Amazon Graduate Software Engineer Application Process (UK)

Graduate Software Development Engineer · London, Cambridge, Swansea, Edinburgh

2026 graduates: open on 15 October 2026, no closing dateGraduating in 2027? Your options

Short answer: Recent graduates can apply now. When we checked on 15 October 2026, Amazon’s UK graduate SDE ad for 2026 graduates was open. It asked for “Expected graduation between October 2025 – September 2026, OR graduated within the last 24 months”. It had no closing date, and hiring is rolling. When we checked on 15 October 2026, Amazon had no UK 2027 graduate ad. The steps are an online assessment, then a virtual loop with 2 to 7 interviewers.

Graduated recently?

If you fit the 2026 ad’s window, apply now. When we checked on 15 October 2026, it had no closing date. Amazon reviews applications as they arrive. How to apply

Graduating in 2027?

Amazon had no UK graduate ad for you when we checked on 15 October 2026. Look at its UK 2027 SDE internship, which was open when we checked on 17 October 2026. Practise the coding test now and watch amazon.jobs. Your options

Where are you now?

1Applying 2Online test 3Final loop 4Result and offer

Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with Amazon.

Amazon hires graduate Software Development Engineers (SDEs) in London, Cambridge, Swansea and Edinburgh. The employer on the ad was Amazon UK Services Ltd. This guide uses Amazon’s own words wherever it can.

This playbook covers each stage, from the application to the final loop, and what to do if you graduate in 2027. For nearly 10 years, we’ve helped more than 5,000 professionals get hired. Want to know if your CV will pass screening in the UK? Check your CV for free: a score in 30 seconds, then a fix for each problem.

01/10

Your route to an offer

Amazon's UK graduate Software Development Engineer route in five steps. Step 1: apply on amazon.jobs to job 10408763, the 2026 graduate ad. Step 2: the coding assessment, two problems on HackerRank, about 70 minutes. Step 3: the Workstyles Assessment and Work Simulation; your online assessment email tells you which parts you get. Step 4: a virtual final loop with 2 to 7 interviewers, 45 to 60 minutes each. Step 5: the result, which Amazon aims to give within five business days. Our tip: try Amazon's free practice test before the real one. — Amazon’s route for its 2026 UK graduate SDE ad, from application to answer. (click to enlarge)

02/10

The role at a glance

Four UK offices, rolling hiring and no published pay.

UK offices on the 2026 ad

None

Closing date when we checked on 15 October 2026

Coding problems in the online test

Languages you can use in that test

2 to 7

People in the final loop

Not shown

Pay on the UK ad

From Amazon’s 2026 graduate SDE ad, its online assessment page and its interview loop page, checked 15 October 2026.

Where these facts come from

Degree. The ad asked for a bachelor’s degree or above “in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, Information Systems, or related STEM fields”. You can still be studying or have finished.
Offices. The ad listed London, Cambridge, Swansea and Edinburgh. You give preferences “from a list of available locations”. Amazon does not promise one.
The job. Graduates “design, build, and operate” systems. The ad also mentions on-call duties and generative AI tools.
Pay and start date. The ad gave neither. Amazon published no pay for this role, so ask your recruiter.

03/10

What Amazon looks for

The ad asked for one language and core computer science. Have a project or internship ready to show each one.

One general-purpose language

Show it by: a project in Java, Python, C++, C#, Go, Rust or TypeScript, the languages the ad named.

Data structures, algorithms or object-oriented design

Show it by: code you wrote with one of them, and the problem it solved.

Internships or project work

Show it by: what you built, the tools you used and one result.

Modern tools

Show it by: naming the AI tools, AWS, databases or version control you used.

The Leadership Principles

Show it by: a true story for each principle you can speak to.

Clear communication

Show it by: explaining a technical choice in plain words.

What Amazon says, in its own words

Basic. “Demonstrated experience one or more of the following: Data structures implementation, Basic algorithm development, Object-oriented design principles”.
Preferred. The ad listed internships or projects, AI tools, AWS, SQL and NoSQL databases, open source, version control, debugging and communication.
Topics. Amazon’s technical topics page lists data structures, algorithms, object-oriented design, databases, distributed computing, operating systems and machine learning.
Code quality. Amazon looks at “the clarity, maintainability, and efficiency of your code”.

04/10Stage 1 · Apply

How to apply

Apply now if you fit the 2026 window. When we checked on 15 October 2026, the ad had no closing date. Amazon says “Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis”.

