Chime Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

Chime is a pioneering financial technology company that provides helpful, transparent, and fair banking services. Founded to support economic progress, Chime aims to empower its members by offering access to liquidity, rewards, and credit-building tools. Partnering with The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank, N.A., Chime has helped millions achieve their financial goals.

The Software Engineer role at Chime involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive enrollment growth and improve spending efficiency. Responsibilities include designing, developing, testing, and scaling backend implementations and proactively finding opportunities to improve system reliability and scalability. Successful candidates will have strong coding fundamentals and experience working in production environments, with a focus on maintainable and well-tested code.

If you’re prepared to join a dynamic and supportive team committed to making a meaningful difference, this guide is for you. This will give you tips on how you can prepare and ace Chime software engineer interview questions. Let’s get started with Interview Query!

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority; however, you can expect the following on a Chime software engineer interview:

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

Should your resume make the cut, a Chime’s Talent Acquisition Team recruiter will contact you to validate key details regarding your experiences and skill set. This screening process may also include behavioral questions.

Occasionally, the hiring manager for the Software Engineer position might be present to respond to your questions about the role and the company. This discussion could also include initial technical and behavioral queries.

The entire recruiter call usually takes around 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

If you pass the recruiter round, you’ll be invited to the technical screening round, which is typically conducted virtually via videoconferencing and screen sharing. This interview lasts about an hour for the Software Engineer role at Chime. It may encompass questions on designing and implementing APIs, backend system architecture, and solving real-time problems like designing a credit card.

Expect thorough questions that test your proficiency in coding, algorithmic thinking, and aptitude for solving problems under timed conditions. Preparing with Interview Query’s resources can significantly improve your chances.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Following another call with the recruiter to outline the next stage, you will be invited to an onsite interview. During this phase, you will undergo multiple interviews that assess your technical accolades and cultural fit with Chime.

Expect to cover backend development, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and improving system reliability and scalability. Additionally, focus on behavioral questions and management scenarios to gauge how you handle team dynamics and challenges.

You might also need to present solutions to previously assigned take-home exercises or coding tests.

Ready to excel in your Chime Software Engineer interview? Sign up with Interview Query for more insights and practice materials.

Typically, interviews at Chime vary by role and team, but commonly, Software Engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

1. How would you set up an A/B test to optimize button color and position for higher click-through rates?

A team wants to A/B test multiple changes in a sign-up funnel, such as changing a button from red to blue and/or moving it from the top to the bottom of the page. How would you set up this test?

2. Why are job applications decreasing despite steady job postings?

You observe that the number of job postings per day has remained constant, but the number of applicants has decreased. Why might this be happening?

3. Can unbalanced sample sizes in an A/B test result in a bias towards the smaller group?

You need to analyze an A/B test with two variants: one with a sample size of 50K users and the other with 200K users. Can the unbalanced sizes cause a bias towards the smaller group?

4. How can you check if the assignment to A/B test buckets was random?

In an A/B test, how can you verify that the assignment to different buckets was genuinely random?

5. How would you assess the validity of an A/B test result with a p-value of 0.04?

Your company is running a standard control and variant A/B test to increase conversion rates on a landing page. The PM finds a p-value of 0.04. How would you assess the validity of this result?

6. What are time series models, and why are they needed over simpler regression models?

Explain what time series models are and discuss why they are necessary when simpler regression models might not suffice.

7. What happens when you run logistic regression on perfectly linearly separable data?

Given a perfectly linearly separable dataset, describe the outcome and behavior of logistic regression.

8. What is the probability of rolling at least one 3 with 2 dice?

You are playing a dice game with 2 dice. Calculate the probability of rolling at least one 3. Extend this to (N) dice.

9. What happens to the target metric after applying a new UI that won by 5% in an AB test?

A new UI tested on a random subset of users increased the target metric by 5%. Predict the impact on the metric when the new UI is applied to all users, assuming no novelty effect.

10. What are the key differences between classification and regression models?

Explain the primary distinctions between classification and regression models, focusing on their objectives, output types, and typical use cases.

11. When would you use a bagging algorithm versus a boosting algorithm?

Compare the scenarios in which you would prefer bagging over boosting algorithms, and provide examples of the tradeoffs between the two.

12. What’s the difference between Lasso and Ridge Regression?

Clarify the differences between Lasso and Ridge Regression, focusing on their regularization techniques and the impact on model coefficients.

13. How does random forest generate the forest, and why use it over logistic regression?

Explain how a random forest generates its ensemble of trees and discuss the advantages of using random forest over logistic regression in certain scenarios.

To help you succeed in your Chime Software Engineer interviews, consider these tips based on interview experiences:

1. Understand Chime’s Culture: Emphasize empathy, transparency, and fairness in your responses. Be prepared to discuss scenarios where you learned from past mistakes.

2. Master the Technical Skills: Brush up your backend development skills and be proficient in designing and implementing APIs. Practicing with Interview Query’s mock interviews can be beneficial.

3. Handle Behavioral Questions Wisely: Be prepared for in-depth behavioral questions. For instance, when asked about conflict with team members, focus on stories where you learned from the situation rather than emphasizing your correctness.

What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at Chime?

What is the work culture like at Chime?

Chime fosters a supportive and collaborative culture. The company emphasizes financial empowerment, diversity, and inclusion. Employees are encouraged to innovate and find creative solutions to drive member success. Chime’s hybrid work policy also ensures a flexible and balanced work environment.

What skills and experiences are essential for a Software Engineer at Chime?

For a Software Engineer at Chime, you should have solid coding skills and experience in developing scalable systems. Familiarity with languages like Python, Ruby, JavaScript, and frameworks like Ruby on Rails is essential. Experience with APIs, databases, and cloud platforms like AWS is also critical.

What benefits and perks does Chime offer to its employees?

Chime offers competitive salaries, comprehensive health benefits, 401k matching, and generous vacation policies. Additionally, employees enjoy hybrid work perks, mental health support, paid parental leave, and various in-person and virtual events to foster team connectivity and well-being.

Chime offers an exciting and enriching environment for software engineers looking to make a meaningful impact in fintech. The company’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity ensures that every team member’s unique strengths and perspectives are recognized and valued.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Chime Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about Chime’s interview process for different positions.

You can also check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!