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Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) interview questionsSystem Design Interview round
A 60 min interview plan with a time-boxed script, what each question is for, and the signals to score against. Key skills: System Design, Scalability, High Availability, Fault Tolerance, Disaster Recovery.
Opening
· 5 minWho is interviewing, how the round will run, and a question to settle the candidate in. The standard openingSystem Design Challenge
What this part is for
Purpose
Evaluate technical knowledge and problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios related to system design, scalability, high availability, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery.
Design a scalable and highly available logging system for a large-scale distributed application. Consider factors such as data ingestion, storage, retrieval, and fault tolerance.
What this question is for, and what to listen for
Purpose
Assess the candidate's ability to design systems with scalability, high availability, and fault tolerance.
Signals to score
- Understands the requirements clearly
- Proposes a scalable architecture
- Considers high availability
- Addresses fault tolerance
- Discusses data ingestion methods
- Explains storage solutions
- Considers retrieval mechanisms
- Considers disaster recovery strategies
Follow-up questions
- How would you ensure the system can handle a high volume of logs?
- What storage solutions would you consider for scalability?
- How would you ensure high availability in your design?
- What fault tolerance mechanisms would you implement?
If you had more time, what would you change in your design?
What this question is for, and what to listen for
Purpose
Assess the candidate's ability to reflect on their work, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Signals to score
- Recognizes limits in their original design
- Points out clear areas to improve
- Suggests specific changes
- Talks about how changes could help performance
- Shares ideas clearly and logically
- Shows a desire to learn and improve
Follow-up questions
- What additional features would you consider adding?
- How could you further optimize the system?
- Are there any potential bottlenecks you foresee?
Great job on the system design challenge!
What this line is for
Purpose
Provides positive reinforcement to the candidate, helping to build confidence and create a supportive atmosphere before moving into the final part of the interview.
Closing
· 5 minTheir questions for you, and what happens next. The standard closingSite Reliability Engineer (SRE) interviews — common questions
- Who is this Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) interview plan for?
- It is written for the interviewer, not the candidate: the hiring manager, engineer or panel member running the System Design Interview round for a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) role. It gives you a 60 min script to follow in the conversation — 2 questions with what each one is for and the signals to score against — so you are not writing the round from scratch the night before.
- What does the System Design Interview round assess?
- This round is focused on: System Design, Scalability, High Availability, Fault Tolerance, Disaster Recovery. It works through System Design Challenge, scoring against 14 observable signals, with follow-up prompts on both questions for going deeper where an answer is thin.
- How is the 60 min split up?
- 5 min opening, 50 min on 2 questions and 5 min closing. The questions take in System Design Challenge (50 min). The timings are there so the round stays on schedule and every candidate gets the same shape of interview — which is what makes two candidates comparable afterwards.
- What other rounds should I run for a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)?
A single round does not cover a whole role. The other rounds in this library for a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE):
Hiring for this role?
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- Every interviewer runs the same script and marks the same signals.
- AI drafts the write-ups, and the debrief puts every read side by side.
- No ATS to set up first, and no bot in the call.
Free for your first open role.