Google 2026 New Grad OA and R1: Moving Tokens, Common Digits, and Circular L/R Pieces

Role: Software Engineer, New Grad / Early Career
Result: Passed R1 and advanced to the onsite
Report time: April 2026
Application: Applied online

Timeline

1. Applied to the Early Career campus role in October 2025.
2. Received the OA in February 2026.
3. Completed R1 coding and behavioral interviews in March; the behavioral round was rescheduled after the first interviewer did not appear.
4. Learned that R1 had passed on the following Monday.
5. Scheduled the Mountain View onsite for April.

OA question 1: moving tokens and coins

A one-dimensional board contains tokens and coins. Every token moves only to the right and advances exactly three positions at a time. Maximize the number of coins the tokens can collect.

The linked firsthand OA report confirms that the board decomposes into three residue tracks.

Practice: Maximum Coins With Moving Tokens

OA question 2: largest common-digit class

Given two-digit integers from 10 through 99, group numbers that share at least one digit and return the size of the largest class.

The linked source contains a disputed example that the original author never clarified, so that inconsistent output is not treated as a reliable rule.

Practice: Maximum Elements With a Common Digit

R1 coding: transform L/R pieces

A one-dimensional board contains L, R, and empty cells .. An L piece may move only left, and an R piece may move only right. A move may cover any distance but cannot jump over another piece.

Given an initial board and a target board, determine whether legal moves can transform one into the other.

The follow-up made the board circular: an L leaving the left edge re-enters from the right, and an R leaving the right edge re-enters from the left. The candidate solved the base problem quickly but needed a strong interviewer hint for the circular version.

Practice: Transform L/R Pieces on a Circular Board

Behavioral interview

Because the candidate had completed three Google Shanghai internships, the interviewer asked extensively about internship projects. Most behavioral questions emphasized leadership and grew naturally from the candidate's previous answer rather than following a fixed conflict/failure checklist.