Amazon also says: “Application deadlines vary by role and location.”

So apply while the ad is live. Amazon’s FAQ says the process “may include an online assessment and/or telephone interview with your recruiter”. A virtual “loop” interview follows.

Find the ad

Job 10408763 on amazon.jobs

Check the window

October 2025 to September 2026, or 24 months

Apply

Give your office preferences

Watch your email

The online assessment comes next

You can try other Amazon roles too. Amazon says: “You can apply and interview for a maximum of 10 roles at a time.”

Offices, referrals, other offers and reapplying

Offices. Amazon matches you “based on a variety of factors including business needs”.
Referrals. “Don’t withdraw your application to reapply with a referral. The withdraw feature is a permanent action for the rest of the season for that specific job ID.”
Another offer. “There is no guarantee that Amazon can expedite the recruitment process due to a competing offer.” Tell your recruiter if you are selected to interview.
Reapplying. Amazon publishes no wait time before you can reapply. Its published rules are the 10-role cap and the withdraw rule above.

Your CV: do and don’t

“Built a Python booking app for a 200-member club. Cut double bookings to zero.”

Name the language, what you built and one result. The ad asked for demonstrated experience.

Don’t

“Familiar with many programming languages”

A list proves nothing. Tie each language to a project.

Your CV is the first thing Amazon reads. Our CV achievement examples help you put a result on each project. Our guide to writing a strong CV shows what recruiters look for first. Getting ready to apply for jobs in the UK? Check your CV for free: see it the way a recruiter does, then fix each problem.

Keep track of every graduate scheme

Save Amazon and over 2,000 other UK schemes to one free calendar. See what closes next and what you have applied to.

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Graduating in 2027? Your options

No UK 2027 ad when we checked. On 15 October 2026, Amazon’s UK job feed had no 2027 graduate SDE ad. Amazon had published no opening date. Its FAQ says: “If a job isn’t on our site, then we’re not taking applications at this time.”
The UK 2027 internship. Amazon’s 2027 SDE internship listed London and Cambridge. It was open when we checked on 17 October 2026. The ad asked for “a minimum of one quarter/semester/trimester remaining in their studies after their internship concludes”. The ad added: “Upon successful completion of the internship, you may be considered for a graduate role or a second internship”.
Master’s in 2027? The 2026 ad also covered anyone who “graduated within the last 24 months”. If you think that covers your first degree, check with Amazon before you apply.
Practise now. The coding test is the first step for both graduate and intern SDE roles. Amazon’s free practice test is in the online test chapter.
Amazon Ireland. A 2027 graduate SDE ad in Dublin went up on 13 October 2026. It was open when we checked on 17 October 2026. The ad asked for the right to work in Ireland.
AWS in the UK. The Graduate DevOps Engineer and Associate to Consultant roles we checked were for UK nationals only, with security clearance.
Past timing. The 2026 ad was posted on 1 May 2026. The 2025 ad was live by 17 December 2024. So check amazon.jobs often.
Future roles. To hear about them, Amazon says to “update your consent preference on the Communication Settings page” of your account.

Two readers side by side. If you graduated recently: the 2026 ad covered expected graduation between October 2025 and September 2026, or graduation within the last 24 months; see the ad for its closing date; first, apply on amazon.jobs. If you graduate in 2027: there was no UK graduate ad when we checked; if you will still have study left after it, look at the UK 2027 SDE internship; first, practise the coding test; then watch amazon.jobs. Master's students graduating in 2027 should check with Amazon whether the 24-month line covers their first degree. — What recent graduates and 2027 graduates can do at Amazon UK. (click to enlarge)

05/10Stage 2 · Online test

The online assessment

The online assessment (OA) is “the first step in the hiring process” for Amazon’s SDE roles. Amazon says “No Amazon-specific knowledge is needed”.

It “evaluates coding skills, technical problem solving, and Amazon’s Leadership Principles”. The OA comes in “one or two parts”, depending on the country. Your OA email tells you which parts you get.

Amazon says to “set aside up to two hours of uninterrupted time”. After each section, an email tells you “whether or not you will move to the next step”.

Amazon says: “Parts of the OA will require you to use a webcam.”

