Technology / E-commerce · Seattle, USA
Amazon Interview Questions & Process
Quick answer
Amazon interviews are built almost entirely around the 16 Leadership Principles. Every round — including technical ones — includes behavioural questions answered in STAR format, and a 'Bar Raiser' interviewer has veto power. Prepare specific, metric-rich stories mapped to principles like Customer Obsession, Ownership and Dive Deep.
About Amazon
Amazon's hiring is famously principle-driven. The Leadership Principles aren't a poster on the wall — they're the literal scoring rubric. The Bar Raiser, an interviewer from outside the hiring team, ensures the bar stays high regardless of how badly a team needs the hire.
What they assess
The Amazon interview process
| Stage | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Recruiter screen | Background, role fit and an overview of the Leadership Principles. |
| Online assessment / phone screen | For technical roles, a coding assessment; for others, a behavioural screen. |
| The Loop (4–6 rounds) | Each interviewer owns specific Leadership Principles; technical roles add coding and design. |
| Bar Raiser & debrief | A Bar Raiser interview plus a debrief where the panel aligns on the decision. |
Prepare by role
Get a role-specific guide for the most common positions at Amazon:
Amazon interview questions
- 1Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager (Have Backbone).
- 2Describe a time you went above and beyond for a customer (Customer Obsession).
- 3Tell me about a time you took ownership of something outside your remit.
- 4Describe a time you dived deep to find the root cause of a problem.
- 5Tell me about a time you delivered results under a tight deadline.
- 6Design a system to handle Amazon's order processing at scale.
How to prepare for a Amazon interview
- Prepare 2 STAR stories per Leadership Principle — you'll reuse them across rounds.
- Lead every story with data and your specific actions ('I', not 'we').
- Expect deep follow-ups: the 'Dive Deep' principle means they'll probe.
- Treat the Bar Raiser round as the most important one.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Vague stories with no metrics or clear personal contribution.
- Saying 'we' instead of 'I' — Amazon scores your individual ownership.
- Not mapping answers to Leadership Principles.
- Crumbling under 'Dive Deep' follow-up questions.
Frequently asked questions
What are Amazon's Leadership Principles?
A set of 16 principles (Customer Obsession, Ownership, Dive Deep, Bias for Action and more) that form the scoring rubric for every Amazon interview.
What is a Bar Raiser at Amazon?
An experienced interviewer from outside the hiring team with veto power, present to keep the hiring bar consistently high.
How many STAR stories should I prepare for Amazon?
Aim for around two strong, metric-rich STAR stories per Leadership Principle so you can answer any behavioural prompt without repeating yourself.
Preparing for a Amazon interview?
Upload your CV and paste the job description. CareerFast instantly builds your interview readiness score, a company briefing, predicted questions, tailored STAR answers, a mock interview and a downloadable PDF — free to start, no card needed.
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Amazon roles
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