Top Amazon Data Engineer Interview Questions
Amazon, a global leader in e-commerce and cloud computing, revolutionizes industries with services like AWS, Prime Video, and Alexa. Known for its customer-centric philosophy, Amazon redefines shopping, logistics, and digital services through innovation and efficiency. The company continues to lead in areas like AI, smart devices, and drone delivery, transforming how people work, shop, and entertain themselves while fostering global economic impact.
What is the difference between left join and right join?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• The interviewer wants to assess problem-solving skills.
• They are evaluating the candidate's ability to write efficient queries.
• The focus is on understanding average calculations in a database context.
Key points to address:
• Include the SQL functions needed to compute averages.
• Explain how to group responses by user for accurate results.
View
Can you briefly describe your experience with managing projects?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assessing your project management skills and experience.
• Understanding your approach to leading a team and meeting deadlines.
• Evaluating your ability to handle challenges and adapt to changes.
Key points to address:
• Include specific projects you have managed and their outcomes.
• Highlight your leadership style and how you motivate team members.
View
How would you improve the customer experience on Amazon Prime?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Knowledge in AI and its practical uses.
• Creative approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to effectively communicate tech concepts.
Key points to address:
• Demonstrate understanding of AI functionality.
• Show how this product applicably solves a problem.
View
Have You Worked With Cloud-Based Data Platforms Like AWS, Google Cloud, Or Azure?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assessing problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Understanding the candidate's familiarity with AI.
• Gauging if candidate fits with product's technical requirements.
Key points to address:
• Highlight your understanding and experience with AI.
• Illustrate your problem-solving skills with relevant instances.
View
What methods have you used for dimensionality reduction in high-dimensional data?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assess candidate's understanding of AI.
• Evaluate candidate's problem-solving skills.
• Judge the ability to design and implement solutions.
Key points to address:
• Explain how you understand AI in context.
• Show how you approach problem-solving.
View
Describe A Situation Where You Had To Think Creatively To Solve A Data-Related Challenge.
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• The tester's understanding of the AI landscape.
• The ability to articulate complex concepts simply.
• Identify innovative solutions to a common challenge.
Key points to address:
• Demonstrate awareness of AI applications.
• Provide a unique solution or perspective.
View
Tell us about a successful A/B test you designed in the past.
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assessing understanding of AI technologies.
• Evaluating problem-solving and creativity.
• Checking aptitude in product development.
Key points to address:
• Explain how AI can enhance the product.
• Discuss the steps in product development.
View
How would you optimize SQL queries involving string and time conversions?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assess candidate's problem-solving skills.
• Understand candidate's knowledge on AI technology.
• Gauge candidate's ability to contribute to the project.
Key points to address:
• Discuss your understanding and experience in AI.
• Highlight your problem-solving approach.
View
Which Programming Languages Are You Proficient In For Data Analysis?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assess understanding of AI technologies.
• Assess problem-solving skills.
• Assess ability to create user-friendly design.
Key points to address:
• Demonstrate knowledge on AI technologies.
• Detail your approach to product design.
View
What’s your weakness, and how do you overcome it?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• The ability to self-reflect and identify personal challenges.
• An understanding of how weaknesses can impact work performance.
• A proactive approach to personal and professional growth.
Key points to address:
• Mention a specific weakness and provide context for it.
• Explain the steps taken to overcome this weakness effectively.
View
How Do You Handle Large Datasets In Python?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assess understanding of AI principles.
• Gauge ability to apply AI in realistic scenarios.
• Evaluate innovative thinking and problem-solving skills.
Key points to address:
• Highlight relevant AI expertise and knowledge.
• Provide a unique, practical use-case for AI in interview prep.
View
How would you design a recommendation system for Amazon website?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Gauge the candidate's competence in AI and machine learning.
• Assess the candidate's problem-solving skills.
• Understand the candidate's process in product development.
Key points to address:
• Include relevant AI and machine learning expertise.
• Demonstrate your problem-solving strategy.
View
Explain the differences between window functions and self-joins in SQL.
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assessing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of AI and how it can be applied.
• Familiarity with product development processes.
Key points to address:
• Discuss your knowledge and use of AI.
• Explain how you approach problem-solving in product development.
View
What's the difference between correlation and co-variance?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assessing the candidate's problem-solving skills.
• Checking their overall understanding of AI.
• Evaluating candidate's experience in product development.
Key points to address:
• Discuss your prior experience with AI.
• Explain how you handle challenges during development.
View
How can you divide a multivariate dataset into k different groups that are unknown a priori?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Understanding of clustering techniques and their applications.
• Ability to handle complex datasets with unknown groupings.
• Insight into evaluation metrics for clustering effectiveness.
Key points to address:
• Mention methods like K-means, hierarchical clustering, or DBSCAN.
• Discuss the importance of feature selection and preprocessing steps.
View
Was there a time when you introduced an innovation or witnessed one at your previous workplace?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Understanding of innovation processes is essential.
• Ability to identify and articulate challenges faced.
• Insight into collaboration and teamwork during innovation.
Key points to address:
• Share a specific example of innovation you contributed to.
• Highlight the impact of the innovation on the team or company.
View
Describe a time when you used data to solve a problem.
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Ability to analyze data to make informed decisions.
• Problem-solving skills in a real-world context.
• Communication of data-driven insights clearly.
Key points to address:
• Describe the data used and how it was collected.
• Explain the steps taken to solve the problem using the data.
View
How would you cope under stressful situations?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• The candidate's ability to handle pressure effectively.
• Insight into the candidate's coping mechanisms and strategies.
• Understanding of how stress impacts performance and decision-making.
Key points to address:
• Share specific examples of past stressful situations.
• Explain techniques used to manage stress and maintain focus.
View
Tell me about a time you received feedback and how you used it.
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Ability to accept and learn from constructive criticism.
• Skills in applying feedback to improve performance.
• Self-awareness in recognizing areas for growth.
Key points to address:
• Share a specific example of feedback received.
• Explain how you implemented the feedback effectively.
View
What approach would you take to identify fraudulent transactions in a dataset?
Amazon
What the interviewer is looking for:
• Assess understanding of AI and its applications.
• Evaluate the candidate's product development skills.
• Determine the potential for innovative thinking.
Key points to address:
• Discuss specific AI functionalities that will be used.
• Outline the developmental process and strategies.
View
Popular Roles
Data AnnotatorAI Product ManagerMachine Learning EngineerSoftware EngineerSystem EngineerAI whispererProduct DesignerUX/UI DesignerTrending Company
Microsoft Amazon 
Meta 
OpenAI 
Scale AI 
Databricks Microsoft Amazon Meta OpenAI Scale AI Databricks