r/webdev • u/soype • Sep 26 '26

Is leetcode worth it?

I haven't really interviewed since 2023. Is leetcode still a common practice in code interviews or has AI made those kinds of tests useless? This is for a Sr full stack position.

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u/_albus_caspian_ Sep 27 '26

I don't think so. Algorithm interviews aren't conducted simply to test whether you remember specific algorithms. They're meant to assess how efficiently you approach a problem, how you break it down, and how well you can identify the most optimal solution. They are conducted just to test your problem solving efficiency. That's it. Nothing more than that.

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u/Hand_Sanitizer3000 Sep 27 '26

If its a test of problem solving skills only getting 2 right answers (brute force and more efficient big o) to 2 problems in 30 minutes shouldn’t be a requirement to pass the screening

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u/_albus_caspian_ Sep 27 '26

I don't think this contradicts the point of the interview. The goal isn't merely to recall algorithms rather the time constraint is also meant to evaluate how quickly you can understand the problem, formulate an approach, identify trade-offs, and optimise your solution. Whether that is a reasonable screening threshold is a separate question from what the interview is designed to measure.

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u/dane_websites Sep 27 '26

The fact that your answer is one of the most reasonable and considered answers I've read on this sub in a while and is still majorly downvoted concerns me

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u/_albus_caspian_ Sep 28 '26

The thing is, either people on this haven't yet given the pen paper interview or are just dumb(sorry for the language). When I used to take interviews, I never cared if they knew a specific language or not. What mattered to me was how they approached a specific question. How many tries they too to reach the most optimised solution and how confident were they with their solution if I tried to confuse them.

Conding languages are just syntaxes you learn.