Google L3 SWE AI/ML Onsite Confusion: In-Person vs “Virtual” Docs

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my experience ahead of my upcoming Google L3 SWE (AI/ML, GenAI) onsite in Kirkland. Hopefully, this helps others who might face similar confusion.

I received an official in-person invite for Feb 27, 2026, with flights and hotel booked.

The interview schedule: 2 coding rounds, 45 minutes each, using Google-provided Chromebooks and shared IPI documents.

The weird part: the shared document landing page says “Welcome to your virtual interview” and I can’t access it before the interview.

This caused me a lot of confusion — I thought the interview might have switched to virtual. After clarification:

✅ The interview is 100% in-person at Google Kirkland.
✅ The Chromebook + shared Google Doc is just the interface they use for coding problems (same as virtual).
✅ You cannot access the problem beforehand, and this is normal.
✅ The focus is on medium-level DSA, clear thinking, coding cleanly, and talking through your solution.

Lesson learned: Don’t panic if the Google Doc says “virtual” — it’s just the coding interface. Focus on coding prep and edge-case thinking.

Would love to hear if anyone else has faced this “virtual doc in in-person onsite” situation!