How often are these problems asked?
Frequency scores are based on crowdsourced interview reports. A higher score means the problem has been reported more often in recent Optum interviews.
Very Likely
75-100%
Likely
50-74%
Sometimes
25-49%
Rare
0-24%
Problem database last updated: June 20, 2025
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Optum Coding Interview Questions
5 problems · 1 Easy, 4 Medium, 0 Hard · Ranked #235 of 458
Difficulty breakdown
1 Easy
20% · avg 23%
4 Medium
80% · avg 59%
0 Hard
0% · avg 18%
Top topics
string
60%2.1x
two-pointers
40%2.9x
dynamic-programming
40%2x
array
40%
stack
20%2.3x
hash-table
20%
Interview profile
Based on 5 reported problems, Optum interviews are easier than average - only 0% Hard compared to 18% across all companies. The majority (80%) of questions are Medium difficulty, which is typical for companies that want to see solid fundamentals without excessive trick questions.
Compared to the industry average, Optum puts unusual emphasis on two-pointers (40% of problems, 2.9x the industry average), string (60% of problems, 2.1x the industry average), dynamic-programming (40% of problems, 2x the industry average). If you're short on time, these are the categories to double down on.
The most common topics are string (60%), two-pointers (40%), dynamic-programming (40%), array (40%). Problems below are sorted by frequency, the ones at the top are asked most often.
All 5 problems
| Problem | Difficulty | Frequency | Topics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Reverse Prefix of Word Given a 0-indexed string word and a character ch, reverse the segment of word that starts at index 0 and ends at the index of the first occurrence of ch (inclus... | Easy | Very Likely | two-pointersstringstack | Solve |
Longest Common Subsequence Given two strings text1 and text2, return the length of their longest common subsequence. If there is no common subsequence, return 0. | Medium | Likely | stringdynamic-programming | Solve |
Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters Given a string s, find the length of the longest substring without duplicate characters. | Medium | Likely | hash-tablestringsliding-window | Solve |
Maximum Subarray Given an integer array nums, find the subarray with the largest sum, and return its sum. | Medium | Likely | arraydivide-and-conquerdynamic-programming | Solve |
Sort Colors Given an array nums with n objects colored red, white, or blue, sort them in-place so that objects of the same color are adjacent, with the colors in the order... | Medium | Likely | arraytwo-pointerssorting | Solve |
Reverse Prefix of Word
SolveGiven a 0-indexed string word and a character ch, reverse the segment of word that starts at index 0 and ends at the index of the first occurrence of ch (inclus...
EasyVery Likely
two-pointersstringstack
Longest Common Subsequence
SolveGiven two strings text1 and text2, return the length of their longest common subsequence. If there is no common subsequence, return 0.
MediumLikely
stringdynamic-programming
Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters
SolveGiven a string s, find the length of the longest substring without duplicate characters.
MediumLikely
hash-tablestringsliding-window
Maximum Subarray
SolveGiven an integer array nums, find the subarray with the largest sum, and return its sum.
MediumLikely
arraydivide-and-conquerdynamic-programming
Sort Colors
SolveGiven an array nums with n objects colored red, white, or blue, sort them in-place so that objects of the same color are adjacent, with the colors in the order...
MediumLikely
arraytwo-pointerssorting
Preparing for your Optum coding interview
Optum interviews focus heavily on string, two-pointers, dynamic-programming problems. If you're short on time, these are the categories to prioritize. The problems on this page are sorted by frequency, so start from the top and work your way down.
Beyond solving problems, practice explaining your approach. Optum interviewers care about your thought process - how you break down a problem, consider edge cases, and evaluate tradeoffs between solutions. A clean O(n) solution you can explain clearly beats an O(log n) solution you can't articulate.
Looking for more companies? Browse all 458 companies in our directory, or sharpen your fundamentals with our free data structure visualizers and AI-powered DSA tutor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What coding problems does Optum ask in interviews?add
Optum has been reported to ask 5 distinct coding problems. The most common topics are string, two-pointers, dynamic-programming. 1 are Easy difficulty, 4 are Medium, and 0 are Hard. Problems are sorted by frequency - the ones at the top are asked most often.
How hard are Optum coding interviews?add
Based on 5 reported problems, Optum interviews are easier than average - only 0% Hard compared to 18% across all companies. 80% of questions are Medium difficulty. Focus on the high-frequency Medium problems first, then work through the Hard ones.
How should I prepare for a Optum coding interview?add
Start with the highest-frequency problems listed on this page. Focus on the core topics: string, two-pointers, dynamic-programming. Practice solving them under time pressure and explaining your approach out loud. Mock interviews with AI can simulate the real experience.
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