Is 3 months enough to prepare for FAANG interviews?

Yes, 3 months of focused preparation is sufficient for most candidates with a computer science background or equivalent experience. The key is consistent daily practice of 2-3 hours rather than sporadic long sessions. Candidates with weaker fundamentals may need 4-6 months.

How do I balance FAANG interview prep with a full-time job?

Dedicate mornings before work or evenings after work to study, aiming for 2 hours on weekdays and 4-6 hours on weekends. Use lunch breaks for flashcard review or reading. Prioritize quality over quantity and batch similar tasks together.

What is the difference between FAANG interview processes?

Google emphasizes algorithm depth and Googleyness. Meta focuses on coding speed and practical system design. Amazon relies heavily on Leadership Principles in behavioral rounds. Apple values domain expertise and design sense. Netflix interviews are more conversational and focus on senior-level judgment.

Should I apply to all FAANG companies at once?

No. Stagger your applications so your target company comes last. Apply to less-preferred companies first for practice with real interview conditions. Space applications 2-3 weeks apart to incorporate lessons learned.

3-Month FAANG Interview Preparation Timeline and Study Plan (2026)

Published February 15, 2026

FAANG interview preparation requires a structured approach that covers data structures, algorithms, system design, and behavioral questions. Without a clear plan, candidates waste weeks on the wrong topics or burn out before they reach peak readiness. This 3-month timeline gives you a week-by-week roadmap that has helped thousands of engineers land offers at Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, and other top tech companies in 2026.

This guide assumes you have at least basic programming experience and can commit 2-3 hours on weekdays and 4-6 hours on weekends.

Before You Start: Assessment and Setup

Before diving into the 12-week plan, spend a few days assessing your starting point.

Self-Assessment Checklist

Can you implement common data structures from scratch?
Can you solve LeetCode Easy problems in under 15 minutes consistently?
Have you studied system design concepts like load balancing, caching, and database sharding?
Do you have 5-8 behavioral stories prepared using the STAR method?
Is your resume updated and optimized for the roles you are targeting?

If your resume needs work, start there. Use our resume builder to create an ATS-optimized resume that highlights your strongest technical achievements.

Phase 1: Foundations (Weeks 1 through 4)

The first phase rebuilds your computer science fundamentals and builds a strong problem-solving base.

Week 1: Arrays, Strings, and Hash Maps

Review array and string manipulation techniques. Study hash map internals. Solve 2-3 LeetCode Easy problems daily. Learn the two pointers pattern.

Target problems: Two Sum, Valid Anagram, Contains Duplicate, Merge Sorted Array, Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock.

Weekend: Solve 4-5 problems and review our data structures cheat sheet.

Week 2: Linked Lists, Stacks, and Queues

Implement a linked list, stack, and queue from scratch. Study the fast and slow pointer technique. Learn the monotonic stack pattern.

Week 3: Trees and Recursion

Review binary tree traversals. Study BST properties and operations. Solve 2-3 problems daily. Practice recursive thinking.

Week 4: Graphs and BFS/DFS

Study graph representations. Implement BFS and DFS from scratch. Learn topological sort for dependency problems.

Weekend: Review all problems from weeks 1-4 that you struggled with. Resolve them without looking at solutions.

Phase 1 milestone: Comfortable with 60-80 LeetCode Easy and early Medium problems, and recognizing basic patterns.

Phase 2: Patterns and System Design (Weeks 5 through 8)

Week 5: Sliding Window and Binary Search

Study the sliding window pattern. Master binary search variations including search on the answer space. Begin system design study.

Week 6: Dynamic Programming Fundamentals

Study the DP framework: identify subproblems, write recurrence, add memoization. Start with 1D DP, progress to 2D DP.

Weekend: Spend 4-6 hours on DP problems. See our LeetCode preparation guide for recommended progression.

Week 7: Advanced Patterns and Backtracking

Study backtracking, heap-based patterns, and trie data structure. System design: caching strategies, message queues, microservices vs monolith.

Week 8: System Design Deep Dive

Morning: 1-2 coding problems. Evening: one system design topic in depth. Practice designing URL Shortener, Twitter Feed, Chat System, Rate Limiter.

Weekend: Full mock system design interview. See our system design interview guide.

Phase 2 milestone: Solving medium problems in 25-35 minutes, recognizing DP patterns, designing basic systems.

Phase 3: Mock Interviews and Company-Specific Prep (Weeks 9 through 12)

Week 9: Mock Interviews Begin

Do 2-3 timed coding sessions daily. Complete 2 mock interviews this week. Start preparing behavioral stories.

Read our behavioral interviews guide to structure your stories.

Week 10: Company-Specific Preparation

Google: Algorithm depth, clear thought process, Googleyness.

Meta: Coding speed, practical system design, scale questions.

Amazon: 2 stories per Leadership Principle. High behavioral bar.

Apple: Domain knowledge, conversational style.

Solve company-tagged LeetCode problems for your target company.

Week 11: Intensive Simulation

3-4 mock interviews this week. Practice under realistic conditions. Solve 1-2 hard problems daily from target company's bank.

Weekend: Full onsite simulation: 4 back-to-back interviews with breaks matching the real schedule.

Week 12: Final Polish and Rest

Monday to Wednesday: Review notebook, light coding, finalize behavioral stories, prepare interviewer questions.

Thursday to Sunday: Light review only. Prepare logistics. Get full sleep, exercise, eat well. Trust your preparation.

Balancing Preparation with a Full-Time Job

Weekday morning (6:30-7:30 AM): Solve one coding problem.

Lunch break (30 min): Review flashcards or concepts.

Weekday evening (8:00-9:30 PM): System design study or problem review.

Saturday (4-6 hours): Mock interviews and hard problem sessions.

Sunday (2-3 hours): Weekly review and planning. Rest the remainder.

Total: 15-20 hours per week, sustainable over 12 weeks.

Tracking Your Progress

Problems solved by difficulty: Target 30% easy, 50% medium, 20% hard
Average solve time for mediums: Under 30 minutes by week 8
Mock interview scores: Track from peers or platforms
Patterns mastered: Check off each pattern
System design topics: Ensure breadth

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Solving too many easy problems: After week 4, focus on mediums and hards
Skipping system design: It carries equal weight for mid-level and senior roles
Neglecting behavioral prep: Often the deciding factor between candidates
Not doing mock interviews: Solving alone is different from solving while being watched
Cramming the week before: Taper your effort like an athlete before a race

Your resume on EasyResume also serves as a living document. Keep it updated with accomplishments so you are always prepared for the next step in your career.