Type · Data Structures
Given a list of user authentication events (timestamp, user_id, event_type), write a function to find all users who logged in within 5 minutes of each other. Assume timestamps are sorted.
How to Pass the Zama Software Engineer Interview in 2026
The Zama Software Engineer interview runs 5 rounds: Recruiter Screen, Coding Screen, System Design, Onsite Coding, and Behavioral / Leadership. JobMentis holds 13 Software Engineer questions for Zama, last updated November 10, 2026.
Growth · Software Engineer Interview Guide
Sign up to see ATSHeadquartered in FranceInterview language: English
The Zama DNA (TL;DR)
Deep mathematical rigor behind Fully Homomorphic Encryption anchors evaluation at Zama. Candidates are tested on concrete cryptographic trade-offs, algorithm performance efficiency, and ability to translate complex Research Papers into production-ready cryptographic libraries.
The Zama 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 Zama interview outcomes, avoid these common traps:
- Claiming to learn instantly without challenges.
- Not having a structured learning approach.
- Focusing on a solution that is not scalable for other developers
- Focusing only on theoretical learning without practical application.
Test Yourself: Zama Interview Questions
Three questions from the Zama bank.
Type · Array Processing
Given an array of Zama feature flags (each with an ID, name, and status: 'enabled', 'disabled', 'rollout'), write a function to count the number of features currently enabled for a specific user, considering potential rollout percentages.
Type · Algorithm
Implement a function to calculate the churn rate for Zama's subscription service. Given a list of subscription start and end dates, calculate the percentage of subscriptions that ended within a given month.
+ many more questions, signals, and worked examples
Sign up to unlock the full Zama grading rubric
Zama Interview Question Bank
A sample from our database, grouped by round. Sign up to see the full set.
9 of 13 questions shown
1
Recruiter Screen
1- 1
Type · Motivation
Why are you interested in Zama, and what specifically about our mission and the SWE role here excites you?
2
Coding Screen
3- 2
Type · Data Structures
Given a list of user authentication events (timestamp, user_id, event_type), write a function to find all users who logged in within 5 minutes of each other. Assume timestamps are sorted. - 3
Type · String Manipulation
Implement a function that takes a Zama product description string and returns a new string with all occurrences of 'beta' (case-insensitive) replaced with 'early access'. - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
3
System Design
3- 4
Type · API Design
Design an API endpoint for Zama that allows clients to retrieve a paginated list of their active subscriptions. Consider filtering, sorting, and error handling. - 5
Type · Scalability
Zama is experiencing a surge in user sign-ups. How would you scale the user registration service to handle 10x the current load while maintaining low latency? - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
4
Onsite Coding
3- 6
Type · Algorithm
Implement a function to calculate the churn rate for Zama's subscription service. Given a list of subscription start and end dates, calculate the percentage of subscriptions that ended within a given month. - 7
Type · Debugging
Root Cause Analysis (Issue Tree + 5 Whys)A Zama dashboard is showing incorrect user counts. Here's a simplified version of the data processing code. Find and fix the bug. - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
5
Behavioral / Leadership
3- 8
Type · Conflict Resolution
STARFully Homomorphic Encryption often requires balancing extreme performance constraints against cryptographic security guarantees. Tell me about a time you had to advocate for a specific technical path when your team was split between optimizing for latency or maximizing security depth. How did you reconcile these competing engineering priorities? - 9
Type · Ownership
STARAt Zama, we often build tooling for developers to implement privacy-preserving applications where the abstraction layer is still evolving. Describe a situation where you identified a significant gap in our developer experience or library usability that was preventing wider adoption of our FHE tools. What steps did you take to bridge this gap and ensure the solution was maintainable? - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
Unlock all 13 Zama 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 Zama
How Zama's DNA translates across functions. Pick your role.
Zama resume and cover letter
Applications to Zama go through an applicant tracking system, which parses your resume before a recruiter reads it. Keep the layout plain and describe your skills in the words of the posting. The interviews usually run in English, so send your resume and cover letter in English unless the posting asks for another language. Give each point in the Zama DNA above a bullet that proves it.
Check your resume against the Zama job posting
Upload your resume with the Zama job description to see your ATS score, the keywords you are missing and what to fix before you apply.
Open
Write your Zama cover letter
Drafted from your resume and the Zama posting, so it names what you actually did. You edit it before you send it.
Open
Compare Zama with similar employers
Same DNA, different bar. Browse the closest companies in our database and see how their loops differ.
TeamViewer
Same tierSecuring high-performance remote connectivity anchors TeamViewer's evaluation, testing candidates on low-latency data...
See TeamViewer interview questions
4 rounds
Kuro
Same tierKuro Engineering prioritizes clear architectural reasoning, evaluating how engineers navigate real-world trade-offs i...
See Kuro interview questions
Ed.ai
Same tierAccuracy Standards for AI-assisted grading govern how Ed.ai evaluates talent. Evaluators probe how candidates handle ...
See Ed.ai interview questions
Practice Zama interviews end-to-end
Zama Mock Interview
Run a live mock interview with our AI interviewer using Zama-style prompts. Get scored on structure, signal, and answer length - exactly how the real loop grades you.
Open
STAR Stories for Zama Behavioral Rounds
Build a Story Bank of your past wins, mapped to the leadership signals Zama interviewers grade on. Reuse them across every behavioral round.
Open
Zama Interview Prep Hub
The frameworks behind every Zama round: CIRCLES for product sense, hypothesis-driven debugging for analytical, STAR for behavioral. Learn each one in 10 minutes.
Open
Interview Frameworks
CIRCLES, STAR, AARRR, RICE, MECE. The exact frameworks that make Zama interviewers nod instead of frown. Step-by-step playbooks with the moves and the pitfalls.
Open
Sample answers
What a strong answer to these Zama interview questions shows.
Given a list of user authentication events (timestamp, user_id, event_type), write a function to find all users who logged in within 5 minutes of each other. Assume timestamps are sorted.
A strong answer shows: Efficient time complexity.; Correct handling of time intervals.; Clean and readable code..
Given an array of Zama feature flags (each with an ID, name, and status: 'enabled', 'disabled', 'rollout'), write a function to count the number of features currently enabled for a specific user, considering potential rollout percentages.
A strong answer shows: Accurate implementation of rollout logic.; Handling of different feature flag statuses.; Efficient calculation..
Frequently asked questions
How many interview rounds does Zama run for Software Engineer candidates?
5 rounds, in this order: Recruiter Screen, Coding Screen, System Design, Onsite Coding, and Behavioral / Leadership.
What does Zama look for in Software Engineer candidates?
Deep mathematical rigor behind Fully Homomorphic Encryption anchors evaluation at Zama. Candidates are tested on concrete cryptographic trade-offs, algorithm performance efficiency, and ability to translate complex Research Papers into production-ready cryptographic libraries.
In which language does Zama run its interviews?
Zama usually interviews in English.
How many Zama Software Engineer interview questions does JobMentis hold?
13 questions across the rounds of the Zama loop, last updated November 10, 2026.
Explore careers on WorkFive →