# Difficult problem behavioral interview question | Aced Aced (formerly Exponent) publishes a public search API over its indexed pages; the guide is at https://www.aced.io/agents/agent-access. Source: https://www.aced.io/questions/462/solving-difficult-problem-interview-question Source observed: 2026-11-04T22:42:55.360Z Last checked: 2026-11-04T22:42:55.36+00:00 Indexed: 2026-11-05T21:55:03.54+00:00 --- # Tell me about a time when you had to solve a difficult problem. We provide interview preparation resources through Aced, formerly Exponent. This page is a behavioral interview question record with interview metadata, shared interview experiences, related questions, and related preparation courses. ## Question details - **Category:** Behavioral - **Reported:** 13 interviews - **Last asked:** 2 months ago - **Saved by:** 62 users - **Roles associated with this question:** Engineering Manager (4), Software Engineer (3), Product Manager, Business Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer, Solutions Architect - **Companies associated with this question:** Meta (4), Amazon (2), OpenAI, Nethermind, Deloitte, Apple, Snap, and Rakuten Detailed company statistics are available through [Upgrade](https://www.aced.io/upgrade?src=questions). ## Interview experiences Four experiences have been shared for this question. ### Amazon — Product Manager · Sr. Staff / L7 [Read the full Amazon interview experience](https://www.aced.io/experiences/amazon-sr-staff-product-manager-interview-525397) ![Amazon logo](https://exponent-static.s3.amazonaws.com/company_logos/amazon.png) > “The process was significantly more rigorous than what I’ve experienced at other big tech companies. While most companies focus primarily on technical execution, Amazon's intense focus on evaluating every response against specific Leadership Principles adds a layer of complexity that requires deep preparation. That said, the recruiter was incredibly accurate, transparent, and helpful regarding what to expect, which is rare in this industry and highly appreciated.” Reported 2 months ago. ### OpenAI — Software Engineer [Read the full OpenAI interview experience](https://www.aced.io/experiences/openai-software-engineer-interview-20a84c) ![OpenAI logo](https://exponent-static.s3.amazonaws.com/company_logos/openai.png) > “I got into the process through cold outreach plus a referral, and even that took a month or two of pushing before I got the first interview. After a pretty normal recruiter screen, I had two same-day phone rounds: one coding and one system design. The onsite was four rounds for me: coding, system design, technical deep dive on my own project, and behavioral. My big takeaway is that the coding bar is much more intense than standard big tech and feels closer to Anthropic, while the system design and behavioral pieces are more familiar. I was still waiting on the decision when we talked, and the biggest wildcard in the whole process was interviewer variability.” Reported 10 months ago. ### Nethermind — Software Engineer · Intern [Read the full Nethermind interview experience](https://www.aced.io/experiences/nethermind-software-engineer-intern-interview-98cb83) > “Recruiter screen followed by technical (non-coding, only verbal questions) interview. Very standard questions in recruiter screen related to company and interests, technical interview went more in-depth into blockchain, my experience in the industry, past projects, etc.” Reported 2 years ago. ### Deloitte — Business Analyst · Entry Level / L3 [Read the full Deloitte interview experience](https://www.aced.io/experiences/deloitte-business-analyst-interview-691a3b) ![Deloitte logo](https://exponent-static.s3.amazonaws.com/company_logos/deloitte.png) > “The process was smooth , straight to the point . The interview environment also smooth easy and everything was to the point” Reported 2 years ago. ## Community answers No answers have been contributed by the community yet. ## Related questions - [Tell me about a time when you had to manage a difficult customer.](https://www.aced.io/questions/1002/time-manage-difficult-customer) - [Tell me about a time when you solved a problem innovatively.](https://www.aced.io/questions/275/solved-problem-innovatively) - [Tell me about a time when you had to find a simple solution to solve a very complex problem.](https://www.aced.io/questions/2695/simple-solution-complex-problem) ## Related courses ### [Machine Learning Engineer Interview Prep](https://www.aced.io/courses/ml-engineer) ![Machine Learning Engineer Interview Prep](https://images.ctfassets.net/x78yjrjc11pq/6UfkHxUyLQVfDHSfLNQtWa/1be1539a65b4f6f15201f5b573c0a578/ML_Engineer_Interview_Prep_Course.jpeg?w=800&h=800&fm=webp&q=75) We offer preparation for machine learning roles at Meta, Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and other top companies. The course includes mock interviews, frameworks, advice from senior candidates, ML system design, core concepts, coding, behavioral interviews, and more. ### [Engineering Management Interview Prep](https://www.aced.io/courses/engineering-management) ![Engineering Management Interview Prep](https://images.ctfassets.net/x78yjrjc11pq/5AqarwlCDWmr0W7AbMJFwp/16862dab13471f5eb8728b27eb2fbc07/engineering_management_track_compressed_bbabaec4a6__281_29_9a9687c1fb.jpeg?w=800&h=800&fm=webp&q=75) We offer preparation for engineering manager roles at Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Stripe, and other top companies. The course covers system design, people management, project retrospectives, behavioral interviews, mock interviews, frameworks, and advice from senior candidates. ## Practice and completion Use [Practice with AI](https://www.aced.io/practice/ai/new?type=Behavioral&question=solving-difficult-problem-interview-question&src=questions) to practice this behavioral question. 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