Microsoft vs Expedia: Interview Question Comparison

When preparing for technical interviews, understanding company-specific patterns is crucial. Microsoft and Expedia represent two ends of the spectrum in terms of scale and question focus, requiring different preparation strategies. This comparison breaks down their key differences in question volume, difficulty, and topic emphasis to help you plan your study.

Question Volume and Difficulty

The sheer volume of questions is the most striking difference. Microsoft's tagged question bank is vast, with 1,352 questions categorized by difficulty (379 Easy, 762 Medium, 211 Hard). This reflects its long history of rigorous technical interviews and the wide variety of teams and roles. You must be prepared for a broad, deep assessment of fundamentals, with a significant portion of challenging problems.

In stark contrast, Expedia's tagged question pool is much smaller, with 54 questions (13 Easy, 35 Medium, 6 Hard). This suggests a more focused interview process. The difficulty distribution is heavily skewed toward Medium, which are the most common for on-site rounds. The low number of Hard questions indicates that while problem-solving is tested, extremely complex algorithmic puzzles are less frequent.

Preparation Implication: For Microsoft, breadth and endurance are key. For Expedia, depth on core, medium-difficulty patterns is more critical.

Topic Overlap

Both companies strongly emphasize Array, String, and Hash Table problems. These form the bedrock of data manipulation and are essential for both.

• Microsoft adds a major emphasis on Dynamic Programming (DP). This is a classic topic for assessing advanced problem decomposition and optimization skills. Expect problems involving sequences, paths, or resource allocation.

# Example DP (Climbing Stairs)
def climbStairs(n: int) -> int:
    if n <= 2:
        return n
    dp = [0] * (n + 1)
    dp[1], dp[2] = 1, 2
    for i in range(3, n + 1):
        dp[i] = dp[i-1] + dp[i-2]
    return dp[n]

• Expedia highlights Greedy algorithms. This aligns with solving optimization problems common in travel and logistics (e.g., scheduling, resource assignment). Greedy problems test your ability to find efficient, step-by-step solutions.

# Example Greedy (Maximum Subarray - Kadane's)
def maxSubArray(nums):
    current_max = global_max = nums[0]
    for num in nums[1:]:
        current_max = max(num, current_max + num)
        global_max = max(global_max, current_max)
    return global_max

Which to Prepare for First

Prepare for Microsoft first if you are interviewing with both. The reasoning is foundational: mastering the breadth and depth required for Microsoft will inherently cover the core of Expedia's requirements. Solving a large number of Array, String, Hash Table, and DP problems will solidify your algorithmic thinking, making you well-prepared for Expedia's focused set of Medium-difficulty questions on those same core topics plus Greedy.

If you are only targeting Expedia, you can take a more targeted approach. Drill deeply into Array, String, Hash Table, and Greedy problems at the Medium level. Ensure you can cleanly implement and reason about these patterns, as the interview will likely test fewer but more in-depth problems.

Regardless of target, always practice communicating your thought process clearly. For Microsoft, be ready to handle follow-ups and optimize complex solutions. For Expedia, be prepared to discuss real-world applications of your algorithm, especially for Greedy approaches.

For detailed question lists and patterns, visit the company pages: Microsoft and Expedia.