The four parts of Amazon's full-time SDE online assessment, with Amazon's average times. Coding assessment: 70 minutes, two problems, in any of 12 languages. Workstyles Assessment: 15 minutes, choosing statements about your work style. Work Simulation: 60 minutes, with messages from virtual managers. Feedback survey: 5 minutes; skipping it delays your results. Amazon says the OA comes in one or two parts depending on the country, so your OA email tells you which parts you get. Set aside up to two hours of uninterrupted time. — Amazon’s average times for each part of the online assessment. (click to enlarge)

Each part, in Amazon’s words

Coding assessment. Two problems, about 70 minutes on average. Amazon’s prep course calls it “Part 1: HackerRank coding assessment”. You can use C, C++, C#, Go, Java, JavaScript, Kotlin, Objective C, Python, Ruby, Scala or Swift.
Workstyles Assessment. About 15 minutes. It “asks you to choose statements that represent your work style”. Amazon says “There is no practice needed for this portion”.
Work Simulation. About 60 minutes on average, with “120 minutes to complete”. You get “emails, videos, and instant messages from your virtual managers”. Each scenario has “four to five viable options”. It “may not apply to certain countries, such as China”.
Feedback survey. About 5 minutes. Amazon warns that “failure to complete the survey will delay your results and next steps”.
No email? On a two-part OA, contact Amazon if no completion email comes within 24 hours of Part 1 or Part 2. Use the contact details in your OA email.

The rules: allowed and banned

Allowed

Public docs, such as the Java Developer Kit or Standard Template Library
Moving on if stuck, then coming back
A laptop or desktop, at least 1024 x 768
Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari, with at least 5 Mbps

Banned

Sites that need a login, and private repositories
Print screen, which ends your session
Copying and pasting
Phones and tablets, which Amazon does not recommend

From Amazon’s OA page. Amazon says: “Your browser usage is logged.” It adds: “We expect this to be your own code.”

Go further: the best outside help

Our own picks, checked on 15 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.

From Amazon

Amazon’s guide to the SDE online assessmentAmazon · no account neededEach part of the test, its average time, the rules and the computer set-up, from Amazon itself.Free
Amazon’s test and interview prep courseAmazon · short online course · no account neededAmazon’s own walk-through of the test and the interview, with a STAR answer template to download.Free
Amazon’s practice coding testAmazon on HackerRank · 2 questions · asks for your name and emailTry the real test screen with two practice problems. Amazon says it “won’t be scored”.Free

Watch

How to navigate Amazon’s coding test platformInside Amazon · March 2021 · 2 minAn Amazon presenter tours the HackerRank screen, so nothing on test day is new to you.Free

Practise

HackerRank Interview Preparation KitHackerRank · free accountPractise arrays, hash maps, trees and more on the platform Amazon uses for its coding test.Free

Skip “real Amazon test questions” packs and AI answer tools. Amazon logs your browser use and expects your own code. Practise the skills instead.

Next: the Workstyles Assessment asks about how you like to work. If that kind of test is new to you, our guide to psychometric and logic tests explains the common types.

06/10Stage 3 · Interviews

Amazon interviews: the final loop

How this interview works

A virtual loop with two to seven people. Each talk lasts around 45 minutes to an hour, on Zoom or Amazon Chime.

BehaviouralThe Leadership Principles

Past examples · STAR, or your own shape · Say “I”, not “we”

TechnicalIn Amazon LiveCode

Problem solving · Clear code · Data structures and algorithms

Expect both in the loop. Amazon’s prep course says the interview covers behavioural and technical skills.

Amazon says: “Amazon LiveCode is like a text editor, you will not have the ability to compile or run code.”

Interviewers can include managers, teammates, stakeholders and a Bar Raiser. Amazon describes a Bar Raiser as “someone from another team focused on hiring quality”.

What Amazon says about the loop

Fully virtual. “The interview process is fully virtual”. Your email gives an access code and an Amazon LiveCode link.
Follow-ups. Interviewers take notes. They “may redirect and interrupt” and ask “probing and follow-up questions”. Trainee interviewers may sit in as shadows.
No brain teasers. Amazon says it avoids them, because “they don’t reliably predict success”.
Transcription. Amazon says “Interview transcription is voluntary”. It runs only on some Zoom interviews, and only if you consent.
Your questions. Amazon tries “to leave a few minutes at the end of each interview” for you to ask questions.

