My 2025 Palantir FDSE Interview Process and Actual Questions
Receiving an offer from Palantir was a huge achievement for me, and the entire interview process was truly unique. Palantir’s interviews required strong technical skills, strategic thinking, and excellent communication abilities. In this article, I will review my entire interview journey, from the initial application to receiving the final offer. I will also share the real interview questions I encountered, key takeaways, and practical tips.
I am really grateful for the tool Linkjob.ai, and that's also why I'm sharing my entire interview experience here. Having an undetectable AI assistant during the interview is indeed very convenient.
Palantir FDSE Interview Process and Actual Questions
Palantir Recruiter Call
The recruiter mainly asked me why I wanted to join Palantir and about my past projects and experiences. They also asked what defines my job search and which role—software engineer or forward deployed software engineer—I believe is the best fit for me.
Palantir OA
This round, which I completed on HackerRank, was approximately 90 minutes long, and I had to complete three questions: one coding problem, one SQL question, and one API task. Once I received the prompt, I could start working immediately. I have a feeling there might be a question bank for this part. I think I came across the exact same problems when I was practicing on Linkjob before the test. Here are some of the interview questions I encountered:
Coding: Make The Array Positive
Description:
Given an array arr of n integers, make the array positive with the following operation: In one operation, select integers i (0 <= i < n) and change arr[i] to x (x >= 0). An array is positive when the sum of each subarray of length greater than 1 is non-negative. More formally, after the operations, the following condition should hold for all values of l and r:
0 <= l < r < n
sum(arr[i] for i in range(l, r+1)) >= 0
Objective:
Determine the minimum number of operations required to make the array positive.
Example:
arr = [2, 5, -8, -1, 2]
Assuming 0-based indexing, take i = 2 and x = 10. The modified array is arr' = [2, 5, 10, -1, 2]. Now, every subarray of length greater than 1 has a non-negative sum. Return the number of operations, 1.
Function Description:
Complete the function getMinOperations in the editor below.
getMinOperations has the following parameter(s):
int arr[n]: an array of integers
Returns:
int: the minimum number of operations required
Constraints:
1 <= n <= 10^5-10^9 <= arr[i] <= 10^9, where0 <= i < n
SQL: Good Subsequences
A subsequence of a given string is generated by deleting zero or more characters from a string, then concatenating the remaining characters. A good subsequence is one where the frequency of each character is the same. Given a string that consists of n Latin letters, determine how many good subsequences it contains. Since the answer can be quite large, compute its modulo (10^9+7).
Note: An empty subsequence is not a good subsequence.
Example:
word = "abca"
A total of 15 non-empty subsequences can be formed from words.
The only subsequences that are not good, are "aba", "aca" and "abca" as the frequencies of character "a" is 2 and every other character is 1.
The total number of good subsequences = 15 - 3 = 12
and answer to the above example = 12 modulo (10^9+7) = 12.
Function Description:
Complete the function countGoodSubsequences in the editor below.
countGoodSubsequences has the following parameter(s):
string word: a string that consists of only lowercase Latin letters
Returns:
int: the number of good subsequences modulo (10^9+7)
Rest API: TV Shows Produced During a Period
Use the HTTP GET method to retrieve information about recent television shows. Query https://jsonmock.hackerrank.com/api/tvseries to find all the records. The query result is paginated and can be further accessed by appending to the query string ?page=num where num is the page number.
The response is a JSON object with the following 5 fields:
page: the current page of the results (Number)per_page: the maximum number of results returned per page (Number)total: the total number of results (Number)total_pages: the total number of pages with results (Number)data: 13an array of tv series records
Example of a data array object:
"name": "Game of Thrones",
"runtime_of_series": "(2011-2019)",
"certificate": "A",
"runtime_of_episodes": "57 min",
"genre": "Action, Adventure, Drama",
"imdb_rating": 9.3,
"overview": "Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.",
"no_of_votes": 1773458,
"id": 1
I used Linkjob AI to solve all of these questions. I just clicked the screenshot button, and the AI generated both the solution approach and the complete code. I didn’t have to worry at all when sharing my screen because I had tested it with a friend beforehand. It was completely undetectable, and the icon didn’t even show up in the docker bar.
Palantir Technical Phone Screen
My technical phone screen was completed on Karat. This round consisted of three questions.
Technical Phone Screen Round 1
The first was a portfolio valuation problem. I was given a portfolio with several stocks, along with their prices and dates. The goal was to calculate the portfolio's total value on different dates. A key detail was that if a stock didn't have a price on a given day but did on a previous day, I should use the previous available price. This implied that if the price remained unchanged, I should simply use the last recorded value. There are two optimal solutions for this. The common approach is to use a min-heap to sort the dates. Another solution is to use sorting combined with pointers to track the previous available price index for each stock.
The second question was a System Design problem. I was asked to design a monitoring system to detect backend server performance. The discussion primarily focused on how to collect statistics and how to handle server downtime. We also briefly touched on scaling the system.
The third question involved a pre-existing codebase where I had to implement a new feature.
Technical Phone Screen Round 2
In this round, the main function had inputs, and I had to build a solution and put it into a separate method. The process was to first explain my approach, and once the interviewer approved, I would start coding. After writing and running the correct code, I was asked to discuss the time and space complexity.
