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Today we’re looking at the best FAANG interview prep resources for this year.
A FAANG interview is arguably one of the most nerve-wracking experiences a software engineer can go through. The outcome of the interview could literally make a 6-figure difference.
But if you don’t have the right resources, you could tank the interview.
You’re going to be competing with some of the best minds out there, so you want to make sure you have every advantage possible.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation if you buy something. Read my disclosure for more details.
“How do I know what FAANG interview prep resources to use?”
Great question. We put together this must-use list of the top 13 FAANG interview prep materials:
Courses & Coding Platforms:
✨ Grokking the Coding Interview
✨ Grokking the System Design Interview
✨ Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview
✨ Edabit
✨ LeetCode
✨ Interview Cake
✨ HackerRank
✨ Codewars
Book: Cracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell
Video: “How to Get a Job at Google – Amazon – Facebook – or Microsoft” lecture by John Marty at USC.
So let’s take a closer look at ’em.
Not quite ready for FAANG interview prep?
If you’re looking for some “pre-FAANG” algorithms practice, check out our BONUS free introductory algorithms course at the bottom of this article.
FAANG Interview Prep: At a Glance
Interactive or Video-Based | Number of Programming Languages | Coding Problems | Certificate | Cost | |
AlgoExpert | Both | 9 | 160+ | ✅ | $99/year |
SystemsExpert | Both | N/A | 13 | ✅ | $99/year |
Grokking the Coding Interview | Interactive | 4 | 38 | ✅ | $199/year |
Grokking the System Design Interview | Interactive | N/A | 15 | ✅ | $199/year |
Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview | Interactive | 5 | 80+ | ✅ | $199/year |
AlgoMonster | Interactive | 7 | 230+ | ❌ | $99+/lifetime |
Edabit | Text | 8 | 10,000+ | ❌ | $120/year |
LeetCode | Text | 7 | 1000+ | ❌ | $159/year |
Interview Cake | Text | 11 | 50 | ❌ | $249/3 months |
HackerRank | Text | 45+ | ??? | ✅ | Free |
Codewars | Text | 50+ | 3000+ | ❌ | $48/year |
FAANG Interview Prep
Now, let’s look at these FAANG interview prep resources in a little closer detail…
✨ AlgoExpert
We think AlgoExpert is one of the best platforms for FAANG interview prep. Designed to help software engineers ace the technical interview, it extensively covers algorithms and data structures with video-based modules.
➡️ Technical interviewer Jordan Bishop believes AlgoExpert is one of the best FAANG interview prep resources:
AlgoExpert is one of the best resources for interview preparation as far coding goes, especially if your goal is to land a job in big tech companies like Google.
– Jordan Bishop, technical interviewer
Plus, they update content regularly.
Learning Environment
AlgoExpert’s 4-pane integrated workspace allows you to:
1️⃣ read the prompt
2️⃣ watch the video
3️⃣ input and test your solutions
All in one coding environment.
And it’s a factory of bells and whistles:
✅ dark mode
✅ editor selector
✅ adjustable panes
✅ multiple syntax highlighting options
And much, much more.
Programming Languages
AlgoExpert enables you to code in 9 programming languages:
JavaScript | TypeScript | Python |
Swift | Kotlin | Go |
C++ | C# | Java |
And solutions are presented in Python because it’s an easy language to read.
Coding Problems
There are currently 160+ coding problems available on AlgoExpert. Difficulty levels include easy, medium, hard, very hard, and extremely hard.
For example:
- Easy – Validate Subsequence
- Medium – Spiral Traverse
- Hard – Water Area
- Very Hard – Flatten Binary Tree
- Extremely Hard – Square of Zeroes
💡Want to know more about AlgoExpert? Check out our full review.
Certificate
AlgoExpert does offer a certificate of completion.
Extras
The AlgoExpert platform contains hours of additional educational goodies:
✅ Coding interview tests
✅ Behavior interview prep
✅ Data structures crash course
✅ Experience-backed interview tips
💰 Cost
You can get AlgoExpert for $99 annually.
Use promo code realtoughcandy and SAVE 10%
2. ✨ SystemsExpert
SystemsExpert is another course on the AlgoExpert platform created to help software engineers ace the systems design portion of a FAANG interview.
