Meta Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2025

Meta Platforms, Inc. is at the forefront of social technology, connecting billions of people through innovative applications and immersive experiences.

As a Software Engineer at Meta, you will be part of a dynamic team responsible for developing cutting-edge software solutions that enhance user experiences across various platforms. Your key responsibilities will include designing and implementing software systems, optimizing existing applications, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality products. A strong background in programming languages such as C/C++ and Python is essential, along with a solid understanding of algorithms and data structures. You will be expected to demonstrate problem-solving abilities and the capacity to work under pressure, tackling complex technical challenges. Given Meta's emphasis on innovation and speed, traits such as adaptability, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for technology will set you apart as a great fit for the role.

This guide will help you prepare for your interview by equipping you with insights into the role's expectations, essential skills, and the company’s culture, ensuring you can present yourself confidently and effectively.

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a software engineering interview at Meta. Candidates can expect a mix of technical and behavioral questions, focusing on algorithms, system design, and collaboration skills. It's essential to demonstrate not only your technical expertise but also your ability to work effectively within a team and contribute to Meta's innovative culture.

Algorithms and Data Structures

1. Can you explain the time complexity of your solution for a given problem?

Understanding time complexity is crucial for optimizing algorithms. Be prepared to analyze your solution's efficiency and discuss potential improvements.

How to Answer

Discuss the algorithm you used, the steps you took to analyze its complexity, and any trade-offs involved in your approach.

Example

"I used a binary search algorithm, which has a time complexity of O(log n). I analyzed the number of comparisons made in each iteration, and I believe it could be improved further by implementing a more efficient data structure, like a balanced tree."

2. How would you reverse a linked list?

This is a common question that tests your understanding of data structures and pointers.

How to Answer

Explain the iterative or recursive approach you would take, and be ready to write code to demonstrate your solution.

Example

"I would use an iterative approach where I maintain three pointers: previous, current, and next. By iterating through the list and reversing the pointers, I can achieve this in O(n) time complexity."

3. Describe a situation where you had to optimize an algorithm. What steps did you take?

This question assesses your problem-solving skills and ability to improve existing solutions.

How to Answer

Share a specific example, detailing the original algorithm, the inefficiencies you identified, and the optimizations you implemented.

Example

"I was working on a sorting algorithm that had a time complexity of O(n^2). I analyzed the data and realized that a quicksort implementation would be more efficient. After implementing it, the performance improved significantly, especially with larger datasets."

4. How do you handle edge cases in your code?

Edge cases can often lead to bugs if not handled properly, so it's important to demonstrate your awareness of them.

How to Answer

Discuss your approach to identifying edge cases and how you ensure your code accounts for them.

Example

"I always start by thinking about the minimum and maximum inputs, as well as any null or empty cases. I write unit tests for these scenarios to ensure my code behaves as expected."

5. Can you explain the difference between a stack and a queue?

This question tests your understanding of fundamental data structures.

How to Answer

Clearly define both data structures and their use cases, highlighting their differences.

Example

"A stack follows a Last In First Out (LIFO) principle, while a queue follows a First In First Out (FIFO) principle. Stacks are useful for backtracking algorithms, while queues are ideal for scheduling tasks."

System Design

1. Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly. What components would you include?

This question evaluates your ability to design scalable systems.

How to Answer

Outline the key components, such as the database, API, and caching mechanisms, and discuss how they interact.

Example

"I would start with a relational database to store the original URLs and their shortened versions. The API would handle requests to create and retrieve shortened URLs, and I would implement caching to speed up frequent lookups."

2. How would you design a file storage system similar to Google Drive?

This question tests your ability to think through complex systems.

How to Answer

Discuss the architecture, including storage, user authentication, and file retrieval processes.

Example

"I would use a distributed file system for storage, ensuring redundancy and scalability. User authentication would be handled through OAuth, and I would implement a RESTful API for file uploads and downloads."

3. Describe how you would handle a bottleneck in a system you designed.

This question assesses your problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios.

