Top 17
Prep plan
Updated weekly · Last refresh Aug 30

Waymo Research Scientist Interview Questions

The questions to prepare for a Waymo Research Scientist interview. Questions from real interview reports rank first. Updated weekly.

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1
CodingStart here. 7 questions · ~85 min
Top K Closest Obstacles StreamMedium
Practice

Use a heap-based priority queue to keep the k closest obstacle readings from a sensor stream.

priority queuesensor datatop kWaymo
Implement Binary Focal Loss GradientsHard
Practice

Implement numerically stable binary focal loss and its backward pass from logits, including reduction handling.

backpropagationloss functionsnumpyWaymo
Minimum Cost Multi-Stage RouteMedium
Practice

Use dynamic programming with two rolling states to minimize total cost across stages with stay-or-switch decisions.

space complexitytime complexityDynamic ProgrammingWaymo
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2
System Design4 questions · ~48 min
Design an Edge Case Mining PipelineHard

Design an ML pipeline that mines rare autonomous driving edge cases from fleet logs and prioritizes high value segments for labeling.

fleet dataactive learningdata ingestionWaymo
Trajectory Prediction and EvaluationHard

Tests your modeling approach for multi-modal trajectory prediction and your evaluation methodology.

Waymo
Multi-Task Perception ArchitectureHard

Tests your ability to design and structure multi-task learning systems for autonomous driving perception.

Waymo
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3
Machine Learning3 questions · ~36 min
Fast Image ConvolutionMedium

Tests your ability to optimize convolution computation for performance and correctness.

Waymo
Zero-Shot Learning ApproachHard

Evaluates your understanding of zero-shot methods and how to apply them in practice.

Waymo
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4
Behavioral & Leadership3 questions · ~36 min
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The finish line: interview-readyComplete all 17 questions to finish this plan.