➡️ RTC thinks SystemsExpert is one of the best FAANG interview prep resources for software engineers and developers:
I have to stress this…This is for a very specific subset of software engineers and software developers who are looking for FAANG jobs.
– RTC
Learning Environment
Similar to AlgoExpert, SystemsExpert has a unique 4-pane integrated workspace. Here you can:
✅ read the prompts
✅ watch the mock interview scenarios
✅ use the scratchpad to take notes
✅ read the solution walkthroughs
Problems
There are currently 10 problems jam-packed with information, scenarios and walkthroughs.
And remember, one systems design question is going to take you an hour or so to sufficiently answer.
💡Want to know more about SystemsExpert? Check out our full review.
Certificate
SystemsExpert does offer a certificate of completion.
💰 Cost
You can get SystemsExpert for $99 annually.
Use promo code realtoughcandy and SAVE 10%
Educative.io
🚀 The following three courses are available on Educative.io, a robust interactive learning platform for developers.
And while there are no videos,
there are ample coding environments, code snippets, playgrounds and media-rich examples to keep you engaged while learning.
3. ✨ Grokking the Coding Interview
Grokking the Coding Interview features 16 patterns for coding questions.
The idea is that once you’re familiar with a pattern you’ll be able to solve dozens of similar problems – as opposed to grinding away at 1000s of problems on LeetCode for months on end.
➡️ Grokking the Coding Interview is one of the best courses for FAANG interview prep for learning coding patterns.
When our team sat together to brainstorm on ideas to make the interview process easier for candidates, we realized quickly that one skill helped us the most when we were preparing for coding interviews: “the ability to map a new problem to an already known problem.”
– Design Gurus, one creator of Grokking the Coding Interview
Learning Environment
Grokking the Coding Interview has a standard learning environment, but don’t be fooled. As you move through the course, the code snippets, playgrounds and diagrams constantly reinforce concepts.
Programming Languages
Solutions are supported in 4 programming languages:
✅ C++
✅ Java
✅ Python
✅ JavaScript
Coding Problems
Grokking the Coding Interview covers 16 patterns such as:
✅ Sliding Window
✅ Merge Intervals
✅ Cyclic Sort
✅ Two Heaps
✅ Subsets
✅ Topological Sort
And more.
In addition, each lesson contains code snippets and playgrounds for you to test your knowledge.
From there, there are multiple problems to solve.
💡Want to know more about Grokking the Coding Interview? Check out our full review.
Certificate
Grokking the Coding Interview does offer a certificate of completion.
💰 Cost
You can purchase the Grokking the Coding Interview course for $79.
Or you can get a subscription to all 330+ courses and learning tracks on Educative.io for $199 annually.
4. ✨ Grokking the System Design Interview
Grokking the System Design Interview is a complete guide to system design interviews.
➡️ Grokking the System Design Interview is one of the best FAANG interview prep resources for tackling the system design interview.
Created by hiring managers who have worked at Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon, the course contains a compilation of actual system design questions asked at interviews.
Even engineers [who have] some experience building such systems aren’t comfortable with these interviews, mainly due to the open-ended nature of design problems that don’t have a standard answer.
– Design Gurus on Grokking the System Design Interview
Learning Environment
Similar to Grokking the Coding Interview, Grokking the System Design Interview uses a series of diagrams, snippets and playgrounds as teaching guides.
💡Want to know more about Grokking the System Design Interview? Check out our full review.
Certificate
Grokking the System Design Interview does offer a certificate of completion.
💰 Cost
You can purchase Grokking the System Design Interview for $79.
Or you can get a subscription to all Educative courses (330+) and learning tracks for $199 annually.
5. ✨ Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview
Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview was created by former hiring managers of FAANG-level companies. The course contains over 80 problems with step-by-step visualizations.
➡️ Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview is one of the best FAANG interview prep resources for visual learners.
That’s because it’s jam-packed with over 1500 illustrations.
Learning Environment
Just like Grokking the Coding Interview and Grokking the System Design Interview, Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview uses a blend of code snippets, diagrams and playgrounds to reinforce key concepts.
Programming Languages
Problem solutions are available in 5 programming languages:
✅ C++
✅ Java
✅ Ruby
✅ Python
✅ JavaScript
Coding Problems
There are 80+ problems and solutions with step-by-step explanations in this course.