How to Answer

Explain your approach to identifying bottlenecks and the strategies you would use to resolve them.

Example

"I would start by monitoring system performance metrics to identify the bottleneck. Once identified, I would consider options like load balancing, optimizing database queries, or increasing resource allocation to alleviate the issue."

4. What considerations would you take into account when designing a real-time chat application?

This question evaluates your understanding of real-time systems.

How to Answer

Discuss aspects like scalability, data consistency, and user experience.

Example

"I would focus on using WebSockets for real-time communication, ensuring low latency. I'd also implement a message queue to handle spikes in traffic and ensure message delivery even during outages."

5. How would you ensure data consistency in a distributed system?

This question tests your knowledge of distributed systems and data integrity.

How to Answer

Discuss strategies like eventual consistency, distributed transactions, or consensus algorithms.

Example

"I would implement a consensus algorithm like Raft or Paxos to ensure data consistency across nodes. Additionally, I would use versioning to manage conflicts and ensure that all nodes eventually converge to the same state."

Behavioral Questions

1. Describe a challenging moment you had with a colleague and how you resolved it.

This question assesses your interpersonal skills and conflict resolution abilities.

How to Answer

Share a specific example, focusing on the actions you took to resolve the conflict.

Example

"I had a disagreement with a colleague about the direction of a project. I initiated a one-on-one discussion to understand their perspective and shared my concerns. We found common ground and agreed on a compromise that improved the project outcome."

2. Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of. What was your role?

This question allows you to showcase your achievements and contributions.

How to Answer

Highlight a specific project, your responsibilities, and the impact it had.

Example

"I led a team to develop a machine learning model that improved user engagement by 30%. My role involved designing the architecture, coordinating with data scientists, and ensuring timely delivery."

3. How do you prioritize your tasks when working on multiple projects?

This question evaluates your time management and organizational skills.

How to Answer

Discuss your approach to prioritization and any tools or methods you use.

Example

"I use a combination of the Eisenhower Matrix and project management tools like Trello to prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. This helps me stay focused and meet deadlines effectively."

4. How do you handle feedback and criticism?

This question assesses your ability to accept and learn from feedback.

How to Answer

Share your perspective on feedback and how you incorporate it into your work.

Example

"I view feedback as an opportunity for growth. When I receive criticism, I take time to reflect on it and identify actionable steps to improve. I appreciate constructive feedback as it helps me become a better engineer."

5. What motivates you to work in software engineering?

This question allows you to express your passion for the field.

How to Answer

Share your motivations and what drives you to excel in your work.

Example

"I'm motivated by the challenge of solving complex problems and the opportunity to create impactful software that improves people's lives. The fast-paced nature of technology keeps me excited and engaged."

Here are some tips to help you excel in your interview.

Understand the Interview Structure

Meta's interview process typically involves multiple rounds, including a recruiter screen, technical interviews, and behavioral assessments. Familiarize yourself with this structure and prepare accordingly. Expect to face coding challenges that require you to demonstrate your problem-solving skills in real-time, often using platforms like LeetCode. Knowing the format will help you manage your time and expectations during the interview.

Master the Technical Skills

Given the emphasis on algorithms and coding, ensure you have a strong grasp of data structures, algorithms, and system design principles. Focus on practicing medium to hard-level coding problems, particularly those that involve optimization and performance tuning. Be prepared to explain your thought process clearly while coding, as interviewers will be looking for your ability to articulate your reasoning and approach.

Prepare for System Design Questions

In addition to coding, you may encounter system design questions. Be ready to discuss how you would design scalable systems, optimize performance, and collaborate with cross-functional teams. Practice articulating your design choices and the trade-offs involved, as this will demonstrate your understanding of real-world applications and your ability to think critically about complex problems.

Emphasize Collaboration and Communication

Meta values collaboration and communication skills highly. Be prepared to discuss your experiences working in teams, resolving conflicts, and driving projects to completion. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses to behavioral questions, showcasing your ability to work effectively with others and contribute to a positive team culture.