The first coding problem involved a list of pairs, like (1, 3) and (3, 4). Each pair represented an edge. The goal was to find the nodes with zero parents and exactly one parent. I solved this using a hash map.
The second coding problem, also with pairs as input, required me to determine if two given nodes had a common ancestor. My approach was to build a directed acyclic graph (DAG) using a bottom-up method, then perform a depth-first search (DFS) from each of the two nodes. I would put the nodes along the path into a set and find the intersection to see if there was a common node.
The third problem was to find the farthest ancestor. I ran out of time, so I only explained my approach. It was a continuation of the bottom-up DAG method, but during the DFS, I would record the path and the corresponding depth of each node. The solution would then be to find the node with the greatest depth.
Technical Phone Screen Round 3
This round was all about debugging. The first problem had about 80 lines of code. There was a bug in an if-else logic block, which caused the HashMap count to be incorrect.
The second problem was much larger, around 250 lines, with more layers of abstraction. The bug involved double-counting infected contacts. I believe this problem would be very challenging and time-consuming without prior experience with similar types of debugging questions.
Palantir HM Round
The last step in the palantir interview process felt both exciting and intense. My final interview was a one-hour session with a hiring manager. This round focused on whether I fit the team and Palantir’s mission.
It was split about evenly between behavioral and technical questions. The hiring manager specifically focused on my last internship, asking about my projects and the challenges I encountered. I was also asked about what I consider my biggest career failure and what I’m looking for in my next job.
Palantir Interview Overview
Palantir Interview Timeline
The Palantir interview process is primarily divided into four parts: Recruiter Call, Technical Phone Screen, Onsite, and Hiring Manager Screen. Their durations are as follows:
Recruiter call (30 minutes)
OA (1 hour)
VO (3 hour)
Hiring manager screen (1 hour)
Palantir Interview Stages
Recruiter Call
This was a 30-minute chat. The recruiter wanted to know why I wanted to join Palantir and what projects I had worked on. They also checked if I fit the company culture.
Online Assessment
This round lasted about 90 minutes. I solved coding problems in a live environment. The interviewer mixed in some behavioral questions, so I had to demonstrate both my technical and communication skills.
Virtual Onsite
I faced 3 to 5 rounds testing different skills, including coding, system design, and re-engineering. One notable round was the Palantir decomposition interview, which focused on how I broke down problems and explained my thinking.
Hiring Manager Interview
This was a follow-up. The hiring manager revisited areas where I had struggled before. I got more technical and behavioral questions in this round.
Palantir Interview Strategies and Preparation
Palantir values candidates who reflect on their approach, ask thoughtful questions, and show a growth mindset. During my recruiter call, they wanted to know if I was serious about the company and whether I fit the culture. To prepare, I thought about past projects where I had to collaborate, solve tough problems, or adapt quickly. I also practiced explaining technical concepts in simple terms, since clear communication was crucial.
When preparing, I focused on several key aspects:
I researched Palantir’s mission and recent projects, and reflected on how my skills could contribute. When asked why I wanted to join, I gave specific reasons rather than generic answers.
I answered questions clearly and used the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to explain my experiences. I didn’t try to hide setbacks, instead I shared what I had learned from them.
I highlighted what excited me about Palantir and how I wanted to make an impact, linking my past work to their mission.
I prepared thoughtful questions about team culture, growth opportunities, and how success was measured, avoiding anything that could be answered by a quick search.
I stayed authentic, talking about what I cared about and why, since honesty and openness are valued at Palantir.
Even if some outcomes were beyond my control, I focused on what I could control: being clear, honest, and showing my genuine interest in the role.
Looking back, I realized that focusing on problem-solving processes, collaborating with others, adapting to new situations, and reflecting on what I learned from challenges made the biggest difference in my interview.
FAQ
Is the Palantir interview process more focused on technical skills or problem-solving ability?
The process tests both, but there's a heavy emphasis on problem-solving and communication. While you'll need a strong technical foundation in algorithms and data structures, the key is showing how you think through complex, ambiguous problems. Unlike other companies that might focus on pure coding speed, Palantir wants to see your ability to break down a large problem into smaller, manageable parts and articulate your approach clearly. This is especially true in the System Design and Decomposition rounds.
What's the main difference between an SDE and an FDSE interview at Palantir?
The core technical assessments for both SDE (Software Development Engineer) and FDSE (Forward Deployed Software Engineer) are similar in the early stages, focusing on coding and problem-solving. However, the FDSE interviews place a much greater emphasis on communication, client-facing skills, and adaptability. You'll likely face more behavioral questions about handling difficult situations with clients, explaining technical concepts to non-technical people, and quickly pivoting to solve unexpected problems. The SDE role is more internal and product-focused, so those interviews will dive deeper into pure software architecture and design patterns.
How important is it to be familiar with Palantir's specific products (Gotham, Foundry, etc.) before the interview?
It's extremely important. While you won't be expected to have hands-on experience, you should have a solid understanding of what Palantir does and how its products work. The behavioral questions, especially with the hiring manager, will often probe your motivation for working at Palantir and your understanding of the company's mission. Knowing the difference between Gotham (geared towards government) and Foundry (for commercial clients) shows that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in the company, which can give you a significant advantage.
See Also
How I Conquered Palantir’s 2025 HackerRank Challenge
What I Learned From My Palantir Decomposition Interview Mistakes and Fixes
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