Intuit - Software Development Engineer 1 (SDE-1)

This was an online coding assessment consisting of 3 questions to be completed within the given time limit.

The assessment included:

DSA Question (Medium Difficulty) The question involved a tree data structure where the network was represented as a unidirectional tree with a root node. A signal propagates through the tree using DFS traversal order. Multiple queries were given, each consisting of a node X and a number N. The task was to determine the Nth node reached during signal propagation starting from node X.

Expected solution approach included: • Performing DFS traversal • Preprocessing traversal order • Using hashmap or indexing for O(1) query lookup

This tested tree traversal, DFS, preprocessing, and optimization skills.

SQL Question The SQL question was beginner to intermediate level. It involved writing queries using SELECT, JOIN, GROUP BY, and filtering conditions. It mainly tested database fundamentals.

Bash Question This was a basic scripting question testing knowledge of command line operations, file handling, and basic scripting logic.

Overall difficulty: Medium

This was a 1:1 discussion with the recruiter. The focus was on background, experience, and general screening.

Questions included:

• Tell me about yourself • Explain your projects • Why do you want to join Intuit • What technologies are you comfortable with • Availability and interest in the role

This round mainly evaluated communication skills, clarity of thought, and cultural fit.

No coding questions were asked.

Duration: 30 minutes

This round involved a take-home build challenge. A problem statement was provided, and the task was to build a working solution within 2 to 4 hours.

The goal was to develop a proof-of-concept solution demonstrating problem solving, coding ability, and logical thinking.

The submission was expected to include:

• Working implementation • Clean and readable code • Logical structure • Explanation of approach

This round tested real-world engineering skills rather than DSA.

Duration: 3 hours

This was a technical discussion focused on the build challenge submission.

The interviewer asked:

• Explain your approach • Why did you choose this design • How can this solution be optimized • What are limitations of your approach • How would you scale this solution

The interviewer focused on understanding depth of knowledge and reasoning ability.

This round evaluated:

• Problem solving skills • Code understanding • Optimization thinking • System thinking

Duration: 60 minutes

This was the final round focusing on past project experience.

The recruiter provided a presentation template, and I was required to present my project and experience.

Discussion included:

• Project architecture • Technical decisions • Challenges faced • Improvements and scalability • Real-world considerations

The interviewer asked several follow-up questions to evaluate depth of understanding.

This round tested practical engineering experience and communication.

Duration: 45 minutes