Showcase Your Passion for AI and Innovation

As a software engineer at Meta, you will be at the forefront of AI and machine learning technologies. Demonstrate your enthusiasm for these fields by discussing relevant projects you've worked on, your understanding of current trends, and your vision for the future of AI. This will help you connect with interviewers who are passionate about innovation and technology.

Be Ready for Behavioral Questions

Expect behavioral questions that assess your fit within Meta's culture. Prepare to discuss your strengths, weaknesses, and experiences that highlight your adaptability and resilience. Reflect on past challenges and how you overcame them, as well as your approach to learning from failures. This will help you convey your growth mindset and alignment with Meta's values.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Finally, practice is key. Engage in mock interviews with peers or use online platforms to simulate the interview experience. This will help you build confidence, refine your responses, and improve your coding speed. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel during the actual interview.

By following these tips and preparing thoroughly, you will position yourself as a strong candidate for the software engineer role at Meta. Good luck!

The interview process for a Software Engineer at Meta is structured and thorough, designed to assess both technical skills and cultural fit. Candidates can expect multiple rounds of interviews, each focusing on different aspects of their qualifications and experiences.

1. Initial Screening

The process begins with an initial screening call, typically conducted by a recruiter. This conversation is relatively brief and focuses on understanding the candidate's background, skills, and motivations for applying to Meta. The recruiter will also provide an overview of the role and the interview process, ensuring that candidates are well-informed.

2. Technical Assessment

Following the initial screening, candidates will undergo a technical assessment, which may include a coding challenge. This assessment is often conducted in a live coding environment where candidates are required to solve algorithmic problems, typically sourced from platforms like LeetCode. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their problem-solving skills and coding proficiency in languages such as Python or C++. The focus will be on algorithms and data structures, with questions ranging from medium to hard difficulty levels.

3. Technical Interviews

Candidates who perform well in the technical assessment will move on to several rounds of technical interviews. These interviews are usually conducted by current team members and may include both coding exercises and system design questions. Candidates will be expected to articulate their thought processes clearly while solving problems and may be asked to design systems or discuss optimizations for existing architectures. Questions may also touch on specific technologies relevant to the role, such as AI frameworks, compilers, or performance tuning techniques.

4. Behavioral Interviews

In addition to technical skills, Meta places a strong emphasis on cultural fit and collaboration. Candidates will participate in behavioral interviews where they will be asked about their past experiences, teamwork, and conflict resolution. Questions may explore how candidates have handled challenging situations, their approach to mentorship, and their contributions to team dynamics.

5. Final Interview Round

The final round typically involves a panel interview, which may include senior engineers and hiring managers. This round aims to assess the candidate's overall fit for the team and the company. Candidates may be asked to discuss their previous projects in detail, including the challenges faced and the outcomes achieved. This is also an opportunity for candidates to ask questions about the team, projects, and company culture.

As you prepare for your interview, it's essential to familiarize yourself with the types of questions that may be asked during each stage of the process.

1. Would you think there was anything fishy about the results of an A/B test with 20 variants?

Your manager ran an A/B test with 20 different variants and found one significant result. Would you suspect any issues with these results?

2. What would you do if friend requests on Facebook are down 10%?

A product manager at Facebook reports a 10% decrease in friend requests. What steps would you take to address this issue?

3. What metrics would you use to determine the value of each marketing channel?

Given all the different marketing channels and their respective costs at a company selling B2B analytics dashboards, what metrics would you use to evaluate the value of each channel?

4. How would you test if changing Facebook’s composer feature to a “+” button is a good idea?

Facebook wants to change the user interface of the composer feature to a “+” button at the bottom of the page. How would you test if this change is beneficial?

5. What are the Z and t-tests, and when should you use each?

Explain Z and t-tests, their uses, their differences, and when to use one over the other.

