Getting into a FAANG company—Facebook (Meta), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, or Google—is the ultimate milestone for many in the tech world. But the road to FAANG is anything but easy. These companies are known for their rigorous hiring standards, complex technical questions, and emphasis on problem-solving, system thinking, and cultural fit.
To stand out among thousands of applicants, you need more than just raw talent. You need a systematic, disciplined, and thoughtful FAANG interview prep plan that aligns with how these companies evaluate candidates.
In this guide, we’ll break down what makes FAANG interviews unique and how you can strategically prepare to ace every stage of the process.
Why FAANG Interviews Are a Class Apart
FAANG companies don’t just look for coders—they hire problem solvers, builders, and collaborators who can operate at scale. Their interviews are designed to assess multiple layers of a candidate:
- Depth of technical knowledge
- Clarity of thought and communication
- Ability to design scalable systems
- Alignment with company culture and values
Your FAANG interview prep must cover all of these dimensions—not just coding challenges.
Phase 1: DSA – The Foundation of Every Technical Interview
Most FAANG interviews begin with live or asynchronous coding challenges that revolve around data structures and algorithms. These tests are not about memorizing solutions—they assess how you think and approach problems under time pressure.
Essential topics to cover:
- Arrays, Strings, and Linked Lists
- Trees, Binary Search Trees, and Tries
- Graphs (BFS, DFS, Dijkstra)
- Stacks, Queues, and Heaps
- Hash Tables, Maps, and Sets
- Sliding Window, Two Pointers, Merge Intervals
- Recursion, Backtracking, and Dynamic Programming
Best Practices:
- Solve problems from beginner to advanced on platforms like LeetCode
- Maintain a problem journal to track mistakes and patterns
- Prioritize clarity of explanation over just getting the right answer
- Focus on optimizing space and time complexity
Make this the backbone of your FAANG interview prep and dedicate daily practice sessions to it.
Phase 2: System Design – Show How You Think at Scale
If you're applying for roles beyond entry-level, you'll face at least one system design interview. These assess how you design large-scale, distributed systems and justify your architectural decisions.
Topics to focus on:
- Designing scalable APIs and services
- Load balancing and caching strategies
- Database design: relational vs non-relational
- Horizontal vs vertical scaling
- Event-driven architecture and queues
- High availability, consistency, and fault tolerance
Preparation steps:
- Study common use cases like designing a messaging app, an e-commerce system, or a ride-sharing platform
- Break systems down into components (auth, DB, queues, APIs, etc.)
- Read books like Designing Data-Intensive Applications
- Watch system design mock interview videos to internalize structure and delivery
Integrate system design weekly into your FAANG interview prep schedule—even if you’re a junior developer, learning these skills will set you apart.
Phase 3: Behavioral Rounds – The Make-or-Break Element
Behavioral interviews can often be the most underestimated part of the process. Yet, they're where candidates often falter—especially at Amazon and Netflix, where cultural fit and leadership mindset are heavily emphasized.
Common question types:
- Tell me about a challenge you faced and how you handled it
- Describe a project where you took the lead
- How do you handle tight deadlines and team conflicts?
- Give an example of a time you failed
- Why do you want to join [Company]?
How to prep:
- Use the STAR framework: Situation, Task, Action, Result
- Write out 8–10 stories from your past experience that reflect leadership, teamwork, ownership, and resilience
- Practice delivering your stories with clarity and confidence
- Study the company’s mission and values to align your responses
Schedule at least one behavioral prep session per week in your FAANG interview prep plan.
Phase 4: Mocks and Realistic Practice
One of the most effective ways to prepare is through mock interviews. These simulate the real experience and help you build confidence, timing, and verbal communication.
How to run mocks:
- Pair with a friend, mentor, or use platforms like Pramp or Interviewing.io
- Rehearse coding problems aloud, just as you would during a real interview
- Record yourself and review how clearly you explain your thought process
- Practice whiteboarding or using collaborative coding tools
- Get feedback and improve one area at a time—whether it’s debugging, optimizing, or structuring answers
Mocks should be incorporated by week 3 or 4 of your FAANG interview prep journey.
Phase 5: Company-Specific Targeting
Each FAANG company has different priorities in its hiring process. Tailoring your preparation increases your chances of standing out.
- Google focuses on problem-solving depth, collaboration, and CS fundamentals
- Meta wants engineers who move fast and prioritize impact
- Amazon centers interviews around its Leadership Principles
- Apple values innovation, precision, and ownership
- Netflix seeks mature, independent thinkers who align with its freedom & responsibility culture
Customize your FAANG interview prep by reviewing interview reports (Glassdoor, Blind), company-specific questions, and values documents.
Sample 10-Week FAANG Interview Prep Plan
Weeks 1–2:
- Easy to medium DSA problems (2–3 per day)
- Start behavioral story writing
- Resume and LinkedIn optimization
Weeks 3–5:
- Harder DSA topics (graphs, DP, advanced recursion)
- Start system design basics
- Begin mock interview sessions
- Practice behavioral delivery
Weeks 6–8:
- Daily mixed-topic problem solving
- Deepen system design knowledge
- Customize prep for target companies
- Apply and network
Weeks 9–10:
- Intense mock interviews across all sections
- Debug weak areas
- Prep for recruiter calls and onsite interviews
Consistency is key—no matter how much time you have, even 90 minutes a day of focused FAANG interview prep can move the needle.
Avoid These Common Pitfalls
- Over-preparing for DSA while neglecting behavioral interviews
- Not tracking progress and repeating the same mistakes
- Ignoring system design until it’s too late
- Practicing aimlessly without a plan or structure
- Applying before you're truly ready
Your time is valuable. Treat your prep like a project—with milestones, reviews, and optimization.
Final Words:
Every week, candidates from around the world land roles at FAANG companies. Most didn’t go to top universities or have elite connections. They got in because they treated FAANG interview prep like a mission.
You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be prepared.
Start with what you know. Strengthen what you don’t. Practice often. Reflect deeply.
And when your interview day arrives, walk in with confidence—knowing you earned your seat at the table.