Google 2026 New Grad R1 Rejection: Exactly Two Square-Sum Representations

Role: Software Engineer, New Grad / Early Career
Result: Rejected after R1
Report time: December 2025

Coding: numbers with exactly two square-sum representations

Given an integer n, return every integer s < n that can be written as the sum of two squares in exactly two distinct unordered ways:

s = a² + b², where a and b are nonnegative and (a,b) is the same representation as (b,a).

Example:

50 = 1² + 7² = 5² + 5².

The range is 1 <= n < 2³¹ - 1.

The candidate began with brute force. After a hint, they used a map to count sums generated by pairs with a <= b, but made mistakes in edge cases and loop bounds and ran out of time before another dry run.

Practice: Numbers With Exactly Two Square-Sum Representations

Behavioral interview

The 35-minute round used a visible question list and seven or eight prompts. Remembered questions included:

• Self-introduction
• Why Google?
• How would you build a product used by every user?
• Short- and long-term goals
• Handling a heavy workload
• A personal weakness

The interviewer summarized the leadership principle they heard after each answer. The candidate was rejected the same evening.