Role guide · Updated Sep 7, 2026

Data Scientist Interview Guide 2026

Data Scientist loops test Python, SQL and Feature Engineering first, then Problem Solving and Machine Learning. Everything below is aggregated from 19,542 candidate reports and 2,392 company guides.

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19,542

Candidate reports

40,936

Reported questions

2,392

Companies with a guide

4rounds

Median loop length

01 · What interviews test

Topics by share of guides

Python

47%

SQL

40%

Feature Engineering

23%

Problem Solving

22%

Machine Learning

21%

Data Visualization

03 · Company guides

All 2,392 Data Scientist interview guides

Back to the popular guides

HP Inc.

Data Scientist guide

Azienda di Telecomunicazioni

Data Scientist guide

Carmax

Data Scientist guide

04 · Questions

Most common Data Scientist questions

All 40,936 →

Supervised vs Unsupervised Learning

Machine Learning

Easy

767 guides

Common Pitfalls in Experiment Results

A/B Testing & Experimentation

Hard

731 guides

Design Test for New Feature

A/B Testing & Experimentation

Medium

07 · Recent experiences

What candidates reported recently

All experiences →

Walmart

Jul 30, 2026 · Difficult

My interview process felt unusually intense and a bit chaotic from the start. After an initial technical screening phase, I had a supply chain-focused technical round with multiple interviewers at once, including SQL, Python, statistics (one of the questions was probability), and then deeper discussion of machine learn

No offer

Shopify

Jul 24, 2026 · Average

After I applied online, I heard back from HR within about a week. The first round was a 30-minute behavioral and background interview focused on my experience and fit. Shortly after, I did a one-hour technical screening with a team member where the questions split between SQL and Python, and it felt pretty structured a

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14%

Statistical Modeling

11%

Behavioral Interviewing

11%

02 · Typical process

Recurring stages, by frequency

1
Recruiter or HR screen
Background, motivation, target level and timeline.
82%
2
Technical screen
A short live technical round before the main loop.
12%
3
Assessment or take-home
Online test, case study or take-home exercise.
58%
4
Technical interviews
Deep dives on the core skills the role tests.
54%
5
Hiring manager interview
Role fit, past work and how you would operate on the team.
12%
6
Panel or team interviews
Several interviewers at once, often cross-functional.
23%
7
Behavioral and culture fit
Past situations, collaboration and values.
27%
8
Final or onsite round
A multi-interview loop, sometimes with leadership.
37%

Loblaw Companies

Data Scientist guide

McKinsey Quantumblack

431 guides

First Checks for Metric Drops

Metrics

Easy

412 guides

Pitfalls in Streaming Experiment Analysis

A/B Testing & Experimentation

Hard

379 guides

Statistical Significance in Hypothesis Testing

Statistics & Probability

Easy

367 guides

Diagnose KPI Drop After Release

Metrics

Medium

363 guides

Prioritizing Across Competing Client Projects

Behavioral & Leadership

Easy

358 guides

05 · By category

No offer

DoorDash

Jul 23, 2026 · Average

My process began with an HR-style call where they talked through the role, compensation/benefits, and how the overall hiring flow worked. After that, I had a technical screen that moved fast. The first part was a SQL round using a Hackerrank-style format with four medium questions—there was barely enough time for the l

No offer

Upstart

Jul 23, 2026 · Difficult

After an initial recruiter screen, I was told the next step would be a fairly straightforward conversation with the hiring manager with just one technical question at the end. That’s not how it played out at all for me: the hiring-manager discussion turned into a rapid sequence of introductions followed by a deep dive

No offer

Upstart Network

Jul 23, 2026 · Difficult

After a recruiter screen that felt straightforward, I was told the next step would be a relatively short conversation with the hiring manager—about forty-five minutes—with just one technical question at the end about A/B testing. That didn’t match how it played out. The hiring manager interview quickly turned into most

No offer

Topics by share of guides

All 2,392 Data Scientist interview guides

Most common Data Scientist questions

What candidates reported recently

Recurring stages, by frequency

Questions by category