Google 2026 New Grad SDE R1 and NYC Onsite Interview

Role: Software Engineer, New Grad
Result: Advanced to Team Match
Report time: March 2026
Location: New York City

Interview process

1. Applied without a referral on October 2.
2. Received the OA on November 26.
3. Submitted a transcript and moved forward on December 2.
4. Completed R1 coding and behavioral interviews on December 12.
5. Passed R1 on December 19.
6. Completed the NYC onsite on February 6.
7. Had a visa-check call on March 3.
8. Received positive feedback and entered Team Match on March 23.

R1 coding

The candidate was asked to design a data structure that finds activity IDs that have timed out.

The candidate explained that an unsorted log would require an O(n log n) solution. If the log were already sorted, the solution could be reduced to O(n). The interviewer introduced several follow-up scenarios, but their exact requirements were not preserved.

Onsite coding 1

Rotate an arbitrary n × m matrix clockwise. Unlike the standard square-matrix problem, the output dimensions become m × n.

The candidate discussed an O(1) auxiliary-space follow-up with the interviewer on a whiteboard for about 20 minutes, but they did not finish a closed-form solution.

Practice: Rotate a Rectangular Matrix Clockwise

Onsite coding 2

The second problem was a variation of moving L and R pieces under directional constraints. The candidate recognized the pattern and implemented the optimal O(n) greedy solution.

The interviewer expected line-by-line explanation while the code was being written.

Practice: Transform L/R Pieces on a Circular Board