OpenAI Software Engineer, New Grad
interview guide
Prepare for online assessments, coding tasks that grow in stages and detailed questions about a project you built, with research-track examples kept separate.
What to expect at OpenAI
OpenAI's new-grad SWE reports include an online assessment, live coding and a later task that extends a chatbot with new commands. Assessment examples span traversal, simulation and cost optimisation. The behavioural discussion explores your project work, disagreements and reasons for joining, while team matching can happen at a different stage from the offer.
A single candidate's route does not establish the timetable or rounds for every new-grad role. Confirm any design or ML component before adding it to your preparation.
An OpenAI offer can come before team matching
An OpenAI new-grad offer can arrive before the hiring-manager meeting or team match. Confirm whether the offer is tied to a specific team and what still needs to happen before you know which team you would join.
Before speaking with a hiring manager, clarify whether that conversation is part of your assessment and what you should prepare. If several teams are being considered, ask how your preferences affect the decision and when you can expect an answer.
Inside the full guide
6 sectionsThe SWE new-grad process
Assessment, live interviews, behavioural discussion, offers and team matching.
Online assessment examples
Four reported tasks and the requirements that change how each should be solved.
Coding with changing requirements
Encoding, command-based systems and preserving behaviour as an implementation grows.
Explaining your project
Your contribution, difficult decisions, testing and what you would change next.
Research-track reports
Which ML and research examples belong to neighbouring application routes.
A practical preparation sequence
Timed coding, extensions and project rehearsal, plus what to confirm beforehand.