Live Coding Interview Prep: A Practical Guide for Engineers
- emily71485
- Jan 15
- 2 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Live coding interviews aren't all about writing perfect code. They’re also about how you think, how you communicate, and how you handle uncertainty under pressure.
Yet most candidates prepare the wrong way - memorising solutions, grinding LeetCode, or panicking when they hit a bug in front of an interviewer.
That’s exactly why we created this guide.
Why live coding interviews trip people up
From working closely with high-growth startups and scaleups, we see the same issues again and again:
Candidates jump straight into code without clarifying the problem
They go silent when thinking
They panic when something breaks
They optimise too early
They forget to test or explain trade-offs
And often, they’re technically strong - they just don’t know how to perform in the interview itself.
This guide focuses on the interview skill, not just the code.
What this guide covers
This is a practical framework you can apply to any live coding interview.
Inside the guide, you’ll find:
A 1-page quick reference cheat sheet you can review minutes before your interview
A clear 11-phase structure for tackling live coding questions from start to finish
How to think out loud without rambling
What to say when you’re stuck (and why it actually helps you)
Common mistakes that cost strong candidates offers
How interviewers expect you to handle bugs, edge cases, and time pressure
A simple post-interview reflection framework to improve every time
Who this is for
This guide is ideal if you are:
A software engineer interviewing with startups or scaleups
Preparing for live coding interviews (remote or in-person)
Strong technically, but struggling with interview nerves or structure
Wanting a clear framework rather than vague advice
It’s language-agnostic and works across frontend, backend, and full-stack interviews.
How to use it
We recommend:
Reading the full guide once
Saving the 1-page cheat sheet
Practising with the structure until it becomes second nature
Reviewing it briefly before every live coding interview
Download the guide
Download the Live Coding Interview Prep Guide below and go into your next interview knowing exactly what to do, what to say and how to recover when things don’t go perfectly.
Good luck – and remember, the interviewer wants you to succeed.
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