Uber’s interview process & questions in 2025

Uber has become a top destination for engineers driven to tackle complex, real-world problems in today’s fast-moving tech industry. With over 92% positive employee reviews on platforms like Comparably, many professionals are eager to join this pioneering company in transportation and logistics. Uber today is more than ridesharing; it’s a global tech platform addressing complex mobility challenges across various sectors, including food delivery.

Understanding the Uber interview process is important for those looking to succeed in its competitive environment. This guide offers insights into Uber interview prep, tips for tackling Uber coding interview questions, and a breakdown of what to expect. It’s important to remember that Uber seeks skilled and passionate individuals who fit its dynamic culture. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or seeking a career shift, mastering the interview process can set you on the path to success at Uber.

Before diving into the content, I recommend checking out the Coding Interview Patterns course by Educative. This course covers key coding patterns essential for interviews and is designed for those looking to ace interviews without grinding hundreds of LeetCode problems.

Decode the Uber interview process#

The Uber interview process is structured to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit with the company. The journey typically unfolds over multiple stages, taking about 4–6 weeks, depending on the role and availability. Here’s an in-depth look at the stages you’ll likely encounter:

Step 1: Submit your application#

The first step in the Uber interview process is submitting your application online through Uber’s job listings. Tailor your resume to the job description by highlighting relevant skills, projects, and keywords to ensure your application passes the initial applicant tracking system (ATS) scan.

Step 2: Recruiter call#

Once your application passes the initial scan, Uber’s Talent Acquisition team will reach out for a 30-minute recruiter call. This conversation is an initial gauge to ensure that your motivations and skills align with Uber’s goals. Be prepared to discuss your background, why you’re interested in Uber, your general skills, but avoid discussing specific salary expectations during this stage.

Step 3: Technical phone screen#

For technical roles, this step involves a coding test conducted via CodeSignal. You’ll be asked to solve algorithmic problems that range from medium to slightly harder LeetCode difficulty. The goal is to write fully compilable code and run test cases in real time to demonstrate your problem-solving skills.

Step 4: Onsite interviews#

If you pass the technical screen, you’ll be invited for onsite interviews, which may vary based on the role. Typically, engineers undergo the following:

• Coding interviews (1 hour each): You’ll face questions testing your ability to solve algorithmic challenges and implement solutions efficiently. Expect practical problem-solving rather than textbook scenarios, all conducted on CodeSignal. To enhance your coding abilities, practice on platforms like LeetCode or enroll in structured courses for effective preparation.

• System Design (1 hour): This round evaluates your ability to design scalable systems. You’ll need to discuss your approach to designing Uber-scale services and justify your design choices. The Grokking the Modern System Design Interview course can provide the structured guidance needed to ace this round.

• Collaboration and leadership (75 minutes): A behavioral round led by the hiring manager, assessing your leadership experience, problem-solving approach, and teamwork. Candidates often underestimate its importance, which is why it’s essential that you prepare thoroughly for this round too. To excel in this interview, consider the Grokking the Behavioral Interview course, which equips you with effective strategies to answer behavioral questions with confidence.

• Bar-raiser interview (1 hour): This unique aspect of Uber’s process involves a specially designated interviewer focusing on Uber’s core values and high standards.

Step 5: Team interview#

Depending on the role, you may also meet cross-functional team members or present the results of a functional exercise. This stage assesses how well you can collaborate in a dynamic team environment and showcase your technical depth and problem-solving abilities.

Step 6: Final interview with a hiring manager#

In the final stage, you’ll engage in an in-depth conversation with the hiring manager. This interview allows both sides to align expectations regarding the role, team dynamics, and responsibilities. It’s also an excellent opportunity to ask questions about Uber’s projects, daily tasks, and long-term vision.

Step 7: Hiring decision#

Once all interviews are completed, the recruiter and hiring team will review your performance and compare your skills to the job’s requirements. A final decision will be made, and your recruiter will notify you of the outcome.

Types of interview questions#

In preparation for your Uber interview, you must familiarize yourself with the questions you may encounter. Here are some categories, along with sample questions, effective answering strategies, and sample answers:

General questions#

These questions aim to assess your motivation, knowledge of the company, and long-term goals.

Sample questions:

1. Why do you want to work at Uber?

2. What do you know about Uber’s mission and values?

3. Where do you see yourself in five years?

4. What makes you a good fit for this role?

5. How does Uber’s culture resonate with you?

6. Why are you leaving your current company?

7. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

8. What are you looking for in your next role?

9. How do you handle stressful situations?

10. How do you stay up to date with industry trends?

11. How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple projects at once?

12. Can you describe a time when you had to quickly adapt to a major change at work?

13. What motivates you to perform well in your job?

14. How do you define success in your career?

15. How do you balance work-life commitments?

Best approach: Align your skills and experiences with Uber’s mission and values. Demonstrate thorough research and connect your career aspirations to growth opportunities at Uber. Remember to:

• Be specific about your goals and why Uber fits them.

• Use data-driven points to showcase your analytical mindset.

• Highlight your passion for innovation and problem-solving and how Uber aligns with these values.

Example breakdown:

Let’s solve a question together to ensure you can answer effectively later on:

Behavioral questions#

These questions assess how you handle situations, challenges, and teamwork. Read the blog on behavioral interview preparation to gain insights into common questions and strategies for answering them effectively.

Sample questions:

1. How do you handle failure or setbacks at work?

2. How do you handle tight deadlines or multiple projects?

3. How do you handle feedback, both giving and receiving?

4. Describe a situation where you took the lead on a project.

5. Give an example of when you had to make a quick decision.

6. Can you describe a project where you exceeded expectations?

7. Describe a time when you had to manage conflicting priorities.

8. Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict in a team.

