Hash TableLinked ListDesignDoubly-Linked List
    Medium70% asked
  16. Reverse Nodes in k-Group
    Linked ListRecursion
    Hard69% asked
  17. Move Zeroes
    ArrayTwo Pointers
    Easy69% asked
  18. Container With Most Water
    ArrayTwo PointersGreedy
    Medium69% asked
  19. Merge Two Sorted Lists
    Linked ListRecursion
    Easy69% asked
  20. Search in Rotated Sorted Array
    ArrayBinary Search
    Medium69% asked
  21. Roman to Integer
    Hash TableMathString
    Easy68% asked
  22. Spiral Matrix
    ArrayMatrixSimulation
    Medium68% asked
  23. Climbing Stairs
    MathDynamic ProgrammingMemoization
    Easy68% asked
  24. Rotate Image
    ArrayMathMatrix
    Medium68% asked
  25. Longest Common Prefix
    StringTrie
    Easy68% asked
  26. Majority Element
    ArrayHash TableDivide and ConquerSorting
    Easy68% asked
  27. Merge k Sorted Lists
    Linked ListDivide and ConquerHeap (Priority Queue)Merge Sort
    Hard68% asked
  28. Palindrome Number
    Math
    Easy68% asked
  29. Find Peak Element
    ArrayBinary Search
    Medium67% asked
  30. Sort Colors
    ArrayTwo PointersSorting
    Medium66% asked
  31. Remove Duplicates from Sorted Array
    ArrayTwo Pointers
    Easy65% asked
  32. Create Hello World Function
    Easy64% asked
  33. Subarray Sum Equals K
    ArrayHash TablePrefix Sum
    Medium64% asked
  34. Letter Combinations of a Phone Number
    Hash TableStringBacktracking
    Medium64% asked
  35. Reverse Integer
    Math
    Medium63% asked
  36. Set Matrix Zeroes
    ArrayHash TableMatrix
    Medium63% asked
  37. Basic Calculator
    MathStringStackRecursion
    Hard63% asked
  38. Number of Islands
    ArrayDepth-First SearchBreadth-First SearchUnion Find
    Medium62% asked
  39. Generate Parentheses
    StringDynamic ProgrammingBacktracking
    Medium61% asked
  40. Minimum Path Sum
    ArrayDynamic ProgrammingMatrix
    Medium61% asked
  41. Word Search
    ArrayStringBacktrackingDepth-First Search
    Medium61% asked
  42. N-Queens
    ArrayBacktracking
    Hard60% asked
  43. Reverse Linked List
    Linked ListRecursion
    Easy60% asked
  44. Search Insert Position
    ArrayBinary Search
    Easy60% asked
  45. Jump Game II
    ArrayDynamic ProgrammingGreedy
    Medium60% asked
  46. K-th Smallest in Lexicographical Order
    Trie
    Hard60% asked
  47. Largest Rectangle in Histogram
    ArrayStackMonotonic Stack
    Hard60% asked
  48. Max Consecutive Ones
    Array
    Easy60% asked
  49. Minimum Edge Reversals So Every Node Is Reachable
    Dynamic ProgrammingDepth-First SearchBreadth-First SearchGraph
    Hard60% asked
  50. Minimum Size Subarray Sum
    ArrayBinary SearchSliding WindowPrefix Sum
    Medium60% asked
  51. Jump Game
    ArrayDynamic ProgrammingGreedy
    Medium59% asked
  52. Next Permutation
    ArrayTwo Pointers
    Medium59% asked
  53. Recyclable and Low Fat Products
    Database
    Easy59% asked
  54. Remove Element
    ArrayTwo Pointers
    Easy58% asked
  55. First Missing Positive
    ArrayHash Table
    Hard58% asked
  56. Binary Tree Zigzag Level Order Traversal
    TreeBreadth-First SearchBinary Tree
    Medium58% asked
  57. Combination Sum
    ArrayBacktracking
    Medium57% asked
  58. Rotate Array
    ArrayMathTwo Pointers
    Medium57% asked
  59. String to Integer (atoi)
    String
    Medium56% asked
  60. Validate Binary Search Tree
    TreeDepth-First SearchBinary Search TreeBinary Tree
    Medium56% asked

These are the 60 most-reported of 192 tracked Microsoft questions. Create a free account to drill the full set with solutions and an AI interviewer.

Practice questions in Microsoft's style

Original ZorixOS questions written the way Microsoft interviews, so you rehearse the real format. Not claimed as asked at Microsoft.

  1. Imagine you're tasked with improving the performance of a critical Azure SQL Database query that's experiencing high latency during peak hours. Describe your systematic approach to diagnosing and resolving this issue, including potential bottlenecks you'd investigate and tools you'd use.

    Software EngineerDebuggingTests: Evaluates systematic debugging skills, knowledge of Azure SQL performance tuning, and ability to handle production issues under pressure.

  2. Design a system to handle real-time telemetry data ingestion from millions of Windows devices for security threat detection. Focus on scalability, reliability, and low latency. How would you ensure data integrity and handle potential spikes in traffic?

    Software EngineerSystem DesignTests: Assesses system design capabilities, understanding of distributed systems, and ability to design for high scale and fault tolerance.

  3. You discover a bug in the Microsoft Teams meeting client that causes occasional audio drops for users in large meetings. How would you approach debugging this, considering it might be network related, client-side, or server-side?

    Software EngineerDebuggingTests: Tests debugging methodology, ability to consider multiple potential causes, and communication of a structured approach.

  4. Consider the OneDrive sync client. If users report inconsistent file synchronization across devices, what are the top three technical areas you would investigate first and why?

    Software EngineerDebuggingTests: Evaluates problem decomposition, understanding of client-server synchronization complexities, and prioritization of debugging efforts.

  5. Write a SQL query to identify the top 5 most actively used features within the Microsoft 365 suite (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint) in the last quarter, based on user interaction events logged in a hypothetical `user_activity_log` table. Assume columns like `user_id`, `event_timestamp`, `feature_name`, and `event_type`.

    Data ScientistSQLTests: Tests SQL proficiency, ability to derive business insights from data, and understanding of user engagement metrics.

  6. Microsoft is considering launching a new premium tier for Xbox Game Pass with exclusive early access to select titles. Design an A/B test to measure the impact of this new tier on overall subscription revenue and customer retention. What key metrics would you track, and how would you define success?

    Data ScientistExperimentsTests: Assesses experimental design, metric selection, understanding of business impact, and statistical rigor.

72+ more Microsoft-style questions are in the free library, each practiceable live with adaptive follow-ups and an honest scorecard. Start free.

Keep exploring

Can you answer these out loud, under Microsoft-style follow-ups?

The ZorixOS AI interviewer runs a Microsoft-tuned mock interview: it asks these kinds of questions, digs into your answers, and scores you against a real hiring bar. Your first one is free.

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Microsoft Interview Questions (2026) | ZorixOS