NeetCode 150 has 28 easy, 101 medium and 21 hard problems. How long it takes depends far more on your starting level than on the list. This page gives realistic estimates by level, schedules of four, eight and twelve weeks, and the signs that you are ready. The estimates are ours, based on typical solve and review times. For the list, see our NeetCode 150 roadmap.
Time per problem, realistically
| Difficulty | Count | First attempt plus review |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 28 | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Medium | 101 | 45 to 60 minutes |
| Hard | 21 | 60 to 90 minutes |
Review means reading a better solution, writing it again from memory and noting the pattern. Skipping review makes the list faster and much less useful.
Total time by starting level
| Starting level | Typical total | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| New to data structures | 200 hours or more | Learning each topic before the problems make sense |
| Some practice, rusty | 120 to 160 hours | Most time goes to mediums and dynamic programming |
| Recently interviewed | 70 to 100 hours | Mostly review, with new time on hard problems |
Schedules that work
- Four weeks: five or six problems a day, about 30 hours a week. Realistic only if you are already practiced.
- Eight weeks: about three problems a day, 15 to 20 hours a week. The most common plan.
- Twelve weeks: about two problems a day, 10 to 12 hours a week, with time for spaced review.
How to know you are ready
- You can solve an unseen medium in 30 to 35 minutes while explaining your approach.
- You can name the pattern within two minutes of reading a problem.
- You can state time and space complexity without hesitating.
- Problems you solved two weeks ago still come back quickly.
If you are short on time, start with the Blind 75 guide, which is the first half of NeetCode 150, or read how many LeetCode problems you need before an interview.
Ways to finish faster without cutting corners
- Time-box each attempt: 25 minutes on a medium, then read the solution.
- Group problems by category so the pattern carries over.
- Redo failed problems after three days and again after a week.
- Explain solutions out loud from the start, since that is what interviews score.
Turning a list into interview skill
Any list only helps if the practice transfers to problems you have not seen. These habits make the difference:
- Time-box every attempt: about 25 minutes for a medium before you read a solution.
- Keep a log with one line per problem: the pattern, the key idea and the complexity.
- Redo failed problems after three days, a week and three weeks, without looking at your old code.
- Explain your approach out loud before and while you code, as you would to an interviewer.
- In the last two weeks, switch to unseen problems without topic labels.
The patterns most lists are built on are explained in array and string patterns and tree, graph and recursion patterns.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
Finishing a list is not the same as passing an interview: interviewers score how you explain your approach, your trade-offs and your complexity out loud. CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant; its free AI mock interview asks coding questions, listens to your spoken explanation and scores it out of ten with a model answer, which is the part a problem list cannot train. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Online assessments and live coding rounds usually forbid outside help, so practice now and follow your employer's rules on the day.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
How long does NeetCode 150 take?
Our estimate is 120 to 160 hours for someone with some practice, roughly eight weeks at 15 to 20 hours a week. Beginners need longer, and recent interviewers less.
Can I finish NeetCode 150 in a month?
Only if you are already practiced and can give it about 30 hours a week. Otherwise, do Blind 75 in a month and continue afterward.
How many NeetCode problems should I do a day?
Two or three with proper review is sustainable for most people. More than five a day usually means skipping review.
Is NeetCode 150 enough for FAANG interviews?
For most candidates it covers the patterns that matter, if you can solve unseen problems in time and explain them clearly.
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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