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University of Waterloo Interview Questions
& Process

Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.

Based on 206 interview experiences · FREE TO READ

1.7 Rounds average
Average Typical difficulty
72.2% Positive experience

Which role are you interviewing for?

30 roles · 206 reports

Candidate interview experiences

First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at University of Waterloo.

Showing 4 of 206
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University of Waterloo

Graduate Student

Research · nearly a year ago

Intern Easy Positive experience Accept offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral

The process begins with submitting an application and providing references. Following this, depending on whether you choose a course-based or research-based path, you'll need to secure a supervisor. Course-based students are mainly assessed on their academic background, while research-based students are evaluated on their research potential. It's possible to switch between the two program types.

Confirmed questions2 questions
  • Could you tell me more about your background and what makes you qualified?
  • Which areas of research spark your greatest interest?
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University of Waterloo

Machine Learning Engineer

Engineering · nearly a year ago

Mid Average Neutral experience Accept offer 1 round
Interview process
Technical screen
Interview formats
Technical Coding

It was about an hour long, and they mostly asked stuff about the Python world. They went over Python basics, ML, data structures and algorithms, and data manipulation using pandas, Pyspark, and SQL. I thought it was interesting that they didn't really ask about my resume.

Confirmed questions1 question
  • What is the difference between an array, a tuple, and a set?
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University of Waterloo

Technician

Other · a year ago

Entry Average Positive experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical

The online interview went smoothly and was well put together. The managers I would be reporting to led the interview, and they were professional, friendly, and easy to talk to. They made sure I felt respected and comfortable. The interview mostly consisted of standard questions, mainly behavioral ones, with a couple of technical questions thrown in. Overall, it was a good and interesting experience.

Confirmed questions1 question
  • Can you describe how you handle prioritizing your tasks?
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University of Waterloo

Data Management

Analytics · a year ago

Entry Average Positive experience Accept offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Background check
Interview formats
Behavioral

The hiring process starts with submitting an online application. Within two weeks, HR will reach out. Following that initial screening, you'll chat with the hiring manager. It's a smooth, well-organized, and quick process, making it easy to move through the steps without any fuss.

Confirmed questions7 questions
  • Can you start by telling me a bit about yourself?
  • What would you say are your strongest qualities?
  • And what about your weaknesses?

University of Waterloo Interview Questions

Quoted word for word from University of Waterloo interview reports.

What is the difference between an array, a tuple, and a set?

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Can you explain the development of the boundary layer over a flat plate?

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Given two strings that each take 30 minutes to burn out completely at an unknown rate, how would you measure exactly 45 minutes?

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What steps would you take to troubleshoot a computer that is not powering on?

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Can you explain the difference between a high-level and a low-level programming language?

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How would you correct for an airy disk diffraction pattern when imaging on our microscope?

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What animal would you choose to be if you could be any animal?

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Can you explain the differences between DCTCP and TCP? Also, what constitutes the network stack?

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Regarding universal design, what is it and can you give an example?

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Formats, difficulty and experience

Across all 206 University of Waterloo interview reports.

Interview formats

Behavioral 52.3%
Technical 24.9%
Presentation 12.1%
Other 4.7%
Coding 2.7%

Interview difficulty

Easy 31.6%
Average 58.3%
Difficult 10.2%

Candidate experience

Positive 72.2%
Neutral 22.9%
Negative 4.9%

Reports by job function

Research 59
Other 44
Operations 35
Engineering 31
HR 11
Marketing 8