Microsoft OA Guide

Microsoft OA Prep Guide

Microsoft's OA is two coding problems in 90 minutes, weighted toward arrays, strings, trees, and dynamic programming — a more "classic data structures" mix than Amazon's or Google's, with fewer graph-heavy problems and more emphasis on clean traversal and string-manipulation logic.

Ediky OA preset format
2 problems90 minutesArray · String · Tree · Dynamic Programming

Matches Ediky's one-click Microsoft OA preset (2 problems, 90 minutes), weighted toward these four topics.

82 questions in Ediky's bank are tagged "Microsoft"

What Microsoft actually tests

Microsoft's OA problems tend to be more approachable to read than Amazon's business-scenario style, but expect the follow-up to demand a genuinely optimal solution, not just a working one — tree and string problems in particular often have an O(n²) approach that passes small cases and fails the real test suite.

There's less graph/greedy representation here than at Amazon or Google, and more emphasis on getting array and string edge cases exactly right under time pressure.

How to prepare with Ediky

Ediky's Microsoft preset runs the same 2-problem, 90 minute format with the real topic weighting. 82 questions in Ediky's bank are tagged "Microsoft" for untimed, company-filtered practice first.

Where to focus

Tree traversal variants (level-order with constraints, ancestor/descendant queries, tree reconstruction) and in-place/O(1)-extra-space array manipulation are the two patterns worth extra deliberate reps before a Microsoft OA — they show up disproportionately relative to the general interview circuit.

Rehearse the Microsoft OA before it counts

Launch Ediky's one-click Microsoft preset: 2 problems, 90 minutes, weighted toward arrays, strings, trees, and DP.

Start the Microsoft OA mock test