Solving 300 LeetCode Problems Still Leaves You Freezing? Practice Out Loud, Study Finds

A developer argues that candidates who freeze in interviews after solving hundreds of LeetCode problems suffer from a lack of rehearsal under realistic conditions. Solo practice in silence does not prepare people for interviews, which involve being watched, explaining reasoning aloud, and working against a clock. A 2020 study by researchers at NC State and Microsoft with 48 computer science students found that those solving problems while observed performed about half as well and reported higher stress than those working alone. The author recommends narrating every practice problem, using scripted responses when the mind goes blank, and completing many timed, spoken mock interviews in the weeks before the interview. The article is promotional, as the author built one of the mock interview tools it recommends.