The two kinds of question in Amazon's virtual final loop. Behavioural questions are based on the Leadership Principles; STAR is one way to shape answers, not the only way; say I, not we; and not every story has to be a success. Technical questions use Amazon LiveCode, where you cannot run your code; show your problem solving; code is judged on clarity, maintainability and efficiency. Our tip: practise in a plain editor without running your code, and talk through your thinking. — Each loop mixes Leadership Principles questions and live coding. (click to enlarge)

How to answer

Leadership Principles questions

Amazon says: “Our conversations are guided by our Leadership Principles”. It suggests STAR, “but it’s not the only way to share your experiences”.

Situation

Set the scene. Give just enough background.

Task

Your goal, and what you were responsible for.

Action

What you did. Amazon says use “I” instead of “we”.

Result

What happened and what you learned, with numbers if you have them.

Amazon adds: “Frame your answers in relation to the Leadership Principles.” It also says “not every story has to be a success”.

Live coding

Amazon’s prep course names three things to show when you code:

Amazon’s three best practices

“Show your problem solving skills”. Ask clarifying questions and take hints.
“Write logical and maintainable code”. Keep it clear, simple and working.
“Demonstrate knowledge on data structures and algorithms”. Explain the trade-offs in efficiency.

See our guides on how to pass a job interview and the toughest interview questions.

Practise: one question at a time

Amazon’s example questions

Amazon publishes these five example questions. The tips are ours.

Choices

“Tell me about a time you faced a problem with multiple possible solutions. How did you decide what to do, and what was the outcome?”

What they’re testing: how you weigh options and decide.

Show a strong answer

Name two or three options. Say what evidence made you choose one, and what happened.

Mistakes

“Describe a time when you took a risk, made a mistake, or failed. What happened, and what did you learn from it?”

What they’re testing: honesty and learning. Amazon says not every story has to be a success.

Show a strong answer

Pick a real mistake you owned. Say what you changed afterwards, and how you know it worked.

Leading

“Share an example of when you took the lead on a project.”

What they’re testing: ownership.

Show a strong answer

Say why you stepped up, what you decided and the result. Use “I” for your part.

Teamwork

“What did you do to motivate a group or encourage collaboration on a team project?”

What they’re testing: how you bring people with you.

Show a strong answer

Describe what was stuck, the one thing you did to move it, and how the team did after.

Data

“How have you used data to develop a strategy or make a decision?”

What they’re testing: using evidence to decide.

Show a strong answer

Name the data, what it showed and the decision it led to. Give a number for the result.

Coding talk

Our own practice prompts, built on Amazon’s three best practices. They are not Amazon’s questions.

Clarify

Before you code: what would you ask about the input?

What they’re testing: problem solving.

Show a strong answer

Ask about size, empty input, duplicates and the expected output. Restate the problem before you start.

Trade-offs

Why a hash map here, and not a list?

What they’re testing: data structures.

Show a strong answer

Compare lookup time and memory. Say which matters more for this problem.

Efficiency

What are the runtime and the memory use of your answer?

What they’re testing: algorithms.

Show a strong answer

Give both in big-O terms. Then say how you would improve the slower part.

Clean code

Your code works. How would you make it easier to maintain?

What they’re testing: logical and maintainable code.

Show a strong answer

Use clear names, split out helpers and handle edge cases. Walk one test case through by hand.

Our tip: answer Amazon’s five questions out loud, about two minutes each. Then solve one problem in a plain editor without running it, talking as you go.

Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy

Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles. Aim for one true story for as many as you can, in STAR form.

Leadership Principle	Story 1	Story 2
Customer Obsession
Ownership
Invent and Simplify
Are Right, A Lot
Learn and Be Curious
Hire and Develop the Best
Insist on the Highest Standards
Think Big
Bias for Action
Frugality
Earn Trust
Dive Deep
Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
Deliver Results
Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer
Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

Go further: the best outside help

Our own picks, checked on 15 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.

From Amazon

What happens in Amazon’s final interviewAmazon · no account neededWho you meet, how long each talk lasts, and five example questions from Amazon.Free
Amazon’s 16 Leadership PrinciplesAmazon · short videos and transcripts · no account neededAmazon’s behavioural questions test these 16 principles. Andy Jassy explains each one in a short video.Free
Amazon’s technical interview topicsAmazon · no account neededThe technical topics Amazon tells software engineers to review, with a free sample test.Free

Watch

Amazon’s coding interview exampleInside Amazon · September 2021 · 15 minAn Amazon developer codes an answer in LiveCode, the plain editor you use in the interview, and says what interviewers look for.Free

07/10Stage 4 · Final

Result and offer

Amazon says: “You can expect to hear from us within five business days.” If you have not heard by then, check in with your recruiter.