9. Share an experience where you had to learn something new quickly.

10. Tell me about a time you made a mistake. How did you handle it?

11. Can you describe a time when you faced a significant challenge at work?

12. Tell me about a time when you had to collaborate with a cross-functional team.

13. Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult client or stakeholder.

14. Can you describe a situation where you solved a problem with minimal resources?

15. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a team member. How did you resolve it?

Best approach:

Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers, providing a clear narrative. This method ensures your responses are concise yet impactful. Remember that:

• Be specific and provide details for each step of the STAR method.

• Use quantifiable results when possible (e.g., “This increased efficiency by 30%.”).

• Focus on teamwork and collaboration, as Uber values cross-functional coordination.

Example breakdown:

Let’s solve a question together to ensure you can answer effectively later on:

Technical questions#

These questions test your problem-solving skills, coding abilities, and technical knowledge.

Sample questions:

1. Find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters.

2. Write a function to detect a cycle in a linked list.

3. Explain the difference between stack and heap memory.

4. What’s the time complexity of your solution?

5. How would you optimize a slow database query?

6. Describe the process of scaling an API.

7. How do you approach debugging a complex system?

8. Explain the differences between RESTful APIs and GraphQL.

9. What’s your process for code review?

10. How would you handle version control in a large team?

11. Explain how you would implement a LRU (Least Recently Used) cache.

12. What is the difference between concurrency and parallelism?

13. How would you design a system to handle millions of requests per second?

14. Explain how a distributed database works.

15. How would you design a system to handle a high-traffic ride-hailing service like Uber?

16. How would you design a distributed cache system to improve performance?

17. Write a function to merge two sorted linked lists.

18. Explain how you would implement load balancing for a microservices architecture.

19. Describe the difference between optimistic and pessimistic locking.

20. Write a function that, given an array of daily temperatures, returns the number of days until a warmer temperature for each day. If no warmer day is ahead, return 0.

Best approach:
Explain your thought process as clearly as possible. Start by stating the problem, discussing any edge cases, and describing how you’d approach it step-by-step. Ensure you mention time and space complexity. Remember to do the following:

• Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode and Educative.

• During the interview, communicate clearly. Interviewers are looking at how you approach problems, not just the solution.

• Always test your code against potential edge cases.

Example breakdown:

Let’s solve a question together to ensure you can answer effectively later on:

Functional exercises#

In the Uber interview process, functional exercises are tailored to assess your practical skills. These exercises often simulate real-world scenarios you might encounter on the job, allowing you to demonstrate your technical capabilities and problem-solving approach. Let's assume you're applying for a software engineer role.

Example exercises:

1. Coding task: You might be given a coding challenge to solve a specific problem, such as implementing an algorithm or optimizing code for performance.

2. System design: Design a system or architecture to solve a particular problem, detailing how you would structure the components and manage data flow.

3. Debugging exercise: Identify and fix bugs in a provided code snippet, explaining your thought process and reasoning as you go.

Best approach:

• Understand the requirements: Carefully read through the task, ensuring you grasp the expectations before diving into the solution.

• Think aloud: Verbalize your thought process during the exercise. This helps interviewers gauge your problem-solving skills and approach to coding.

• Focus on efficiency: Discuss the time and space complexity of your solution to highlight your understanding of algorithms and data structures.

• Test your solution: If possible, test your code with different inputs to demonstrate robustness.

This structured approach demonstrates your technical proficiency and ability to think critically, key attributes for a software engineer at Uber.

Common mistakes to avoid#

Navigating the Uber interview questions can be challenging, but avoiding common mistakes can help set you up for success:

• Neglecting research: Failing to understand Uber’s values and mission can hurt your candidacy.

• Underestimating communication: Underperforming in technical interviews due to a lack of clear communication can be detrimental. In coding interviews, interviewers care as much about how you approach the problem as they do about whether you solve it. Discuss your thought process, explain why you chose a particular approach, and discuss any trade-offs.

• Poor STAR method preparation: Neglecting to prepare behavioral questions using the STAR method can lead to vague answers.

• Lack of practice: Not practicing coding problems in a collaborative environment can hinder your performance.

Preparation tips for candidates#

To enhance your Uber interview preparation, consider the following strategies:

• Research Uber thoroughly: Understand the company’s mission, values, and recent industry developments.

• Coding practice: Consistently practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode and Educative to prepare for technical rounds.

• Mock interviews: Mock interviews are an excellent way to simulate real coding interviews. They help you practice under pressure and refine your communication skills, which are crucial during the actual interview. They also allow you to familiarize yourself with the interview format, improve your problem-solving approach, and build confidence. By taking mock interviews, you can identify areas for improvement and adapt to the pressure of time constraints.

• Tailor your experiences: Prepare stories that align with Uber’s values and demonstrate cultural fit.

• System design: Familiarize yourself with standard approaches for system design interviews.

• Utilize referrals: Referrals can boost your chances and may help you bypass initial phone screens.

• In-depth discussions: Be ready for detailed discussions on past experiences during leadership and team-based interviews.

• Patience in team matching: Be prepared for the team matching process, which can take weeks or months.

Conclusion#

The Uber interview process can be challenging, but with the right preparation, you can set yourself up for success. Uber values candidates with strong technical skills, a passion for innovation, and alignment with its mission. To stand out, focus on refining your coding and system design skills, preparing for behavioral interviews, and practicing with mock interviews. By preparing strategically and committing fully to each stage, you’ll ensure you’re ready to impress Uber’s interviewers and show that you’re the right fit for the role.

To get started, explore these purpose-built courses to crack the interviews:

• Grokking Coding Interview Patterns

• Grokking the Modern System Design Interview

• Grokking the Low Level Design Interview Using OOD Principles

• Grokking the Behavioral Interview

Best of luck!