ML Prep

Programming Screening

Answer each question independently. Difficulty varies, and you can complete the list over several sittings.

Review results

Python

Understand Python-specific semantics that produce common screening mistakes.

  1. Trace aliasing, shallow copy, and equalityMedium · 8 min · 5 skills
  2. Diagnose a mutable default argumentMedium · 8 min · 4 skills
  3. Reason about list-operation complexityMedium · 8 min · 4 skills
  4. Implement value equality for a mutable classHard · 15 min · 4 skills

Control Flow

Trace and write string traversal, branching, and loops accurately.

  1. Trace a sentinel-based string scanEasy · 5 min · 3 skills
  2. Summarize consecutive character runsMedium · 10 min · 3 skills
  3. Split only at top-level commasHard · 14 min · 3 skills

Data Structures

Choose and operate Python's built-ins and basic algorithmic containers.

  1. Choose a built-in container by operationEasy · 7 min · 7 skills
  2. Evaluate postfix arithmetic with a stackMedium · 12 min · 1 skills
  3. Find the first matching index by binary searchMedium · 12 min · 2 skills
  4. Compute unweighted distances with BFSMedium · 18 min · 4 skills
  5. Traverse reachable nodes with iterative DFSMedium · 15 min · 4 skills
  6. Merge sorted lists with a heapHard · 18 min · 2 skills

Recursion

Identify base cases, trace calls, and implement recursive decompositions.

  1. Trace recursive calls and returnsEasy · 6 min · 2 skills
  2. Check a palindrome recursively by indicesMedium · 10 min · 2 skills
  3. Sum an arbitrarily nested integer listHard · 15 min · 2 skills