Karat has rapidly become the standard 3rd party intervieiwng platform for many tech companies (e.g. Atlassian, Palantir, Indeed, Intuit, Instacart etc.), offering a consistent and objective evaluation process. Because Karat's interviewers are independent specialists, the process is designed to be highly consistent, fair, and purely technical. The entire 60-minute session is dedicated to technical evaluation, completely excluding culture-fit or standard behavioral questions. Furthermore, many companies that utilize Karat allow for redo interviews if a candidate is dissatisfied with their performance or was affected by technical issues, providing a valuable second chance.

Karat Interview Structure: The 60-Minute Breakdown

The standard Karat interview lasts approximately 60 minutes and is typically divided into two distinct sections: Domain Knowledge and Live Coding.

1. Domain Knowledge: Testing Foundational Concepts

This initial section focuses on your understanding of core concepts directly related to the role for which you are applying. These questions are designed to test your ability to reason about real-world systems and architectural decisions, moving beyond simple factual recall.

Example Karat Domain Knowledge Questions

• Frontend Roles: “How do cookies and localStorage differ, and when would you use one over the other?”
• Backend/System Design Roles: “Explain the trade-offs between a RESTful API and a GraphQL implementation.”
• Data Engineering Roles: “Describe the difference between OLAP and OLTP databases.”

Strategic Tips for Domain Knowledge

• Be Concise: Time is extremely valuable. Keep your answers short, accurate, and to the point to save maximum time for the coding section.
• Acknowledge Gaps: If you genuinely do not know the answer, state it quickly and politely so the interviewer can move on.
• Relate to Experience: Expect broad but familiar topics that should align with your resume and the job description.
• Practice: For a comprehensive list of common Karat domain knowledge questions asked in the past organized by topic, check out the dedicated resources on InterviewDB here.

2. Live Coding: The Core of the Karat Interview

The majority of the 60 minutes is dedicated to the Karat coding interview. You will be presented with one or more coding problems, often structured with multiple progressive parts that increase in complexity. To have a strong chance of passing the interview, candidates are generally expected to solve at least two parts or problems completely.

What Karat Evaluates

The Karat assessment is highly focused on a few key areas:

1. Correctness: The solution must correctly handle all requirements and edge cases.
2. Clarity and Reasoning: Your ability to communicate your logic, assumptions, and design choices is paramount.
3. Working Solution: The primary goal is a functional, working piece of code. You DO NOT need to provide an optimal solution.

After you complete your code, the process is standardized:

• You will run your code against test cases provided by the interviewer to verify correctness and edge cases.
• You will then discuss the time and space complexity of your final approach.

Key Advice for Passing the Karat Coding Interview

• Prioritize Coding Time: Spend minimal time in the domain knowledge section to maximize your time for the live coding challenge. Many candidates have reported that they have successfully passed the Karat screen even with a poor performance in the Domain Knowledge portion, provided they delivered a strong, working solution in the Live Coding section.
• Communicate Constantly: Treat the interviewer as a collaborator. Walk through your thought process, state your assumptions, and explain your approach before you start typing. Silence is detrimental.
• Focus on Correctness: Do not stress over finding the most optimal algorithm. Focus on producing a clean, working solution first. Optimal solution is not required.
• Practice Real Questions: Karat is known to reuse questions. Practice the actual Karat interview questions available here to familiarize yourself with the common patterns and increase your chances of success.

By mastering the structure and focusing on clear communication and correctness, you can significantly increase your chances of passing the Karat interview and moving forward in the hiring process.