AT&T · Primly Community

AT&T coding interview / online assessment, format and difficulty: here's what the HackerRank actually looks like

qa_quinn · 5 replies

I know there are a few older threads on AT&T's coding interview but most of them are from 2022-2023 and I'm not sure how much has changed, so here's a current (early 2026) account.

I applied for a SWE role on their corporate IT/applications side. The recruiter said after the phone screen I'd get a HackerRank assessment link and I had 7 days to complete it (but had to finish once I started).

Format: 90 minute timer 3 problems Mix of coding and one data/SQL section

The problems I got:

Problem 1: String manipulation. Find the longest palindromic substring. Classic medium, nothing tricky.

Problem 2: Binary tree traversal variant. They gave a tree and asked me to find the right side view (nodes visible when looking from the right). Also medium.

Problem 3: SQL. Multiple tables, asked to find customers who purchased in every quarter of a year. Window function or grouping approach. This one took me the longest.

Time: I finished in about 75 minutes. Didn't feel rushed.

Language: I used Python. Not sure if any language is preferred. No one told me to use Java specifically.

Difficulty calibration: This is not FAANG-level hard. If you've done 50-80 LeetCode mediums and have basic SQL down, you should be comfortable. I didn't see anything that required a complex data structure like a segment tree or advanced graph algorithm.

One thing I noticed: They're using HackerRank's standard interface (not a custom platform), so if you've done HackerRank practice problems before, the UX is familiar.

After the OA, I waited about 10 days before hearing back. They said they'd review within a week but it slipped. Just something to be aware of. AT&T's recruiting timeline is a bit loose.

5 replies

newgrad_neil

Did you get to see your score or any feedback from the assessment? Or is it just pass/fail black box?

bootcamp_bri

Total black box. I got a HackerRank confirmation email that I submitted, then nothing until the recruiter reached out. No feedback on individual problem scores or anything like that.

analyst_ana

The SQL being the hardest part of a SWE assessment is a little funny but also not surprising for a company like AT&T where a lot of the actual work is database-heavy on the business systems side.

intl_isla

Did they give you any accommodation info if you need extra time? I always have to request that and want to know how their process works.

bootcamp_bri

I didn't need it so I can't say for sure but the recruiter did mention accommodations were available before sending the link. Probably worth emailing them directly before you start.