💡Want to know more about Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview? Check out our full review.
Certificate
Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview does offer a certificate of completion.
💰 Cost
You can purchase Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview for $79.
Or you can get a subscription to all 330+ Educative courses and learning tracks for about $199 annually.
6. ✨ AlgoMonster
AlgoMonster is similar to AlgoExpert in that it’s a coding interview prep site meant to help you nail the technical interview.
But in addition to algorithms questions, you’ll find system design interview questions.
➡️ We think AlgoMonster is one of the best FAANG interview prep resources for algorithms and system design questions.
First you’ll find a refresher on data structures.
From there, you’ll find a few practice algorithms.
Then you’ll work on 48 patterns commonly found at FAANG interviews including binary search, graph, divide and conquer and more.
Finally, you’ll find a section on company-specific assessment questions for Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Twitter.
Learning Environment
AlgoMonster has an interactive learning environment where you’ll do all work within the same browser.
Programming Languages
AlgoMonster supports 7 programming languages:
✅ Python
✅ Java
✅ JavaScript
✅ C++
✅ Racket
✅ Go
✅ Haskell
Coding Problems
There are over 200 lessons and problems on AlgoMonster.
Certificate
AlgoMonster does not offer a certificate of completion.
💰 Cost
AlgoMonster costs $99 for lifetime access.
7. ✨ Edabit
Edabit is a platform of coding problems. Ten thousand of them, in fact.
There aren’t any courses. So it’s similar to LeetCode and HackerRank.
But it is not ideal for other aspects of FAANG interview prep.
For example, you won’t find any behavioral interview prep material here.
Therefore, we recommend pairing Edabit with one of the courses on Educative or AlgoExpert.
Learning Environment
Edabit challenges are separated into 5 sections:
✅ Instructions
✅ Code
✅ Resources
✅ Solutions
✅ Comments
In addition, Edabit has a gamified environment. So you can gain XP, unlock achievements and level up.
Programming Languages
Edabit offers problems in 6 programming languages:
JavaScript | Java |
C# | C++ |
Python | Ruby |
You can also find problems in PHP and Swift.
Coding Problems
There are over 10,000 coding problems on Edabit.
They fall into 6 categories:
- very easy
- easy
- medium
- hard
- very hard
- expert
Certificate
Edabit does not offer certificates.
💰 Cost
There are 4 pricing tiers for Edabit:
- First 15 questions are free
- $39 per month
- $120 per year
- $299 for lifetime access
8. 📚 FAANG Interview Prep BOOK BREAK: Cracking the Coding Interview
If you’re looking for the Holy Grail of FAANG interview prep, look no further.
💡Want to know more about Cracking the Coding Interview? Check out our full review.
Cracking the Coding Interview has almost 700 pages of pure coding interview preparation gold:
✅ 189 programming questions based on algorithms, coding, and design
✅ Hints and walkthrough for each solution
✅ Strategies to tackle various algorithm questions
✅ Huge section covering Big O notation, data structures and core algorithms
✅ Insider look at how Google & Facebook hire developers
✅ Techniques to ace soft skills at interviews with behavioral questions
And much, much more.
➡️ In our opinion, Cracking the Coding Interview is one of the best books for FAANG interview prep.
🚨 Important: Most coding interview questions in this book are written in Java. So if you don’t know Java, Cracking the Coding Interview probably isn’t going to be useful.
9. ✨ FAANG Interview Prep: LeetCode
LeetCode has multiple collections of coding problems ranging from easy to hard.
You won’t find any courses here, though there is a thriving community, over a thousand coding questions and various competitions.
And while we don’t recommend LeetCode as a lone source for FAANG interview prep, it can be useful in conjunction with other platforms.
➡️ LeetCode is arguably one of the best FAANG interview prep resources for competitive programmers.
Learning Environment
Coding problems on Leetcode are presented in a standard, no-frills coding environment.
Programming Languages
There are currently 16 languages supported on LeetCode:
C++ | C | C# | PHP |
Python3 | Java | Python | Scala |
JavaScript | TypeScript | Kotlin | Ruby |
Swift | Go | Rust | Bash |
Coding Problems
There are over 1400 coding problems on LeetCode.
But because many problems (and answers) are user submitted, so the quality and consistency is not guaranteed.
Certificate
LeetCode does not offer a certificate of completion.
