How Interview Coder works
Explain it. Code it. Review it later.
The goal is simple: learn the small set of patterns behind many coding interview questions, then practise recalling those patterns without notes. Problems you find difficult return more often. Problems you remember return less often.
Explain your approach
Before coding, say which pattern you would use and why.
Solve the problem
Write the Python solution and run it against the tests.
Review it later
The app brings the problem back sooner if it was hard and later if it was easy.
The Leitner system
Five boxes, widening intervals.
Every new problem starts close to the front. Remember it and it moves forward. Forget it or fail the solution and it moves back, so the queue spends your time where it matters.
1 day
Still fragile
3 days
Taking shape
7 days
More stable
14 days
Nearly fluent
30 days
Long-term check
These are Interview Coder's current successful-recall intervals.
Honest feedback
The rating changes what happens next.
Remembered
Pass the solution and recall it clearly. The problem advances one box, up to Box 5.
Partial
Keep the same box and return sooner: after 1, 2, 4, 7, or 14 days, depending on its current position.
Forgot or failed
Move back one box, never below Box 1, and try again the next day.
A useful practice session
Make retrieval the first move.
- 1Read the prompt without looking at notes or a previous solution.
- 2State the pattern, invariant, complexity, and likely edge cases.
- 3Write and test the solution in the browser.
- 4Rate the recall honestly: remembered, partial, or forgot.
- 5Let the review queue choose when the problem returns.
Ready when you are
Turn a pattern into a memory.
Start with one problem. Recall first, code second, and let the queue handle the timing.
Start reviewing