DoorDash's online assessment for new-grad and intern software roles is most often reported on HackerRank: two LeetCode-style problems, usually medium, sometimes proctored, where an unoptimized solution can lose hidden test cases to time limits. Some candidates skip it and start with a live coding screen. This page covers what the DoorDash online assessment is, its format and timings, how it is scored, the rules to know before you start, how to prepare and a two-week practice plan.
What the DoorDash online assessment is
DoorDash publishes no OA specification, so this page reflects candidate reports from 2021 to 2025 and guides checked on November 12, 2026. A HackerRank case study describes DoorDash moving university screening onto HackerRank assessments in 2020, and most intern and new-grad reports since name HackerRank. A February 2025 report described two LeetCode mediums proctored on HackerRank; a June 2025 report described two easy LeetCode-tagged problems with follow-ups; and an October 2024 intern who received an offer described a graph-focused test. One November 2025 Toronto candidate had a CoderPad pairing session instead. Guides put the time at about 90 minutes for two or three problems, which DoorDash has not confirmed.
For the graph and heap patterns that recur, see tree, graph and recursion patterns and LeetCode patterns for interviews.
Format and timings
| Part | What it involves | Time and questions |
|---|---|---|
| Coding problem 1 | Usually medium; arrays, strings or binary search | Shared time limit |
| Coding problem 2 | Medium to hard; graphs, intervals, heaps or sliding windows, often framed around orders, couriers or delivery times | Shared time limit |
| Data roles (some invitations) | SQL or light Python data tasks beside the coding | Varies |
Total: commonly reported as about 90 minutes for two problems, though DoorDash publishes no figure and reports vary.
How it is scored
- Auto-graded on hidden test cases; candidates warn that brute-force solutions can fail larger cases on time limits, so aim for the optimal complexity.
- Partial passes count toward the score.
- Guides describe the problems as practical, with a marketplace or logistics framing, so reading the story quickly matters.
- DoorDash publishes no cut-off.
Rules to know before you start
- Guides say DoorDash often enables proctoring with webcam and screen monitoring; your invitation will say.
- Invitations commonly arrive within one to two weeks of applying or a recruiter call, guides report.
- Outside help, including AI tools, is not allowed.
How to prepare
- Practice graphs (BFS, and Dijkstra for travel times), heaps (k closest, scheduling) and intervals (merging, batching).
- Practice sliding windows for rate limits and binary search on sorted data.
- Translate each story problem into inputs, outputs and constraints in two minutes before coding.
- Aim for the optimal approach first and check the input limits, since time-limit failures are the most common complaint.
- Prepare for DoorDash's live rounds, which guides say favor applied problems over abstract puzzles.
A two-week practice plan
- Days 1 and 2: try HackerRank's sample test and read the invitation rules.
- Days 3 to 5: graphs every day: BFS, Dijkstra and topological sort, two problems timed at 35 minutes each.
- Days 6 and 7: heaps and intervals: k closest, merging and scheduling.
- Days 8 and 9: sliding windows and binary search.
- Day 10: rework three story-style problems, writing the inputs and constraints before any code.
- Days 11 and 12: two full mocks of two problems in 90 minutes.
- Day 13: optimize any solution that would fail large inputs.
- Day 14: take the test in one sitting.
Related guides: what an online assessment is, the HackerRank assessment guide, DoorDash coding interview questions.
On the day, and the mistakes to avoid
- Check the platform, the allowed languages and the time limit in the invitation.
- Try the practice environment or tutorial so the editor and run buttons are not new.
- Use a reliable computer on a stable connection, with other apps and tabs closed.
- Read every problem before starting, and do the quickest ones first.
- Write and run your own edge-case tests before submitting.
- Keep a few minutes at the end to check output formats and resubmit if needed.
Mistakes that cost candidates:
- Writing an elegant solution that fails large hidden tests because of its complexity.
- Mismatched output formats: extra spaces, prompts or debug prints.
- Spending most of the time on one hard problem while easier points go unclaimed.
- Pasting code you did not write, which integrity settings can flag.
- Not reading the input limits, so a solution that works on samples times out.
What happens after the DoorDash online assessment
Candidates commonly report a recruiter debrief, then live coding interviews in a shared editor; one 2024 intern described a single session of about 2.5 hours with two medium problems, followed by a 30-minute chat with the hiring manager. Full-time loops add behavioral and values interviews and, for experienced hires, system design and debugging or code-craft rounds, as guides describe them. For the next stage, see software engineer behavioral answers.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
Online assessments are tests you take on your own: outside help is not allowed, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or a second voice. Practice beforehand instead. CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant; its free AI mock interview prepares you for the interviews that follow the assessment, with questions built from your résumé and the job description and each spoken answer scored out of ten. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Read the invitation carefully and follow your employer's rules.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Does DoorDash use HackerRank or CodeSignal?
HackerRank in most intern and new-grad reports; a few guides mention CodeSignal, and one 2025 candidate had a CoderPad pairing session instead.
How many questions are on the DoorDash OA?
Usually two coding problems, commonly medium, sometimes one medium and one hard.
What topics does the DoorDash OA cover?
Graphs, binary search, intervals, heaps and sliding windows, often framed around deliveries, couriers or restaurants.
What comes after the DoorDash OA?
Live technical interviews in a shared editor, behavioral and values conversations, and system design for experienced hires, as candidates commonly report.
Can I use AI tools during the DoorDash online assessment?
No, unless the instructions explicitly allow it. Assessments are meant to be taken on your own, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or pasted code. Use AI tools to practice beforehand, and follow your employer's rules.
Practice this interview before the real one
The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.
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