Microsoft Interview Questions & Answers 2026
Microsoft interview preparation guide covering coding, system design, and behavioral rounds for software engineer roles.
Quick Overview — Microsoft Interviews 2026
- Total questions covered: 5+ across all rounds
- Interview rounds: Online Assessment → Phone Screen → Onsite (4-5 rounds)
- Question types: System Design, Coding, Behavioral
- Difficulty: SDE, SDE-2, Senior SDE, Principal
Microsoft Interview Process
The typical Microsoft interview process consists of 3 rounds. Understanding each round helps you prepare strategically.
How to Prepare for Microsoft Interview
Follow this structured preparation plan to maximize your chances at Microsoft.
Week 1-2: Fundamentals
Review core concepts for your role. For technical roles, practice DSA (LeetCode medium). For non-tech, review domain fundamentals and Microsoft's business model.
Week 3: Company Research
Study Microsoft's products, recent news, culture values, and competitors. Prepare your "Why Microsoft?" answer with specific examples.
Week 4: Mock Practice
Do 3-5 mock interviews using our AI Interview Gyani tool. Practice explaining your projects and past experiences using the STAR method.
Final Days: Review & Rest
Review these 5+ questions and answers. Prepare 5-6 questions to ask the interviewer. Get proper rest the night before.
Top Microsoft Interview Questions with Expert Answers
System Design Questions(2 questions)
Q1. Design Microsoft Teams messaging system
HardView Expert Answer
Components: Message Service, Presence Service, Notification Service, File Storage, WebSocket Gateway. Handle: real-time delivery, offline messages, file sharing, threading.
Q2. Design a distributed file system
HardView Expert Answer
Components: Name Node, Data Nodes, Block Replication, Metadata Management. Handle: fault tolerance, consistency, scalability. Reference: HDFS, GFS architecture.
Coding Questions(2 questions)
Q1. Implement a binary search tree and its operations
MediumView Expert Answer
Insert, Delete, Search, Traversals (Inorder, Preorder, Postorder). Time: O(log n) average, O(n) worst case. Self-balancing variants: AVL, Red-Black trees.
Q2. Find all permutations of a string
MediumView Expert Answer
Backtracking approach. Swap characters and recurse. Time: O(n!), Space: O(n). Handle duplicates by sorting and skipping same characters at same position.
Behavioral Questions(1 questions)
Q1. How would you improve a product you use daily?
MediumView Expert Answer
Choose a Microsoft product (or any product). Identify pain points with data, propose solutions, prioritize by impact and feasibility, and describe metrics for success.
Pro Tips from Past Microsoft Candidates
Use the STAR method consistently
Structure every behavioral answer as Situation → Task → Action → Result. Interviewers are trained to evaluate STAR responses.
Ask thoughtful questions at the end
Ask about Microsoft's upcoming projects, team culture, or growth trajectory. Never ask about salary/benefits in the first round.
Research recent company news
Mention Microsoft's recent product launches, earnings, or industry moves in your answers. It shows genuine interest.
Prepare your 'Why this company?' answer
Don't give generic answers. Be specific: 'I admire Microsoft's [specific project/initiative] because...' with personal connection.
Follow up with a thank-you email
Send a brief, personalized thank-you within 24 hours referencing specific discussion points. It sets you apart from 90% of candidates.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Practice These Questions with AI
Get instant feedback on your answers with our AI-powered mock interview tool. Practice Microsoft interview questions with real-time evaluation and scoring. Used by 50K+ candidates.
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