Hotstar coding interview
questions, leaked.
3 problems reported across recent Hotstar interviews. Top patterns: array, depth first search, breadth first search. The list below is what most reported candidates actually saw, plus the honest play if you can't grind all of it.
Hotstar's coding assessment hits you with graph traversal and tree problems wrapped in array manipulation. You've got three problems to solve, and two of them are hard. The good news: the patterns repeat. Arrays, DFS, and trees dominate the signal. If you blank on a tree-path problem mid-assessment, StealthCoder solves it invisibly while you collect your thoughts. You need to own graph traversal cold, or you're sunk.
Top problems at Hotstar
| # | Problem | Diff | Frequency | Pass % | Patterns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Three Equal Parts | HARD | 100.0 | 41% | Array · Math |
| 02 | Number of Islands | MEDIUM | 66.6 | 62% | Array · Depth-First Search · Breadth-First Search |
| 03 | Binary Tree Maximum Path Sum | HARD | 66.6 | 41% | Dynamic Programming · Tree · Depth-First Search |
Frequencies derived from public community-tagged interview reports. Click a row to view on LeetCode.
You have a week, maybe less. You can't out-grind the list above. StealthCoder runs invisibly during the actual Hotstar OA. The proctor cannot see it. Screen share cannot detect it. Built by an engineer at a top-10 tech company who can solve these problems cold but didn't want to trust himself in a 90-minute screen share.
Get StealthCoder- array2 · 67%
- depth first search2 · 67%
- breadth first search1 · 33%
- union find1 · 33%
- matrix1 · 33%
- math1 · 33%
- dynamic programming1 · 33%
- tree1 · 33%
- binary tree1 · 33%
Two-thirds of Hotstar's assessment lives in hard territory. Array problems anchor the test, paired with DFS in most cases. Number of Islands (medium) is your warm-up and tests whether you can thread DFS or BFS through a grid. Binary Tree Maximum Path Sum forces you to combine DFS with dynamic programming and tree recursion, which is the kind of thing you either see coming or you don't. Three Equal Parts adds a math layer on top of array splitting. The real tell is that DFS appears twice and BFS once. Master DFS on grids and trees first. If you hit a wall on the DP portion of the tree problem live, StealthCoder is your safety net, surfacing the solution in real time while staying invisible to the proctor.
Companies with similar patterns
If you prepped for Hotstar, these companies recycle ~60% of the same topics.
You've seen the list.
Now make sure you pass Hotstar.
Memorizing every problem above in a week is a fantasy. StealthCoder is the hedge: an AI overlay that's invisible during screen share. It reads the problem on screen and surfaces a working solution in under 2 seconds. Built by an engineer at a top-10 tech company who can solve these problems cold but didn't want to trust himself in a 90-minute screen share. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Hotstar interview FAQ
How many array and DFS problems should I drill before the Hotstar assessment?+
At minimum, solve 15 to 20 grid-based DFS problems (islands, surrounded regions, boundaries). Then spend equal time on tree DFS, especially path-sum variants. Hotstar's assessment hits array twice and DFS twice. If you've done 30 solid reps of those patterns, you're prepared. StealthCoder is your hedge if you freeze on a DP detail.
Is the medium-difficulty Number of Islands problem a good starting point?+
Yes. It's your only medium problem and tests DFS/BFS on a grid. Solve it first to lock in the traversal pattern, then move to the hard problems. You'll reuse the same grid-walking logic in Three Equal Parts. Treat it as your confidence builder before facing the two hard problems.
What's the priority for prepping Hotstar's assessment: arrays, trees, or graphs?+
Start with arrays paired with DFS. That covers Number of Islands and parts of Three Equal Parts. Then move to tree DFS, because Binary Tree Maximum Path Sum is a common hard blocker. Graph union-find shows up once, so it's lower priority. Array and tree DFS are the backbone.
Should I study dynamic programming heavily for this assessment?+
Yes, but specifically tree DP. Binary Tree Maximum Path Sum requires tracking max paths through recursion, which is DP thinking applied to trees. Spend time on top-down and bottom-up tree traversal with state tracking. General array DP can wait. Tree DP is the pain point here.
How do I prepare for two hard problems in a row?+
Don't try to solve them back to back live. Number of Islands (medium) is your buffer. Warm up there, nail the DFS fundamentals, then approach the hard problems with a clear head. If you get stuck on the math or DP logic mid-assessment, you've got StealthCoder running invisibly to hand you a working solution.