Role: SDE3
YOE: 6 years, currently in FAANG
Time: Aug - Sept 2025

Entire process took 2+ months. It took 1.5 months from initial call to scheduling the first round.

Round 1: Machine Coding (2 hours)

Create a stock broker Application
Requirements:

1. Add/Register users to the stock exchange system.
2. Add stock to the stock exchange system.
3. Each user should have a stock holding list(stock, price, qty) & balance.
4. Users should be able to add balance to their account.
5. Users should be able to buy/sell multiple stocks.
6. Users should be able to check past successful trading

Features:

• Traders place Buy and Sell orders for a stock indicating the price and quantity.
• Each order gets entered into the exchange’s order-book and remains there until it is matched. Order matching is attempted whenever a new order is added.
• The exchange follows a FirstInFirstOut Price-Time order-matching rule, which states that: “The first order in the order-book at a price level is the first order matched. All orders at the same price level are filled according to time priority”.
• The exchange works like a market where lower selling prices and higher buying prices get priority.
• A trade is executed when a buy price is greater than or equal to a sell price.
• The trade is recorded at the price of the sell order regardless of the price of the buy order.

Round 2: HLD (1.5 hours)

Cricbuzz system design

Round 3: Hiring Manager

Questions about projects, work experience, project ownership, mentoring juniors etc. Some HLD questions related to queues/ message brokers etc.

Final Verdict: Hire, got an offer