Apple Engineering Interview Questions & Reviews
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Updated Dec 2, 2011 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.
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Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 35 ratings 
“Difficult” Interview
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Interview Experience [?] Based on 35 ratings
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| 1–10 of 35 Apple Interviews | Sort by |
Engineering at Apple
Posted Dec 2, 2011
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2011 (took 1+ week)
I got my first interview with Apple with a recruiter at UCLA. Asked only technical questions about my prior experiences. Then I got a 2nd interview but on the phone. They asked the same questions.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Engineer at Apple
Posted Nov 19, 2011
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2011 in Cupertino, CA (took 1 week)
I got an interview with an HR specialist through an employee referral. The interview was more like a screening and mostly focused on how my background and skills matched their current open positions in that particular department. There were a few technical questions, but very high level, and the rest was just a discussion on the job responsibilities and how my background could be a fit or not.
The whole process was very well organized and the recruiter I spoke to was very friendly. Overall it was a very good and professional experience, even though it seemed that there was not a good fit at the time for either party involved.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through an Employee Referral and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Engineering at Apple
Posted Nov 16, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2011 (took a day)
First ask to describe myself and what is my career plan in the next five years. Then focus on the resume. Really need to familiar with any details listed on the resume. A few general questions about the position related stuff. Only takes bout 25 minutes.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through an Employee Referral and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Engineering at Apple
Posted Sep 14, 2011 — 4 of 5 people found this helpful
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2011 in Cupertino, CA (took a day)
An Apple HR representative contacted me and told me the Touch Screen group was interested in hiring new grads with a strong background in EE. The position was an Analog EE position; I told her my background was in Digital EE. She informed me that this was not a problem. I was then sent a pre-interview exam to complete within 24 hours. On the exam were analog circuit analysis questions (RLC and op-amps), a probability question, and an open ended economics question. I felt good about the exam and a few days later Apple contacted me saying they’d like to proceed with an onsite interview. We scheduled a date.
Four days before the interview I received an email disclosing what I should study to prepare for the interview. On the list: tranistors/resistors. Transistors had not been on the pretest. Enter full on study mode.
The day of: My first interview starts with “So why do you want to work at Apple.” I’m tempted to say “Actually, you guys want me,” but I start off on a good note and talk about the exciting technology, the chance to work with brilliant people, and my potential to really grow and excel in such an engineer-friendly environment – pretty good I think. Next he says “Your background is DSP, so why are you interviewing for this job.” Again, I’m tempted to say “Well, I don’t have a job yet, I am really smart and I could do well – I think – doing just about anything so I figure why not check out my options.” Instead I go on to talk about my passion for EE and my general obsession with science and engineering (honest) and that it was difficult for me in grad school to choose an area at all because everything excited me. Again, true and tactful. He understands. We talk about my background. I describe my research and go over some coursework. Then, on to the “technical” part.
My first technical question is to solve an Op-Amp circuit. I tell him I have to solve the circuit. He steps back and lets me go. I solve it slowly but surely. We move on to discussing touch screens; we have a nice technical discussion about it. Ends well and he gives me a business card.
Next, my second interviewer arrives. He again asks me why I want to work at Apple and why I am applying to this job. I bite my tongue about clarifying that I didn’t apply for the job. We discuss background and research and then move on to the technical questions. He puts up a slightly more complicated Op-Amp circuit. Sheesh, I think. I solve it, but the whole thing has taken awhile. He decides to ask me something that “I should be really familiar with.” He then goes on to ask the most ill-posed question I have ever heard. It came with a correspondingly bad block diagram.
I have thought long and hard on the discussion that followed and have decided that he didn’t know enough to ask a good question. I think he skimmed a wiki article on DSP and thought he knew enough to interview me well.
My next interview is with HR. They gush over how smart I am, how much “Apple” wants me, etc. It is over all pleasant and a nice break, thought I wonder who "Apple" is and when I get to meet him...
