You've applied to a top tech company. The recruiter emails you a link — but it's not from the company. It's from Karat.
Welcome to outsourced technical interviewing. Over 100 companies now use Karat to conduct their first-round technical screens, and the list keeps growing. But here's the catch: different companies configure their Karat interviews differently. Some focus purely on coding. Others add system design. Some pack in 5-6 questions in 60 minutes.
Knowing which company you're interviewing for changes how you prepare.
This guide covers every major company that uses Karat, what their specific Karat round looks like, and exactly how to prepare for each. For the general Karat format and scoring rubric, see our Complete Karat Interview Preparation Guide.
Complete List of Companies Using Karat (2026)
| Category | Companies |
|---|---|
| Big Tech / Product | Atlassian, Roblox, Indeed, Intuit, Snap, Unity, Electronic Arts, Pinterest, Instacart |
| Finance / Enterprise | American Express, Citi, Walmart Global Tech |
| Payments / FinTech | PayPal |
| Consumer / E-commerce | Wayfair, Peloton, Compass, Zillow |
| Media / Other | The New York Times, DocuSign, Duolingo, Flatiron Health, Palantir, Citrix |
| Ride-sharing / Mobility | Uber |
This list is based on confirmed reports from candidates, job postings, and Karat's public partnerships. Companies may start or stop using Karat at any time.
Company-by-Company Breakdown
Atlassian Karat Interview
What makes it unique: Atlassian's Karat round is one of the most demanding. It's a hybrid format — system design AND coding in a single 60-minute session.
Format:
- System Design (30 min): ~5 short system design questions. These are rapid-fire conceptual questions, not full architecture designs. Topics include: scaling databases, handling large files, optimizing SQL queries, caching strategies, and distributed systems basics.
- Coding (30 min): 1-2 algorithm problems. Standard DSA — arrays, hash maps, strings. LeetCode Easy-Medium.
How to prepare:
- System Design breadth over depth. Atlassian's Karat round tests breadth — you need quick, confident answers across many topics, not a 30-minute deep dive into one system. Practice answering system design questions in 3-5 minutes each.
- SQL optimization is commonly asked. Know how to read query plans, add indexes, and explain JOIN performance.
- Time management is critical. With 5 system design Qs + coding in 60 min, you cannot afford to spend 10 minutes on any single question.
Prep resources:
- Thita.ai System Design Learning Path — HLD theory covering all the rapid-fire topics Atlassian tests
- Practice DSA patterns for the coding half →
Walmart Global Tech Karat Interview
What makes it unique: Walmart's Karat interview is purely coding-focused with minimal system design. They test practical problem-solving over theoretical knowledge.
Format:
- Domain Knowledge (10 min): Standard CS fundamentals — OOP, databases, processes/threads
- Coding (45-50 min): 2 algorithm problems, often multi-part. Heavy focus on hash maps, string manipulation, and arrays.
Commonly reported questions:
- Badge access tracking (hash map + time parsing)
- Domain click counting (substring aggregation)
- Student course enrollment problems (set operations)
How to prepare:
- Master hash maps. Walmart's Karat questions almost always involve frequency counting, grouping, or lookup — all hash map patterns.
- Practice multi-part problems. You'll solve Part A, then immediately get a harder Part B extension. Practice transitioning between parts smoothly.
- Practice the specific commonly reported questions — Walmart/Karat is known to reuse questions. Focus on hash map and string manipulation patterns.
Prep resources:
PayPal Karat Interview
What makes it unique: PayPal uses Karat for Software Engineer roles at multiple levels. The format is standard but questions tend to focus on practical problem-solving relevant to payments/transactions.
Format:
- Domain Knowledge (10-15 min): REST APIs, ACID properties, security basics (relevant to payments context)
- Coding (40-45 min): 1-2 problems. Arrays, hash maps, string processing.
How to prepare:
- Know your API fundamentals well. REST, authentication, idempotency — these come up in domain knowledge for PayPal specifically.
- ACID properties are a must. Given PayPal's financial context, expect database/transaction questions.
- Standard DSA patterns apply. The coding portion follows the typical Karat pattern library.
Prep resources:
American Express Karat Interview
What makes it unique: AmEx uses Karat primarily for technology roles. The interview emphasizes clean coding practices and practical problem-solving.
Format:
- Domain Knowledge (10-15 min): OOP, database concepts, web technologies
- Coding (40-45 min): 1-2 problems with multi-part structure. Hash maps, arrays, sorting.
How to prepare:
- OOP fundamentals are heavily tested. Four pillars, SOLID principles, design patterns — AmEx values clean object-oriented thinking.
- Database knowledge matters. ACID, normalization, JOINs. The financial services context makes data integrity questions likely.
- Write clean, well-structured code. AmEx reportedly weighs code quality and naming conventions.
Citi Karat Interview
What makes it unique: Citi's Karat round focuses on core DSA and practical coding for their technology division.
Format:
- Domain Knowledge (10-15 min): CS fundamentals, OOP, databases
- Coding (40-45 min): Standard hash map, array, and string problems
How to prepare:
- Focus on the core patterns: hash maps, arrays, strings
- Review SQL and database fundamentals (financial context)
- Practice clear communication — narrate your thought process
Intuit Karat Interview
What makes it unique: Intuit's Karat round is well-structured with a balance of domain knowledge and coding. As a Karat partner company (they joined Karat's Brilliant Black Minds initiative), they're deeply integrated with the platform.
Format:
- Domain Knowledge (10-15 min): Broad CS fundamentals
- Coding (40-45 min): 1-2 problems. Hash maps, string manipulation, array operations.