💰 Cost
LeetCode does have a free tier, but you can get a Premium subscription for about $159 per year.
This gives you access to upgraded help, more questions, autocomplete in the code editor, debugger and more.
You can check out LeetCode here.
10. ✨ FAANG Interview Prep: Interview Cake
Interview Cake is a course geared towards helping software engineer candidates with FAANG interview prep.
➡️ Interview Cake’s main offering is a 14-module FAANG interview prep course.
In addition, they offer free interview tips, a glossary and weekly practice questions.
All in all, I’d recommend Interview Cake the most to candidates who already have experience and want to brush up on algorithms. If you are someone who’s familiar with technical interviews and working your way through a problem, Interview Cake is great because it explains problems and logical flow well.
– James Chang, software engineer
Learning Environment
After reading about a concept with examples, you then work on a problem within their built-in code editor.
Programming Languages
Interview Cake supports 11 languages:
Java | Python | Ruby |
JavaScript | C++ | C |
Swift | Objective-C | PHP |
C# | SQL |
Coding Problems
You can organize interview questions by company:
✅ Uber
✅ Amazon
✅ Etc…
Or you can organize interview questions by topic:
✅ Programming Language
✅ Testing and QA
✅ Bit manipulation
✅ Etc…
Certificate
Interview Cake does not offer a certificate of completion.
💰 Cost
An annual subscription to Interview Cake costs $160. However, you can get a 6 month subscription for $90, or 2 weeks access for $30.
You can get Interview Cake here.
11. ✨ FAANG Interview Prep: HackerRank
Similar to LeetCode and Codewars, HackerRank contains plenty of FAANG-level coding problems.
However, it’s not a one-stop resource for comprehensive FAANG interview prep.
➡️ We believe HackerRank is one of the best FAANG interview prep resources for developers who love coding challenges.
Learning Environment
After reading a series of instructions, you then execute the challenge in the embedded coding environment.
Programming Languages
HackerRank currently supports 45 programming languages.
This includes popular programming languages like JavaScript, C, Python, Java, PHP and Scala. And some less popular programming languages include LOLCODE, Brainf**k and Smalltalk, none of which you’ll need for FAANG interview prep.
Coding Problems
While the total number of coding problems on HackerRank is unclear, we do know there are at least 100 algorithm-related questions.
Certificate
Yes, HackerRank offers a certificate of completion.
💰 Cost
HackerRank is free to programmers.
You can check out HackerRank here.
12. ✨ FAANG Interview Prep: Codewars
Codewars is set up using Kata (honor) points, where you can level up and compete against others.
➡️ We think Codewars is one of the best FAANG interview prep resources for developers who love gaming.
The platform is gamified. And the more Kata you earn, the higher Kyu (rank) you achieve.
You can skip and choose questions within a difficulty level. And you can jump around difficulty levels, and level up at your own pace.
Learning Environment
The instructions are presented and you code your solution in the embedded code editor. They include sample tests.
Programming Languages
Codewars supports over 50 programming languages.
Coding Problems
Coding questions are organized by collections and tags. These collections range from a couple programming problems to thousands.
Similar to LeetCode, users can contribute to coding problems.
Certificate
Codewars does not have a certificate of completion.
💰 Cost
Codewars is free, but has a Red Tier which costs about $48 annually for:
- expanded profile stats – streaks and detailed language training
- real-time test output streaming of code
- redundant code runs
- head-to-head comparison with other users
- faster & more isolated code execution
And a few other features.
If you’re looking for a free mental workout platform, this one might be a good fit.
You can check out Codewars here.
13. 📺 FAANG Interview Prep VIDEO BREAK: How to Get a Job at Google – Amazon – Facebook – or Microsoft
John Marty is a project manager at Amazon that has interviewed at Google and other major tech companies.
➡️ We think this is one of the best FAANG interview prep resources for visual learners.
In this video lecture at the University of Southern California, John discusses his journey into the FAANG world.
He also lays out the 3 strategies for successful FAANG interview prep:
1️⃣ Practical Steps
2️⃣ Outreach
3️⃣ Nailing Interviews
BONUS: Introduction to Algorithms in Python: RealToughCandy.io
💰 Price: Free
⏲️ Duration: 2 hours
📉 Level: Beginner+
🖥️ Format: Video
🎖️ Certificate: No
RealToughCandy.io is a video-based learning platform that’s newbie-friendly.
