How to Crack Verily Coding Interviews in 2026

Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences) runs a rigorous technical interview process that mirrors its parent company Alphabet. Expect 2-4 coding rounds focusing on algorithmic problem-solving, system design for senior roles, and behavioral questions that probe your impact in health-tech contexts. The process is standard Silicon Valley: 45-60 minute sessions on a collaborative editor, with an emphasis on clean, efficient, and well-explained code.

By the Numbers — Difficulty Breakdown and What It Means

Based on an analysis of recent Verily interview reports, the difficulty distribution is revealing:

• Easy: 1 question (8%)
• Medium: 10 questions (83%)
• Hard: 1 question (8%)

This distribution is your strategic guide. Verily’s interview is a medium-difficulty gauntlet. The single hard problem is often the differentiator for top-tier candidates, but the core of the interview is built on mastering medium-level questions. You must solve mediums quickly, correctly, and with optimal complexity to earn the shot at the hard problem. The lone easy question is typically a warm-up; failing to breeze through it is a major red flag.

Top Topics to Focus On

The data shows clear priority areas. Depth in these topics is non-negotiable.

Array & Hash Table: The most frequent combination. Expect problems involving traversal, in-place manipulation, or using a hash map (dictionary/object) for O(1) lookups to reduce time complexity. The classic pattern is the Two-Sum approach, which is foundational for countless other problems.

def two_sum(nums, target):
    seen = {}
    for i, num in enumerate(nums):
        complement = target - num
        if complement in seen:
            return [seen[complement], i]
        seen[num] = i
    return []

# Example: two_sum([2, 7, 11, 15], 9) -> [0, 1]

Sorting: Rarely asked in isolation. It’s a critical preprocessing step for techniques like the two-pointer pattern, which is essential for problems involving pairs, deduplication, or searching in a sorted array.

Math: Focus on number theory, modular arithmetic, and combinatorial logic. These questions test your ability to derive a formula or pattern rather than brute force, often requiring an O(1) or O(log n) solution.

String: Manipulation and parsing are common. Practice sliding window for substrings, and understand how to efficiently check for anagrams or palindromes. These often combine with the hash table pattern for counting characters.

Preparation Strategy — A 4-6 Week Plan

This plan assumes 15-20 hours of focused study per week.

Weeks 1-2: Foundation & Core Topics

• Drill the top topics: Array, Hash Table, Sorting, String. Use a platform like CodeJeet to filter problems by company and topic.
• For each topic, learn 2-3 core patterns (e.g., hash map for lookups, two-pointer for sorted arrays, sliding window for substrings).
• Solve 3-5 medium problems daily. Focus on writing bug-free code on the first try and explaining your reasoning aloud.

Weeks 3-4: Problem Synthesis & Speed

• Start tackling problems where topics merge (e.g., using a hash table and sorting).
• Time yourself: 25 minutes to solve and explain a medium problem.
• Begin mock interviews. The pressure of explaining your thought process to another person is irreplaceable.
• Revisit all previously solved problems and solve them again without looking at the solution.

Weeks 5-6: Mock Interviews & Gaps

• Complete 1-2 mock interviews per week, simulating the full 45-60 minute Verily format.
• Allocate time to study the one "Hard" problem category—often dynamic programming or advanced graph traversal. Ensure you can follow the solution even if deriving it under pressure is difficult.
• In the final days, review behavioral stories using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), emphasizing metrics and collaboration, especially in technical or health-adjacent projects.

Key Tips

1. Communicate Relentlessly. Verily interviewers assess how you think. Narrate your approach, discuss trade-offs between brute force and optimized solutions, and ask clarifying questions before you write a single line of code.
2. Optimize for Mediums First. Your primary goal is to flawlessly solve two medium problems in an interview. Prioritize speed and accuracy on these over attempting to master every hard problem.
3. Consider Health-Tech Context. While problems are algorithmic, subtly framing your solution with an awareness of data scale, privacy, or real-world validation (e.g., "We'd need to validate this algorithm with clinical data") in the discussion can set you apart.
4. Test Your Code. Always run through 2-3 test cases, including edge cases (empty input, large values, duplicates). Verbally walk through the execution to catch off-by-one errors.

Success at Verily is built on consistent, pattern-based practice. Master the medium, and you’ll be prepared for the challenge.

Browse all Verily questions on CodeJeet