Microsoft frontend interviews vary by team, but most mix LeetCode-style data structures with React or vanilla UI builds and growth-mindset behavioral questions.
This guide is built from 27 Microsoft interview reports shared by FrontendLead members between November 2023 and November 2026, cross-checked against Microsoft’s official “How we hire” page. You’ll learn what each stage looks like, how loops differ between teams, the question types candidates faced (exact prompts are in the members-only sections), and a prep plan that maps every round to practice on FrontendLead.
One pattern stands out: a “frontend” title does not mean a frontend-only loop at Microsoft. Linked lists, cache data structures, and array problems showed up in more member reports than any UI question. One member at a frontend hiring event said every round was an algorithm question. Prepare data structures first, then UI.
By Shivam Bhalla · Updated
01Microsoft frontend interview at a glance
- Timeline
- About 3 to 6 weeks to a verbal offer; background checks can add more
- Process
- Optional online assessment, recruiter call, phone screen, virtual onsite
- Onsite
- 3 to 5 rounds of 45 to 60 minutes; Microsoft says most loops have 2 to 4 conversations
- Round format
- Short intro and behavioral questions, then coding for the rest of the round
- Coding language
- JavaScript or TypeScript is fine; UI rounds use React or vanilla JS
- Signature topic
- Classic data structures: linked lists, caches, arrays and strings
- Hiring model
- Team-based, so the loop depends heavily on the hiring team
- Levels
- L59 to L60 entry, L61 to L62 SDE II, L63 to L64 Senior; level can follow performance
02Microsoft frontend interview process
Microsoft’s official page says it uses structured interviews against the role’s requirements, and that most interviews include two to four conversations with teammates and cross-functional colleagues, each up to an hour. Member reports add the details below.
- 1
Online assessment
60 to 75 minutes, some teams onlyNot every candidate gets one. Members who did described two formats. One was two JavaScript problems in 75 minutes, with jQuery allowed: one on DOM traversal and one on fetching data and rendering it. The other packed four parts into 60 minutes: a bug fix, a short array problem, multiple-choice questions on web fundamentals, and a React form.
- 2
Recruiter call
About 30 minutesBackground, the team, and logistics. Ask which team you are interviewing with and what the rounds cover. One member said they had no idea what to prepare because the recruiter never responded, so push for details early.
- 3
Technical phone screen
45 to 60 minutesUsually one engineer on Microsoft Teams, sometimes screening on behalf of the hiring manager. A senior member reported this split: about 10 minutes on background, 5 minutes on AI and culture, 25 minutes of live coding in a shared editor, and 5 minutes for your questions. Their coding problem was pure data structures with no React, despite the frontend title.
Other screens covered the event loop and async JavaScript, performance monitoring, and experimentation and telemetry.
- 4
Virtual onsite
3 to 5 rounds, about 3 to 4 hoursMost members described four back-to-back rounds of about 45 minutes. Each starts with introductions and a behavioral question or two, then moves to coding. One member stressed that you can’t afford to start slowly: 45 minutes goes fast once the intro is done. A hiring manager round often mixes career questions with a small logic problem or a UI design discussion.
- 5
Decision and team selection
1 to 3 weeksMembers heard back anywhere from within a week to three weeks after the onsite. One member who passed was offered a choice of two teams and asked to talk with each manager before deciding. Another said the background check after the verbal offer took about six weeks.
03Why Microsoft frontend loops vary so much by team
Microsoft hires for specific teams, and each team designs its own loop within the structured framework. That’s why two candidates with the same “Software Engineer” title can describe completely different interviews. Member reports fall into three broad patterns.
| Loop style | What it looked like | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Algorithm-heavy | Four LeetCode rounds; one frontend hiring event had no frontend questions at all | Treat it like a generalist SWE loop: linked lists, arrays, hashing, caches |
| Mixed frontend | One or two UI rounds (data-driven lists, async utilities, small games) plus algorithms and sometimes object-oriented design | Split prep evenly between data structures and UI builds |
| Small-team panel | Manager 1:1, a vanilla HTML/CSS/JS take-home, then panels with the whole team | Polish the take-home and practice demoing and defending it |
Ask your recruiter directly: “How many rounds are coding, how many are UI, and is there a design or object-oriented design round?” Most recruiters will tell you. If they don’t, prepare for the algorithm-heavy version, because it’s the most common pattern in member reports.
Some loops also include a final interviewer from senior leadership, often called the “as appropriate” interviewer, who weighs in on the hire decision. Not every member reported one, so confirm with your recruiter.
Members only
Coding rounds: questions Microsoft candidates were asked
10 real Microsoft interview questions
Every prompt members reported, with the round, the level, and the follow-ups interviewers asked.