How to prepare:
- Standard Karat prep applies — hash maps and string manipulation are the core
- Practice explaining your approach before coding — Intuit values structured thinking
- Review common Karat question patterns — hash maps and string manipulation are directly relevant
Uber Karat Interview
What makes it unique: Uber uses Karat for initial technical screens across multiple engineering roles. Problems may involve graph traversal and matrix operations given Uber's domain (routing, mapping).
Format:
- Domain Knowledge (10-15 min): Systems concepts, API design, distributed systems basics
- Coding (40-45 min): 1-2 problems. Arrays, graphs, BFS/DFS.
How to prepare:
- Graph traversal is more likely here than at other companies. Practice BFS/DFS on matrices and adjacency lists.
- Systems knowledge matters. Uber builds distributed systems — expect domain questions about scalability, consistency, and APIs.
- Two pointer and sliding window patterns appear frequently.
Prep resources:
Roblox Karat Interview
What makes it unique: Roblox uses Karat for engineering roles. Questions tend to involve game-related problem domains — grids, state management, coordinate systems.
Format:
- Domain Knowledge (10-15 min): CS fundamentals, OOP
- Coding (40-45 min): 1-2 problems. Matrix operations, arrays, hash maps.
How to prepare:
- Matrix/grid problems are more common — practice 2D array traversal, BFS on grids
- OOP questions may touch on game object hierarchies and state management
- Standard hash map and array patterns for the coding section
Other Notable Companies
Wayfair: Standard Karat format. Heavy on string/array manipulation. E-commerce-context domain questions.
Indeed: Standard format. Focus on search-related problem domains. Hash maps and string processing.
Snap: Standard format. Arrays, hash maps, BFS/DFS. May include media/social-context problems.
DocuSign: Standard format. Emphasis on string processing and document-related problem domains.
Duolingo: Standard format. May include problems with language/sequence patterns. BFS/DFS and arrays.
Pinterest: Standard format. Image/feed-related contexts. Hash maps, arrays, graph traversal.
Electronic Arts: Standard format. Game-related problem contexts. Matrix operations, BFS/DFS.
Zillow: Standard format. Data processing and aggregation problems. Hash maps and arrays.
The New York Times: Standard format. String/text processing emphasis. Hash maps and arrays.
The Universal Karat Prep Strategy
Regardless of which company is using Karat, 80% of preparation is identical. Here's what every candidate needs:
1. Master These 5 Patterns
These cover the vast majority of Karat coding questions across all companies:
| Priority | Pattern | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hash Maps / Frequency Counting | 40%+ of all Karat coding Qs |
| 2 | Array / String Manipulation | Core to nearly every problem |
| 3 | BFS/DFS (Graphs & Matrices) | Common across Uber, Roblox, Atlassian |
| 4 | Two Pointers | Sorted array, palindrome, merge operations |
| 5 | Sliding Window | Subarray/substring problems |
Practice all 5 patterns on Thita.ai →
2. Nail the Domain Knowledge Basics
Regardless of company, review:
- OOP: 4 pillars + SOLID
- Databases: ACID, JOINs, indexing
- Systems: Processes vs threads, REST vs GraphQL, CAP theorem
- Web: HTTP methods, cookies, caching
3. Practice Communicating Under Pressure
Karat's algorithmic scoring penalizes silence. The only way to get comfortable talking through problems is to practice it.
Thita.ai's AI Mock Interview simulates Karat's rigid, no-hints format — you solve problems while explaining your thinking out loud, and get scored on communication, approach, and correctness.
Try a Free AI Mock Interview →
4. Simulate the Full 60 Minutes
Don't just practice isolated problems. Simulate the full Karat experience:
- 10 min: Answer 5 domain knowledge questions out loud
- 45 min: Solve 2 coding problems while narrating
- 5 min: Review and self-assess
Do this at least twice before your actual interview.
Company-Specific vs Standard Prep — How to Prioritize
| Time Available | Strategy |
|---|---|
| 3 days | Standard prep only. Hash maps, arrays, communication practice. 1-week plan. |
| 1 week | Standard prep + company-specific emphasis (e.g., add system design if Atlassian). |
| 2+ weeks | Full structured prep with the 90-day roadmap focusing on Karat-relevant patterns. Multiple mock interviews. |
Preparing Your Team for Karat at Scale
If you're an engineering manager, HR lead, or L&D team preparing a group of engineers for Karat interviews — whether for upskilling, internal mobility, or client placements — individual prep doesn't scale.
Thita.ai for Teams provides:
- Structured prep roadmaps assigned to each team member
- AI mock interviews simulating the exact Karat format
- Progress tracking across your entire team
- DSA pattern training covering all Karat question types
- Domain knowledge modules for CS fundamentals review
Preparing 10+ engineers? Contact us → for a custom team preparation plan.
Key Takeaways
- 100+ companies use Karat, but Atlassian, Walmart, PayPal, Citi, AmEx, and Uber are the most common
- Atlassian is unique: hybrid system design + coding in 60 min
- Walmart is purely coding-focused with multi-part problems
- Most other companies follow the standard format: domain knowledge + live coding
- Hash maps, arrays, and BFS/DFS cover 80%+ of coding questions across all companies
- Communication is universally scored — practice narrating your solutions
- The company context changes domain knowledge emphasis (APIs for PayPal, distributed systems for Uber) but coding patterns are consistent
Start Preparing Now
Step 1: Read the Complete Karat Interview Prep Guide for the full format breakdown and study plan
Step 2: Take a free AI mock interview to simulate the Karat experience