Meta's New AI-Enabled Coding Interview: What We Know

Meta changed how they interview engineers. Starting in late 2024 and rolling out through 2025, they introduced a new format where candidates actually use an AI assistant during the coding round.

We're not Meta insiders, but we've been following this closely through Wired's reporting, prep company guides from Hello Interview and Coditioning, and dozens of candidate experiences on Reddit. Here's what the picture looks like.

The Format

Meta's loop now typically includes two coding rounds:

One traditional round: Classic LeetCode-style, no AI allowed
One AI-enabled round: 60 minutes in CoderPad with an AI assistant built in

The AI round replaces one of the old "solve two problems in 35 minutes" sessions. Reports suggest it's most common for E4-E5 roles right now, with expansion ongoing.

What the AI Round Looks Like

Based on candidate accounts and prep guides:

60 minutes total
Multi-file codebase (not a blank editor)
4-5 checkpoints in one realistic problem
AI chat sidebar with model options (GPT-4o mini, Claude variants, Llama)
Clearing the first 3 checkpoints is reportedly enough for a hire signal

The problems tend to be practical: build a feature from spec, extend unfamiliar code, or debug failing tests. Think "maze solver" or "word game utility" rather than "implement a red-black tree."

Meta reportedly sends candidates a practice CoderPad environment before the interview. It's a sandbox where you can get familiar with the multi-file editor, the AI chat sidebar, and work through a sample problem. Multiple reports say the practice problem (often a Wordle-style word game) closely mirrors the real format. If you get one, use it.

What's Actually Being Tested

According to Hello Interview and candidate reports, Meta's focus areas are:

Problem Solving
Code Development & Understanding
Verification & Debugging
Technical Communication

Notice what's not emphasized: pure algorithm recall, typing speed, obscure data structure trivia.

The shift is toward practical engineering. Can you navigate unfamiliar code? Debug systematically? Collaborate with an AI tool without losing the plot?

Common Pitfalls

From Reddit threads and Formation's analysis, a few failure patterns keep coming up:

Over-relying on AI: Letting it generate entire functions, then being unable to explain or adapt them. One mentor described candidates "asking Claude to write a function... and then saying literally nothing while it works."

Ignoring the AI entirely: Some candidates treat it like a traditional round. This wastes time on boilerplate and misses the point of demonstrating AI collaboration skills.

Skipping the tests: A lot of the "spec" lives in unit tests. Candidates who don't read test names and failure messages carefully get stuck.

Going silent: Interviewers are evaluating communication. Long quiet stretches while waiting for AI output hurt you. Talk through your reasoning while the model works.

How to Prepare

If you're interviewing at Meta (or companies adopting similar formats), the key skills seem to be:

Codebase navigation: Quickly understanding multi-file projects
Test-driven debugging: Reading tests as documentation, isolating failures
AI collaboration: Asking for small, reviewable chunks rather than entire solutions
Thinking out loud: Explaining your reasoning continuously

The practice pad Meta provides is reportedly your best prep resource. Beyond that, practicing in CoderPad or a similar environment with an AI assistant (Cursor, Copilot, Claude) can help you get comfortable with the workflow.

The Bigger Picture

Meta isn't alone here. Rippling, DoorDash, and a growing number of startups are experimenting with AI-enabled interviews. Platforms like CoderPad and HackerRank have built AI assistants directly into their interview tools.

The industry seems to be splitting: some rounds will stay pure algorithm puzzles (no AI), while others will test how effectively you work with AI tools. Preparing for both is probably wise.

What We're Building

This shift is exactly why we're building Lixir's AI Pair Practice mode. The goal is to simulate this new interview format: multi-file codebases, integrated AI assistance, and feedback on how you collaborate with AI tools, not just whether your code runs.

Traditional interview prep platforms haven't caught up to this change yet. We think there's an opportunity to help candidates practice the actual skills these new interviews are testing.

Want to practice AI-assisted interviews?

Lixir's AI Pair Practice mode simulates the new Meta-style format with real codebases and feedback on your AI collaboration skills.

Join the Waitlist

Sources: Wired, Hello Interview, Coditioning, NerdDesignLab, Formation.dev, HackerRank, Interviewing.io, Reddit (r/leetcode, r/cscareerquestions, r/ExperiencedDevs)