A Candid Chat

Amazon offers “up to a 30-minute meeting” with a volunteer from an employee-led group in the final stage. Amazon says “the chat doesn’t have any impact on the hiring team’s decision”.

A feedback survey

Amazon emails a short survey about your interview.

Pay and start date

Amazon publishes neither for this role. Ask your recruiter.

Before you join

Your Onboarding Portal invite comes “31-90 days prior to your start date”.

Key dates: Amazon UK graduate SDE ads

17 Dec 2024

The 2025 UK graduate ad was live

1 May 2026

The 2026 UK graduate ad was posted

21 Sep 2026

The UK 2027 SDE internship was posted

13 Oct 2026

Amazon Ireland’s 2027 graduate SDE ad went up

15 October 2026

The 2026 ad was open, with no closing date

UK 2027 ad

No ad or date when we checked on 15 October 2026

08/10

Visa sponsorship

The ad we checked said nothing about visa sponsorship. Amazon’s FAQ says: “Your recruiter is your single point of contact for immigration-based inquiries”.

Silent

The 2026 ad, on sponsorship

18 months

Graduate visa, if you apply from 2027

Recruiter

Your contact for visa questions

Our reading: the ad does not say whether this role is sponsored. What you need depends on your own visa. So ask your recruiter before you apply.

GOV.UK says the Graduate visa lasts “2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026” and “18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027”.

See our guides to staying in the UK after studying, UK companies that sponsor visas and jobs in the UK for foreigners. This is general information, so check GOV.UK.

09/10

Key takeaways

Before you apply

Graduated between October 2025 and September 2026, or within 24 months? Apply now. When we checked on 15 October 2026, the ad had no closing date.
Graduating in 2027? Amazon had no UK ad when we checked on 15 October 2026. The 2027 SDE internship was open when we checked on 17 October 2026. Look at it if you will have study left after it.
The online assessment comes first. Do it soon, because hiring is rolling.
Your OA email tells you which parts you get. The coding part has two problems in about 70 minutes.
In the loop, use STAR and say “I”, not “we”. Tie each story to a Leadership Principle.
LiveCode cannot run your code. Talk through your thinking and test one example by hand.
Pay, start date and visa sponsorship are not on the ad. Ask your recruiter.

Never miss a deadline

When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save Amazon once and the reminder is set.

Set my reminders free

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10/10

Frequently asked questions

Is Amazon’s UK graduate software engineer role open now?

Yes, for recent graduates. When we checked on 15 October 2026, Amazon’s UK graduate SDE ad for 2026 graduates was open, job 10408763. It covered expected graduation between October 2025 and September 2026, or graduation within the last 24 months. It had no closing date, and Amazon reviews applications on a rolling basis.

When will Amazon open its UK 2027 graduate SDE ad?

Amazon publishes no date. When we checked on 15 October 2026, there was no UK 2027 graduate SDE ad. The 2026 ad was posted on 1 May 2026, and the 2025 ad was live by 17 December 2024. Check amazon.jobs often. If you will still have study left after it, look at the UK 2027 SDE internship. It was open when we checked on 17 October 2026.

What is in the Amazon SDE online assessment?

Amazon lists a coding assessment with two problems, about 70 minutes on average. A Workstyles Assessment takes about 15 minutes and a Work Simulation about 60. A feedback survey takes about 5. The OA comes in one or two parts, depending on the country, so your OA email tells you which parts you get.

Which platform runs the Amazon coding test?

Amazon’s own prep course calls the coding part a HackerRank coding assessment. You can code in 12 languages, including Java, Python and C++. Amazon’s free practice test runs on the same platform, and Amazon does not score it.

What happens in the Amazon final loop?

Amazon says the loop has two to seven people, and may include a Bar Raiser from another team. Each talk lasts around 45 minutes to an hour, on Zoom or Amazon Chime. You answer questions based on the Leadership Principles and code in Amazon LiveCode, a text editor that cannot run code.

Does Amazon sponsor visas for graduate software engineers?

The ad we checked did not say. Amazon says your recruiter is your single point of contact for immigration questions. So ask them about this role before you apply.

If Amazon turns me down, when can I reapply?

Amazon publishes no wait time. Its published rules are that you can apply and interview for a maximum of 10 roles at a time. Withdrawing an application is permanent for that job ID for the rest of the season, so do not withdraw to reapply with a referral.