Interview Experiences

Real candidates, real loops: every round, what was asked, and how it ended.

Share yours, earn XP

8 stories

Likes earn the author +10 XP for the first 3 likes each day

InstacartData Scientist
Reported Jul 2026

Instacart Data Scientist interview: case study and SQL screen

One part of my process felt light technically for how long it took. After a recruiter-style step, I completed a live case study that lasted 1.5 hours. I used Python, or another tool of my choice, for the main technical task. The case study took up most of the time; I also gave a presentation and answered questions from people presented as stakeholders. In a separate recruiter-to-tech-screen path,…

Technical Screen0
InstacartData Scientist
Feb 2026

Product Sense, Experiment Design, and SQL in 45 Minutes

Overall the experience was good. The interviewer was very nice and the conversation flowed smoothly. In 45 minutes we covered product sense, experiment design, experiment analysis, and SQL. Question 1 How to investigate a metric decline. Pretty standard question. Seasonality, product changes, user segments, external competition — anything reasonable works. Question 2 If you were launching a new p…

Technical Screen0
InstacartData ScientistSenior+
Dec 2025

Five Questions on Product Sense, Experiment Design, and SQL

Overall the experience was good. The interviewer was very nice, and communication was smooth. The 45 minutes covered product sense, experiment design, experiment analysis, and SQL. Question 1 How to investigate a metric decline. Pretty standard question. Seasonality, product changes, user segments, external competition — as long as it's reasonable, that's fine. Question 2 If you want to launch a…

Technical Screen0
InstacartData Scientist
Dec 2025

Four Rounds Including a Bar Raiser Case and a Project Presentation

Four rounds. Round 1 — Problem Solving (30 min): We partnered with a local grocery store to add a smart cart. Users could use the smart cart to find this store's own products and prices, and at the same time see products and prices from other stores on the Instacart app through the same cart. They asked whether this is a good idea, what the hypothesis would be, which metrics to look at, and how t…

Onsite0
InstacartData Scientist
Oct 2025

HR Screen, Take-Home, and Two BQ Rounds I Didn't Pass

I. First was an HR call. They asked me to tell them about myself, about my related experience (Data/Strategy), sponsorship, and why this role. After it wrapped up they sent me a sponsorship intake form to make sure I'd actually be able to work here. II. Then came the take-home challenge. The day after I filled out the form they sent it over — not hard, 7 or 8 questions, step by step. Two tables:…

RejectedOnsite0
InstacartData Scientist
Oct 2025

One-Hour Technical Screen on a Revenue Drop Case

Locked — open it to unlock the full story with XP.

Technical ScreenXP0
InstacartData ScientistSenior+
Oct 2025

Three-Part Onsite: Take-home Review, Stats, and a Supply-Demand Product Case

Locked — open it to unlock the full story with XP.

OnsiteXP0
InstacartData ScientistSenior+
Oct 2025

Four Onsite Rounds Including a Bar Raiser Case

Four rounds. Round 1 — Problem Solving (30 mins): partnered with a local grocery store to add a smart cart that lets users find that store's own products and prices on the smart cart, and at the same time see products and prices from other stores on the Instacart app through the same cart. Asked whether this is a good idea, what the hypothesis would be, which metrics to look at, and how to design…

Onsite0

What are interview experiences?

An interview experience is a candidate's own account of a hiring loop — not a question bank entry. It tells you the shape of the process: how many rounds there were, what each round actually tested, how long the gaps between them ran, and what the recruiter said at the end. That context is the part a question list cannot give you.

How to read them

Weight recent write-ups more heavily — interview loops change, often within a year. Read several for the same company and role rather than one: a single account tells you what one interviewer asked, while five tell you what the bar is. Note the outcome badge too, since a rejection write-up usually explains the gap far more precisely than an offer one.

Share your own

Every published experience earns 50 XP, and each of the first 3 likes it receives in a day earns you 10 XP more. Likes must come from established accounts; like-for-like swaps and likes from your own second account are not paid. Write it while the details are fresh — the round order, the exact prompts, and how much time you were given are what the next reader needs.

Share your experience to earn XP