6. Write a function find_bigrams to return a list of all bigrams in a sentence.

Write a function called find_bigrams that takes a sentence or paragraph of strings and returns a list of all its bigrams in order. A bigram is a pair of consecutive words.

7. Write a query to determine how many users have opened an email.

Given a table called events that keeps track of every user’s actions, write a query to determine how many users have opened an email.

8. Write a query to select the top five most expensive projects by budget to employee count ratio.

Given two tables, projects and employee_projects, write a query to select the five most expensive projects by budget to employee count ratio, accounting for duplicate rows in the employee_projects table.

9. Write a query to get the last transaction for each day from a table of bank transactions.

Given a table of bank transactions with columns id, transaction_value, and created_at, write a query to get the last transaction for each day. The output should include the id, datetime, and transaction amount, ordered by datetime.

10. Write a query to get the average order value by gender.

Given three tables representing customer transactions and customer attributes, write a query to get the average order value by gender. Round the answer to two decimal places.

11. What is a confidence interval for a statistic, and why is it useful?

Explain what a confidence interval is, its usefulness in statistics, and how to calculate it.

12. Is it worth playing a game where you win $21 if the sum of two dice equals seven but pay $10 per roll?

Analyze the game’s expected value to determine if it is worth playing.

13. How would you explain a p-value to a non-technical person?

Provide a simple and clear explanation of a p-value and its significance in hypothesis testing.

14. What is the expected number of good ads rated by different types of raters?

1. Calculate the expected number of good ads if 100 raters each rate one ad independently.
2. Calculate the expected number of good ads if one rater rates 100 ads.
3. Determine the probability that a rater was lazy if an ad is rated as bad.

15. What metrics would you use to track the accuracy and validity of a spam classifier model?

You are tasked with building a spam classifier for emails and have built a V1 of the model. What metrics would you use to track its accuracy and validity?

16. How would you evaluate the success of advertising for an event with a 10% weekly increase in search clicks?

You are in charge of tracking the success of advertising for an event. Every week, there has been about a 10% increase in search clicks for the event. Is this good or bad? How would you evaluate whether the advertising needs to improve?

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

Explain how random forest generates the forest. Additionally, why would you use random forest over other algorithms such as logistic regression?

18. How would you build a restaurant recommender on Facebook, and what are potential downfalls?

Describe how you would build a restaurant recommender on Facebook, starting with data collection and then the building process. What are some potential downfalls or concerns about adding this feature to Facebook?

19. How would you test if having more friends increases the probability of being an active Facebook user after 6 months?

Describe how you would test whether having more friends now increases the probability that a Facebook member is still an active user after 6 months.

To help you succeed in your Meta software engineer interviews, consider these tips based on interview experiences:

1. Brush Up on Data Structures and Algorithms: Given that the interviews heavily feature coding problems, make sure to refresh your knowledge on common data structures, algorithms, and their time complexities.

2. Practice with Interview Query: Use Interview Query to practice common coding problems tagged with Meta and familiarize yourself with the format and difficulty of the questions.

3. Prepare for Behavioral Questions: These questions can be equally important. Be ready to discuss your past experiences, teamwork, conflict resolution, and how you handle feedback.

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

What is the company culture like at Meta?

Meta is known for its innovative and collaborative environment. The company values creativity and encourages employees to think outside the box. It’s a fast-paced work culture where cross-functional collaboration is frequent, and engineering excellence is highly emphasized.

What qualities does Meta look for in a Software Engineer?

Meta seeks individuals with strong technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and a good grasp of coding fundamentals. Experience with large-scale infrastructure applications and proficiency in languages like C++, Java, Python, or PHP can be particularly beneficial. The ability to communicate effectively and work well in teams is also important.

The opportunity to work at Meta remains highly attractive due to the company’s innovative culture and cutting-edge projects in augmented reality and social connectedness. Aspiring candidates should focus on honing their technical skills, especially in data structures and algorithms, and consider leveraging resources like Interview Query for comprehensive preparation.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Meta 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 Meta’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!