An engineer comes to interview me over lunch. He fixates on my background and how this position is not a good match. I try to stay positive but he is relentless. I think he hates me. I guess he gets tired of reminding me that I am a poor match for this position and moves on to asking about my research. I tell him what I did, etc. His exact words are then “Well, I am skeptical about that.” How do you politely say “Sorry you don’t understand it; maybe you’d like me to teach you something for the next 4 hours?” I know what I did, the conferences that published my work know what I did, and the team of doctorates that passed me on my M.S. defense knows what I did. I really don’t care if this guy thinks it’s legit. I feel very uncomfortable, very defensive, and starting to wonder how I even got there. I thought these people wanted to hire me; I didn’t come here to beg for a job.
He draws an op-amp circuit. He doesn’t like how I am solving it – which isn’t wrong it’s just not how he prefers. He interrupts my train of thought, but I manage to get the correct answer. He then moves on to stats questions. I did poorly here. This man was not nice and I didn’t want to be near him.
Finally, a new interviewer. He asks me another (you guessed it!) op-amp circuit.
He tries to meet me half way by asking a DSP question, but I really wish these guys would stop doing that. He receives a text message, and then asks me a question about the seasons. Meeting on more neutral ground is comfortable. This guy is nice, and I wouldn’t mind working with him.
Interview ends and he graciously tells me that we are done interviewing, but HR will be in touch with me about DSP positions.
We politely say goodbye; then I get the hell out of there.
Overall, it was weird. I am glad I did it, glad I didn’t get the job, and glad to be interviewing with other companies.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a Recruiter and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview and a Skills Test.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Engineering at Apple
Posted Aug 25, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Apr 2009 (took a day)
The interview on the phone was to check product knowledge, industry knowledge, specific job task knowledge and how you might handle specific situations in the job applied for, such as problem scenarios, standard documentation practices, knowledge of OS and hardware. The on site interview was more of the same, only in more detail and with a panel, as opposed to a singe manager.
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
They control this pretty well and give you only a little wiggle room as it is a short time, as they keep any momentum of excitement going to keep things fast.
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Skills Test, a Personality Test and a Background Check.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Engineer at Apple
Posted Jul 8, 2011 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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5.0
Very Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Dec 2010 (took a day)
The interview was very technical...no behavioral questions. Lots of problems to work on the whiteboard. The problems were relevant. They only asked things that you said you were familiar with or should be familiar with. The interviewers were very technically competent and overall I would say that Apple is looking for the very top people. The interviewers were cross functional and included several managers. There were about 8 or 9 interviewers, one-by-one, 30 minutes each, in a small room. It was exhausting but I think it is the way a top company should interview engineers if they want the very best. Cafeteria food is good!
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a Recruiter and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Skills Test.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Engineering at Apple
Posted Jun 16, 2011 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jun 2011 in Cupertino, CA (took a day)
contacted via LinkedIn. two semi technical phone screens followed. travel was required and arranged very promptly -- flexibility and decent arrangements. next day interview consisted of a 8 1:1s with potential peers and management. it lasted about 7 hours and included lunch at the main cafeteria. really know your resume, which is where most technical questions originated from. obsessive brand loyalty is par for the course and is why you're interviewing with them.
overall experience was positive and a good barometer of where you are on the totem pole.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview, a Skills Test and a Personality Test.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Engineering at Apple
Posted Apr 30, 2011 — 0 of 1 people found this helpful
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Feb 2011 in Cupertino, CA (took 2 weeks)
2 full days of interviews spread across 2 weeks. The position is fairly senior and cross-functional in nature, interfacing between two major groups. The position required wide range of technical knowledge as well as management experience. I blew the process by not answering in enough detail about team building and management experience. I was concentrating too much on being technical and mis-read the importance of questions from one of the key interviewers.
Apple has many disciplines of talent, make sure your understand the discipline of the interviewer as they look for different traits. An industrial designer make ask the same questions as an electrical engineer, but they don't always expect the same answer.
Good luck.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through an Employee Referral and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Engineering at Apple
Posted Mar 29, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Mar 2011 (took 1 week)
It was a 1:1 on-campus interview and it lasted about half an hour. I was asked a couple of questions about the projects I've been working on. And then the next day I got an email saying the feedback was positive. However one week later I was told there is no opening at this moment.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Engineering at Apple
Posted Mar 23, 2011
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2010 in Seattle, WA (took a day)
The Apple Team was in fact more focused towards to the wireless communication and how the Cells in the mobile network are oriented and organized. There were no questions on the software development side. They also asked questions on DSP and Fourier analysis.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a Recruiter and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
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