Time for another mock interview! This one runs for about twenty-five to thirty minutes, and the problem can draw on anything you’ve practiced in this series so far, from hashing and two pointers to prefix sums and binary search. Your interviewer won’t tell you which one fits. Picking it is up to you.
If you tried the mock interview in the previous course, the format will feel familiar. You ask clarifying questions, walk an example through by hand, talk through a first approach, and then write your code in the chat and trace it yourself.
This time, expect a bit more pushback. Real interviewers sometimes rule out an idea partway through or tighten a requirement once you’ve solved the first version, and yours will too. When that happens, say what the new rule breaks in your current plan before you reach for a new one.
Your interviewer stays in character until the debrief. Type hint for a small nudge, pause to step out and ask a coaching question, or end interview to skip to your feedback. The debrief scores your session, names two strengths and two things to practice, and walks you through a reference solution.
If your last mock interview felt rushed, try slowing down at the start. A minute spent on questions and a small example usually saves five minutes of rewriting later. And when you state the cost of your solution, remember to count the Python operations you use. The guide to Python’s data structures is a handy refresher.
