Coding Interview Patterns That Cover 80% of Questions

Coding Interview Patterns That Cover 80% of Questions

The coding interview feels infinite — thousands of LeetCode problems, each seemingly unique. But here is the secret that experienced candidates know: roughly 80% of coding interview questions map to just 8 patterns. Master these patterns, and you will recognize the approach within the first 60 seconds of reading a problem. That recognition is the difference between solving it in 20 minutes and staring at a blank screen.

Pattern 1: Two Pointers

When to use it: The input is a sorted array or linked list, and you need to find pairs or subarrays that meet a condition. Also useful for in-place array manipulation.

How it works: Place one pointer at the start and one at t...