Members only
Microsoft’s signature topic: data structures in JavaScript
The exact Microsoft interview prompts
Every prompt members reported, with the round, the level, and the follow-ups interviewers asked.
Members only
Microsoft frontend system design and design discussions
5 real Microsoft interview questions
Every prompt members reported, with the round, the level, and the follow-ups interviewers asked.
07Behavioral interview at Microsoft
Microsoft’s official hiring page says it looks for respect, integrity, accountability, and a growth mindset. In practice, behavioral questions open almost every round, so you’ll answer five or more over a loop. Keep each answer to about two minutes so coding time isn’t squeezed.
Questions members were asked:
- Tell us about a time you had to ship something with little information or unclear requirements.
- How would you give critical feedback to a colleague?
- What were the technical challenges in a project you worked on?
- How do you use AI in your day-to-day work?
- Tell us about recent projects and how you collaborated with others.
Show a growth mindset explicitly. Microsoft describes it as curiosity, leaning into uncertainty, and learning quickly from mistakes. Have one story about a mistake you owned and what you changed afterward. If you get stuck in a coding round, saying what you tried and adjusting calmly to a hint counts in your favor.
Have a concrete AI answer. A senior member flagged the AI question as new and recommended preparing for it. Name the tools you use, what you trust them for, and how you review their output.
08Microsoft levels for frontend engineers
Microsoft uses numeric levels. One member said the level would be decided by interview performance rather than fixed up front, so a strong loop can push you up a band.
| Level | Title | Typical focus |
|---|---|---|
| L59 to L60 | Software Engineer | Arrays, hashing, linked lists, caches, and a small React game |
| L61 to L62 | Software Engineer II | Caches, async JavaScript, data-driven UI with testing, and logic puzzles |
| L63 to L64 | Senior Software Engineer | Linked lists and recursion, probability-style logic, a React layout build, AI and culture questions |
09How to prepare for the Microsoft frontend interview
Start by asking your recruiter which loop style your team uses. Then use this plan, which assumes you know React and need to sharpen data structures.
Three-week plan
| Days | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Linked lists and LRU | Reverse Linked List, plus two-pointer and cache problems in JavaScript |
| 4 to 6 | Arrays, strings, hashing | Common hashing and two-pointer problems, plus Fence Post Reservoir |
| 7 to 8 | JavaScript internals | Event loop output questions, Promise Methods, Debounce I, and the trivia questions |
| 9 to 12 | React UI builds | Tic Tac Toe, Word Guess Grid, Microblog Post Card |
| 13 to 14 | Data-driven UI and testing | Paginated Orders Table, then write tests for it |
| 15 to 17 | Design discussions | Design Chat App, Core Web Vitals, an object-oriented state machine |
| 18 to 19 | Behavioral | Five two-minute stories, including a mistake and an AI workflow answer, from the behavioral questions |
| 20 to 21 | Mock loop | Four 45-minute sessions back to back, each starting with a behavioral question |
Every Microsoft-tagged problem is listed in the coding questions library, and the study plans can turn your interview date into a daily schedule.
10Microsoft frontend interview FAQ
How long is the Microsoft frontend interview process?
Usually three to six weeks from the recruiter call to a verbal offer. Members heard back between a few days and three weeks after the onsite. The background check can add several more weeks before your start date.
Does Microsoft ask LeetCode questions for frontend roles?
Yes, often. Linked lists, caches, hashing, and array problems appeared across many member reports, and some frontend loops were entirely algorithmic. Practice standard LeetCode problems in JavaScript.
Can I use React in Microsoft frontend interviews?
Yes, for UI rounds. Members built small games and layout components in React. Some teams use a vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript take-home instead, and one online assessment allowed jQuery.
Does Microsoft have a frontend system design round?
It depends on the team. Most members reported design as discussion questions: performance monitoring, bundle size, experimentation, or API design. Senior candidates should still prepare one full frontend design, such as a real-time app.
How many rounds is the Microsoft frontend onsite?
Usually three to five rounds of 45 to 60 minutes. Microsoft’s official page says most interviews include two to four conversations of up to an hour each. Each round typically opens with behavioral questions before the coding problem.
What levels does Microsoft hire frontend engineers at?
Members interviewed at L59 (entry), L62 (Software Engineer II), and L63 to L64 (Senior). The questions overlap across levels, and one member was told their level would depend on interview performance.
Real Microsoft questions and reports
Verified Microsoft questions
Candidate interview reports
- Frontend Engineer
- Microsoft - Technical Phone Screen
- L63 Senior Software Engineer - Microsoft
- Microsoft Software Engineer (Front End) - 2nd round
- Interview for Microsoft SDE2
- Microsoft - Senior Frontend Engineer - Interview
- Microsoft - New Grad SWE
- Microsoft L62 - Hiring manager chat with a logic problem
- Microsoft UI interview
- Microsoft L59 Interview