Meta AI Coding Interview 2026 | What to Expect & How to Prepare

Interview Prep

Meta AI Coding Interview 2026 | What to Expect & How to Prepare

7 min read

Feb 24, 2026

In late 2025, Meta introduced a significant change to their technical interview process: the AI-enabled coding interview. This new format allows candidates to use AI assistants during the interview itself. If you're preparing for a Meta interview in 2026, understanding this new format is essential.

This guide covers everything you need to know about Meta's AI-enabled coding interview: what it is, how it works, what to expect, and how to prepare.

What is Meta's AI-Enabled Coding Interview?

Meta's AI-enabled coding interview is a new interview format where candidates have access to an AI assistant (like ChatGPT or Claude) during the coding round. According to Meta, this format is "more representative of the developer environment that future employees will work in."

This round replaces one of the two coding rounds at the onsite stage. You'll still have a traditional coding round without AI assistance.

Who Gets the AI-Enabled Round?

Level	Format
E3 - E6 (IC)	1 AI-enabled round + 1 traditional round
E7+ and M1	Only 1 coding round (AI-enabled)

As of 2026, this format is being rolled out for all back-end and ops-focused roles at Meta.

Interview Format & Structure

Duration: 60 minutes
Platform: Specialized CoderPad environment with built-in AI assistant
Problem Type: One thematic question with multiple parts/checkpoints
Difficulty: Harder than typical LeetCode medium (expect 120+ lines of code)
AI Models Available: GPT-4o mini, Claude 3.5 Haiku, Llama 4 Maverick

The environment includes a file directory tree, terminal for output, unit tests, and the AI assistant dropdown. This is not the simple text editor from traditional Meta coding rounds.

What to Expect

The problems are designed with AI assistance in mind, meaning the bar is higher than traditional interviews:

Expect multi-part problems with 4-5 checkpoints
You need to clear at least 3 checkpoints to have a chance (aim for 4+)
Problems involve building features on existing codebases (multiple files)
You'll work with thousands of lines of existing code

Meta says AI use is "optional" - but realistically, you'll need to use it effectively to meet the higher expectations.

How to Use AI Effectively in the Interview

The AI is a helper, not a solver. Think of it as a brilliant assistant who can scaffold fast but needs your guidance and review.

Good uses: Scaffolding boilerplate, syntax help, explaining existing code, generating test cases
Bad uses: Asking it to solve the entire problem, blindly copying output without review
Key skill: Knowing when AI helps vs. when it slows you down

Keep a clear commentary of what you're doing and why, especially when involving the AI. Explain your thought process before and after using the AI.

How to Prepare for Meta's AI-Enabled Interview

Practice with AI on real codebases: Work on existing projects (not blank files) with AI assistance
Solve problems both ways: Practice with heavy AI use AND minimal AI use to understand trade-offs
Get comfortable with multi-file navigation: The interview involves navigating large codebases
Practice explaining your AI usage: Be ready to articulate why you prompted the AI in a certain way
Time management: 60 minutes goes fast - practice completing multi-part problems under time pressure

What About Other Companies?

Meta's AI-enabled interview is unique - most other companies (Amazon, Google, Microsoft, startups) still use traditional coding interviews where AI assistance is not allowed.

For those interviews, you're on your own. That's where CodingInterviewAI comes in.

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Amazon, Google, Microsoft interviews
Startup technical rounds
CoderPad and HackerRank sessions
Any interview where AI isn't officially allowed

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Meta's AI-enabled interview is changing how technical interviews work. But until other companies follow suit, you need an edge for traditional interviews too.

Get AI-powered assistance for every coding interview - not just Meta.

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