So for this free course, you’ll do all work on your local computer.
Introduction to Algorithms in Python is taught by Joy Brock, an enthusiastic and skillful Pythonista.
Her teaching style is humorous while delivering loads of useful information.
This can make learning more fun than some other algorithms courses.
For this course, you should know Python basics like:
📌 functions
📌 variables
📌 loops
And more.
This course is ideal for new software developers, aspiring machine learning engineers, and for “pre-FAANG” prep.
You’ll discover:
✅ data structures
✅ divide & conquer
✅ greedy algorithms
✅ recursive algorithms
✅ dynamic programming
No previous experience with algorithms is required.
Course Layout
Introduction to Algorithms in Python runs about 2 hours.
But don’t be fooled.
It’s a fast-paced course that covers a wealth of concepts.
For example, you’ll work on more than 15 coding challenges such as:
✅ factorials
✅ permutations
✅ traveling salesman problem
✅ fractional knapsack problem
And many more.
Problems range from “Easy” to the more challenging “Mindbreaker.”
There are over 60 quiz questions.
They’re multiple choice, true/false and fill-in-the-blank.
Support
RealToughCandy.io has 24/7 support on our Discord.
FAANG Interview Prep: Conclusion
Now let’s recap.
Today we showed you some of the best FAANG interview prep materials out there.
Courses & Platforms:
✨ Grokking the Coding Interview
✨ Grokking the System Design Interview
✨ Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview
✨ Edabit
✨ LeetCode
✨ Interview Cake
✨ HackerRank
✨ Codewars
Best book: Cracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell
Video lecture: “How to Get a Job at Google – Amazon – Facebook – or Microsoft” by John Marty
Now it’s up to you to decide which FAANG interview prep resources work best for you.
There are physical workouts, and then there are mental workouts. Whether you prefer courses, books or videos, we think there’s something for every developer working towards a FAANG interview.
Want more FAANG interview prep? Check out these articles:
- AlgoMonster Review
- 23 LeetCode Alternatives
- 14 Best FAANG Interview Books
- SystemsExpert vs Grokking the System Design Interview
- 9 FAANG Interview Courses You Can’t Afford to Miss Out On [Get Hired at a FAANG]
- Best Book for Google Interview Preparation [Top 10 FAANG Interview Books]
What are the best FAANG interview prep materials?
The best FAANG interview prep materials consist of courses, practice problems, books and video lectures. Some of our favorites include the courses AlgoExpert, SystemsExpert, Grokking the Coding Interview, Grokking the System Design Interview, and Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview. In addition, we recommend the book Cracking the Coding Interviw by Gayle Laakmann McDowell. Some other resources included platforms such as LeetCode and HackerRank where you can practice coding problems. And sometimes, video lectures can help drive a point home, like John Marty’s presentation “How to Get A Job at Google – Amazon – Facebook – or Microsoft.” Read our post for the full scoop.
What’s the best coding interview course for FAANG interviews?
Here are a few of the best coding interview courses for FAANG interviews. 1. AlgoExpert – learn data structures and algorithms in this video-based course. 2. SystemsExpert – work through 8 systems design interview questions with guided mock interview videos. 3. Grokking the Coding Interview by Educative is designed to prepare students for FAANG-level interviews. 4. Grokking the System Design Interview by Educative helps you prepare for the system design part of technical interviews. 5. Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview by Educative is another solid course for FAANG interview prep. Check out today’s post for more information.
What are some places for coding interview practice?
Here are some great places for coding interview practice: 1. Cracking the Coding Interview, a book by Gayle Laakmann McDowell. It has 189 coding problems for FAANG interview prep. 2. AlgoExpert.io is a video-based platform filled with problems, interview tips and assessments for coding interview practice. 3. SystemsExpert is a systems design course to prepare you for the systems design portion of interviews. 3. Educative has courses like Grokking the Coding Interview, Grokking the System Design Interview and Coderust: Hacking the Coding Interview. Each of these helps you prepare for different aspects of coding interviews. 4. Other resources include platforms containing hundreds of coding interview practice questions like LeetCode, HackerRank and Codewars. Read our post for more in-depth coding interview practice insight.