Type · Scalability
How would you design the data storage solution for storing high-frequency GPS and sensor data from thousands of drones over several years? Consider query performance for analysis and potential data volume.
How to Pass the Tekever Software Engineer Interview in 2026
Growth · Software Engineer Interview Guide
Sign up to see ATSHeadquartered in PortugalInterview language: English
The Tekever DNA (TL;DR)
Autonomous surveillance platforms like Sapient Perception demand engineers who balance low-latency edge AI against strict hardware limits. Evaluators test edge computing fundamentals, embedded C++/Python integration, and operational reliability under GPS-denied tactical conditions.
The Tekever Interview Loop
Your onsite loop will typically consist of 5 rounds.
- 1
Round 1
Recruiter ScreenMotivation, role fit, logistics. - 2
Round 2
Coding ScreenLeetCode-medium algorithmic problems under time pressure. - 3
Round 3
System DesignDistributed systems, trade-offs at scale, architecture under constraints. - 4
Round 4
Onsite CodingLeetCode-hard problems, reasoning about defects, code clarity, edge cases. - 5
Round 5
Behavioral / LeadershipPast evidence of ownership, influence, resolving conflict.
The Danger Zone: Top Reasons Candidates Fail
Based on our database of Tekever interview outcomes, avoid these common traps:
- Not handling concurrent updates to telemetry data correctly, potentially leading to stale data.
- Not considering the time window constraint, leading to excessive memory usage or incorrect results.
- Underestimating the bandwidth requirements for real-time telemetry from thousands of drones.
- Implementing a state machine that doesn't correctly capture the sequence and timing of events for anomaly detection.
Test Yourself: Real Tekever Questions
Three real prompts pulled from our database.
Type · Conflict Resolution
STARWhen developing software for a mission critical flight controller, how have you balanced the trade-off between aggressive hardware performance optimizations and the strict safety certification requirements required for aerospace deployment?
Type · Motivation
What interests you specifically about working in the aerospace industry and at Tekever, given our focus on unmanned aerial systems (UAS)?
+ many more questions, signals, and worked examples
Sign up to unlock the full Tekever grading rubric
Tekever Interview Question Bank
A sample from our database, grouped by round. Sign up to see the full set.
9 of 11 questions shown
1
Recruiter Screen
1- 1
Type · Motivation
What interests you specifically about working in the aerospace industry and at Tekever, given our focus on unmanned aerial systems (UAS)?
2
Coding Screen
3- 2
Type · Algorithm
Given a stream of flight path data (latitude, longitude, timestamp) for multiple drones, design an algorithm to detect if any two drones have come within a specified proximity threshold of each other in the last hour. Assume you have a way to efficiently query past flight data. - 3
Type · Data Structures
Implement a data structure that can store flight telemetry data (e.g., altitude, speed, heading) for a fleet of drones. It should support efficient retrieval of the latest telemetry for a specific drone ID and also support querying for all drones within a certain altitude range. - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
3
System Design
3- 4
Type · Architecture
Design a scalable system for real-time monitoring and control of a fleet of 10,000 drones. Consider aspects like data ingestion, processing, storage, command transmission, and fault tolerance. - 5
Type · Trade-offs
RICEWhen designing the communication protocol between the ground control station and the drones, what are the key trade-offs between using a reliable, connection-oriented protocol (like TCP) versus an unreliable, connectionless protocol (like UDP) for transmitting critical flight commands? - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
4
Onsite Coding
2- 6
Type · Algorithm
Write a function to calculate the shortest path for a drone to travel between two points on a 3D map, considering terrain elevation changes and no-fly zones. The map can be represented as a 3D grid. - 7
Type · Code Quality
Refactor the following piece of code, which handles drone mission planning, to improve its readability, maintainability, and testability. Pay attention to variable naming, function decomposition, and error handling.
5
Behavioral / Leadership
2- 8
Type · Conflict Resolution
STARWhen developing software for a mission critical flight controller, how have you balanced the trade-off between aggressive hardware performance optimizations and the strict safety certification requirements required for aerospace deployment? - 9
Type · Ownership
STARDescribe a time when you identified a silent failure in a drone fleet telemetry stream that was not caught by standard automated alerts. How did you investigate the root cause in the field data and ensure the system was hardened against similar future occurrences?
Unlock all 11 Tekever questions, free
No credit card. Every question with its framework, the grading signals interviewers score against, and a worked answer for each.
Interview tracks at Tekever
How Tekever's DNA translates across functions. Pick your role.
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Practice Tekever interviews end-to-end
Tekever Mock Interview
Run a live mock interview with our AI interviewer using Tekever-style prompts. Get scored on structure, signal, and answer length - exactly how the real loop grades you.
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STAR Stories for Tekever Behavioral Rounds
Build a Story Bank of your past wins, mapped to the leadership signals Tekever interviewers grade on. Reuse them across every behavioral round.
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Tekever Interview Prep Hub
The frameworks behind every Tekever round: CIRCLES for product sense, hypothesis-driven debugging for analytical, STAR for behavioral. Learn each one in 10 minutes.
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Interview Frameworks
CIRCLES, STAR, AARRR, RICE, MECE. The exact frameworks that make Tekever interviewers nod instead of frown. Step-by-step playbooks with the moves and the pitfalls.
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Sample answers
What a strong answer to these Tekever interview questions shows.
How would you design the data storage solution for storing high-frequency GPS and sensor data from thousands of drones over several years? Consider query performance for analysis and potential data volume.
A strong answer shows: Knowledge of time-series databases and their benefits.; Understanding of distributed data storage solutions.; Awareness of data lifecycle management and cost considerations..
When developing software for a mission critical flight controller, how have you balanced the trade-off between aggressive hardware performance optimizations and the strict safety certification requirements required for aerospace deployment?
A strong answer shows: Awareness of DO-178C or equivalent safety standards; Ability to collaborate across engineering disciplines; Prioritization of system reliability over individual technical preference.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Tekever interview process take?
Most candidates spend between 4 and 8 weeks from recruiter screen to offer. The onsite loop itself runs in a single day or is split across two half-days, with debrief and offer typically within 5 business days after.
How should I prepare specifically for Tekever?
Focus on three things: (1) the company DNA shown above - what they actually grade for, (2) the rounds in your loop, especially the round most candidates underestimate, and (3) drilling on the question types in this guide using a structured framework like CIRCLES or STAR.
Does this apply to engineering or design roles at Tekever?
The DNA stays the same - what changes is the round mix. SWE candidates face coding screens instead of Product Sense; designers face portfolio reviews and design exercises. The "what they value" and behavioral signals carry across all functions.
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